When the Coronavirus pandemic left many people furloughed, the question these people wanted an answer to was how they could earn a living while in isolation. Freelancing or self-employment has risen to popularity during the pandemic. This particular form of employment gives workers flexibility in both their workload and working hours. Experts predict that the freelancing trend might stick around for a while longer.
Similarly, massive open online courses (MOOCs) also skyrocketed during this time. Coursera, a website that offers a wide range of MOOCs in many different subjects, saw enrollments increase by 644 percent compared to the previous year. The platform saw 10.3 million new enrollments in just 30 days. Suffice to say that many worldwide are working hard to add more employable and profitable skills to their resumes. Here’s a list of skills that can help you make extra income.
Grant writing
With many companies and organizations facing budget cuts during the pandemic, grant writers have seen higher demand. A grant writer is one who writes proposals for organizations that are applying for grants. You can do this job part-time or full-time. You can work as an in-house grant writer for one company or freelance for different clients. The skills required for this line of work include excellent writing and communication skills, emphasizing persuasive writing. There are many courses and grant-writing certification tests online.
SEO, analytics, and digital marketing tools
With the time spent on our devices increased due to the pandemic, companies and advertisers are leveraging their digital marketing tools and finding new ways to get through to their markets. Digital marketing tools are the best – and in some ways, the only – way to market to consumers at the moment. Traditional marketing tools such as TV, radio, and billboards are limited to specific regions, while digital marketing can have a worldwide reach.
Given that many businesses have had to shift to e-commerce, which can reach more customers than a brick-and-mortar establishment, it makes sense to market to wider audiences. Exceptional skill and experience with digital marketing tools will make you more employable as a marketing specialist.
Graphic design and illustration
Visual arts are a great way to unleash your creativity. Jobs in this field, such as graphic design and illustration, are also high in-demand at this time. In particular, animation has seen increased demand as brands, advertisers, musicians, and filmmakers seek to release video content while observing social distancing protocols. Visual arts are among the most popular courses in online learning platforms, so there are many for you to choose from if you’re just getting started.
To begin, you’ll need to choose a medium. While you can stick to a traditional art medium such as pencil and paper, digital art offers more flexibility and efficiency. You’ll need the equipment required for your chosen medium. For instance, if you choose digital, you’ll need, at the very least, a digital art software such as Clip Studio Paint or Adobe Illustrator. You may also need a drawing tablet that can either connect to your computer or has a screen for you to work directly on it. Digital art devices and software also offer excellent simulations of different drawing and painting tools such as charcoal, oil paint, and watercolor.
Transcription
Working as a transcriptionist requires not just a high skill level in typing but also excellent language skills. There are many training courses available online. Transcriptionists can work in general, medical, or legal fields, and there are separate training courses for each of those. They make about $20 to $45 an hour, making this an excellent choice for a second job if you want to earn during your free time.
Before you proceed, make sure that you have the proper equipment. Apart from a computer and keyboard, you’ll need a headset, transcription software, a stable internet connection, and a foot pedal for rewinding and fast-forwarding through audio files with ease. See to it that you also have an ergonomic setup at home. This might include equipment such as an ergonomic keyboard and mouse and a good quality office chair. This will help minimize desk work-induced injuries such as back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Personal fitness training
If you’ve always had a passion for fitness, this is the career path for you. Since the shutdown of gyms, online fitness programs have been all the rage. To help set you apart from all the fitness influencers with big followings, make sure to acquire the proper training and certification for workout regimens you choose to specialize in. There are training courses available online for different workout types: pilates, yoga, or weight training.
Set aside time during the pandemic to learn a new skill or two. It might just be a good opportunity for you to make extra income with your new skill while in isolation.
