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Filling a Need, Remotely

Finding a good-paying job

Since the advent of the Covid-19 crisis, the world has undergone a rapid shift to remote working. Companies that for years had played with the idea of replacing in-house staff with workers operating around the world were suddenly thwarted to finding ways to keep doing business, and at the same time, without staff in their offices.

Transition to Remote Working Culture

The change, however, was not easy for many. The attitude of many workers themselves, and their capacity to better motivate, report progress and organize themselves dropped dramatically. For many, working from home without the peer pressure and constant interaction of others, removed one of the key elements of pressure.

However, certain business models and regions of the world were better placed to fill the gap. Here, on worldnewsite.com, for example, last year we talked about the pros and cons of working from home and especially how Indians were well placed to take those roles.

Deciding to take remote work is something of a gamble. One needs to ensure not only that the motivation is there to ensure that you deliver, but also that you find ways to mitigate the interruptions that come from being at home. For generations, coming home has been the refuge where one switches off from work. Working remotely, however, has changed that. Now, sitting at one’s PC needs to be considered as being in the office.

Family, too, has to be eduated to recognise that one is working. Sure, family can understand the concept that you might be doing homework. But with remote working, one needs to further convey a sense of professionalism. That means there cannot be crying babies or the blare of the television in the background.

Working from home delivers many benefits though, despite having to create a sense of professionalism. If anything, there is more family time. Rather than taking a break to talk to colleagues, one now can spend time with kids or parents.

But the downsides, for many, have been that they are at home too much. That same benefit of not having to commute, and seeing family more frequently diminishes when there is no clear separation between work and leisure. And due to the pressure of having to present a professional face, family members can feel ignored, slighted, and deprioritized simply because you have to present a professional face.

Better Pay

Remuneration has also responded to the change in the way we work. For those in the first world, working remotely has helped some who were challenged to find work. Being able to analyze photos, respond to customer enquiries and the like, from home when unable to pay to commute into an office has suddenly created new, income streams. The same has been true for workers who cover markets on the other side of the world.

Though accent and language might be a challenge, with a good ear, a willingness to absorb a bit of YouTube videos in the hopes of mimicking accents, and perseverance, a host of better-paying jobs when compared to what one can earn, say in Hyderabad, have opened up.

Among some of the best opportunities, especially for those with some technical and numerate prowess are the customer service rep positions.  Consider working in Customer support. According to teleport.org, the average salary for customer support in 2021 was 6,645 USD. Compare that to what one can make according to a Lensa article on customer support representative salaries, with less than 5 years experience they figure one could be on at least 32,000 USD.

And if one has other skills such as case management or knowledge of another western European language, that could earn you at least 30% more.

But is this Real?

Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Finding opportunities does take time and persistence. But look around, the fact is that from a western perspective, paying a lower wage to a reliable worker who has the skills and is just, not in the building helps the company’s bottom line.

Jobs are being posted all the time and being snapped up by remote workers in places like India that, while they might have to work odd hours, are earning 5 times the average annual wage. Imagine what that could do if one just works for 6 years?

Invest a couple of hours scanning the internet for remote positions and consider applying. If you land a job you can try it for a week and see if, despite the downsides mentioned above, you can adjust.

Why not cash in on the tectonic shift?

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