Popular Senior Home Jobs
Many seniors have the desire to continue working with age or having an easier and less demanding part-time position after they retire, but a lot cannot leave the house to go to work without the assistance of a family member or for a multitude of other reasons. The good news is that many occupations in many different fields can be done in the comfort of your own home, both full-time and part-time jobs. Remote work has become more popular and is a way to offer jobs to senior citizens who otherwise might not have been able to work. Job seekers can use different job board websites like Glassdoor or Indeed to search for remote positions that best fit your schedule, needs, and skills. The websites make it easy to customize your search to what you want to and can do. Some of the best jobs that can be done from home for older people could include customer service, online teaching, remote writing, proofreading, and data entry clerk positions to name a few. Part-time jobs can be very fulfilling and are a great way to keep yourself mentally active and sharp. Depending on what job you do take on, it could also offer you a sense of social interaction whether that is strictly over the phone or through a more face-to-face service like Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype. Maintaining social interaction with age is important as it releases dopamine, which reduces feelings of depression and can also help improve memory. Applying for jobs is not difficult so long as you have a resume and a cover letter available and actually working at home is easy, especially if you have a home office!
Customer Service:
Becoming a customer service representative just requires you to reach out to a local company, like a health care or insurance company, and go through the proper training. It is very easy to do so long as you have a phone and knowledge of the product or service that the company provides. If you worked in the medical field previously, there are also plenty of customer service positions with medical companies that would prefer to hire a former nurse or doctor to provide healthcare service information over the phone. If you have a background with technology, companies like Apple or Microsoft might find you to be a desirable candidate to help troubleshoot problems their customers may experience with different devices. Do not hesitate to promote your skills as it will only help you in your job hunt. This type of work can very easily translate into a remote job so you do not have to leave the comfort of your home. Depending on the company, the median wage could be anywhere between 12 to 20 dollars an hour, but the experience you would gain is what matters the most.
Teaching:
So long as you have a teaching degree, you could look for online teaching or tutoring positions. You can contact your local public or private school to see if they are in need of any tutors for different subjects or substitute teachers if you would prefer a more flexible schedule. Students are always in need of tutors, so you could even just let your neighbors know you’d be available to help their children if they so need it. Depending on the subject, the amount of time you put in, and the level of school you are teaching, you could make $30 an hour or more. If you have a more advanced teaching degree or even a doctorate, you could look for jobs with a community college and teach some courses online. This is a great way to keep yourself mentally active and also a way to interact with other people that you normally would not associate with. Many teaching jobs have a median annual wage ranging between $30,000 to $45,000. Additionally, teaching does not have to strictly pertain to academic subjects like math or science but it could also include music or vocal lessons. Music and vocal lessons, and specifically private lessons, are another lucrative way to break into the teaching profession. Music lessons could include teaching students how to play the piano, guitar, flute, trumpet, etc. In a similar role as teaching, you could also proctor exams that have gone fully virtual such as the LSAT or MCAT in light of the pandemic.
Writing:
Sometimes new businesses, universities, or state run encyclopedias look for writers to write blog posts or articles for their website. Depending on the organization, you might get contacted by them if you are an expert on a certain topic or a part of your state’s history but typically you will need to contact them for a position. In general, the writing pieces you would be asked to do would not be very long and could range from 1,500 to 2,000 words. This makes it manageable and low stress for you, but would still give you something to do. If you decide that writing is something you would be interested in pursuing part-time or full-time, make sure that you feel confident in your skills. Writing keeps your brain active and could also force you to learn about new topics depending on your writing assignment. In terms of payment, you might get paid by the hour or by the word. You could make this a part-time career and write when it is convenient for you or whenever the organization has a piece for you.
Proofreading:
If you prefer reading articles more than writing them or feel like your writing skills are not strong, proofreading is another way for you to work from home so long as you have a device like a tablet or computer. To proofread you must have an advanced grasp of grammar and a comprehensive understanding of the material at hand to successfully do the job. Proofreading might require you to edit articles or documents and sometimes you might even have to provide an explanation as to why you corrected what you did. Just like any other job, you could always get promoted to an editing position if you show you are successful with proofreading. Finding a proofreading position is simple as well. Reach out to local journals, universities, businesses, or even healthcare providers and see if they need anyone to proofread their material prior to publishing, or you can always look on different virtual job boards. Being a proofreader is a great way to break into the part-time job field and is yet another way to keep yourself mentally active while also learning a thing or two.
Data Entry Clerk:
One of the most popular remote positions that populates job boards are data entry clerks. The main role of a data entry clerk is to enter data that is given to you on paper, electronically, or through audio tapes onto a business’s system. If you do not have experience in this position, you might get trained through your company or be required to take a course on how to properly do your job if you cannot come in for in person training. Some companies require their clerks to be able to type a minimum amount of words per minute, so if your typing skills are not the best this might not be the right avenue for you. Remote data entry clerk positions tend to be paid less than if you worked in person, but if keeping your mind active is more important than earning a high income this could be a job for you. Some businesses pay by the hour, keystrokes per minute, or amount of data entered per hour for example. You will need a computer and depending on how specific companies handle data entry, a special keyboard designed specifically for data entry.
The most important part of getting a job as a senior citizen is to do something that you find interesting, find something that is a good fit for your interests and skills, as well as the overall goal of finding something that will keep yourself mentally active. Learning new skills or new information in the work setting requires long-term memory which helps improve your cognitive abilities. In addition it can reduce your risk of developing dementia, creates more neural synapses, and slows the overall process of cognitive aging. These are all crucial to leading a long and mentally healthy life. Reaching out to local or big businesses and searching job boards can be the easiest ways to find a new career. There are plenty of jobs that can be done in the comfort of your own home besides the ones listed above. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that many jobs can be done remotely, making it easier for homebound senior citizens to find work if they so desire. Working from home can make it easier on families and the fact of the matter is, they are just as fulfilling and intellectually stimulating as an in-person career.
Reference:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160211144057.htm
https://www.metrohealthinc.com/living-younger/the-importance-of-learning-something-new-as-you-age/
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-data-entry-3542483
