Job Opportunities During COVID-19
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. I only include links for products and services I love and believe in. Please check out my disclosure policy for more details!We interrupt our normally scheduled blogs to send you job opportunities during COVID-19
COVID-19 is affecting all of our lives in one way or another – some small, some big. I have friends who have been laid off, lost loved ones, or are in vulnerable populations, worried about exposure. The first change I experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic was that I lost some freelance work I rely on to pay for health services related to my chronic pain, which I can’t really get right now anyway, because I’m under “safer at home” orders, and everything is essentially cancelled.
So, I’ve been trying to figure out things I can do during this time to give back. Share information, offer hope, and send along any resources that come my way, of which there have been a lot. If you didn’t already check out my list of all the free things you can take advantage of, from fitness classes, to free courses, to TV/movies/video games, virtual tours, so much more, check out my blog. I’m determined to keep you from getting bored during whatever lock-down period you have!
That being said, I know a lot of people are feeling the effects of financial insecurity, and a $1,200 check isn’t going to magically take that away. Here are a few good places to browse for job openings, depending on your skill set and the kind of work you’re looking for.
1. CoronaHub
I have been beyond honored to help get small pieces of CoronaHub off the ground. Created by David Markovich, founder of Online Geniuses (another great resource for job openings), CoronaHub has been designed to serve as a job board and Slack community to connect anyone and everyone affected by COVID-19.
Many of the available jobs listed are online marketing or coding-related, but anyone can submit a listing, so it’s worth checking out no matter what you do.
There are also a number of jobs specifically related to COVID-19 listed, both for practitioners and non-practitioners. If you’re looking to get on the front lines in some way and help, you can find tons of opportunities here.
2. GigNow
When I first lost my freelance client, someone suggested I check out GigNow. This EY-based job board includes a ton of contract-based opportunities perfect for people who don’t have something stable set up for the next few months.
3. Deloitte OpenTalent
Similar to GigNow, Deloitte OpenTalent is another offering from a Big 4 firm offering project-based work. If you’re looking for opportunities for skilled independent contractors, this and GigNow are great places to check.
4. Twenty-Five Companies Hiring Remotely Right Now
I am not about recreating the wheel. Career Contessa put together this amazing list of 25 companies offering work-from-home jobs right now, and it’s got a decent amount of variety. Very worth the read!
5. Teach ESL Online
If you’re looking for a remote opportunity that can work with your schedule, and you have some kind of previous teaching experience, consider a gig teaching English remotely. VIPKid is just one of the many companies you can work with as an independent contractor to teach English to kids in other countries. VIPKid currently works with students in China, but has goals to expand in the future.
When I first learned of the safer at home orders, I was at a loss for what I would do with my time at home, so looked into VIPKid as a way to pass the time. I made it through the training, exam, and just signed my contract.
I’m not sure how often I’ll be open to teach, but I am planning on doing it occasionally. I’ll definitely report back with my experiences once I get going, but the process was pretty straightforward, the feedback was thorough and constructive, and it seems to be a pretty awesome organization.
Because you can determine your own hours, it’s worth a look and going through the process if you think it could be a good fit for your schedule and abilities.
6. The Muse – 57 Companies Hiring Right Now
One more great list I’ve found is from The Muse. If you’re looking for remote positions, jobs in particular cities, or ones that might put you in the center of the action, The Muse’s list features openings for gig and food & beverage positions like Kroger and Instacart, plus opportunities at Facebook, Unilever, Squarespace, and more.
They boast that the list contains much more than grocery and health care positions. Some of the earnings might not come as quickly as gig or contracted work, but if you’re looking for a permanent shift, there could be some good positions open for you, too!
7. Remote Woman
I got this tip from the Ladies Get Paid Slack community (another great place to go for job openings, salary negotiation advice, and all kinds of other good stuff).
If you’re a woman looking for remote work, Remote Woman is a good place to start your search. Job opportunities are divided into Marketing, Development, Sales, Support, and Product categories.
8. Upwork, Thumbtack, and other freelancing platforms
If you’re looking to freelance more because you lost some work lately, or you’re interested in diversifying your income streams, applying for work through a platform like Upwork or Thumbtack could be the right move. This is in no way an exhaustive list, but I have experience with both of these platforms, so I wanted to spend some time talking about my success rate with both of them.
Thumbtack
I started working on Thumbtack about 5 years ago, and have had some luck securing odd jobs. Depending on your skills and the amount of reviews you can gather quickly, you could get some good traction on the site. The work I’ve done through Thumbtack has included some odd jobs (personal assistant/organizational work) and transcribing.
The writing jobs I’ve pitched have always been lower than I wanted to go for, and I haven’t found many people I’ve clicked with. Really, with a tool like this, results can vary widely based on where you are and when you check in on the listings. It’s definitely worth your time to look.
Thumbtack makes money by charging you for leads. When I was on the platform actively, there wasn’t much protection outside of that.
Upwork
Upwork, on the other hand, has resulted in several high-paying writing gigs for me. Most of them are one-off, but don’t take a lot of time and bring in the hourly that I’m used to, or more. Many of the projects I’ve pitched are looking for a flat rate quote, which can often result in higher hourly for efficient workers.
I’ve learned what to look for to get a lucrative gig (previous payments or verified payment, good reviews, a history of hiring, a pay range that’s worth my pitch), so I have walked away with more positive experiences than others have had.
Upwork charges very little to nothing (sometimes refunding) for leads, but if you win the contract, they will take 20% of what you make up to $500, and 10% after that. If you keep that in mind when quoting, you can still walk away feeling like you made what you deserve.
If finding freelancing leads is of interest to you, I’m thinking about making more guides about how to do this in the future, so email me with questions in the meanwhile and keep an eye out: sammi@dairyfreestate.com
