Want to Work From Home? These 100 Companies Offer Remote Positions
If you’ve ever dreamt of working from home, we’ve got some good news for you: there are more remote and flexible jobs than ever before.
Telecommuting has become so popular, and so many companies now offer the perk, that FlexJobs, an online service for professionals seeking telecommuting, flexible schedule, part-time and freelance jobs, compiled a list of the top 100 telecommute-friendly employers.
The number of remote jobs posted over the last year alone has risen 27%, FlexJobs reports. That means lots of opportunities if you’re on the hunt for remote work!
The Top 100 Companies for Flexible Jobs
FlexJobs created their list of 100 Top Companies with Remote Jobs in 2015 by analyzing job posting histories on their site in 2014. Of the more than 30,000 companies posting jobs, the top 100 are those whose postings offered the largest amount of remote work options, which includes telecommuting, work-from-home and virtual opportunities.
The list includes companies of all sizes and across all industries, including some that get extra kudos for having also made the 2014 list. The most-represented fields were:
- Medical and health
- Customer service
- Sales
- Computer and IT
- Administrative
- Education and training
- Marketing
Big names you may recognize include Amazon, Apple, the U.S. Department of Transportation, 3M, Healthfirst and the American Heart Association, as well as plenty of high-quality smaller corporations.
Before You Hand In Your Resignation at Your Day Job…
…A few things to keep in mind:
Not all “work from home” jobs are legit. FlexJobs created their list specifically “to guide job seekers in their quest to find legitimate work with trusted companies that have a successful track record recruiting and hiring telecommuters,” says FlexJobs’ CEO, Sara Sutton Fell.
But if you’re surfing the Internet looking for remote work, be wary. If a company offers you thousands of dollars a week to stuff envelopes or process medical insurance claims, you’re probably looking at a scam.
Some remote jobs are only part time. If you’re looking for more work-life balance or a side job to supplement your income, this may be perfect for you. But if you want a full-time salary — along with the regular paychecks and standard benefits like health insurance that go with it — make sure you’re looking at companies that offer full-time work-from-home jobs.
There’s something for everyone. Telework is no longer the sole dominion of IT workers and freelance writers. Whatever your career field, there’s a good chance you can find an employer who’s open to the idea of a flexible working arrangement.
Like secretarial work but hate working in an office? Become a virtual assistant. Want to be a teacher but having trouble finding a post at a traditional school? Check out K12 Inc. for opportunities to virtually instruct homeschooled children.
Working from home brings its own unique challenges. Sure, you can wear sweatpants and take yoga breaks, but working from a home office also presents plenty of challenges: staying focused on work when the kitchen needs to be tidied, turning off your television when the big game is on, and finding ways to interact with other people when you’re the only one in your office. You might even miss all that gossip around the water cooler.
It’s a brand-new world of work out there, and one that’s making it increasingly easier to work from the comfort of your own home in your pajamas. Are you ready to join the ranks of remote workers?
Your Turn: Do you work from home? What are your favorite (and least favorite) parts of the arrangement?
Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.
