Finding and acquiring your first entry level remote job isn’t always easy –and some websites just make finding reputable online jobs harder (and more costly) than it needs to be.

I started out with low level remote jobs during my 20’s, today I have a team of my own. Here’s what I’ve learned working online, or hiring, in one capacity or another for the last 20 years or so.

Article updated on February 15, 2020.

What is an Entry-Level Remote Job?

A remote entry-level job is one that you’ve probably already got the skills to do –an ideal gateway to making money online relatively quickly, while living wherever you wish in a stress-free way.

Entry-level jobs are often the solution to “how do I get job experience if job experience is a requirement?!”.

“Entry level” isn’t the same thing to everyone. Something that seems entry level to you may seem advanced to someone else. As a result, it’s often easy to skirt around job requirements if you can demonstrate an understanding of the work.

For most of us, remote entry-level jobs usually require little experience and are typically part-time or have flexible hours –because of this they generally pay a lower wage and come with no employee health plan. It’s not all milk and honey, but the flexibility is ideal if you’re living in a place like Thailand or Colombia and getting paid in US dollars.

Not all entry level remote jobs will be low paid or lack permanence, however.

College grads have more options; employers may be looking for a specific skill set with an eye to full-time, permanent employment and offer a health plan after 3 months or so.

Entry-Level Remote Job Ideas

User-acceptance testing (UAT)

Copywriting; blog posts, product descriptions, reviews

Work from home data entry jobs

WordPress website design, updates and general maintenance

Junior roles in software development and design

Social media management

Managing appointments, data entry (receptionist, virtual assistant)

Email outreach for business development or SEO link building

Graphic design using Canva or Piktochart

Audio transcription

Editing, post production for video, photos, or audio

Customer service via IT support ticket system, email, or chat

Junior accountant, daily cash balance reports, etc.

In my experience, all entry level work from home jobs really require is a warm body to thoughtfully help with common tasks on a computer, at volume.

Trello will become the office white board, and Slack your water cooler.

We’ve got a bunch of currently available job listings right here.

3 Kinds of Remote Job Websites

When you’re looking for work online you’ve generally got three options; are you looking for the same jobs everyone else is applying for, or something a little more exclusive with less competition? You’ve got a choice.

1. Upwork & the Gig Economy

Here’s the rub; sites like Upwork or Fiverr charge you 20% on everything you make, can “check in” and watch your screen whenever they like, and they use a points-based system making it hard to get your first entry-level remote job with no points on the board.

When you’re just starting out, their points-based rating system forces you to compete on price in a race to the bottom with people whose cost of living is a fraction of yours.

These entry-level remote job “gig economy” sites own the relationship with your clients –and they don’t filter bad apples very well. Lose your account, lose your clients. If a client doesn’t pay, they’ll typically side with the client.

Basically, zero health benefits and less pay than an office job –IMHO sites like these are online sweatshops. Anyone who’s ever used Upwork or written on Textmaster or iWriter knows what I’m talking about.

2. Free Remote Job Posting Sites

Free sites that list hundreds of remote entry-level job postings generally have all the crap they can find via aggregator APIs or RSS feeds and can’t afford a human to prune the list or review employers.

“Free as in beer”. The ‘beer’ might be free, but so is the hangover.

These work from home entry-level jobs sites are usually ad-driven, have far too much competition for remote entry-level job opportunities, and the site itself is nothing more than a low-conversion passive income project for the owner (quite likely a fellow nomad).

3. Screened Remote Entry-Level Jobs, for a Fee

And finally, there’s job sites with listings that aren’t all syndicated, recycled, or over-competitive –charging a small fee for job seekers in order to ensure all remote jobs come from quality employers who pay their bills on time.

Not 20% like Upwork!

We favour this kind of arrangement when we’re trying to find remote jobs, entry-level or otherwise because so many people skip over this option.

In contrast, Flexjobs has fresh, non-syndicated remote job listings from major Fortune 500 companies as well as startups, small and medium-sized businesses for under $50 per year –and you can talk to a human if you need support.

Has anyone ever been able to speak to someone at Upwork? Not likely.

By the end of this guide we’ll show you exactly how to apply for an entry-level remote job, we’ll name drop 25 employers that are actively hiring remote job positions, and then point you to another article where we show you active jobs that need to be filled right now.

Are You Up to the Challenge?

Finding work that’s entry level and remote isn’t as easy as it seems, right off the cuff. It takes a little figuring out. There are plenty of remote job portals out there –perhaps too many.

The biggest complaint from friends and Hobo with a Laptop readers is that they’re forever applying for entry level remote jobs, with little or no success .

Applying for some remote jobs can be incredibly time consuming –taking up to an hour or more if you’re not prepared.

And even after you find a job, who’s to say your employer is a savoury character and will pay on time, if at all?

Applying for remote entry-level jobs can be a nightmare .

Telecommute jobs are abundant, but sites like Upwork, with their Amazon-esque approach to human capital, have pulled large numbers of applicants into one marketplace and created an environment where job seekers are forced to compete on price –and then slurp up 20% of net income to pay for the privilege.

For many, it’s a race to the bottom.

“In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage”. – John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath

Why It’s Hard to Get Hired Sometimes

There are plenty of reasons why it’s hard to get hired for a remote job;

Often competing on price with candidates from developing countries

Employers are not always what they seem –many pay late, or not at all; how to know if remote job is a scam?

No guarantees; you’re in charge of finding your next project before an existing one is finished

Applying for jobs online can be time consuming

Education isn’t always a plus –you don’t want to appear overqualified

a plus –you don’t want to appear overqualified Your success isn’t part of the business model; you’re only a commission –many remote job sites side with employers during disputes, withhold funds, or worse

How to Get an Entry Level Remote Job

This is my tried-and-true strategy to get jobs online;

Mitigate risk and competition Come up in search results Demonstrate your ability Get to the point Your cover letter

1. Mitigate Competition and Risk

To mitigate competition for entry-level remote employment, don’t go where all the nickel-barrel, bottom dollar people go. Avoid “gig economy” sites like Upwork or Fiverr; don’t opt for remote job sites that grind you down to the lowest common denominator and then take a fifth of what’s left over.

To mitigate risk, we suggest that you use a remote job site that screens employers for you. FlexJobs comes with a small, flat monthly fee –not a percentage– and in return, they’ll vet all of the job opportunities they supply. Employers only get so many strikes before they’re booted from the platform.

FlexJobs stands out for us because;

Largest remote job site for pre-screened remote jobs

Trained staff research, hand-screen jobs available so no scams, junk, ads

Satisfaction guarantee; get a refund if you’re dissatisfied

We wrote a hundred remote job site reviews last year, and FlexJobs was our readers’ top pick –they upvoted it head and shoulders above all the others we reviewed, galvanizing its reputation as the best site for digital nomad jobs / entry level online jobs. Analytics show our readers are mostly looking for software development work, if that’s any indication.

That, and we use it, too. You can find the review here.

Exclusive Flexjobs Discount Hobo with a Laptop readers get an exclusive discount on FlexJobs –use the NOMAD promo code to receive the following discounts: $44.95 for 12 months of FlexJobs (10% off)

$23.95 for 3 months of FlexJobs (20% off)

$9.95 for 1 month of FlexJobs (30% off) Instead of applying for the same jobs everyone else is –a couple bucks can open the door to job opportunities that others are too frugal to take a chance on. Not happy? Get a refund no questions asked. Visit FlexJobs

2. Come Up in Search Results

Well, gee. You think? Yes, coming up in search results seems pretty obvious, but in practice it’s just another wolf to tame.

If you’re going to use Linked In, Upwork, Fiverr, AngelList, BeBee, YouTube, or some other search engine-driven platform where you dangle your profile out there for prospective employers to seek out –you’re going to have to brush up on those keyword research and density analysis skills.

The job market has long been dominated by search engines, algorithms, and more recently, artificial intelligence. With these systems, keywords are everything.

And you’re in luck –you can learn all about keyword research and keyword density and placement here.

3. Demonstrate Your Ability

From the get-go, you will need to demonstrate your ability in every communication with a prospective employer. That means your resume should be clear, succinct, and delivered in a way that your prospective employer will find meaningful.

If it’s a sales job, they’ll likely want to see numbers, light industry terminology, and conversational evidence that you know how to sell yourself. Having a few samples of the type of deliverables (proposals, sell sheets, etc.) you’ve produced in the past will be handy if they engage you.

If you’re looking for a virtual assistant job, show them some check lists you’ve used to complete your tasks in the past –demonstrate how you work with your clients. Emphasize your process, systems knowledge (Trello, for instance), it’s just as important as your output.

You get the idea.

If you live part of your life online, you likely already have proof that you know how to handle a entry level telecommute job. Have relevant examples for any job you pursue, where possible.

Your blog, Linked In profile, Facebook page, or Instagram account can all be proof enough to land an awesome job online.

4. Prepare Questions

Managers solve problems all day long and they eat questions up like Pac Man –they’re always on the lookout to improve a process or be more efficient. It’s the air they breathe.

Sometimes they’re too close to something to ask the right questions or reveal complexities for people outside their bubble. That’s where you come in.

As someone who’s hired for all sorts of entry level remote job roles over the years for both my own business and my “normie” jobs –the questions people ask during the interview process are more telling than the statements they make. It shows the headspace they live in.

Relevant questions demonstrate you’re on the ball and able to uncover real life challenges, ones the company might be dealing with behind the scenes or not yet aware of. Give the person doing the hiring a light bulb moment and you likely have the job.

An intelligent question proves you’re not a lukewarm, clammy handshake waste of time. It helps your interviewer gage what you bring to the table.

When they ask you what your average day was like at XYZ company, answer, and then ask the interviewer how that compares to a day in the life of an employee in the role you’re applying for. Then lightly respond with areas you excel, and back it up.

If your prospective employer gets deep into daily operations, it’s a good way to suss out whether you’ve got a real shot at the entry-level remote job you’re applying for.

Your question period is a great time to take back the discussion and build rapport with your interviewer, provided there’s no filler questions about the founder’s dog or how the company got its name.

5. Get to the Point

When communicating with prospective employers, take it from Hemingway; don’t use flowery words, and stick to the point.

Quarantine your first or second reply for an hour or two after writing it and collect your thoughts before hitting send.

A back-to-back email because you left out a detail, a forgotten file attachment, giant walls of text, rambling, or appearing a little too eager is a putoff.

Use point-form as much as possible and ensure that you’re not putting any work on the person you’re communicating with –keep any related assets (images, documents, website links) at their finger tips.

6. Your Cover Letter

It’s important to mention a few specific remote work oriented highlights on your cover letter when you’re applying for an entry level remote jobs –competition is fierce. Be sure to emphasise your remote work experience, communication skills (and tools you’ve used), as well as your ability to solve problems on your own (Google is your friend!). Provide examples for each.

Where to Find Entry-Level Remote Jobs

Now let’s put everything into practice and dig up some current real-life remote entry-level jobs, (and put the final nail in the coffin of that nagging question “where can I find remote jobs?”).

Top 25 Companies for Remote Work

According to Flexjobs the 2020 top 25 companies to find remote jobs (out of their top 100) are as follows; click through to view current remote job listings for each.

When you do, you’ll get some great stats for each company:

Entry-Level Remote Jobs Available Right Now

Now that you know how to get an entry-level remote job and who is hiring for the most remote positions –let’s take a look at some actual opportunities that are available right now.

Search filters on FlexJobs include; all job types, only telecommute remote jobs, only flexible schedule jobs, only full-time, only part time remote jobs, and so on.

Using the search function to weed out “normal” jobs is a little difficult for some people, so I did that for you too.

Read: These Location Independent Jobs Are Hiring Today —active search results on FlexJobs for entry-level remote jobs that you can apply for today, curated by me! Read it

Here’s a small handful of active remote job opportunities available from the article mentioned above:

Brand advocate jobs

Social media specialist jobs

Copywriter jobs

Travel consultant jobs

Online tutor jobs

Data entry jobs

Health coach jobs

Virtual assistant jobs

There’s a broad lineup of active remote entry level job opportunities on that related article, and all of them were posted in the last few days because they point to live search results.

Here’s a handful of entry-level remote jobs I recently found on FlexJobs to give you an idea of what’s out there:

Exclusive Job Listings That Cost a Lower Rate Than Upwork Hobo with a Laptop readers get an exclusive discount on FlexJobs –use the NOMAD promo code to receive the following discounts: $44.95 for 12 months of FlexJobs (10% off)

$23.95 for 3 months of FlexJobs (20% off)

$9.95 for 1 month of FlexJobs (30% off) Take our word for it; don’t pay a percentage of your salary to Upwork –Flexjobs is a flat rate at a fraction of Upwork’s cost. It just makes sense. Visit FlexJobs

In Summary

The work starts before your first billable hour.

With these tips you should be able to get yourself noticed and demonstrate that you’re the right person for your ideal remote entry level job right from the beginning.

Always consider the quality and freshness of job opportunities on the websites you use and steer clear of over-syndicated, stale, time-wasting job offers.

What do you think? What’s your best strategy for getting an entry level remote job?

Let us know in the comments, and please share this article if you know others who are struggling to find online-only jobs.

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