5 Online Home-Based Jobs for Seniors

– Guest article by Agnes Jiminez

Sometimes retirement benefits are not enough to compensate basic daily needs and other financial commitments especially during economic crisis. This is the most common reason that forces retirees and senior citizens to look for alternative ways to gain income. Unfortunately, oftentimes, old age becomes an obstacle that keeps senior citizens from acquiring new jobs.

As age bias can’t be avoided especially in a society battered by economic crisis and increasing demand of first time workers (to save on basic salary rate), older people must find ways to overcome the burden of age limit. The good news is, seniors who are still capable to work can still do so at the comfort of their homes through home-based projects or jobs done through the use of the internet.

The following are online home-based jobs that are ideal for retired senior citizens.

1. Virtual Assistant – Basic responsibilities involve in a Virtual Assistant job are mainly administrative tasks. These include replying to emails on behalf of the client, encoding, and other tasks the client can’t personally do because of his very busy schedule. This job doesn’t really require someone to be internet savvy but just an enough grasp with the important applications that will be used like instant messaging (IM) software for constant communication with the client, and familiarity with Microsoft Office tools.
2. Data Entry Professional – For senior citizens who are looking for easy jobs, a data entry project is one of the best choices. This job only requires a fast typing skill and attention to details. This is ideal for older people who used to work as secretaries or typists in their previous jobs.
3. Writer/Editor – Writing and proofreading tasks are ideal for senior people who worked as writers or editors in their previous jobs. As they already have ample experience, they can get easily hired and can work through the use of their laptop and internet at home. Writing and editing from home is less stressful compared to working in an office environment.
4. Consultant – Depending on a senior’s line of expertise, various consultant positions are also available online. If a senior is an expert in finance, he could seek work as a Finance Consultant. Consultancy jobs vary depending on the primary skill-set of an individual. Some advantages if you work as an online consultant include higher pay rate, less workloads, and less stress.
5. Medical Transcriptionist – This job is ideal for seniors who just retired from their medical or nursing job. For someone who has sufficient medical knowledge, transcribing audios filled with medical terms and jargon is a piece of cake.

The emergence of the internet creates vast opportunities for everyone disregarding race, age, and physical limitations. If you are a senior citizen who has been looking for office jobs for a long period of time but still can’t find one, this is your time to rethink your career options and look for a more flexible and less stressful online home-based job.