The working environment is currently evolving. Many people are realizing that they need to shift careers or find a job that enables them to work from home. As technology develops, more options for people to earn salaries of at least $35K annually are becoming available. These are some of the career options available:
- Graphic Designer
- Recruiting Specialist
- Content Editor
- Tutor
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers are storytellers who use images to tell a story. They use pictures, text, and graphics to deliver information and engage audiences. Graphic designers use design elements such as colors, shapes, lines, and textures to produce a wide range of work.
They create anything from posters to product packaging to logos and animations. This is why graphic design is an important aspect of a brand’s or company’s marketing and advertising efforts. Graphic designers, a.k.a communication designers, usually make aesthetically appealing designs that promote a brand’s message while also evoking emotion in customers. The average salary of a graphic designer is $18.26 an hour.
How to Become a Graphic Designer?
There are a few steps you should take if you wish to become a graphic designer:
You Need to Learn the Basics
To become a graphic designer, you must first have a thorough understanding of graphic design principles. A good design should be carefully created. It takes a great deal of preparation and knowledge of design approaches and principles.
Lines, color, shape, space, texture, typography, scale, dominance and emphasis, and harmony are all factors that graphic designers must consider. All of these factors have an impact on a design and can influence how a person feels.
Enroll in a Course
A graphic design course teaches you the principles of design while also allowing you to practice your talents by completing projects. Graphic design courses will also introduce you to mentors and peers that will be quite helpful as you expand your network.
Color theory, typography, layout, and graphic design tools and software are all topics included in most graphic design courses. Some courses will also teach you about graphic design history, user experience (UX), and website design principles, depending on their depth.
There is a range of options available, from traditional academic courses to more flexible online courses. Look for one that fits your schedule and learning style.
Learn About the Key Graphic Design Tools
Graphic designers work with a wide range of tools and software. For the majority of graphic designers, Adobe Creative Suite is the industry standard. Since PhotoShop, Illustrator, and InDesign are used to produce most of the design work, you should become familiar with them.
There are plenty of user guides and training materials online. As a starting point, take a look through Adobe’s series of tutorials. Also, you can find thousands of high-quality courses on learning platforms like Udemy or Coursera.
Work On Your Own Projects
It is time to put your knowledge of graphic design ideas and tools to use. Working on your own design projects is the best way to improve your skills and master graphic design tools. To get started, you can create mock ads and logos for actual or made-up brands.
You can also try using an existing design as a template to create a new one. In fact, this is an excellent practice for identifying and designing for target audiences. Volunteering with local non-profits or brands is another option to develop your designing skills. Offer your design skills to these organizations so that you can acquire additional experience and practice.
Showcase Your Work
Any graphic designer should have a solid portfolio. Your portfolio should include projects you completed for a course, as well as personal or work projects you have done. When you add samples of your work to your portfolio, make sure to prioritize the quality over the quantity. So, select pieces of work that showcase your design skills and interests because your portfolio is the first impression that potential employers or clients will see.
How Do I Start a Career as a Graphic Designer?
You will need to establish your portfolio first, whether you want to work in-house, at an agency, or as a freelancer. Create personal projects or volunteer to gain hands-on experience for your portfolio. Employers and potential clients will want to see examples of your work, so put together a solid and attractive portfolio that highlights your abilities.
It is also critical to expanding your network. Join design organizations like AIGA and connect with other designers. Reach out to possible mentors or designers you like. When it comes to finding graphic design jobs, your network will be invaluable.
Recruiting Specialist
A recruiter looks for good employees and links them with positions that are a good fit for their skills. A recruiting specialist’s job is to find the best candidate for a specific position. Some recruitment specialists work in a company’s human resources department and help fill the open positions.
Developing applications, scheduling interviews with potential hires, and attending job fairs are all possible responsibilities. Other recruiting specialists work for a job placement agency, where they interview applicants and match them with firms that are looking for specific types of employees. According to Indeed, the average salary for a recruiting specialist is $42,631 per year.
How to Become a Recruiting Specialist?
An associate or bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resource management, or a similar field is required to work as a recruiting specialist. First, learn how to interview applicants and determine their professional skills and weaknesses by taking an entry-level position in a human resources department or at a job placement agency. After working for a few years in the sector, you can seek better opportunities as a recruitment specialist.
Content Editor
Basically, content editors are responsible for any published content. While the exact job description varies depending on the business, a content editor is responsible for carefully editing online or print content. They may, however, come up with content ideas, assign stories, and handle other editorial tasks such as writing and fact-checking. On average, content editors earn $22.83 an hour.
Furthermore, a content editor is the one who makes the most changes to a piece of content. They are, in essence, the first pair of eyes on website content, adding questions and comments as well as suggesting rewrites to ensure that the information is of good quality. They also check for grammatical and spelling issues and optimize content for SEO and format it for readability.
How to Become a Content Editor?
In order to become a content editor, there is no one-size-fits-all way. You could either earn a relevant degree or complete relevant work experience or complete SEO courses.
Many people who choose content editing as a career usually earn a degree in communications or media. However, degrees in languages or creative writing are also useful. In the end, it is all about improving your writing and communication skills so that you can succeed as a content editor.
Moreover, work experience is essential for securing a content editing position, whether you have a degree or not. This could be an unpaid internship or a position as an editor on a student paper. Since there is a considerable difference between studying something and really doing it, potential employers will want to see that you have real-world experience.
In addition, since SEO is becoming such an important aspect of a digital content editor’s job, taking a course or two to learn the basics can make a big difference. There are a variety of free options available, and you will walk away with a better understanding of keyword research and techniques for optimizing the online content you will be editing.
Tutor
Tutoring is an important and rapidly expanding field, especially in the area of private tutoring. The demand for this profession is pretty high, due to the challenges in the American educational system, as well as pressure on today’s kids to do well on entrance exams for elite colleges and universities. It is no wonder tutors make an average of $25.14 per hour. Although not all tutors are professional educators, education degrees and training might be advantageous to them.
Outside of the classroom, tutors deliver academic instruction to individuals or small groups.
They help students in improving their grades, understanding difficult ideas, receiving additional assistance to catch up on classroom lessons, preparing for college, and preparing for formal standardized tests such as the SAT.
How to Become a Tutor?
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You Have to Graduate High School
In order to work with students, tutors must have at least a high school diploma. Those who want to study teaching or become subject matter experts can use their diplomas to continue their education at community colleges or four-year institutions.
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Complete Tutoring Education and Training
Tutors can choose from a variety of training options. Tutoring certification programs are sufficient for people with bachelor’s or graduate degrees in a high-demand field, such as English, mathematics, or science.
Formal education training is the next stage for people who want to work in a classroom. These options include teacher aide certificates and associate degrees in teacher aide or teacher preparation. Some tutoring companies may also insist that any tutors they hire receive further training in their methodology.
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Join a Tutoring Association
Mentorship opportunities, industry publications, attendance at annual conferences, networking events, and tutoring certifications are just a few of the benefits that national tutoring associations may provide to current and future tutors. The National Tutoring Association, the American Tutoring Association, and the Association for Tutoring Professionals are all organizations that prospective tutors can join.
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Get Your License and Start Working
Tutors working in educational settings are frequently required by state boards of education to be licensed. On the other hand, private instructors have the freedom to determine their own rates and promote their services. The average hourly rate of a tutor is $24.30. And because these professions are not regulated or licensed, private tutors are not required to fulfill any further training requirements.
Where to Find Work-From-Home Jobs?
Thousands of legitimate companies provide a wide range of remote jobs, from advanced degrees and expertise to entry-level roles. A good way to start looking for one of the jobs we mentioned is to search online. You can find tons of opportunities over job boards like LinkedIn, Monster, Careerbuilder, and Glassdoor.
Freelancing platforms are another good option for you if you are doing one of those jobs as a side hustle. Check out Freelancer.com, UpWork, Flexjobs, or Guru.
Overall
Telecommuting (a fancy name for working remotely) seems to be the ideal solution for people working in different industries. Since the pandemic started, working from home was an excellent alternative for both employers and employees (in specific fields).
Now people are paying more attention to remote jobs that can actually make good cash such as graphic designing, recruiting, content editing, and tutoring. These jobs let you earn an average of $35,000 annually without having to leave your couch. You can shift your career to do it full-time, or you can earn some extra money in your spare time as a freelancer. It is up to you!
References:
- How to Become a Graphic Designer (2022 Guide) | BrainStation®
- https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Career/Recruitment-Specialist/What-Is-How-to-Become
- Be a Content Editor and Make the Internet a Better Place | Skillshare Blog
- Tutor Certification & Tutoring Careers | How to Become a Tutor
- Work-From-Home Jobs That Pay Well | Indeed.com