Great Telecommuting Jobs for Veterans
With advances in technology, more and more employers are offering work-at-home opportunities.
This increase in telecommuting jobs makes it easier for veterans to get back into the job market, pursue that career change they’ve been wanting to try, or add extra income to help stabilize finances.
Whether you’re service-disabled or just ready to be in charge of your own day from beginning to end, a work-at-home career can be just what you need to start that next, exciting chapter in your life.
Before you begin your job search, it’s important to note that not all telecommuting careers are created equal.
There are as many get-rich-quick schemes out there as there are bonafide opportunities, so you need to be careful when choosing where to send your resume.
You don’t want to waste your time applying for jobs that are minimal pay for maximum effort.
Luckily, there are a host of companies that are both military-friendly and dedicated to providing ample telecommuting job opportunities.
Telecommuting Jobs for Your Next Career
Telecommuting jobs are in high demand. In fact, telecommuting has increased by 115 percent in the last decade. In 2017, almost 3.9 million people worked from home at least half of the time.
The good news for veterans is that the average telecommuter earns a higher wage than his or her in-office counterpart.
Let’s take a look at some of these work-from-home opportunities and how your status as a veteran can help you land some of the best of them.
Client Services Representatives (CSRs) |
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If you can talk on the phone, you can be an at-home customer service representative.
On any given day, a CSR might find themselves performing any or all of the following tasks:
Because of the diversity of tasks and the fast-paced environment, an at-home CSR is rarely bored. This is a great job for someone who likes to be busy and loves interacting with diverse personalities. Veteran Friendly Options:General Electric (GE) is well-known as a military-friendly company. They offer their own in-house program to help veterans find jobs within the company, and the GE Retail Finance Division has openings for telecommuting CSR jobs for their call center. |
Nursing |
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If you were a nurse or had medical experience in the military, you can parlay that experience to one of the many telecommuting jobs for nurses. Veteran Friendly Options:Humana, owner of subsidiary Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc., has myriad opportunities for veterans, reservists, and military spouses. Their work-at-home opportunities for the medical field include chart auditors, physicians, and medical coders. |
Call Center Agents |
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Similar to customer service representatives, call service agents can comfortably work from home and even set their own hours in many cases. Veteran Friendly Options:U-Haul was begun by a veteran at the end of World War II, so it’s no surprise that they’d offer veterans a way to re-enter the job market after service. Duties for their call-center positions include answering customer questions, providing roadside assistance via telephone, and taking reservations. |
Freelance Writer |
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Freelance writing has a strong history of being a viable work-from-home job. As such, there are a lot of lucrative writing jobs for veterans with skills in creative or technical writing. Veteran Friendly Options:Veterans EZ Info, Inc., a company with deep roots in the Healthcare IT and Benefits industries, is owned by a service-disabled veteran, so they have a heart for helping veterans get back into the game. |
Sales |
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Don’t discount a job in tele-sales —these aren’t like the telemarketing jobs of yore. Today’s telecommuting sales jobs offer a lot more excitement, responsibility, and benefits.
Of course, nearly any product or service can easily be served by a good outbound marketing team, a fact that is supported by the large number of telemarketing sales jobs available on various job boards. Veteran Friendly Options:While there was no one company that stood out for supporting veterans, there are several companies that regularly post telemarketing positions on the various telecommuting job networks, such as AMVETS and the Purple Heart Foundation. |
Data Entry |
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Data entry professionals are an enormously important part of many corporations and organizations, large and small.
The job descriptions for these positions vary widely. Some of the duties can include, but are not limited to:
Data entry positions pay from $13 to over $19 per hour for entry-level positions and they’re a great way to break into the telecommuting industry. Veteran Friendly Options:Although no one company stood out for dedication to veterans in this subcategory, there are many data entry jobs listed on popular forums such as flexjobs.com and Indeed. |
Which Telecommuting Job is Right for You?
Telecommuting jobs are no different from your typical in-house employment — they should suit your lifestyle, your skill set, and your needs.
When choosing a telecommuting job, it’s important to determine what things are priorities for you.
The more closely your skills and desires align with what a certain job offers, the more likely you are to enjoy your position and become a long-term employee.
Here are a few things to consider when determining if a telecommuting position is right for you.
- Does this position offer me room to grow?
- Does the job offer flexible hours?
- Is the pay on a sliding scale, according to commission, or a simple hourly structure?
- Do I have to work evenings or weekends?
- Is there any time that I must be at a brick-and-mortar site?
- Is there additional training necessary and is it provided for free?
- Do I need special equipment (computer, microphone, etc.) and is it provided for free?
- Does the company require a minimum number of hours?
- Is there frequent overtime required?
- What benefits are included?
- To whom do I report?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will get your mind focused on the variety of issues that typically surround a new position.
Whatever type of job you choose, opt for a job from a veteran-friendly company if you have the opportunity.
Veteran-friendly companies are sensitive to the situations facing veterans and are more prepared to be an advocate — and a long-term employer — of those who have given so much.