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“Landline required.”
If you have been looking for a work-from-home job, there is a good chance you have come across a listing that requires a landline. You may be thinking are landlines even available or, better yet, what is a landline?!
Only 31% of American homes still have a landline. Of course, there are reasons why someone might still have a landline other than a job. It could be an issue with cellular service or personal preference. Now that we are fully emersed in the latest and greatest mobile technology, it’s hard to imagine a life where you relied on the phone attached to the wall.
So when it comes to working remotely, seeing “landline needed” on a job listing can be a real drag. It just feels so unnecessary.
The great news is that there are plenty of work-at-home jobs that agree – or at least don’t require you to have an old-fashioned phone and landline, anyway. Many of these positions simply have their own VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems so you only need a high-speed Internet connection to do your work. Others may not even require you to be on the phone at all (such as chat-based jobs or freelance writing or data analysis). From data entry jobs to graphic design to bookkeeping to a transcriptionist, there are plenty of remote jobs that do not require a designated line.
To jumpstart your job search for “no landline needed” work-at-home positions, I’ve put together a list of 10 companies that fit the bill. All of these are great opportunities, so read on:
1. Yardi Matrix
Yardi Matrix provides real estate data, meaning they mine commercial real estate information extensively while fact-checking and analyzing the data for their clients. Part of this process periodically involves work-from-home rental surveyors who call apartment complexes to gather information about their rental properties. This is a great gig for someone who needs to use their computer or mobile phone to make calls and who may not have a quiet home office. Recent reports suggest that rent surveyors are paid $6 per hour plus a variable rate per call (though they guarantee every surveyor will be paid their state’s minimum wage, of course). This job tends to last only a few weeks and they look for surveyors about 3 times a year.
2. Parameds
Parameds is a company firmly situated in the medical industry: they specialize in underwriting, claims data retrieval, and risk management. Via work-from-home agents and a highly-secured site, they help insurance companies cut through the complexity of securing necessary medical information such as Attending Physician Statements (APS). As a remote agent with Parameds, you are permitted to use your mobile phone (or Internet-based phone, such as Skype or Google Voice) to call physicians’ offices and secure these items. Reportedly, they pay their agents per case completed.
3. NexRep
NexRep is another one of the big customer service rep-provider companies for various big-name clients, from Tidal to GrubHub to Priceline – and their agents may provide tech support, do sales, or provide other customer support. As one of their work-from-home agents, you can expect to provide customer service via inbound and outbound calls, as well as through email. All calls done on NexRep’s behalf are done through your computer, so you just need high-speed Internet access. Pay and schedules vary depending on your position.
4. Enterprise Holdings
Enterprise Holdings – the parent company for Enterprise, Alamo, and National car-rental companies – regularly hires remote agents to act as their sales and customer service representatives. These positions are loosely location-based, so you must find the listing for a location within your state when checking for available job listings. Enterprise starts its reps out at $12.85 per hour, offering bonuses for individual and team performance. These are full-time positions and schedules revolve around CST hours. Their technical requirements are pretty specific, but they mostly focus on high-speed Internet access. Generally, they require you to have some previous customer service experience and that you be available to work weekends.
5. Support.com
Support.com is often looking for tech support representatives who can assist their customers with any tech concerns or help them with their services. Specific knowledge requirements depend on the position to which you are applying. These tech support roles generally require that you have some technical knowledge for troubleshooting operating systems, home networks, business peripherals, and more. You’ll also need specific computer hardware to qualify – but no landline! Just a laptop, corded USB headset, and webcam. Pay starts around $11 hourly and many of their jobs come with a benefits package – including PTO, medical coverage, and a stock purchase plan.
6. Sutherland
Sutherland CloudSource is another customer service opportunity that outsources to other clients. They assign you to only one client, so you won’t be working with multiple different ones and they also offer flexible schedules depending on their clients’ needs. Sutherland also asks for exclusivity, meaning you can’t work for another work-at-home company when you’re working as a Sutherland CloudSource agent. Most positions are part-time, but they do occasionally have full-time positions available. Also, this is an employee position – you’re not an independent contractor in this job. You can expect benefits and paid training.
7. Appen
If you prefer not to speak on the phone at all, Appen is experiencing incredible growth and regularly looking for highly-educated folks to work from home. As an Appen Independent Agent, you’ll work as an independent contractor doing search engine evaluation. These evaluation gigs may include web search, video evaluation, automation projects, and more. Generally, they require their agents have in-depth familiarity with American pop culture and media. Equipment-wise, you need a high-speed Internet connection for your home computer and access to a smartphone. Only one person per residence can work in this position, so it’s not something you and a housemate could both do. You’ll also need to pass a qualification exam.
8. The Social Element
Taking a position with a social media agency is another great way to avoid a landline requirement; check out a company like The Social Element, which periodically looks for moderators to join their ranks. Meetings (and the job interview) are done through Google Hangouts or a Skype call. There’s room for a career to grow with The Social Element as well, and they advertise the paths to advancement some of their employees have taken – and all of them started as freelance moderators. With The Social Element, you may spend your days engaging with your client’s followers on social media or ensuring that community guidelines are being followed. Their moderators reportedly make money online equalling around $15 hourly.
9. NextWave Advocacy
Next wave advocacy hires independent contractors for writing and calling jobs at home! Contractors are responsible for calling and interviewing supporters for political issues. Writers listen to and translate people’s stories about how an issue affects them. Applicants must be legal to work in the US and have high-speed internet, a headset, and access to a printer. Each client campaign is different so projects may last a few weeks or a few months. As an independent contractor, you are free to choose your own projects that fit your own schedule.
10. ABC
ABC has full-time job opportunities as a remote customer service representative. Responsibilities of this job include assisting with inbound and outbound calls and reviewing customer accounts. Employees will enjoy benefits like paid vacation, 401k matching, and paid training. Applicants must have a home office, a high school diploma, and a minimum of one year of customer service experience.
There are many other non-phone jobs out there. If you are looking to avoid the customer service field, the possibilities are endless. You can focus your freelance search on the following:
- Online proofreading jobs and writing jobs if you have excellent grammar and spelling skills if you can perform administrative tasks.
- Freelance writer jobs if you love research and sharing your knowledge
- Micro tasking sites like Amazon mTurk if you are just looking to pick up a little no-brainer work here and there but don’t necessarily need to pay the bills
- Transcription work is a great field for those who love to type and have a great ear. You will still need that corded headset!
- Social media manager – if you have an understanding of running social media accounts or experience with social media platforms and have a knack for content creation, this could be a great option for you!
This list should be more than enough to get your work-at-home search headed down the right path. As always, I wish you the best of luck!
