Working from Home: Career Options as a Bachelor's Degree Grad

Working from home used to be something people dreamed about doing but thought was out of their reach. This was especially true for stay-at-home moms whose responsibilities made it difficult to make money.  What once was wishful thinking to work remotely is now a reality for many. 

There are many areas for graduates to work from home. This article will focus on four possibilities:

Freelance Writer

Many believe that people are born to be writers. It may be helpful to have an English degree, Journalism or Communications.  If an individual is interested in a variety of topics, enjoys doing research and has a basic understanding of the rules of grammar and punctuation, that person has the potential to make money as a writer. At one time only a select few could get their novels, articles or essays published. With the advent of the Internet, however, there are many opportunities for people who wish to earn an income as a freelance writer.

Graphic Artist

A creative individual with some artistic ability may consider working as a graphic artist.  As with writing, graphic design can be done at home.  Prospective clients may require the artist to have a graphic design degree. For the stay-at-home mom who may not have the flexibility to attend a brick and mortar college or university, there are many online programs.  The National Association of Schools of Art and Design can provide a list of hundreds of schools that provide training in this field.  This type of work requires a person to be somewhat computer savvy as it involves the use of graphic design programs such as InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.

Web Developer

Some people think that graphic design and web development are one and the same.  Although there is a connection between the two, they are different.  While a graphic artist is concerned primarily with how the website looks to the customer, the web developer is concerned primarily with how customers can most effectively get around the site and how they can conveniently access the information they need.  To be a web developer it's necessary to have knowledge of and the ability to work with JavaScript and HTML.  Although there are differences, graphic artists who design websites will generally know something about the technical aspects of web development and developers will have some design ability.

Medical Transcriptionist

A stay-at-home mom might consider working as a medical transcriptionist.  There are a variety of programs both traditional and online that provide training in this field. Physicians, hospitals and healthcare facilities need skilled medical transcriptions to accurately transcribe patient information. This type of work requires a thorough knowledge of medical terminology, excellent computer, spelling, grammar and writing skills and attention to detail.  Individuals interested in this type of stay-at-home work, can increase their earning potential by becoming Certified Medical Transcriptionists or Registered Medical Transcriptionists.

About the Author: Allie Gray Freeland is the Editor in Chief at CollegeOnline.org. In this role, she serves as Editor-in-Chief for a network of business degrees and other online degree options.