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Times are a-changin’ and employers are quickly realizing that today’s workforce demands more flexibility. Indeed, some jobs and careers must be moved to work at home or remote in the future so the economy can keep thriving.
There are some exceptions to this too. We will now need more delivery drivers and perhaps postal employees so that workers can continue to do their jobs at home to the best of their ability.
In a Reddit thread, commenters mentioned new career and job prospects that could be done at home, or to support those who will now avoid offices for a long time to come.
15. Local Farming and Delivery
“Where zoning allows, raise chickens (not roosters) and sell fresh eggs to your neighbors, friends, and others that respond to ads.
A neighbor started raising hens about 2 years ago and is doing a lively business distributing fresh eggs locally.
(They can be left on people’s doorsteps in a designated egg container, similar to the milkman’s box – no face-to-face exchange required.)”
14. Virtual Parties and Bars
“Could maybe come up with some way to have virtual parties or a virtual bar.
Figure out how make it seem like you’re all together having a good time.
Maybe some kind of Roku app that could split the screen up.”
13. Retail Virtual Assistants
“I really wish retail salesman like me could become digital helpers for customers through the company instead of being let go (i was laid off, this is my last working weekend)
My job was an “experience consultant” for a mobile company. I held workshops and one on one sessions with lots of clients free of cost to the customer. I helped with new device set ups and transfers. There are a lot of people in my area that don’t know much about cell phones or how to use them, so I actually stayed pretty busy helping customers all day answering basic things. Mostly older folks but even a lot of younger folks have no clue sometimes.
So i wish i could still offer help to them, but over video conferencing or something and still be employed by my employer.
I see a need for virtual assistants becoming a thing for more people until things are looking up.”
12. Dinner Drop-Off
“Dinner drop off. Local restaurants should do packaged dinner options that you can pick up. (I know some already do, but more would be great).
Essentially all of them around us are doing it now, but the amount of isolation they’re maintaining seems to vary by a lot. The good places are zero contact — all payment over the phone, pick-up outside the restaurant, zero contact (they set it down, you pick it up), etc. Friends of ours were in a sub shop recently that went as far as having zero contact between employees — the kitchen people placed packaged food where a front-end worker delivered it to the counter, and the person taking payments never had any interaction with either.
Some are a lot less careful, though — basically having people come in to get the takeout, or mixing takeout and delivery.
Some of them are being a lot.”
11. Modify Existing Industries
“My pharmacy just hired 10 out of work limo drivers to deliver prescriptions.”
10. Public Works Projects
“I was actually thinking that this would be the perfect time to really crank out those highway repairs/improvements. No more working at night for 3 hours at a time. No one is one the roads, just do it now.
Obviously take medical precautions, but it would probably be less dangerous than your standard grocery store employee.”
9. All Office/Government Jobs
“I mean, honestly, nearly every corporate/gov’t “office” job can be done remotely. There is software available. Hell, Microsoft offered basically a free trial of Microsoft Teams for 6 months.
As someone who’s worked remotely in these types of jobs, if employers would just get over their rigid mindset about everyone being in a stupid room together and let people get their work done using collaboration and teleconferencing software, many people would be doing just fine in their jobs.”
8. Tutoring Children Remotely
“I think there’s opportunities for people to tutor peoples kids remotely since the schools are shut. Kids can learn remotely but are missing that person who can help when they get stuck (I think, someone correct me if I’m wrong).
There’s an opportunity for someone that can make a company that finds knowledgable people, vets them and makes them available for students when needed. Now not all parents will be able to afford this but I think many would consider this worth it, especially if they themselves are working from home and it stops the kids distracting them for help.”
7. Emergency Planning Consulting
“Emergency planning consulting, as this is greatly lacking.”
6. Home Health Tele-monitoring
“How about home health tele-monitoring as a first response for the frail and the elderly. A video checkup on a regular schedule, miss the checkup, the police make a wellness check, if the caretaker, probably a CNA, hears something in the video checkup, the patient would be encouraged to seek further attention. A few simple tools could be present in the home to allow the patient or a caretaker to do simple measurements like blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate. Diabetics who stop monitoring and/or don’t login their blood sugar on cue would also get a wellness check. In this way, people are less likely to slip through the cracks in an emergency.”
5. Mental Health Practices
“Going to need a lot more therapists, councillors and mental health workers.”
4. How Busy Is A Store?
“I was thinking of an app, perhaps something that shows you which grocery stores currently have a low-high load of traffic/customers.
This way we can avoid each other, spread out our shopping to other stores.
Not sure if google has an api to allow for use of total cell phone traffic in an area.. ?”
3. Digital Authentication Services
“Governmentt should allow digital notary/authentication services. Attorney here and absolutely no reason legal services can’t be digital.
There are privacy, disclosure, and privilege risks whether live or digital. Let’s stop wasting trees and sprawling office space for egos.”
2. Classification of Invasive Species
“Natural resource professional here. I’ve been beating the drum for years that we would benefit from a massive, CCC-style mobilization to combat ecological issues like biodiversity collapse and invasive species management.
Totally spitballing here, but you could train people online to identify and treat invasive species, then give them the tools to go out and do the actual labor. GIS technology would allow people to track and assign work areas remotely (many organizations already do this) in addition to more robust species inventory and population counts.
Basically, pay people to go do work by themselves on applicable public and private lands.
Is it a bad idea? Maybe. Am I day drinking? Sure, who isn’t.”
1. Refurbishing Old Things
“Refurbishing old stuff. I know my stainless steel/copper/iron cookware needs a hard resurfacing and coating, but I own none of the stuff necessary to make it an easy job.
Maybe also wetland restoration and killing invasive species. I know tons of kids that would love to spend it outside shooting snakes or catching Asian carp.”
Some of these answers were expected, but others were quite original, weren’t they? In the past few weeks, people have been trying to find new ways to connect and make work more convenient for everyone.
Are there any other industries you think can be modified for a virtual or work from home environment? There’s plenty of space in the comments for your opinions!
