If you are your own boss and can WFH, can I ask what job you do?

[Sleepdeprived42long]

I need a career change at some point. 15 years in same job that I don’t enjoy and it’s getting me down :( Not for now when kids are still small, but I’m thinking in a few years, I’d ideally like to be self employed, choose my hours, work from home, earn at least £1k a month, and no angry/difficult customers (had my fill of that!). Quite the wish list I know!

If you have a job like that, can you tell me what you do? Why did you decide to do that job and do you enjoy it? Do you need any specific qualifications or experience to do it?

Yes. I'm a content writer and it's taken me 11 years to get to the point where I'm making a consistent living. I've had months where I earned nothing and the only reason I've been able to carry on was that my has supported me in my efforts.

I know a lot of fellow freelancers and it's extremely tough at first. You can't just decide you want to work from home unless you have a partner to pay the bills on the hard months.

Also, you need to know what you're good at - I was already a published writer when I began so there was no doubt that I had the skills. It was just a case of setting up a website and working to get my first clients.

What line are you currently in and what would you like to do?

@FortunesFave thanks for your reply. I currently work in customer service environment. I genuinely have no idea what I want to do! Looking for inspiration as I’m not sure what I could do if that makes sense!

Content writer sounds like an interesting job-what exactly do you write content for? Websites? Blogs? Do you need to research and write the content yourself or do your clients give you that information?

Learn to code.

I’m a business coach but to do that you’d have to actively care about your clients’’ happiness. But you get to choose who you work with.

@staringstepan

Learn to code.

Great recommendation!

Do you know what might suit you then? Being a virtual assistant. There's lots of call for them at the moment as the gig economy has boomed and some freelancers have done very well and so need support.

A virtual assistant is like an admin assistant...often working for freelancers or small remote businesses. You'd need various skills though. A good knowledge of various computer programmes and social media skills are top of the list.

Some people expect virtual assistants to know how to write content too - have a look on Google and check out some articles. But don't pay for any courses claiming to teach you how. Learn what skills are needed and then take separate courses which are often available free.

For example, Google offers a very good SEO course which is free - if you learn about SEO then that will be useful as a virtual assistant. You'll also need decent typing speed.

@staringstepan and @theSunday and do what? App development? I’m not sure I would even know where to start lol!

@theSunday business coach sounds interesting! What does that involve?

@FortunesFave wow thanks so much, will definitely look into that.

To answer your question about content writing - I used to write web copy but have gradually stopped as I hate it. I now write blogs...corporate blogs and I specialise in a number of areas. One is parenting and family, another is software and communications. I also write quite a lot of DIY pieces.

With regards to who comes up with the titles me or the client...it's a bit of both. Some clients give me blog titles and a list of words/terms to be included for SEO. Others want me to do the research and provide the articles too.

Research is my domain.

Most of my clients give me the titles though.

I'm a freelance copywriter and creative. I work solely from home for different agencies/clients. I don't always set my hours (some clients like to have 9-5 contact which is fine), but it's always flexible.

I've been doing this for 5 years now. Was a journalist before but the money was crap. I have a degree in media and journalism.

Freelance interpreter.

A lot of work has moved online in the last year. More face to face work is gradually opening up again but the online work is here to stay as a lot of clients like it.