Flexible remote admin work

[newusernametopic]

I am in employment (earning £90k) in a role that I can more than easily fit into very few hours a day. I know it sounds crazy, but with mortgage, school fees and extra curriculars (nothing fancy - just music really!), we basically break even every month. I realised I spend a huge percentage of my time at work doing life admin, etc. - basically I can get my work done well and v quickly. I think with an extra £1000 a month we would much more comfortable, and yet I have found myself a very nice space here that I don't want to move out of (people leave me alone, I get my work done, and I can still pick up my children from school, do the food shop during the day, etc.) so I am not in a rush to get a new job.

Crazy as it sounds, I LOVE admin - is there a remote part-time admin job I could take on for a couple of hours a day (basically equiv of one day per week)? Any leads would be very much appreciated.

(Before anyone remarks, I know I am in a v fortunate position, don't need anyone to tell me to pull my kids out of current school, choose a smaller house, etc. We don't live fancy lives, we have banged up old cars, shop in Aldi and holiday in the UK. Just a number of circumstances that have come together meaning we're very fortunate, but I would like to maximise my earning power right now.)

You’ve answered your own question OP: freelance career coach 😂

Haha - well I do do quite a lot of this but I wouldn’t want to charge people in the previous poster’s position. I think it’s genuinely mutually beneficial - I really enjoy it and others can benefit a little too. So it’s a genuine offer!

I’m sure it is indeed well meant but she was light heartedly asking how to get your job. You then offered help with interviews with no idea of her skills or circumstances.

Some of your posts have demonstrated a lack of understanding of the many variables employers consider when hiring, even into entry level work. Which still requires some training or induction.

Other posters here have kindly given their professional experience of tutoring, content editing and administration, with some realities which you didn’t seem to have considered.

I’m gently suggesting you might not be best placed to help this poster with job seeking, however well intentioned.

However! There are organisations that hire out mentors professionally. You could make some cash and pay it forward in your own field with this potentially?

I don't think there is jealousy on here. If you are earning £90k and your husband is also earning well then it seems to me that you need to improve how you manage your outgoings.

You want £1000 a month for 1 day a week doing admin from home? So very roughly, before tax, you'd be looking at someone paying you £50+ an hour for admin?

Good luck with that. Please let me know who's offering it if you find it!

The best remote work I've found is Data Annotation (the Company). Found it on the earn £10 a day thread on MN and though it was worth a go...I've been doing it nearly a year now. Pass the entry tests, give it a couple of months to build up and gain more access to projects and I now get consistent, usually unlimited work paid between $25 and $40 an hour (yes, USD). Self employed so I pick up and put down as needed, it's fantastic.

I’m sure you’re absolutely right! Annoyingly they are all the big ones (mortgage, school, life insurance, etc). I could cut a number of small ones (one fewer musical instrument per child for example) but that it what I’m trying to cover.

Well as you seem to have so much spare time, you could always bin your cleaner.

Hang on, I thought I was being accused of taking valuable work away from others who need it. Now you’re actively suggesting it. Or do cleaners not count for you?

I’m sure some people love cleaning in the way I love admin, but I’m not one of them!

I don't think there is jealousy on here. If you are earning £90k and your husband is also earning well then it seems to me that you need to improve how you manage your outgoings.

I don't know how much the OPs DHs earns but it must dwarf her 90k to afford 4 sets of school fees. Thats 100k a year alone net which would mean a gross of 170k ish

I could cut a number of small ones (one fewer musical instrument per child for example)

How much are you paying in musical tuition now if they are all doing more than 1 instrument?!

If you are going to offset your increased earnings with pension contributions, you won't have extra money in your pocket...

Thank you, that's kind. I did come off quite bitter and jealous there maybe, so I apologise.

But I feel that if people like you are taking jobs like that there's little hope for people like me. Who have twenty years office admin experience and would need that flexibility for medical reasons, and obviously not an ex management consultant. Plus I don't have the ability to already earn £90k on top of my new job.

I would like at the data annotation for AI too. With tutoring, I tend to find they’re looking for people with QTS.
If there was an easy way to earn an extra 1k from home everyone would be doing it, but following for further ideas !

What do you do to earn £90k and have all that free time ?

Thanks for your reply. I did think you had probably put in a lot of work to get to your position now. I already have kids and was a teacher for many years. Due to personal reasons, moving country and the pressures of teaching in the UK I’m not looking to return to it right now. I don’t think I am in the position right now to be able to put on the late nights.

I would think there is no harm in you searching jobs, and seeing if they might be suitable. In my personal experience people live up to their income and it’s not uncommon for people to find even on a good income they need extra. I don’t think it’s a case of taking a job from someone else as all advertised jobs can only go to one person and if that’s someone working two jobs then that’s just one of those things. They are doing their best fr their family.

As previous posters said do check you are not doing anything against your contract to jeopardise your job.

As to tutoring there are various agencies if you search some which allow you to offer online tutoring. Do be aware that many of these opportunities will be after school hours or weekends. Again though no harm in trying. You might find something that suits.

I am applying to things which I hope will fit in around my kids right now and as they get older I can reassess. I hope you find something that suits you.

People who think they're getting away with doing little, are nearly always noticed.

How about a remote coaching role? Or set up as a virtual assistant offering life admin type services?
lots of people hate to do the jobs you love and see good at so just need to get in front of them!
good luck :)

You know what, I have always been interested in work/life coaching but haven’t ever got round to either having any at work or training to do it myself. I’m going to look into it! I think it could both help me in my current role and as you say may end up being a good other string to my bow. Thank you!

Data annotation - there seem to be tonnes of companies offering it. Any particular recommendations/scams?

Honestly OP you need to make sure you don't get sacked for gross misconduct if you're during paid work during time that you're otherwise employed.

Also at £90k you're paying a lot of tax, losing all child benefit and will not be far off hitting the £100k+ marginal tax rate of 62% or whatever it is.

You're also vastly underestimating the complexity of some admin work and also probably also vastly underestimating what it pays.

Goodness knows how you fit in a full time job, 4 DC with multiple extracurricular activities, am dram, weekly date nights, regular volunteering... I'm starting to think you're having us on.

If you want to give yourself a shot at earning big bucks and not be so tied to time-related earning you should leave your job and become a consultant taking on projects where you are paid for outcomes and not time.

Good luck with that though... by the time you've made contacts and bid for work and won contracts and actually done some work, and sent your invoices, and sorted out your insurances and accounts (sooo much admin!) you'll probably be feeling pretty tight for time and thinking that you want your nice easy-street job back.

OP sit down with your DH and do a proper audit of how you both spend your time and money. You know it's fine to just spend more time with your kids or watch stuff on Netflix don't you?

I work for Data Annotation - that's the Company name. It's AI training.

Another one who either thinks I’m a fake or don’t spend time with my kids…sigh… Currently sitting out in the sunshine reading and chatting with my husband and all my kids who have just been swimming in the river for the first day this year. Sorry if it’s not your experience - we all live different lives, and I genuinely don’t judge you if you’d rather watch Netflix. I’ll be doing that at some point tonight I’m sure! Extraordinary to think that people can’t imagine that people like different things.

If you would read above you’ll see I don’t want another whole job to make ‘big bucks’ - I have plenty of MD friends in the city doing this, with their nannies and their “lucky 5:30” finishes. It’s not for me. I’m just trying to do what everyone is trying to do at some level - get the most I can for what I expend.

@mumof1boy2024 Ooh thank you - never heard of this so I will check it out!