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Working from home, Let’s face it there’s nothing better than rolling out of bed a minute before your day starts and skipping the commute all together. That being said, you might not be aware that not all jobs or roles are able to be done from the comfort of your home.
So what jobs can’t you do from your home? The following 30 roles are unable to be done remotely:
(Just a heads up a lot of people reading my blog are in the process of designing their own home office. If you want to save some of the painstaking time I did in designing my office, you can find my recommended products here)
It’s also worth noting that a lot of the things I recommend rely on transferring your existing skills to an online space, I am by no means an expert when it comes to this so I use Income Schools Project 24 which helps support with developing a blog/YouTube channel. You can check it out here.
Pharmacist
Pharmacy is one of the oldest professions in the world, for anyone unfamiliar, see them as the middleman between doctors and you getting your pills. Now with the advent of the internet there is a small increase in the number of online dispensaries.
That being said, most people still want to go to their local pharmacist, speaking with them face to face, especially if they can get pills over the counter.
How can this role be done remotely?
So we alluded to this above but if you’ve had a few years experience in the pharmacy sector and are pretty well connected, you could consider starting your own online pharmacist.
There are a portion of people who are interested in picking up their prescriptions without having to go out and this could be a potential opportunity.
Doctor
So if you have an inner hypochondriac like I do you know that sometimes visiting the doctor’s office isn’t the worst thing in the world. Half the time just speaking to a care professional makes you feel better.
That being said most doctors who are based entirely at home have dwindled since the 1970s with more professionals working from a major healthcare centre. This only makes sense as doctors are able to see much more patience face to face this way.
How can this role be done remotely?
One way this role could be done remotely if you don’t mind people visiting your house is by moving to a small town and becoming a General practitioner.
On some occasions these are based where they live and could be a viable option if you don’t want to leave the comfort of your own home.
Nurse
Nurses quite often have more intense jobs than doctors do, usually having to work long hours caring for patience.
Because of the constant care that nurses provide it’s a lot less likely that you will be able to have aset remote work as this role often thrives off of human interaction.
How can this role be done remotely?
So whilst there isn’t a way to be a traditional nurse and work from home you could opt for being something like a carer or a school nurse. Whilst these roles won’t be based in your home, they do allow you to get some of your work life balance back.
Dentist
So unless you have a dentist chair in your living room it’s unlikely you will be able to do this role from home. Dentists like all healthcare professionals have strict codes of care and if you do run a home practice you need to be able to ensure you are following all the correct procedures.
On top of this modern dentistry equipment can be quite expensive with many practices using X-ray machines which can take up huge amounts of space.
How can this role be done remotely?
One way to do this role remotely is by teaching people how to become a dentist or how to pass any exams associated with being a dentist. Whilst you won’t actively be seeing patience you are able to teach people the ins and outs and you might find it can be quite a lucrative idea.
Start with either Youtube or a blog to get your foot in the ground.
A great video I found on developing a YouTube channel can be found below:
Mechanic
So unless you’re blessed with a house big enough to be fitted with air raps and a mini garage it’s unlikely you will be able to work as a mechanic from home. Like any business being a mechanic requires different insurance practices if you are operating out of your home.
On top of this if you live in a build up area with a lot of neighbours, you might find that they will end up getting annoyed at the increased traffic and noise coming from your home.
How can this role be done remotely?
So whilst running a mechanic shop from your home can be difficult there are a few options you can look into:
- Teaching other how to do home repairs on their vehicles through things like YouTube.
- Become a mechanic who visits people where they are.
Whilst neither of these are mechanics in the fullest sense you can take your profession and move it into the online space.
Construction worker
Unless you are building your own home becoming a full time construction worker is almost impossible as you will be working from the same site you are building. Regardless of your role whether it be bricklayer or surveyor you need to be present when building any structure.
How can this role be done remotely?
So similar to what we stated above, you could use your trade to teach other people how to do what you do via the medium of the internet. You also want to consider roles that are project based.
For example, some contributions don’t have all the roles they need and sub contract out to smaller businesses. If you only want to work say 1 or 2 days in a week and spend the rest at home this could be a good option for you.
Manufacturing Line worker
If you work in a factory or a production line it is unlikely you will be able to work from home.
Production lines are dangerous at the best of time and often require a lot of supervision to make sure nothing goes wrong in the manufacturing process. On top of this all the heavy machinery and equipment means that doing your job remotely will be almost impossible.
How can this role be done remotely?
Use the skills you’ve learned on the manufacturing line and potentially start your own business. For example if you work for a jewellery manufacturer you could very easily transfer this to creating your own homemade jewellery and selling it on etsy.
Carers
In my opinion carers are some of the most unappreciated people in our society. Most of the western world has an ageing population and at some point we will all need to be looked after.
That being said the nature of the role means that unfortunately it is super difficult to do this via the comfort of your own home.
How can this role be done remotely?
One potential way to do this role remotely ( or as close as possible) is by becoming a stay at home carer. Whilst it won’t be your own home, it can be especially rewarding especially if you already have a great relationship with your patient
Field sales assistant
Door to door sales sucks. There I said it! One of the major reasons I would tell anyone to avoid this ( not only because 99% of the times these roles are commission only) is because you are on your feet sometimes for 20 hours per day making next to nothing.
How can this role be done remotely?
Now whilst door to door sales might be out of the question, one of the things you can potentially do is switch up your role. Plenty of sales roles have flexible working that allow you to work from home a few days per week. A lot of the skill set is exactly the same and it can be a great way to make significant income.
Plenty of sales roles today allow you to work outside of a traditional office environment
Retail
The retail market is changing rapidly with more and more organisations within the sector deciding to close their outlets and movies exclusively online. That being said the stores that are still open still need to be manned.
I mean it’s very difficult to sell products to people in a shop when, you know, you’re not exactly there.
How can this role be done remotely?
So you might want to consider opening up your own store swallowing your own products. Nowadays many organisations use sites like shopify to get started and there is nor reason why this shouldn’t stop you.
Butcher
So unless you own your own farm which I’m guessing a lot of you don’t, owning a butcher shop from home is something you won’t be able to do working from home.
Every country has their own unique laws and rules around the handling of raw meat and so the barrier for entry for becoming a butcher is already very high.
How can this role be done remotely?
The only way I can see you becoming a butcher from home would be if you had very few clients and you did delivery. This way your meat won’t take up all your room and you can have a few loyal but regular customers every month. To do this though you would need to charge a premium.
Engineers
Engineers is a very broad term to use as their discipline falls under several fields whether this be chemical mechanical electrical etc.
That being said more often than not engineers like construction workers will be based on site to address any problems.
How can this role be done remotely?
The good news is that some engineering roles can be done remotely. For example if your role consists of purely number crunching and working out calculations you might have a leg to stand on. Build up your skill set in said area first and take things from there.
A lot of engineering roles can be contract based. If your role is theory and not site focused you can very easily look for remote positions.
Teachers
It’s no surprise when I say that most teachers operate outside of schools. Anyone that knows teachers knows just how difficult it can be to control a class when they are in the same room let alone when you have 30 students working remotely who have their own distractions.
How can this role be done remotely?
Whilst you might not be able to work for a school if you do have a background in teaching you could switch to teaching students online via paid courses. One example could be an exam prep where students or their parents would pay you for private tutoring lessons for a particular subject.
Cleaners
As great as it would be to get paid to clean your own house, sadly cleaners need to clean up other people’s stuff to earn their keep.
Cleaning also takes a fair bit of time as well so even if you were to do a home laundry service, you might find that you would be working more than if you were just to visit people’s houses.
How can this role be done remotely?
If you already own a successful cleaning business it might be time to branch out and start hiring some employees. You can sub-contract out the cleaning capabilities whilst you manage things from your home.
You can do a drop off service too where people bring items like clothing to be cleaned and ironed to your home but again due to the increased workload I’m not sure if I would recommend this.
Cleaning is one of those professions that allows you to quite easily work remotely
Police
I don’t think a police officer has ever stopped a crime before from their own home.?
Due to the nature of the role, becoming a police officer actively means you will be walking the treats, or driving around on patrol. Whilst some roles can be office based the majority of these require you to be present unable to work from home.
How can this role be done remotely?
In the traditional sense it can’t, but one of the things you might want to consider if policing is more of a hobby for you ( if that is a thing) is to look into neighbourhood watch or security work.
Working security you are usually free to dictate your schedule and if you work for a premium client they might even ask for you to stay as a live in security guard.
Fire department
Working for an emergency service like the fire department means that you will be called at a moment’s notice to take care of fires all over your respite town. As such working remotely is next to impossible when you will be at the beck and call of other people who need help.
How can this role be done remotely?
So this one was a bit of a tricky one trying to find a viable alternative. One thing you could potentially consider would be working for a Volunteer fire service which usually allows you to work part time.
If having a few days per week at home is important for you this could be your best option.
Emergency services can be notoriously difficult to think about as remote working but there are diffidently some work around that you can look into
Ambulance
Driving an ambulance like other emergency services is just impractical if you wear to work from home. The nature of the role means that getting to locations ASAP is imperative to the job you are doing.
How can this role be done remotely?
If saving people’s lives is still important for you, you could look at becoming a first aid trainer. Once you become qualified you could teach this to people remotely. Whilst the pay won’t be good you are still making a difference and teaching people how to deal with emergency situations.
Bus drivers
Imagine how bizarre it would be if people would cue up outside the bus drivers home to get on a bus?
Impractical right. Due to following strict routes and the vehicle cost associated with being a bus driver doing so remotely is just impractical.
How can this role be done remotely?
Most bus drivers need to pass a test in order to become qualified to ride around in a vehicle that is as big as a whale. As such you could teach potential drivers how to do this.
You could also buy your own van or truck and rent it out to people for things like school routes or moving houses. Whilst you won’t be working from home, you will be able to work your own schedule which accounts for something right!
Taxi Driver
Okay so becoming a taxi driver is an interesting one. If you ride around in a yellow or black cab it’s likely you will have to work for a parent company which keeps the majority of your earnings. However with the advent of Uber and Lyft, Taxi drivers now more than even have the opportunity to dictate their own schedule.
If you’re not interested in working the late shift or want a few more days off per week, definitely go for this option.
How can this role be done remotely?
As discussed above, Taxi driving is a bit of a hybrid role with something you can do from the comfort of your own car. If you want to take this a step further you could set up your own taxi firm whilst you manage booking from the comfort of your own home.
Pilots
So unless you are playing a plane simulator it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to fly your house around right? The nature of the job means that flying a plane requires you to be in the plane and there isn’t really that much getting around that.
How can this role be done remotely?
If you don’t want to step foot in another plane you could teach people who to become pilots. Flying is notoriously difficult and if you were to give online tutoring or sell an online course on the matter it could be a great way to make an income.
Military
Regardless of your political views the military is one of the oldest and most established career paths in history.
That being said most modern military forces are based overseas or away from home even when they are not at war. If you join an armed force like the navy you can expect yourself to be away from home for long periods of time, really putting a downer on any work from home opportunities.
How can this role be done remotely?
One way to potentially work remotely is by joining the volunteer division of your military. Most army’s have a territorial division like the territorial army in the UK. These armed forces are either voluntary or part time meaning you can regain some of your free time that you lost.
You could also potentially share your experiences with new recruits via things like YouTube or even write books on your experience. People always love hearing military stories so by using your knowledge in this way you can potentially set up another avenue for revenue.
Tour Guides
So if you have a little bit of wanderlust in you then you know there is no better feeling out there then exploring a new city.
A good tour guide is worth their weight in gold able to show you all of the hidden spots a place has to offer. Whilst you are exploring a little bakery in Paris everyone else is looking at the Eiffel Tower for the 15th time.
That being said, most people need tour guides to be present when they are exploring a city, not only from a knowledge perspective but also for feeling safe.
How can this role be done remotely?
So whilst being a face to face tour guide might be out the question. If you know all the ins and outs of a city you could look to give virtual tours online.
Not everyone has the luxury of being able to afford to travel the world or might want an insight into your city before they visit so telling people what to look out for online can be a great way to explore this from home.
Logistics
Logistics is a huge umbrella term but generally speaking I’m talking about the logistics of moving goods around. Most delivery companies require you to be on the road making multiple stops every day.
As such being able to do this remotely is almost impossible. As much as everyone talks about self driving trucks we are still a few years away from these being on the market place and people need people to deliver and drop off goods, especially with the massive boom in online shopping.
How can this role be done remotely?
Instead of working for a bigger company like amazon or DHL you could consider starting your own delivery company. Start with something small like moving furniture if you own a van and branch out.
Whilst you will still have to leave your house you are able to be in control of your diary more which helps.
Gardner’s
Human beings love being outside. There is nothing better than getting your hands in the dirt and planting crops. AS such gardening is definitely one of the most rewarding careers you can opt for.
The bad news is that most of us don’t own gardens big enough to work remotely from and if you want to earn serious money you will have to work on other [peoples to have any chance of earning a regular income.
How can this role be done remotely?
One way to potentially turn gardening into a home pursuit is by teaching people how to grow certain crops.
By teaching people to grow crops on their own you can not only learn from other people to enhance your craft but set up a passive income stream you can manage for your home.
Actors
For any of you with an inner thespian acting can be a hugely rewarding career path…. So long as you can withstand dealing with rejection and auditioning… a lot.
That being said working from home as an actor is almost impossible, No one will hire you if you don’t come to set and you might even find yourself gaining a bit of a bad reputation if you do so.
How can this role be done remotely?
Once you have some credits under your belt you can consider teaching other people your profession. If acting isn’t your forte you can teach people how to write scripts or how to block a scene, consider setting up a course for YouTube channel and you might be surprised at how affluent you will become doing this.
Hairdressers
Hairdressing like taxi driving ( never thought I would compare these two professions before) is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to working remotely.
Whilst working from home it will be more difficult to attain clients. It can be done especially if you have a loyal customer base. Just be warned you will be cleaning up a lot and might need to have some form of business insurance in place.
How can this role be done remotely?
There are two main watts you can transfer hairdressing remotely:
- Teach people how to cut hair, this is great for trainee barbers and hairdressers who want to get better at their craft.
- Do home visits, whilst you might only have a set amount of people you can fit in one day, you are in charge of your own schedule.
To give you an idea, check out bearbrands channel down below:
Inspectors
Most professions out there have inspectors of some kind. Schools in The UK have inspectors to review how well they are performing. Accountants get audited to ensure they are not fiddling the books.
These roles often require face to face interactions and observations, n=both of which you can’t do when working from home.
How can this role be done remotely?
Again another tricky one as on the face of it, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room. One this I would suggest if you have experience inspecting for a professional board would be to offer an independent review. Whilst these won’t be legally binding you can go into organisations to advise them what they might be failing at.
This means that when times come for the real deal they will be best prepared.
Whilst you won’t be able to work remotely for this either, once again you will be in charge of your own schedule which should help.
Judges
It can be a long slog to become a judge.
Most judges have to go to law school for years practice being a lawyer and eventually work their way up to becoming a judge.
Pretty much most cases that require a judge require doing so in person so passing judgement in the comfort of your own home will be super difficult.
How can this role be done remotely?
As discussed earlier becoming a judge can be notoriously difficult but teaching people how to do so can be great. Offering career advice can be a great way to earn a bit of money on the side. Have a look at Legaleagles YouTube channel below to get a flavour for what you could do.
Politicians
Lord knows why anyone would want to be a politician. Half of people didn’t vote for you and the other half will hate you eventually.
That being said if you do go down the political route. Rallying for votes and campaigning are a part of the process, If you want to start a political career you won’t be able to do so from the comfort of your home.
How can this role be done remotely?
You can still have a career in politics without actually being a politician with many people reading political analysis and reports.
If you have a way with words and commentary is in your bones you could look to start your own YouTube channel, blog or podcast on politics.
Garbage man
Simply put, delivering garbage to a tip is usually run through a council. As a result you need to be up usually first thing in the morning (sometimes before) to hit all the houses you need to.
As a result you’re going to need a vehicle,so the idea of doing this from your home is almost impossible.
How can this role be done remotely?
The only real way I see you doing this remotely is by doing a private hire garbage collection. If you are able to buy a fleet of vehicles and manage where they go, you can potentially work from home doing so. Just be aware that this will likely take you a lot of time.
Why can’t you work from home with some roles?
So I’ve been working from home for about 3 years in total now, mainly within the sales field. Luckily for me a lot of my calls and general day to day activity can be the comfort of my home office ( or even my bed on occasion)
Now when I’ve caught up with my friends about this I always find it interesting how their roles, which seem like they would be able to do from home, actually required them to step foot in the office.
The main reasons are as follows:
|
Reason |
Why |
| Lack of technology | Not all roles have the technological requirements that allow you to work remotely. Say if you work in a lab or as an engineer. It’s likely you won’t have the high tech equipment required to do your day to day |
| Lack of Communication | Not all roles have the ability to communicate effectively. Some jobs don’t have internal messaging systems or even work phones and so they need a lot hire employees present to effectively speak with one another |
| Interaction is a part of the role | Another key reason not all roles are suitable to work remotely is that communicating face to face is essential for the role. I would be pretty annoyed If I had an online doctor’s appointment and the doctor wasn’t able to run any tests. I mean could you imagine calling an ambulance and you ended up being met by an email? |
| Lack of direction from management | Finally, some managers and senior leadership teams just are not keen on letting their employees work remotely. The good news is that within this category most of the roles can usually be done remotely, It’s just about convincing management that you can. |
What roles can you do from home
So now you know what roles aren’t suited to work from home, what are some jobs that you can do? The good news is that I’ve written a comprehensive list of over 100 which you can find here but to summarize some of the key ones:
- Start a blog
- Start a YouTube channel
- Amazon FBA
- Kindle Publishing
- Copywriting
- Become a coach
- Open a home bakery
- Write e-books
- Become a programmer/Accountant
For a lot of people working from home can definitely be a dream. One way that exploded my productivity when working remotely was setting up a home office. If you interested in checking out some of the benefits check out this post I wrote here.
Wrapping things up
So hopefully the post today has helped give you an idea of some alternatives on how to switch your role to make it more remote working focused.
A lot of people reading my blog want to know what products I recommend for a home office/remote working. You can find out my recommendations here and learn how I make money whilst working remotely on the side here.
The content on this on this site has been written by Fehed Nicass who has over a decades worth of experience in sales and has worked remotely for the past 2 years.