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Not everyone who wants to work at home is seeking long-term career options. Sometimes you just want something relatively easy where you can make some extra cash fast. If that's your goal, the following online jobs may be of interest.

The online application process is simple and straightforward with very little required of candidates. Some opportunities can be started on the same day that you apply for them. They also require very little commitment and can typically be done on your schedule.

Note that these jobs don’t pay much, and they are not going to provide a reference for your resume. You may, therefore, need to have more than one online job to make your desired income. Also, as you sort through other opportunities, know how to recognize and avoid work-at-home scams.

Micro Job

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A micro job is usually a small online task for which you receive an equally small fee, usually a few cents or dollars. They are sometimes called short tasks. 

These jobs are done by logging on to a company’s website and selecting tasks, sometimes simply by clicking a link. Amazon's Mechanical Turk, Clickworker, and ySense offer these types of tasks.

Jobs may also be found in online service marketplaces. Here workers offer small services, usually for a set fee, and buyers browse the marketplace to find people offering the services they need. 

Job opportunities include crowdsourcing projects, which are similar to data entry, where companies engage an army of virtual workers to perform a small part of a larger project. Workers can also take advantage of reward programs and surveys, which are perhaps the original work-at-home micro-jobs. 

Because the fee is so small and the task takes so little time, the goal is to do as many tasks as possible. However, you should understand the pay policy, as many of these companies have a minimum payout, meaning that if you earn $8.55 doing 20 micro jobs, you may have to wait until you’ve earned as much as $50 to actually receive your money. 

Online Juror

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Attorneys preparing for trial often create a mock jury to obtain feedback from individuals similar to those who may eventually sit on a jury. Because it can be costly to have an in-person mock jury, cheaper online jurors are the logical alternative. They might listen to audio and view video presentations, or read the material and answer questions.

Because lawyers are seeking people who match the profile of potential real-life jurors, online jury companies ask detailed questions of applicants. Note that you should never disclose your Social Security number or credit card or bank information. Companies typically pay $10 to $60 to online jurors. As most online jury companies won’t need a lot of jurors, signing up for multiple companies gives you a better chance of getting picked for “jury duty.” 

To become an online juror, you will need to sign up with several jury companies, which includes filling out an extensive questionnaire. You will also need to meet certain qualifications, which vary among counties.

Data Entry

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Online data entry is a growing work-at-home field. New technology makes it easier for companies to hire independent contractors to work on data entry projects.

Data entry operators may access a company’s infrastructure remotely or use crowdsourcing technologies. Data entry can include fields such as basic general transcription; however, most transcription tasks require additional experience.

Companies that hire data entry workers include Axion Data Services, Sigtrack, and Support Ninja.

Website or Application Testing

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If you have opinions on what works and what doesn't on the web, you might be suited for a job in remote usability testing. User testers can also pick up additional work reviewing websites or mobile applications that may still be in development. You don't have to be very knowledgeable about the internet because some developers want a beginner's viewpoint.

Usability testers are asked to perform tests based on their demographic profiles, such as education, web knowledge, age, and social media use. They are then given questions to address or tasks to perform, such as registering on a website and then providing feedback online. A review usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes and earns typically about $10. After completing a review, testers are not paid until the client accepts their feedback. Work can be rejected and unpaid for technical problems, lack of detail, or other issues the client determines. 

These positions are mainly found in any company involved in ecommerce, conducting commercial transactions electronically online. Examples include Amazon, ebay, and Paypal.

Search Evaluator

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Search engine evaluators examine internet search results and give feedback as to whether they are accurate, relevant, and spam-free. To do this, the evaluator must be knowledgeable about the current culture and the internet and possess good communication skills. Sometimes a college degree is required or preferred, but direct experience is not mandatory. This particular work-at-home opportunity requires some experience but pays a higher wage. 

These jobs are often for bilingual individuals, though there are some English-only positions. The job of search evaluation goes by many names, such as search evaluator, internet assessor, ad quality rater, or internet judge. 

Companies that offer this type of job include Google, Appen, Lionbridge, and Workforce Logiq.

Proofreader

If you have an eye for spotting spelling errors or typos, you may be well-suited as a proofreader. However, this job may require taking a proofreading course or some prior experience, or you may have to take a test before getting hired.

Virtual Assistant

As a virtual assistant, you will be tasked with work that is similar to that of an office assistant. Even though you will be working from home, you should be highly organized, efficient, and dependable. Duties typically include filing and maintaining records, scheduling appointments and events, and answering phones.

Many companies hire virtual assistants. For example, Servcorp, which was founded in 1978 in Sydney, Australia, provides virtual offices and services worldwide. It offers workstations, meeting rooms, coworkers, technology, and anything else needed to support your business. Timeetc is another company that provides virtual assistants to help customers accomplish their goals. The company offers a free-trial by having a virtual assistant perform one initial task.