20 Alternatives To A 9 To 5 Job To Gain Financial Freedom
For the longest time, you may have felt strongly to settle into the standard routine of nine-to-five employment.
And, for the vast majority of people, that really was the only option available. However, the world is constantly moving and changing.
The rise of the internet has opened up so many different options for people’s careers which are genuinely amazing.
Great news!
We no longer live in a world where you’re stuck working the same old nine-to-five. The fact is, no rich man or woman wants to stay 9-5 in his or her office anymore.
You can do your own research but my multi-millionaire uncle could go to work at eleven in the morning, and sometimes returns home in twenty minutes.
My point is, you don’t have to work a 9-5 job to be successful. If you have always wanted to do something else, something that doesn’t make you get up before 8 am, then you need to read this.
Do you have a work you don’t love or a boss who you don’t seem to understand? There are alternatives available to just about anyone who wants to go after them.
If you don’t want to work until 9 pm and return home all stressed and depressed, why don’t you go for a change?
Yes, I know the risk of not having any financial security or other employment benefits, however, what is life without risks?
You are not alone. I mean searching for an alternative for the dreaded 9-5 jobs is a common thing people do these days due to an increased need for personal time. In fact, about 86% of industry workers prefer an alternative for their 9-5 jobs but with the same or a higher pay rate.
It might seem very blurry for you to come up with ideas that will help you move from an employee to an employer or self-employed worker. However, this article is here to help you. I’ll attempt to give you 12 ideal alternatives for your 9-5 Job.
With that in mind, below are some job alternatives:
1. Virtual Assistant
I remember doing a piece on this one recently, as I went deeper into my research, I really began to envy the individuals who do this job. It’s almost like your typical dream job.
That is if your dream job includes sitting at home with your laptop and phone while helping other people organize their lives from the comfort of your home.
Considering the pay, a typical virtual assistant earns about 65,700 dollars a year. Surprising right, a virtual assistant actually earns more than 50% of 9-5 job workers.
This alone made me want to abandon writing and just enjoy my life being a virtual assistant. However, being a virtual assistant isn’t just roses and butter, you will have to build up your portfolio and status to drum up serious pay from clients.
Regardless, this can’t be too hard especially with the internet and a few online courses, you can become an exceptional virtual assistant with just a little effort and some time.
Read – Do you work from home? These tips will help you to avoid distractions.
2. Copywriter
Welcome to my world. Copywriting isn’t a 9-5 job, however, it is not an easy job. I remember around last year when I was explaining to a friend about how creative and diligent you must be to become a copywriter, he disagreed.
He opined that copywriting was just as easy as taking the words of another person and saying it in a different way.
It is true that copywriting is about using words effectively. However, how can you twist that paragraph to be more engaging than the original piece? So my friend and I made a deal.
If he is able to construct a 2000 word article from a 500-word article, I would pay for the tickets to a music concert we both wanted to attend really bad. As I expected, he got stuck around 650 words and could no longer continue.
My point is, if you are looking for some easy job alternatives, you’re looking in the wrong direction especially when it comes to writing. If you’re REALLY interested and you have the passion for creating engaging and helpful content, copywriting is a good alternative to your 9-5 job. You can apply for one here.
I told myself that I would be blunt in this article. Copywriting is one of the good job alternatives. Nevertheless, the pay will hardly be enough to settle your bills except you drum up some serious client satisfaction reputation. Do you want more? do more.
So my dear reader, if you are prepared for the persistence, great! The ups, downs and the financial struggles at the first stages of starting a career in copywriting, might be worth it.
3. Freelance Web Designers
If you like controlling your working hours and like working from anywhere and at any time, I will suggest freelance web designing as a career. Let me give you a little information on what being a freelance web designer entails.
So, as a freelance web designer, your primary job is to create and sometimes, maintain the websites of new or old businesses. You can source for clients on online platforms like Upwork and freelancer.
However, some web designers I know prefer direct pitching to clients. They claim that through direct pitches, they can interact personally with their clients. This enables you to get to know what they really want and provide added services like firewall website protection e.t.c.
However, to become a freelance web designer you obviously have to learn to design websites. There are a thousand and one computer training schools, including online academies that conduct professional courses on website design.
You can commit to taking one of such courses and should be done within a space of two to three months. Trust me, it would be worth it when you are done. An established freelance web designer earns no less than 70,000 dollars a year and never has to pay for office space, except he wants to expand his business.
4. Social Media Consultant
I have a friend, well he is actually a mutual friend who operates a social media for a popular artiste. During a mutual friend’s birthday party, we were all talking about our jobs and he gave us an insight into what a social media consultant life is really like.
Of course, he laid emphasis on the work he had to put in to get to that stage of his career. According to him, as a social media consultant, you get to fly and probably go everywhere with the artiste.
You can also manage the social media from the comfort of your home depending on your travel tolerance. He was proud to let us know that he had been to three different continents and four countries on an all-expense-paid trip.
He refused to let us in on how much he earns per year and that was understandable. However, he hinted that he earns almost close to what an oil worker earns in Nigeria. Just the mention of an oil worker’s salary that isn’t on a boring 9-5 schedule impressed me. I decided to add this job to the list of 9-5 job alternatives.
The internet has created tons of new opportunities for youths and those seeking alternatives to the typical 9-5 jobs.
One of such opportunities the internet has created is the job of a social media consultant. A social media consultant as the name implies is an expert in social media and analytics. Social media consultants are responsible for creating and maintaining social media handles of various brands.
Their job ranges from creating engaging contents, to scheduling and organizing these contents to reach a larger more specific audience. As a social media consultant, you can work for any brand and from any location.
Artistes, politicians, athletes, brands and actors all make use of social media handles to interact with fans, engage followers and advertise new products to the world’s fastest-growing community, the internet. If you are the type that prefers irregular instead of the defined work hours, then this might be a suitable alternative for you.
5. Personal Trainer
Most personal trainers today are people that were once 9-5 workers. They probably woke up one day to the sound of their alarms by 6:30 am and decided that the 9-5 life just wasn’t for them.
If you are the type that loves to get up and get close with clients you identify as extroverts, you can give this a try. You don’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day? Try this career.
You can be a personal trainer and still have time to join a book club, attend you kids PTA and read at least a book a day. My point is, you can be a personal trainer and still have enough time for your own personal life.
Read – How to be a good boss – These remarkable qualities will make you one.
6. Political Campaign Manager
Do you like the steaming hot environment of a good political brawl? Then you might have just found your dream job in the form of a political campaign manager. A political campaign manager coordinates with a team towards getting their candidate elected into a political office.
There have been arguments regarding the common saying “Politics is a dirty game”. For many, politics is only the game and the players are the ones that choose to be dirty. I am not a fan of politics but I find this particular job to be very interesting.
Not just the energy, but the challenge and rush that flows through your veins when you plan a campaign strategy. Plus you can decide your working hours or the election could decide that for you. In the end, you won’t be working a 9-5 job as a campaign manager.
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7. Tax Accountant
As an independent tax accountant, you’re able to perform accounting during the tax season & take a well-deserved break during the offseason.
This is a good job for people who like to go for a vacation at a certain time of the year. If you are good with numbers and you are not a 9-5 job kind of person, you could consider tax accounting.
8. Makeup Artists
You know how women used to take hours to do their make up. Some people even made a joke out of it, ” if you are going for an occasion by 10 am, make sure to wake your wife to start preparing by 6 am”. 😆
Well surprisingly, the skill of applying makeup is now one that has made several women rich overnight. According to a female friend, no woman would want to do her wedding makeup herself. Even if she is also a makeup artist. Makeup artists cash out at the most irregular hours and they do not charge small.
A professional makeup artist charges no less than $100-$300 per session with clients. Sometimes, they are flown in from a different country and lodged in a hotel for an early morning job. This is a typical example of turning your hobby to a paying job.
9. Chef
In case you are not aware, being a chef is one of the most lucrative careers in the world. If you are a good cook and you don’t fancy rushing out of your home by 7:30 am, battling traffic or commuting in a crowded train, you should try this out.
I’m sure you don’t want to only go out at your convenient time but also return home just before 7 pm. You don’t want to keep ordering pizza for dinner because you’re literally too exhausted to make a proper meal.
Then, you go to bed knowing you have to do it all over again the next day. And the day after that till you are 70. I think you should really consider becoming a chef.
Depending on your success as a chef, you could make enough every year to go on a deserved vacation to one of those Caribbean islands. What is more important than doing something you love and getting paid for it?
10. Music
Music has always been a burning passion in me. One day, I might just lay down my pen and pick up my mic. The Music Industry is filled with creative, intelligent and talented individuals who said the 9-5 life just wasn’t for them.
Many of them spent years struggling underground before they got their big break. You might say that the music industry is already saturated, but I beg to disagree. The music industry is everything but saturated.
There is always space for one more talent.
11. Freelancing
Being stuck in a boring routine that you have absolutely no control over is the cry that most people have about 9 to 5 jobs.
You may end up having to build your entire life, from your family to your social life, around work. If that’s something that you find yourself stuck in then freelancing might well be one of the job alternatives for you.
Freelancing offers you the chance to dictate your own work schedule. You have a choice about how much you take on, and what kind of work you do.
There are plenty of different freelance careers out there such as Airtaskers and it’s often pretty safe to say that if you have a skill, there will be someone out there who wants to pay you for it.
12. Setting up your own business
Another common issue people have is that they end up working under a boss who doesn’t care about them. Someone who refuses to listen to any kind of feedback.
There’s nothing worse than sitting on a sinking ship and not being able to do anything about it.
If that’s something that you’ve dealt with then starting your own business might well be the answer to your problems.
By starting your own business, you’re able to finally put yourself in the driver’s seat. You’re able to create something based on your drives and your expertise.
You need to remember not to fall into the same habit that your old boss did.
Always be willing to listen to the people you work with and take feedback when it’s presented to you. Also, analyze what you need to know before starting a business.
13) Professional Photographer
Freelancer photographers frequently cover events like weddings and birthday celebrations, which hardly ever happen during regular business hours.
In order to make these photographs more enticing to their clients, they also employ their expertise to edit and modify them. Photographers that are self-employed go out and find clientele.
14) IT professional Consultant
IT consultants analyze a company’s technology infrastructure and make recommendations for cost- and performance-saving measures. This helps firms improve their IT operations.
The majority of the time, IT consultants work with tech corporations, although they may also provide services to sizable enterprises in non-tech sectors. Depending on the business, the consultant’s specific duties change.
They could be commissioned to find problems with an organization’s corporate IT system or to offer guidance on how to introduce a new technological advancement. Consultants often have some flexibility regarding their work schedule because they frequently work for themselves.
15) A Real Estate Broker
Primary responsibilities include assisting clients with the purchase, sale, and rental of real estate. Because the daily tasks for this position can change, the hours are typically flexible.
A real estate broker might one day take a customer to see a house up for sale. People who have expressed an interest in buying or selling a home may be contacted by phone or email on a different day by a real estate agent.
Although agents frequently operate for themselves and could be a great help find buyers for a real estate property, they can also be employed by businesses.
16) An Online Business
An internet business makes sense as a viable alternative to a 9 to 5 job. To succeed, you must persevere over a lengthy period of time, just like in many enterprises. An online business system’s ability to stop exchanging time for money sets it apart from a job.
Even if you still need to put some time into it, you will notice how much easier your life is made once you start seeing results. With a typical 9 to 5 job, you must repeatedly show up for work. Even in a well-paying position, there is no getting around this. To earn money, you must continue to labor.
You can establish an online business over time and then leave it to run on its own. You can scale up once the systems are up and running without having to keep working.
Because it can scale, it’s a much better approach to making money in the long run. Although you cannot scale your time, you can scale the online sale of digital goods.
Also Read: 4 Things To Consider When Starting an Online Business.
17) Affiliate Marketing
One of the best alternatives to regular office jobs from 9 to 5 is affiliate marketing. It enables you to generate a sizable revenue and establish a sustainable business.
You don’t need a lot of money to start. All you have to do is suggest goods and services to prospective customers. You receive a commission or a share of the overall purchase price if they decide to buy from your affiliate recommendation.
You can use your social media network and your following if you lack the funds to launch a blog for your affiliate marketing firm. However, you must take affiliate marketing seriously if you hope to establish a long-term company and generate a full-time income from it.
You must develop an audience, frequently contribute informative information, and establish your authority. Your audience will take action on your affiliate suggestions if they believe in your judgment and regard you as a subject matter expert.
Also Read: The Best Affiliate Program in Nigeria Right Now + About 40 Others.
18) You-tube
Given that YouTube is the second-most popular search engine behind Google, it is clear that video content is receiving a lot of attention.
Making entertaining and informative videos can be a great strategy to launch a side business that eventually takes the place of your 9 to 5 work. To launch a YouTube channel, you don’t require pricey video editing software. You can start with a video camera on your smartphone. Today’s top smartphones provide numerous high-quality video recording features.
Use a video editing program like InVideo.io to improve the caliber of your video presentations. With a wealth of sophisticated tools and themes, this application enables you to produce beautiful video material.
Uploading your smartphone-shot video to sites like invideo.io for editing and better quality thereafter.
19) Study SEO
There is always a demand for fresh talent and experience in SEO because it is a field that frequently undergoes changes and adopts new strategies.
In any period, there is always a great demand for search engine optimization specialists. Many opportunities are available for you if you can establish yourself as an authority in the subject.
However, to draw major clients and businesses to your services, you must establish yourself as an SEO expert. You can begin interning with an SEO firm to get a feel for the business and operating expenses.
The fundamentals of SEO aren’t that hard to master. Today, a lot of SEO experts gain their knowledge by making mistakes while dealing with their own projects.
Anyone can start a blog to test their understanding of SEO, and you can update it periodically with your success. As you gain readers, others will begin to take note of your knowledge, which will eventually lead to demands for your services.
Also See: Basic SEO Knowledge : 19 Tips you should know.
20) eCommerce
You don’t have to start an eCommerce business with a lot of money on the side like the Amazons or Aliexpresses of the world.
These days, anything can be offered online with a website or direct advertisement, including pizza delivery services and trucks. If you don’t have the funds to launch an eCommerce website, you can start by running advertisements for your goods or services and fulfilling orders as they come in.
You should start your advertising strategy with Google and Facebook ads. To reach interested consumers with their goods and services, many businesses employ Facebook advertising. Even though Facebook advertisements might be far less expensive than Google ads, their conversion rate is lower.
Finally…
Job alternatives may be more fulfilling but they won’t come easy. Truth is that there are actually a lot of ways in which these careers can be more of a challenge than a traditional job.
You just need to be able to weigh up your options. Analyse those challenges to know if they are more than the positive changes that these kinds of careers can bring to your life.
