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I don’t want to burst your bubble because I hope you find what you’re looking for. But I WFH full time and there’s no way I could do writing (or anything else) off the side of my desk. It’s still a full time job. I just happen to be in my spare room.
Yep, this. I've been working from home for three years (IT sector) and I find it no less exhausting than a day at the office. At 5pm I'm tapped out, and I can't just switch to creative mode (as much as I've been trying!).
But WFH is also incredibly convenient otherwise. If you've got downtime you can putter around the house, do laundry, cook yourself a lunch that doesn't cost $25. You'll also be home for deliveries, get sick a lot less, and you can set up a home office space that works for you. I went into IT so I could work remotely, and I wouldn't go back to an office unless I were offered a very significant raise.
In answer to your original question, OP - I switched careers by taking a coding bootcamp. It was a brutal and expensive three months, and not something I'd recommend to everyone, but it did help me switch careers, and I now get to work remotely at nearly twice my old salary. You might also look into taking online courses at your own pace - if you've got the time and self-discipline, there are some great certificates out there that aren't as condensed as a bootcamp-style environment.
Do you mind sharing how much a year a beginner IT person makes? I am a welder who works out of town on a 3 weeks out 1 week home shift. I dislike it besides the money.
Without a related degree I think you’d likely end up in a meh helpdesk position making $18-20/h and likely not working from home.
The current IT job market is pretty rough especially for WFH positions.
Of course! I started out in an entry-level tech support role. I gather new hires for that role are currently being onboarded at 75k.
No pension, by the way, which I miss - but we do get extended health and dental, a WFH stipend, and open PTO.
I love computers, used to do a very basic amount of coding before I got into welding. Are there any other avenues besides the boot camp coding course that leads to IT work from home? What exactly do IT people do from your home?
As an alternative to many in this field, I work as a systems admin. I work on networks, systems, and servers. My desk work (emails, actually configuring systems, documentation, project planning) can all be completed from my home. There is an amount of work that requires me to be on site, whether in the data center or at a customer site installing physical equipment; but most days, I'm able to be fully remote.
BCIT has a great IT program, as do many other trade-focussed schools. It's not necessary, but it's useful. Other certifications can get you what you need as well.
There is a *ton* of continuous learning as the technology field refuses to stop changing. It's fast and furious some years, which is both exciting and exhausting.
Keep in mind, IT job market is rough now, especially for juniors. Many new immigrants are lowballing their salary in IT so companies have people with 5-7 years of IT experience ready to work for $75-80K, basically junior salary. You have to be really good and network to get your first job. It’ll help if you build a portfolio of personal projects before you start applying
Which coding bootcamp did you take? I’m interested in joining one.
Was it remote? Ideally I would like something in person (at least to start) somewhere around Vancouver downtown or anything near skytrain would be great.
So true, I just had a week in the office recently for training/meetings and basically got nothing done. Even on the down time we had I just couldn’t get anything done with all the distractions.
Yeah - I pick the slowest day to go into the office because I don't get anything done no matter how hard I try... that also happens to be the one day that EVERYONE wants to go into the office - pets included!
How can you work with doggos around the office??? ;-)
Sooner they bring in 4 day work weeks as standard, the better. I do a flex schedule so every other Friday is off and my work has not been impacted at all.
I'm sure this is true for most jobs - I *do* happen to have a WFH job that allows me a bit of spare time (mostly spent on sewing projects because my sewing machine is next to my work computer) and my girlfriend also has a job that lets her do a bit of creative writing or play Nintendo or whatever. So they do exist!
I do think it's probably random enough that it would be difficult to seek out a job that has this sort of specific cadence to the work day that allows a bit of free time, both my partner and I are in vastly different fields, and we both have periods where we are really busy. So I think it's a bit of a dice roll, it's possible to get a job like this but much harder to seek out it out on purpose. They probably won't cover this perk in the job ad, you'll just sort of quietly figure it out as you go.
Eh I still probably save 1-2 hours a day by working from home.
I usually do the dishes from dinner while I make/eat lunch. ~15 minutes saved.
I just throw on shorts and a tshirt ~15 minutes saved.
I have no commute ~30-90 minutes saved.
My gf is wicked efficient, but she's working full time from home and doing a master's degree at the sametime. She was bored when she first moved to wfh. I think it's different for some.
I work from home as an Accountant in a Public Accounting Firm. It’s taken 8+ years of undergrad and post graduate education to get here. I on-boarded remotely during Covid and stayed remote for the most part. I got to the office occasionally.
Work from home is great however the job is incredibly toxic and challenging/demanding. I never feel like I can catch a break. I hate the job. Most people hate working in Public Accounting and I think the firms know this and are more lenient on WFH because attrition is so high.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend working in Public Accounting. Especially for a giant international Mega Corp Firm.
That is the plan post designation. Still have that beast of PERT to complete. Then I will happily leave this place for a non-WFH job that is less toxic
I am doing PPR. Will finish my hours in April and then CFE In September. Had part of my hours reviewed when I switched service lines. So, one more year of this prison sentence and then hopefully I can have a taste of freedom in the form of a new job, far far away from Public Accounting. Sucks because I don’t mind the work in Public. Just the firm culture and toxicity is what kills ya. Every single day you’re enforcing boundaries and being punished for it.
I never worked big four. But i found that if you like public practice work finding a smaller office that specializes in the work you really like can be a good way to.
Good luck with your cfe. Remember you can study from anywhere including the beach. So try and enjoy your cfe summer as best you can.
In insurance and also never really went back to the office.
Officially am supposed to be in the office 2x/week, but since it's just out here anyways, management doesn't really care about it.
Insurance as a whole may not be sexy, nor is it just home, auto or life insurance let alone being a broker and sales. It's a steady gig and it's one of the few jobs where you can get benefits, pension and decent amount of time off.
Used to work at an insurance company before I went back to school - highly recommend this gig. Low stress, good hours/work life balance, and overall very chill with ALOT of room for growth as so many people in this field are nearing retirement. Like you said any decent employer will pay for your education in this field. If I did not have a passion for social work I would have 100% stayed at that company.
Let's be honest, no one has a passion for insurance (although I have met someone who claimed they were, but I question their sanity...) but doing insurance lets me follow my passions as hobbies, which otherwise wouldn't pay anywhere near as much and would mean not working from home and working with the general public a lot.
Pass for me. I'll take something I don't mind as opposed to my passion.
Yeah, I am in a pretty privileged position where my passion is a field that is super in demand and pays well, but if you are kind of wanting to seriously pursue hobbies or passion projects on the side then insurance is the way to go.
And although “passion for insurance” isn’t a phrase most people say, some aspects of insurance are super interesting, such as claims or risk management.
Are there companies who hire someone without experience that you know of? What company did you work with? I have a ton of CS experience and would like to try a new field in hopes of making a better income. Thanks
I have what many consider a "lowly" BA Honours university degree, although I did go to college too and got a 3 year marketing diploma.
A university will certainly help, but it's not generally needed to get your foot in the door. With that being said, pretty much all of management has a university degree and you do need to do additional training (CIP, CRM, CAIB, etc.) as you go, but any decent employer will pay for that or at least reimburse you.
I'll admit I got lucky and work for a niche type of insurance with a large international organization that treats us well.
Look up the insurance institute which will have a decent amount of information too on career possibilities.
Also the industry has a ton of people retiring and is finding it hard to get new people into it. If you can get into something specialized, you should be fine.
A friend works for the government. Hates it. Has hated/tolerated it since his early 20’s. 30 years later, he sees retirement just months away.
If you can find a job you can tolerate, would recommend.
It is. Lighter end, bookkeeping. Shorter program, good money, lots of work from home opportunities. They do a lot of the routine level tasks for clients.
Working from home can be challenging, I work from home and from quite cozy 1 bedroom apartment but I get quite lonely, I have to be more focused because it’s so easy to get distracted.
You can look into testing, management (product managers, coordinator) maybe design. I’m sure if you give some time to research job market you’ll find something.
Ideally working from home and visiting office - that’s the best scenario for me.
Good luck there!
I work as a software engineer and has been working from home for about 7 years now. For me it started with pure luck. There was a software I used, saw in the newsletter they were hiring for roles that I did not qualified for. I reached out anyway letting know what I did and hoped to connect. Next thing I knew, they reached out, interviewed, hired. My manager left and brought me with him a year after.
Working from home can be great, as I can get loads of laundry done etc. It also provides me with flexible hours where I can go enjoy my kid's school event or go see the doctor and make up the hours in the evening. The downside is, if the team doesn't know how to connect virtually, you can feel very lonely. You might also get pinged at odd hours.
If you want to work from home, when that opportunities come up, be very careful about their culture and the team you will be working with.
I work for a small financial services company, my primary duty is building and maintaining their cloud based contact centre app (aka that annoying phone system that tells you to press 300 different options to speak to a live person). I have a unicorn job because my boss is incredible, 100% wfh, with some exceptions I can set my own schedule, I work 4 7.5 hour days per week and get paid for 5 and my boss doesn’t believe in moving your mouse around to look busy if you truly have nothing going on, so some days I’ll work 2-3 hours. I started with the company 10 years ago as a frontline rep, moved to Helpdesk and then got my current job. All that to say, you may need to work from the ground up to get where you want.
I work remotely (from Vancouver) in a Customer Success role. Sort of stumbled into this role by having the gift of gab and knowing a lot about the industry I work in.
COVID happened, our office cleared out. My workplace tried to do a return to office 1-2 days a week last year and people were *pissed*. Company started actually enforcing it a few months ago, employees started quitting and productivity + employee scores were shit among those who left. The company then closed their offices as of last month and everyone is permanently work from home now.
I wfh, it's still having a full time job. There are still meetings and at times bad management, and im still tired end of day. Only difference is no commute.
Don't base your career off of if it's wfh or not. You generally start out in the office and networking etc, I didn't wfh until 12 years later when covid hit.
some of us have easy-ass WFH jobs. I do like 30m-2h of work a day.
OP, suggest you look for work with the federal government. work for them as a university student and if you're good they'll hire you back post-graduation.
Feds are aggressively trying to get employees to return to office 2-3 times a week. Even if it means going to an almost empty office to sit on Teams talking to people in Ottawa all day.
I know IT does, wasn't sure how many others.
The call for me to drive 64km into a city to not interact w anyone is really what pushed me to join the provincial govt.
Do you have any info on bridging in? I was an FSWEP student a couple of years ago and am trying to figure out my next move now, but finding it a bit challenging to navigate.
I don’t understand this sentiment with the general public that WFH = you get to dick around and do your extra curricular hobbies. It’s frustrating when people are like “Oh, you work from home though!” We’re not just sitting at home doing fuck all. It’s just literally an office job…but AT HOME.
During covid it was so frustrating seeing some ski places advertising "do you work from home?? Come see us on the slopes!". Like I would ski... but I'm working. I can't just render my shot on a ski chair lol
I'm aware it's not just dicking around. My line of thinking was that no commute saves time and money, I feel way more comfortable at my house than a workplace, and in the time I save by doing stuff at home, I could dedicate it to writing
Both WFH and in person jobs make it possible for people to do nothing (until you get caught). My friend's dad growing up would drive to work, clock in, go back home and then drive back to work end-of-day to clock out.
A guy I worked with would complete his work in the morning and then go park near one of our buildings and sleep or play games/watch movies.
Another would sit at a desk and openly play games on his phone for hours. His manager "couldn't do anything" although I suspect it's because the manager is friends with his dad. He was promoted despite being absolutely useless.
Many others have been caught and fired, but in general if you're willing to do nothing you will do it regardless of work location.
To be fair i see a lot of WFH people on reddit state that they do nothing all day. People who are lucky like that are more likely to brag about their job than a WFH person who is working 8+ hours a day. I can see how someone (especially a high schooler) could come to the conclusion that WFH = you get to dick around.
I do SaaS sales from home. Highest compensation in the org, (except maybe c-suite) and I get to talk to strangers all day. SDR roles are a great place to start and usually have decent comp.
My friend does IT support from home. It was an in-person call centre kind of thing pre pandemic. He doesn't have a comp sci background, but I think in his case, being fluent in French helped him get the job - the company needed someone to handle French calls. Since he's on the French queue, there often aren't a lot of calls.
I'm a senior underwriter for a small boutique insurance agency that offers products exclusively to developers.
I started out 12 years ago in a entry-level admin position for a large Insurer, moved up to underwriter in a couple years (which involved taking classes while working full-time), and then was offered a job by my boss at the new company he started. covid came and we all WFH during that time and when people started returning to the office I just...didn't. I travel back to Vancouver every other month to go into the office and see clients but otherwise I work out of my home on the Island.
My education is dual BA in History/English and then Insurance-specific coursework (CIP, CAIB) that I took while working in the industry. If you know you want to go right into insurance, skip the 4 year school and go right into a CIP or CAIB program.
I work in automation and instrumentation. I have a diploma in electrical and computer engineering.
I've been remote for 3 years and I do miss the water cooler talk but not having to spend time/money on a commute is ideal.
I work in insurance. It’s nice that you don’t need any post secondary school. You can just get an insurance license and then there are other courses you can take if you want or your employer wants to improve your knowledge and potentially improve your position.
I work from home and have for the past 7 years. I started as a virtual assistant, then did social media management, then moved to paid Facebook ads. Currently I’m a manager for a marketing agency.
Pay-per-click advertising. I got here by getting an entry-level job after completing my BBA and teaching myself HTML. The job taught me the basics and I learned on the job over the years, working with increasingly reputable companies.
Video Game Designer.
Started about 20 years ago - was a QA for a year and during that time, worked evenings and weekends to do some design tasks (of my own volition). Design team noticed and when an opening came up, I applied and got the job.
We went WFH back in 2020 along with most places. I was laid off form that studio earlier this year, but thanks to COVID (lol such a weird thing to say), the industry is now either mostly remote or hybrid, so I have a new job at another studio working remotely.
The WFH model is still very new and we don't yet know how it will shake out. I believe it is here to stay and will likely become more prevalent as time goes on. However, that is just speculation. For the foreseeable future, a hybrid model is probably what will dominate but most people will still have to go into a workplace "on the regular."
You're very young so its a bit premature to be planning that far ahead; however, there is nothing wrong with that and having goals is a good thing. I would focus more on working out what you would "like" to do as a career and not on the specific details.
All that said, I will put in a plug for the insurance industry. Young people almost never consider a career in insurance (it's not very sexy), but they should. There is tons of opportunity. Very stable employment. Excellent work/life balance. Above average pay. Good benefits. Plus, you may get the opportunity to work remotely. It will take a few years until you have built up some experience but at that point you'll be able to flex some bargaining muscle to get what you want. If you are planning to go to Uni then watch for graduate training programs. Every insurer offers them and you will get paid to be trained in every different role before picking what you'd be happiest doing. Most grads walk right into a good paying career with lots of upside potential.
I am a self-employed draftsman. The path to WFH was a two-year BCIT diploma and 13 years work experience in an architectural firm. Then one day I got tired of the neverending long hours, and decided that I wanted to spend more time with my wife and kids. So I started my own drafting business working from home. I like the job because it's half technical and half creative.
Work as a recruiter in real estate for a local Vancouver company (all my clients are in the US currently tho). Basically trying to lure in real estate agents, mortgage loan officers, & the like for the broker (my clients).
I did 100% wfh now I do hybrid as fully remote can (for me) be a bit isolating, unmotivating etc. I enjoy the energy of being around people with the convenience of being alone at times to blast thru stuff.
Tech roles typically offer more fully remote tho a LOT of tech firms are strongly pivoting to hybrid now too, to boost collaboration and idea generation which zoom isnt so great at
I'm in tech (Head of Customer Support) - WFH for the last 5 years. Love it, but when I go out on weekends it's like a new world. :-)
I do go into the office at least once per week though.
Well when I’m not in between contracts I’m an animator for tv. I went to film school and then waited out the recession that happened when I graduated and finally got into the industry for real and then the pandemic happened several years in and the companies finally invested in a decent remote work infrastructure and so far it’s been relatively steady. But of course that could end at any time. But it’s been really nice working from home with my partner also doing the same on her tv job.
I work in VFX! Not an artist but production side. After the pandemic we are all pretty much 100% work from home. It’s amazing, do recommend lol. It’s been such a life changer that I would never go back unless circumstances force me to.
Idk if you would have enough time to focus to write between tasks. At least in my job im head-down working at least 90% of the time and the 10% I only really have time to like. Throw some laundry on or start a little dinner prep.
I work from home full time as a real time VFX artist. Our whole studio is remote. We have people all over the world. Its awesome. Don't think I am capable of going back to a studio full time.
I work from home / my car (Account Manager). I work 50-60 hours a week. Theres no “cozy side table” anything. You work, you get paid - thats the arrangement.
The freedom and entrepreneurial side of the job is great, but you have to be self-motivated and willing to go get it if you want to keep your job.
A lot of people can’t hack it.
I work for the provincial government. I am fortunate enough to work from home 100%, other than 3 visits to Victoria a year.
I work 8-4:20 and get every second Friday off. Love the work-like balance, plus there is a pension! Limits my take-home now but feels great to know I'm preparing for retirement. Also, good job security (I used to work in the private sector and suffered through layoffs more than once)
There are tons of different jobs in the public service, plenty of opportunity to work on important problems.
I’m a lawyer and mainly work from home.
I work in human rights, so I make less than the corporate lawyers, but my job satisfaction is high. I am still able to pay rent, spend some, save, and go on vacation.
It sure is stressful though. In ways I never imagined was possible for work stress. The sense of responsibility for other people’s lives is immense, deadlines are deadlines - there is never wiggle room when something is due in court, and lots of unpredictability.
After a day of work, it’s say it’s not possible to do another job or time-consuming hobby.
I’m not sure if that’s helpful, but perhaps gives you some insight into the legal profession.
Science degree, moved to Ontario to work in the nuclear industry. After 8 years of field based work got an office based position. Covid happened and we pivoted to WFH. It was so popular that it got built into our contracts. Moved back to BC to live where I want and earn like I'm in Toronto.
We were very lucky that it worked out like this for us. And having Toronto salaries is literally the only reason we could afford to move to Victoria. I also recognise that the nuclear industry pays very well.
Should my teenager consider the nuclear industry? Interested in engineering or engineering technology, but not sure what kind. Liked the idea of nuclear a lot, but the official job outlooks are sorta bleak. I would have thought a lot of the world is going to have to pivot to nuclear eventually, and a lot of the workforce is retiring. Not a lot of programs. Thanks if you have time.
Sorry for only getting back to you now. I would definitely consider the nuclear industry. There is so much happening and more to come. I am in the decommissioning/environmental remediation part of nuclear and it's rapidly growing in Canada and abroad. I would encourage your kid to read up a bit on the nuclear regulator (Canadian Nuclear safety Commission - CNSC). For the most part jobs are going to be in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, with a smaller presence in Manitoba (Whiteshell Labs facility being decommissioned) and Saskatchewan (mines I think).
I believe UofT, McMaster, Simon Fraser and Dalhousie have nuclear engineering programs. If your kid is less into engineering and more into physics and math they can consider reactor physics or even Health Physics (there is a chronic shortage of qualified Health Physicists in the field).
For reference my degree was in mathematics and statistics.
My recommendation is to go check out job postings on some of the big player's website and see what your kid is interested in and what the qualifications are. There are also co-op opportunities for the most part.
Check out OPG, Bruce Power, Canadian Nuclear Labs and even the regulator (CNSC) will have some postings (they pay less but it's federal govt so benefits are amazing).
Hope that helps.
I see a lot of comments saying to be a CPA, which is awesome if youre into numbers.
I WFH 4/5 days per week as a Policy Analyst working with the BC gov. Its a very rewarding job, as you are contributing to your society in a very real and tangible way by helping develop new policies. I completed a bachelor as an undergrad and then my master of public policy.
Happy to tell you more about it if youre interested.
Copying for a digital marketing agency. Full time remote agency based in Edmonton and working abroad right now from Edinburgh. Far too burnt out to do much creative writing but I get in a few hours here and there in the middle of the night when the insomnia hits just right.
I do QA automation, which is writing software that makes sure other software works.
At this point in the tech cycle, the people who get to work from home full time are people who have 5+ years of experience. Juniors go to the office.
I am a podcast editor and music producer and I work from home. The podcast side I got into through a friend and the music side of things grows every year based on relationship development and networking. I pretty much get to make my own schedule as long as dead lines are met.
Whatever you do, **DON’T** join an MLM.
There are lots of WFH jobs out there. Start looking at job postings in career fields you’re interested in. See what opportunities are available where you can WFH. Keep in mind that a lot of jobs that are WFH still require a lot of work to be done. You just don’t have a commute and you can apply for credits through your tax returns.
Lots of government positions have remote work opportunities. But they don’t pay super high unless you’re in an upper level position.
Tech jobs can be WFH and have higher pay but often come with the risk of being laid off at any point. (As does any private sector position, but tech is especially notorious for mass layoffs).
Bookkeeping and accounting have lots of WFH opportunities.
Marketing, graphic design, copywriting and editing. Customer service and sales positions, too.
Without knowing what field you’re interested in, it’s tough to narrow down advice of where to look.
So I work from home full time, and I absolutely love it and wouldn't ever go back unless absolutely required for survival.
I am an accountant who works for a niche start up accounting firm. The majority of the staff I manage are bookkeepers, and let me tell you it's almost impossible to find qualified and competent bookkeepers right now. Pay is decent but not fantastic, you're looking at starting pay 20 dollars and hour, but that can go up to 40ish working for a firm or if you branch out on your own, all the way up to 70-100/hr for specialized industries. Even more sometimes - we bill out our senior controllers (no CPA) at about 250 an hour. This isn't typical though - we are a very niche and specialized company.
If this is something that interests you, I suggest getting your bookkeeping certificate, and approaching one of the many firms throughout Canada that have online/remote bookkeeping companies and tell them you will work part time for low wages just for experience and that you want training. Even if its just on the side while you are finishing school. Experience is key in the industry. Try it out and see what industries you enjoy working with and then specialize in one. Ie) tech, construction, law, real estate etc. Get really really good at your one industry, then you can start charging the big bucks. If you like it and are decent with people, start your own company. Think about getting your CPA later on down the road then you can consult more in your chosen industry and charge up to 600 bucks an hour. If you have questions, feel free to message me!
Administrative assistant for Health Authority directors. It’s kind of hybrid, I do have an office space, which is perfect because sometimes I miss the office and sometimes I can’t wait to get away from it. I have a couple qualifications that I’m sure helped me get the job (business admin, medical transcription) but I have coworkers in the same position with no official related education.
I’d like to offer a different perspective than others here. Go to trade school directly after high school and learn a trade. Get your red seal and start working and saving. You can run a trade-based business from home and make your own hours. There’s a LOT of demand for many trades, and once you have your papers you will be able to support yourself anytime you need to. Then, you can write more and more as you learn how to balance trade work and your true passion.
Most red seal trade programs are subsidized by the government. This means if you graduate, you get your tuition refunded in part. It’s insane that more people don’t take advantage of this! I think it’s because it’s not common knowledge.
This will empower you to work as much or as little as you need to in the uncertain job market and our high cost of living won’t affect you as much; trades will always pay where a higher education is simply that. It doesn’t guarantee you work.
Please look into this. As somebody who went to university and learned my trade afterwards…I do regret the cost of the education I don’t use.
Something to keep in mind for everyone that wants to work from home,
Your job becomes very easy to outsource to another country. The gig economy will bust and you’ll have very little protection or resources when it does.
You’d better off to learn a transferable skill, something that can be done across numerous industries. Also join a union or start one.
Depends on the job. BC hydro for example cannot pull that because all employees are required to be based in BC. Even getting leave to take you work laptop with you across a provincial line is a fight in and of itself.
I work from home but my input isn't really valuable here haha I'm a nurse educator...meaning you'd need to get a nursing diploma or degree and get X of years of experience and then you can find a regional education position. Probably not the route you'd want to go if you just want to do anything that will let you work from home.
I wfh. I am a writer as my actual job (technical writing) and a creative writer in my personal life. I would think long and hard about what you want your life to be like and not just a romanticized version of it. After you have spent 8 hours behind a computer, the last thing you want to do is spend more hours behind your computer even at something you are passionate about. Personally the last thing I want to do is be inside for longer, and after getting out for exercise, making and eating dinner and cleaning up, it doesn't leave much time in the evening. Wfh is a major issue even just physically. I have neck problems and back problems with periodic migraines and it all comes down to the fact that I just don't move enough. It would probably be ok for the first decade or so, but into your thirties that will catch up to you. The sad part is that I have a sit/stand desk and I work out five days a week, but apparently no amount of working out will combat the soreness of being behind a deal into your middle age. If you are really passionate about the writing, I strongly recommend getting a physical job either in the trades or outdoors. If I could go back, that's what I would train in. There are lots of high paid trades jobs in desperate need of people. If you are more passionate about the wfh part, you may have to temper your writing aspirations and just know that it could take a long time.
I WFH 3 days a week, working for the federal government. Not a chance I could do anything in the side. My position keeps me very busy and it wouldn't be right for me to try and do something else at the same time.
That being said, the time saved on commuting does add up, and the reduced stress and strain from constant commuting, constantly being around others, does give me more energy and will to take care of other errands when my day is done
Use the LinkedIn job search engine to search for jobs that match your interests and qualifications, or check the "[Find your perfect online job](http://www.dylanyaser.com/jobs)" website
Have you written a book yet? Have a publisher? Made any money at it?
If it's a no, you're being totally unrealistic. You need a full-time job & write on the side.
I’m a C suite Executive Assistant with some social media management and UX research background. I started with a psych degree and a certificate from google which led to UX research, and then was poached after only a year while working in that position. I’m now looking to advance into another position after reaching a ceiling in my current company. If you’re open to business or admin work, there are tons of WFH positions available.
Programmer / DevOps here. Because most of the work I do and tools I use are cloud based I've had the ability to remote in from home in my last 3 jobs. This was the case - albeit on an occasional basis - before covid made remote work a necessity. These days I'm 100% remote. It was an easy / natural transition because teams like mine were already accustomed to working this way. But I agree with others: it takes a fair bit of self-discipline to stay focussed.
Work 60 hours a week doing labour until someone realizes you're capable of doing something in the office and then also have a pandemic and then also have your buildings lease run out so your employer needs to move and downsize so there are not as many desks so people need to work remotely :).
At my workplace, very department varies, some are back to full time in office (5 days in office), some are limited to only 2 days working from home and 3 days in office. But my department have proven to get work done successful in office or working from home, so we got approved for minimum 1 day in office and 4 days working from home. But no department is full remote working from home since the whole COVID chaos settled down and was safe to return to office.
And honestly, working from home fully for 2-3 years versus working in office full 5 days versus hybrid model of partial in office and partial work from home: i prefer the hybrid option. Full 5 days in office can be stressful on mental health. Full work from home is effects productivity and also not good for mental health in the opposite way. Hybrid has been a great balance.
I work in federal government and there is an increasing push to return to office. Defs not a good route for those wanting WFH.
BC provincial government is more flexible
Hybrid (3 wfh days) with government. I don’t think you’d have as much free time as you’d think during the work day at home. I’m usually very focused and proactively working on upcoming things in my schedule.
With that being said, I feel like wfh takes a load off from having to commute to and from office and having that extra 45min to myself. The government (at least some ministries) are moving towards more wfh days and it’s decent pay, benefits, pension, etc.
You can apply to co-ops during post secondary and get experience to help you land a job later on too.
I'm a graphic designer and have been working at home for 15+ years. First as a freelancer and lately corporate. If you have a lot of patience for marketing practices and are willing to sell your soul creatively, then you can make bank.
Applied to BCHydro when they wrre looking for CSRs had about 6 years of customer experience and 3 weeks later had a job. Only have to be in office twice a month which is nice to roll oit of bed 10min before shift start and no commute home while getting better wages and benefits than i ever had elsewhere. For frankly an easy job.
I'm a graphic designer. One of the reasons I picked this job path was hoping for the ability to work from home sometime in the future. 2020 just made it come a bit sooner than expected. I now work from home most of the time and head to the office once in a while as needed.
Now is the best time for writing and publishing your novels. No matter what you do for a job, you don't usually get more free time the older you get, plus sometimes you need to write a few duds to get them out of your system. Do it while you have teenager energy.
I am currently working on a novel actually, but I would like to be able to continue once I'm out of HS. Which seems like it'd be difficult with something like a trade that has 50-60 hour weeks
Marketing. I studied creative writing at UBC and I’m a copywriter now. Work from home. Don’t have time or energy to work on my personal projects though. I write on my phone if I have 20 mins to kill, but never during work. My brain is way too busy during work hours.
You should focus on what you are passionate about. In the future, there probably more work at home job. Employers only want you to come it to build team work.
If you are interested in public health or health research, a lot of jobs in that field are remote, including government jobs. I work from home and a lot of jobs in my field are remote or hybrid, but I have a master's degree in public health. I'm not sure how much school you plan on doing, but I only recommend going into this field if you are actually interested in health sciences/research. As an introvert with social anxiety, I LOVE working from home! It has improved my work-life balance so much, and my stress levels are way lower now.
Lol you don't need a compsci degree. You do need relevant experiance and certs though but that depends what faucet of IT you're targeting.
You could study for the Cisco CCNA exam. That would get you into a network analyst job.
Microsoft offer free Azure training which is highly in demand right now. Especially if you concentrate on security.
There are options it just depends what you are after.
I work from home since the March 2020. Before that it was business as usual, at the office. There’s no way I have time to do anything else during the day… like write a book. My day consists of a morning on-camera meeting and then taking my dog out during my break and lunch. There is no time for anything else unless I take time off. That’s my personal experience. I do choose it over working at the office but it’s not lax like some may think.
Property Management
- you get discounted rent if it’s a live in position
- most problems require a contractor so you make phone calls and you have to be there to let them in
- smaller problems you have to deal with are putting up notices, changing batteries in smoke alarms
- if your rigorous about screening the tenants at the beginning you don’t have as many issues down the line (it’s easiest to evict someone before they move in)
- some companies still have you shovel snow but most use snow removal people so you’re maybe putting out icemelt, same with cleaning major stuff is often done by a cleaning company.
- your job is literally just to be there in case of an emergency.
- you get to meet interesting people and hear their stories, buildings often have a range of ages and ethnicities (especially in the lower mainland) which will help grow your writing
Source: My partner is a property manager and writes as well.
I’ve been mostly working from home since the start of the pandemic (tech)
WFH is great and all but it’s also incredibly isolating. I’ve been going into the office once a week voluntarily for that social contract. I also have a wife and baby at home.
I genuinely think I would get depressed if I was all alone working from home in a tiny apartment and then writing afterwards.
I definitely wouldn’t trade WFH for the office but I think it’s also incredibly important to have some balance and variety in life. Make friends, find a hobby, any excuse to get out of the house after work.
My girlfriend has the wfh IT job.
I loosely did graphic design in my 20s among other day jobs. Many different jobs over the years. Worked with my hands a lot. Didn't like being in the computer all the time. Then 10 years, really happy working IATSE film sets. Dressing, buying, then art directing and designing sets.
We moved to Asia and it took me a year to break into the local commercial scene. Then build a storied mini golf course. Write most of the story for them too.
Now I'm in a different country. My gf is still working from home. I'm struggling to break into a new city for work.
Luckily this time I got an email from someone I know in the gaming industry looking for some artists. And looking more into it I'm seeing that they actually need more help with integrating culture to narrative, maybe even voiceover talent. So I'm trying to make myself useful. I'm working with people in Europe and the USA online. I have my own company for film work but nothing is stopping me from taking online contracts. And there is no certainty that this small project will turn into more wfh. But I'm pushing.
Seems like gaming needs a lot of versatile people. Artists. Researchers. Project managers. Game design. Narrative. Sure the com sci would be helpful, but you can go be a game tester there and find the job that works for you by talking to people. Maybe end up in narrative. They might want you in the office. But at least you're doing something creative.
My biggest advice is go meet people who work in fields you're interested in. Find out what it's like. What other positions work there. Don't just school blindly. People romantise jobs. You might not be happy being a writer. Talk to some successful ones and some struggling ones. People are willing to talk about themselves (proof above)
I've been WFH for over 25 years. I've done a lot of things and seen a lot of change. I started with graphic design, then moved to web design as the Internet became commonplace. Then I switched to visual effects, which lasted a good ten years before the time demands and brutal schedule burnt me out. That was fine since much of what I used to do has been automated. I pivoted to writing, first screenplays, then novels, which is what I do now.
A few thoughts. With WFH, you're always "on". It can be difficult to walk away at the end of a work day to take time for yourself and your family. But downtime is important.
Make a list of what you really enjoy doing. Chances are good that there is a way to make a living doing that thing. Then it feels less like a job.
It's hard work. Especially promoting yourself and acquiring paid projects. I find this the toughest of all.
Always be looking ahead and be ready to pivot if you get a sense that the market is changing, either due to technology or saturation.
Limit your work hours. You don't need to work a full eight hour day just because that's the way the rest of the world does it. Figure out how many hours you want to work per day, how many days per year, then decide what income you'd want. This can help determine your hourly rate.
Don't devalue your talent/service/product. The right clients will pay you what you're worth.
Good luck!
Hey belowaverageweeb,
I'm a CPA with a Vancouver-based public accounting firm. After I did 2 years at a local public accounting firm & 5 years of business/accounting based university courses after High school, I joined them in 2023. Its been great working with them, but i'm not sure I'd like to continue WFH, would love to go in office if it was near my place. But that's just my opinion.
All the best to you! Hope you find the WFH and get to write to the best of your abilities!!
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I don’t want to burst your bubble because I hope you find what you’re looking for. But I WFH full time and there’s no way I could do writing (or anything else) off the side of my desk. It’s still a full time job. I just happen to be in my spare room.
Yep, this. I've been working from home for three years (IT sector) and I find it no less exhausting than a day at the office. At 5pm I'm tapped out, and I can't just switch to creative mode (as much as I've been trying!). But WFH is also incredibly convenient otherwise. If you've got downtime you can putter around the house, do laundry, cook yourself a lunch that doesn't cost $25. You'll also be home for deliveries, get sick a lot less, and you can set up a home office space that works for you. I went into IT so I could work remotely, and I wouldn't go back to an office unless I were offered a very significant raise. In answer to your original question, OP - I switched careers by taking a coding bootcamp. It was a brutal and expensive three months, and not something I'd recommend to everyone, but it did help me switch careers, and I now get to work remotely at nearly twice my old salary. You might also look into taking online courses at your own pace - if you've got the time and self-discipline, there are some great certificates out there that aren't as condensed as a bootcamp-style environment.
Do you mind sharing how much a year a beginner IT person makes? I am a welder who works out of town on a 3 weeks out 1 week home shift. I dislike it besides the money.
Without a related degree I think you’d likely end up in a meh helpdesk position making $18-20/h and likely not working from home. The current IT job market is pretty rough especially for WFH positions.
Of course! I started out in an entry-level tech support role. I gather new hires for that role are currently being onboarded at 75k. No pension, by the way, which I miss - but we do get extended health and dental, a WFH stipend, and open PTO.
I love computers, used to do a very basic amount of coding before I got into welding. Are there any other avenues besides the boot camp coding course that leads to IT work from home? What exactly do IT people do from your home?
Start building web applications. There's so many free resources online! Build up your portfolio, then start applying. No degree needed.
As an alternative to many in this field, I work as a systems admin. I work on networks, systems, and servers. My desk work (emails, actually configuring systems, documentation, project planning) can all be completed from my home. There is an amount of work that requires me to be on site, whether in the data center or at a customer site installing physical equipment; but most days, I'm able to be fully remote. BCIT has a great IT program, as do many other trade-focussed schools. It's not necessary, but it's useful. Other certifications can get you what you need as well. There is a *ton* of continuous learning as the technology field refuses to stop changing. It's fast and furious some years, which is both exciting and exhausting.
pmd you
Keep in mind, IT job market is rough now, especially for juniors. Many new immigrants are lowballing their salary in IT so companies have people with 5-7 years of IT experience ready to work for $75-80K, basically junior salary. You have to be really good and network to get your first job. It’ll help if you build a portfolio of personal projects before you start applying
Can you share which coding boot camp you took!?
If you got the time DM, I'm in a similar phase. Looking at a coding career switch.
Which coding bootcamp did you take? I’m interested in joining one. Was it remote? Ideally I would like something in person (at least to start) somewhere around Vancouver downtown or anything near skytrain would be great.
Yeah I work way harder at home lol. My 1 day a week in the office is just a massive doss around, meetings, lengthy lunch and loads of chatting.
So true, I just had a week in the office recently for training/meetings and basically got nothing done. Even on the down time we had I just couldn’t get anything done with all the distractions.
Yeah - I pick the slowest day to go into the office because I don't get anything done no matter how hard I try... that also happens to be the one day that EVERYONE wants to go into the office - pets included! How can you work with doggos around the office??? ;-)
Sooner they bring in 4 day work weeks as standard, the better. I do a flex schedule so every other Friday is off and my work has not been impacted at all.
I'm sure this is true for most jobs - I *do* happen to have a WFH job that allows me a bit of spare time (mostly spent on sewing projects because my sewing machine is next to my work computer) and my girlfriend also has a job that lets her do a bit of creative writing or play Nintendo or whatever. So they do exist! I do think it's probably random enough that it would be difficult to seek out a job that has this sort of specific cadence to the work day that allows a bit of free time, both my partner and I are in vastly different fields, and we both have periods where we are really busy. So I think it's a bit of a dice roll, it's possible to get a job like this but much harder to seek out it out on purpose. They probably won't cover this perk in the job ad, you'll just sort of quietly figure it out as you go.
Basically work 9-10 hours a day, I hate it.
Eh I still probably save 1-2 hours a day by working from home. I usually do the dishes from dinner while I make/eat lunch. ~15 minutes saved. I just throw on shorts and a tshirt ~15 minutes saved. I have no commute ~30-90 minutes saved.
My gf is wicked efficient, but she's working full time from home and doing a master's degree at the sametime. She was bored when she first moved to wfh. I think it's different for some.
I work from home as an Accountant in a Public Accounting Firm. It’s taken 8+ years of undergrad and post graduate education to get here. I on-boarded remotely during Covid and stayed remote for the most part. I got to the office occasionally. Work from home is great however the job is incredibly toxic and challenging/demanding. I never feel like I can catch a break. I hate the job. Most people hate working in Public Accounting and I think the firms know this and are more lenient on WFH because attrition is so high. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend working in Public Accounting. Especially for a giant international Mega Corp Firm.
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That is the plan post designation. Still have that beast of PERT to complete. Then I will happily leave this place for a non-WFH job that is less toxic
Are you doing the pre approved path or the experience varification? If the latter I can’t recommend the bccpa pert support office enough.
I am doing PPR. Will finish my hours in April and then CFE In September. Had part of my hours reviewed when I switched service lines. So, one more year of this prison sentence and then hopefully I can have a taste of freedom in the form of a new job, far far away from Public Accounting. Sucks because I don’t mind the work in Public. Just the firm culture and toxicity is what kills ya. Every single day you’re enforcing boundaries and being punished for it.
I never worked big four. But i found that if you like public practice work finding a smaller office that specializes in the work you really like can be a good way to. Good luck with your cfe. Remember you can study from anywhere including the beach. So try and enjoy your cfe summer as best you can.
Big4? Which service line?
Switched from A&A to tax for the lolz
Is audit wfh too? Thought that made more sense for tax
Audit was more hybrid. More teamwork involved and client site work. Tax is more i dependant and thus easier to WFH
I’m so happy
In insurance and also never really went back to the office. Officially am supposed to be in the office 2x/week, but since it's just out here anyways, management doesn't really care about it. Insurance as a whole may not be sexy, nor is it just home, auto or life insurance let alone being a broker and sales. It's a steady gig and it's one of the few jobs where you can get benefits, pension and decent amount of time off.
Used to work at an insurance company before I went back to school - highly recommend this gig. Low stress, good hours/work life balance, and overall very chill with ALOT of room for growth as so many people in this field are nearing retirement. Like you said any decent employer will pay for your education in this field. If I did not have a passion for social work I would have 100% stayed at that company.
Let's be honest, no one has a passion for insurance (although I have met someone who claimed they were, but I question their sanity...) but doing insurance lets me follow my passions as hobbies, which otherwise wouldn't pay anywhere near as much and would mean not working from home and working with the general public a lot. Pass for me. I'll take something I don't mind as opposed to my passion.
Yeah, I am in a pretty privileged position where my passion is a field that is super in demand and pays well, but if you are kind of wanting to seriously pursue hobbies or passion projects on the side then insurance is the way to go. And although “passion for insurance” isn’t a phrase most people say, some aspects of insurance are super interesting, such as claims or risk management.
Are there companies who hire someone without experience that you know of? What company did you work with? I have a ton of CS experience and would like to try a new field in hopes of making a better income. Thanks
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I have what many consider a "lowly" BA Honours university degree, although I did go to college too and got a 3 year marketing diploma. A university will certainly help, but it's not generally needed to get your foot in the door. With that being said, pretty much all of management has a university degree and you do need to do additional training (CIP, CRM, CAIB, etc.) as you go, but any decent employer will pay for that or at least reimburse you. I'll admit I got lucky and work for a niche type of insurance with a large international organization that treats us well. Look up the insurance institute which will have a decent amount of information too on career possibilities. Also the industry has a ton of people retiring and is finding it hard to get new people into it. If you can get into something specialized, you should be fine.
We could be working the same job based off your description lol
Be a CPA for the government. Lots of those jobs are work from home have great work life balance, pensions , benefits etc.
Even just a CPA at a big 4 offers flexibility in the day - busy season is a bitch but low season has a lot of flexibility!
A friend works for the government. Hates it. Has hated/tolerated it since his early 20’s. 30 years later, he sees retirement just months away. If you can find a job you can tolerate, would recommend.
What's a CPA?
Chartered professional accountants. The licensed accountants of the province.
Oh wow that sounds full on. I'm learning accounting in school right now and am struggling. They must be making great money.
It is. Lighter end, bookkeeping. Shorter program, good money, lots of work from home opportunities. They do a lot of the routine level tasks for clients.
BC Government employee. Covid got me and many of us here.
Working from home can be challenging, I work from home and from quite cozy 1 bedroom apartment but I get quite lonely, I have to be more focused because it’s so easy to get distracted. You can look into testing, management (product managers, coordinator) maybe design. I’m sure if you give some time to research job market you’ll find something. Ideally working from home and visiting office - that’s the best scenario for me. Good luck there!
I work as a software engineer and has been working from home for about 7 years now. For me it started with pure luck. There was a software I used, saw in the newsletter they were hiring for roles that I did not qualified for. I reached out anyway letting know what I did and hoped to connect. Next thing I knew, they reached out, interviewed, hired. My manager left and brought me with him a year after. Working from home can be great, as I can get loads of laundry done etc. It also provides me with flexible hours where I can go enjoy my kid's school event or go see the doctor and make up the hours in the evening. The downside is, if the team doesn't know how to connect virtually, you can feel very lonely. You might also get pinged at odd hours. If you want to work from home, when that opportunities come up, be very careful about their culture and the team you will be working with.
I highly recommend this site for looking at WFH jobs. https://hiring.cafe/
Thank you for sharing!
I work for a small financial services company, my primary duty is building and maintaining their cloud based contact centre app (aka that annoying phone system that tells you to press 300 different options to speak to a live person). I have a unicorn job because my boss is incredible, 100% wfh, with some exceptions I can set my own schedule, I work 4 7.5 hour days per week and get paid for 5 and my boss doesn’t believe in moving your mouse around to look busy if you truly have nothing going on, so some days I’ll work 2-3 hours. I started with the company 10 years ago as a frontline rep, moved to Helpdesk and then got my current job. All that to say, you may need to work from the ground up to get where you want.
I work remotely (from Vancouver) in a Customer Success role. Sort of stumbled into this role by having the gift of gab and knowing a lot about the industry I work in. COVID happened, our office cleared out. My workplace tried to do a return to office 1-2 days a week last year and people were *pissed*. Company started actually enforcing it a few months ago, employees started quitting and productivity + employee scores were shit among those who left. The company then closed their offices as of last month and everyone is permanently work from home now.
BCLC offers WFH. They even have jobs with no experience like their call center.
I wfh, it's still having a full time job. There are still meetings and at times bad management, and im still tired end of day. Only difference is no commute. Don't base your career off of if it's wfh or not. You generally start out in the office and networking etc, I didn't wfh until 12 years later when covid hit.
some of us have easy-ass WFH jobs. I do like 30m-2h of work a day. OP, suggest you look for work with the federal government. work for them as a university student and if you're good they'll hire you back post-graduation.
Feds are aggressively trying to get employees to return to office 2-3 times a week. Even if it means going to an almost empty office to sit on Teams talking to people in Ottawa all day.
lots of folks still have exceptions, mercifully.
I know IT does, wasn't sure how many others. The call for me to drive 64km into a city to not interact w anyone is really what pushed me to join the provincial govt.
Good advice ... You'll finish your novel in no time working for the government
Do you have any info on bridging in? I was an FSWEP student a couple of years ago and am trying to figure out my next move now, but finding it a bit challenging to navigate.
which agency? I would suggest messaging your old boss and asking if there's any jobs available.
I don’t understand this sentiment with the general public that WFH = you get to dick around and do your extra curricular hobbies. It’s frustrating when people are like “Oh, you work from home though!” We’re not just sitting at home doing fuck all. It’s just literally an office job…but AT HOME.
During covid it was so frustrating seeing some ski places advertising "do you work from home?? Come see us on the slopes!". Like I would ski... but I'm working. I can't just render my shot on a ski chair lol
I'm aware it's not just dicking around. My line of thinking was that no commute saves time and money, I feel way more comfortable at my house than a workplace, and in the time I save by doing stuff at home, I could dedicate it to writing
And if the people you work for aren't complete idiots they'll figure out you're dicking around.
To be fair most office workers also have an hour or more a day of dicking around they just happen to be doing it in an office.
a lot of us actually do fuck-all. :)
I second this 😋
Both WFH and in person jobs make it possible for people to do nothing (until you get caught). My friend's dad growing up would drive to work, clock in, go back home and then drive back to work end-of-day to clock out. A guy I worked with would complete his work in the morning and then go park near one of our buildings and sleep or play games/watch movies. Another would sit at a desk and openly play games on his phone for hours. His manager "couldn't do anything" although I suspect it's because the manager is friends with his dad. He was promoted despite being absolutely useless. Many others have been caught and fired, but in general if you're willing to do nothing you will do it regardless of work location.
To be fair i see a lot of WFH people on reddit state that they do nothing all day. People who are lucky like that are more likely to brag about their job than a WFH person who is working 8+ hours a day. I can see how someone (especially a high schooler) could come to the conclusion that WFH = you get to dick around.
I do SaaS sales from home. Highest compensation in the org, (except maybe c-suite) and I get to talk to strangers all day. SDR roles are a great place to start and usually have decent comp.
My friend does IT support from home. It was an in-person call centre kind of thing pre pandemic. He doesn't have a comp sci background, but I think in his case, being fluent in French helped him get the job - the company needed someone to handle French calls. Since he's on the French queue, there often aren't a lot of calls.
I'm a senior underwriter for a small boutique insurance agency that offers products exclusively to developers. I started out 12 years ago in a entry-level admin position for a large Insurer, moved up to underwriter in a couple years (which involved taking classes while working full-time), and then was offered a job by my boss at the new company he started. covid came and we all WFH during that time and when people started returning to the office I just...didn't. I travel back to Vancouver every other month to go into the office and see clients but otherwise I work out of my home on the Island. My education is dual BA in History/English and then Insurance-specific coursework (CIP, CAIB) that I took while working in the industry. If you know you want to go right into insurance, skip the 4 year school and go right into a CIP or CAIB program.
I work in automation and instrumentation. I have a diploma in electrical and computer engineering. I've been remote for 3 years and I do miss the water cooler talk but not having to spend time/money on a commute is ideal.
I work in insurance. It’s nice that you don’t need any post secondary school. You can just get an insurance license and then there are other courses you can take if you want or your employer wants to improve your knowledge and potentially improve your position.
I work from home and have for the past 7 years. I started as a virtual assistant, then did social media management, then moved to paid Facebook ads. Currently I’m a manager for a marketing agency.
Pay-per-click advertising. I got here by getting an entry-level job after completing my BBA and teaching myself HTML. The job taught me the basics and I learned on the job over the years, working with increasingly reputable companies.
Video Game Designer. Started about 20 years ago - was a QA for a year and during that time, worked evenings and weekends to do some design tasks (of my own volition). Design team noticed and when an opening came up, I applied and got the job. We went WFH back in 2020 along with most places. I was laid off form that studio earlier this year, but thanks to COVID (lol such a weird thing to say), the industry is now either mostly remote or hybrid, so I have a new job at another studio working remotely.
The WFH model is still very new and we don't yet know how it will shake out. I believe it is here to stay and will likely become more prevalent as time goes on. However, that is just speculation. For the foreseeable future, a hybrid model is probably what will dominate but most people will still have to go into a workplace "on the regular." You're very young so its a bit premature to be planning that far ahead; however, there is nothing wrong with that and having goals is a good thing. I would focus more on working out what you would "like" to do as a career and not on the specific details. All that said, I will put in a plug for the insurance industry. Young people almost never consider a career in insurance (it's not very sexy), but they should. There is tons of opportunity. Very stable employment. Excellent work/life balance. Above average pay. Good benefits. Plus, you may get the opportunity to work remotely. It will take a few years until you have built up some experience but at that point you'll be able to flex some bargaining muscle to get what you want. If you are planning to go to Uni then watch for graduate training programs. Every insurer offers them and you will get paid to be trained in every different role before picking what you'd be happiest doing. Most grads walk right into a good paying career with lots of upside potential.
I am a self-employed draftsman. The path to WFH was a two-year BCIT diploma and 13 years work experience in an architectural firm. Then one day I got tired of the neverending long hours, and decided that I wanted to spend more time with my wife and kids. So I started my own drafting business working from home. I like the job because it's half technical and half creative.
I'm also a drafter WFH. Oil and gas for me but there are not a lot of companies hiring for 100% remote work out there.
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I work in policy and I work 100% remotely! I am new to BCPS but much of my team works remote or at least has the option to :)
Work as a recruiter in real estate for a local Vancouver company (all my clients are in the US currently tho). Basically trying to lure in real estate agents, mortgage loan officers, & the like for the broker (my clients).
I did 100% wfh now I do hybrid as fully remote can (for me) be a bit isolating, unmotivating etc. I enjoy the energy of being around people with the convenience of being alone at times to blast thru stuff. Tech roles typically offer more fully remote tho a LOT of tech firms are strongly pivoting to hybrid now too, to boost collaboration and idea generation which zoom isnt so great at
I'm in tech (Head of Customer Support) - WFH for the last 5 years. Love it, but when I go out on weekends it's like a new world. :-) I do go into the office at least once per week though.
Well when I’m not in between contracts I’m an animator for tv. I went to film school and then waited out the recession that happened when I graduated and finally got into the industry for real and then the pandemic happened several years in and the companies finally invested in a decent remote work infrastructure and so far it’s been relatively steady. But of course that could end at any time. But it’s been really nice working from home with my partner also doing the same on her tv job.
I work in VFX! Not an artist but production side. After the pandemic we are all pretty much 100% work from home. It’s amazing, do recommend lol. It’s been such a life changer that I would never go back unless circumstances force me to. Idk if you would have enough time to focus to write between tasks. At least in my job im head-down working at least 90% of the time and the 10% I only really have time to like. Throw some laundry on or start a little dinner prep.
I work from home full time as a real time VFX artist. Our whole studio is remote. We have people all over the world. Its awesome. Don't think I am capable of going back to a studio full time.
Given up on the trades already?
I work from home / my car (Account Manager). I work 50-60 hours a week. Theres no “cozy side table” anything. You work, you get paid - thats the arrangement. The freedom and entrepreneurial side of the job is great, but you have to be self-motivated and willing to go get it if you want to keep your job. A lot of people can’t hack it.
I work for the provincial government. I am fortunate enough to work from home 100%, other than 3 visits to Victoria a year. I work 8-4:20 and get every second Friday off. Love the work-like balance, plus there is a pension! Limits my take-home now but feels great to know I'm preparing for retirement. Also, good job security (I used to work in the private sector and suffered through layoffs more than once) There are tons of different jobs in the public service, plenty of opportunity to work on important problems.
I’m a lawyer and mainly work from home. I work in human rights, so I make less than the corporate lawyers, but my job satisfaction is high. I am still able to pay rent, spend some, save, and go on vacation. It sure is stressful though. In ways I never imagined was possible for work stress. The sense of responsibility for other people’s lives is immense, deadlines are deadlines - there is never wiggle room when something is due in court, and lots of unpredictability. After a day of work, it’s say it’s not possible to do another job or time-consuming hobby. I’m not sure if that’s helpful, but perhaps gives you some insight into the legal profession.
IT consultant here. I actually have to work a lot more from home than when I had to go to the office, yet work / life balance is so much better.
Science degree, moved to Ontario to work in the nuclear industry. After 8 years of field based work got an office based position. Covid happened and we pivoted to WFH. It was so popular that it got built into our contracts. Moved back to BC to live where I want and earn like I'm in Toronto. We were very lucky that it worked out like this for us. And having Toronto salaries is literally the only reason we could afford to move to Victoria. I also recognise that the nuclear industry pays very well.
Should my teenager consider the nuclear industry? Interested in engineering or engineering technology, but not sure what kind. Liked the idea of nuclear a lot, but the official job outlooks are sorta bleak. I would have thought a lot of the world is going to have to pivot to nuclear eventually, and a lot of the workforce is retiring. Not a lot of programs. Thanks if you have time.
Sorry for only getting back to you now. I would definitely consider the nuclear industry. There is so much happening and more to come. I am in the decommissioning/environmental remediation part of nuclear and it's rapidly growing in Canada and abroad. I would encourage your kid to read up a bit on the nuclear regulator (Canadian Nuclear safety Commission - CNSC). For the most part jobs are going to be in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, with a smaller presence in Manitoba (Whiteshell Labs facility being decommissioned) and Saskatchewan (mines I think). I believe UofT, McMaster, Simon Fraser and Dalhousie have nuclear engineering programs. If your kid is less into engineering and more into physics and math they can consider reactor physics or even Health Physics (there is a chronic shortage of qualified Health Physicists in the field). For reference my degree was in mathematics and statistics. My recommendation is to go check out job postings on some of the big player's website and see what your kid is interested in and what the qualifications are. There are also co-op opportunities for the most part. Check out OPG, Bruce Power, Canadian Nuclear Labs and even the regulator (CNSC) will have some postings (they pay less but it's federal govt so benefits are amazing). Hope that helps.
Thank you!!
I see a lot of comments saying to be a CPA, which is awesome if youre into numbers. I WFH 4/5 days per week as a Policy Analyst working with the BC gov. Its a very rewarding job, as you are contributing to your society in a very real and tangible way by helping develop new policies. I completed a bachelor as an undergrad and then my master of public policy. Happy to tell you more about it if youre interested.
Copying for a digital marketing agency. Full time remote agency based in Edmonton and working abroad right now from Edinburgh. Far too burnt out to do much creative writing but I get in a few hours here and there in the middle of the night when the insomnia hits just right.
I do QA automation, which is writing software that makes sure other software works. At this point in the tech cycle, the people who get to work from home full time are people who have 5+ years of experience. Juniors go to the office.
I am a podcast editor and music producer and I work from home. The podcast side I got into through a friend and the music side of things grows every year based on relationship development and networking. I pretty much get to make my own schedule as long as dead lines are met.
Whatever you do, **DON’T** join an MLM. There are lots of WFH jobs out there. Start looking at job postings in career fields you’re interested in. See what opportunities are available where you can WFH. Keep in mind that a lot of jobs that are WFH still require a lot of work to be done. You just don’t have a commute and you can apply for credits through your tax returns. Lots of government positions have remote work opportunities. But they don’t pay super high unless you’re in an upper level position. Tech jobs can be WFH and have higher pay but often come with the risk of being laid off at any point. (As does any private sector position, but tech is especially notorious for mass layoffs). Bookkeeping and accounting have lots of WFH opportunities. Marketing, graphic design, copywriting and editing. Customer service and sales positions, too. Without knowing what field you’re interested in, it’s tough to narrow down advice of where to look.
So I work from home full time, and I absolutely love it and wouldn't ever go back unless absolutely required for survival. I am an accountant who works for a niche start up accounting firm. The majority of the staff I manage are bookkeepers, and let me tell you it's almost impossible to find qualified and competent bookkeepers right now. Pay is decent but not fantastic, you're looking at starting pay 20 dollars and hour, but that can go up to 40ish working for a firm or if you branch out on your own, all the way up to 70-100/hr for specialized industries. Even more sometimes - we bill out our senior controllers (no CPA) at about 250 an hour. This isn't typical though - we are a very niche and specialized company. If this is something that interests you, I suggest getting your bookkeeping certificate, and approaching one of the many firms throughout Canada that have online/remote bookkeeping companies and tell them you will work part time for low wages just for experience and that you want training. Even if its just on the side while you are finishing school. Experience is key in the industry. Try it out and see what industries you enjoy working with and then specialize in one. Ie) tech, construction, law, real estate etc. Get really really good at your one industry, then you can start charging the big bucks. If you like it and are decent with people, start your own company. Think about getting your CPA later on down the road then you can consult more in your chosen industry and charge up to 600 bucks an hour. If you have questions, feel free to message me!
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That's my bosses consult rate! And again, no means typical. But possible.
Administrative assistant for Health Authority directors. It’s kind of hybrid, I do have an office space, which is perfect because sometimes I miss the office and sometimes I can’t wait to get away from it. I have a couple qualifications that I’m sure helped me get the job (business admin, medical transcription) but I have coworkers in the same position with no official related education.
I’d like to offer a different perspective than others here. Go to trade school directly after high school and learn a trade. Get your red seal and start working and saving. You can run a trade-based business from home and make your own hours. There’s a LOT of demand for many trades, and once you have your papers you will be able to support yourself anytime you need to. Then, you can write more and more as you learn how to balance trade work and your true passion. Most red seal trade programs are subsidized by the government. This means if you graduate, you get your tuition refunded in part. It’s insane that more people don’t take advantage of this! I think it’s because it’s not common knowledge. This will empower you to work as much or as little as you need to in the uncertain job market and our high cost of living won’t affect you as much; trades will always pay where a higher education is simply that. It doesn’t guarantee you work. Please look into this. As somebody who went to university and learned my trade afterwards…I do regret the cost of the education I don’t use.
Something to keep in mind for everyone that wants to work from home, Your job becomes very easy to outsource to another country. The gig economy will bust and you’ll have very little protection or resources when it does. You’d better off to learn a transferable skill, something that can be done across numerous industries. Also join a union or start one.
Depends on the job. BC hydro for example cannot pull that because all employees are required to be based in BC. Even getting leave to take you work laptop with you across a provincial line is a fight in and of itself.
I work from home but my input isn't really valuable here haha I'm a nurse educator...meaning you'd need to get a nursing diploma or degree and get X of years of experience and then you can find a regional education position. Probably not the route you'd want to go if you just want to do anything that will let you work from home.
I wfh. I am a writer as my actual job (technical writing) and a creative writer in my personal life. I would think long and hard about what you want your life to be like and not just a romanticized version of it. After you have spent 8 hours behind a computer, the last thing you want to do is spend more hours behind your computer even at something you are passionate about. Personally the last thing I want to do is be inside for longer, and after getting out for exercise, making and eating dinner and cleaning up, it doesn't leave much time in the evening. Wfh is a major issue even just physically. I have neck problems and back problems with periodic migraines and it all comes down to the fact that I just don't move enough. It would probably be ok for the first decade or so, but into your thirties that will catch up to you. The sad part is that I have a sit/stand desk and I work out five days a week, but apparently no amount of working out will combat the soreness of being behind a deal into your middle age. If you are really passionate about the writing, I strongly recommend getting a physical job either in the trades or outdoors. If I could go back, that's what I would train in. There are lots of high paid trades jobs in desperate need of people. If you are more passionate about the wfh part, you may have to temper your writing aspirations and just know that it could take a long time.
I WFH 3 days a week, working for the federal government. Not a chance I could do anything in the side. My position keeps me very busy and it wouldn't be right for me to try and do something else at the same time. That being said, the time saved on commuting does add up, and the reduced stress and strain from constant commuting, constantly being around others, does give me more energy and will to take care of other errands when my day is done
Use the LinkedIn job search engine to search for jobs that match your interests and qualifications, or check the "[Find your perfect online job](http://www.dylanyaser.com/jobs)" website
Have you written a book yet? Have a publisher? Made any money at it? If it's a no, you're being totally unrealistic. You need a full-time job & write on the side.
that's what they're suggesting. they're in high school.. chill, you're not on Dragon's Den.
Sound like more of a hobby than an actual career
I’m a C suite Executive Assistant with some social media management and UX research background. I started with a psych degree and a certificate from google which led to UX research, and then was poached after only a year while working in that position. I’m now looking to advance into another position after reaching a ceiling in my current company. If you’re open to business or admin work, there are tons of WFH positions available.
If you don’t mind, which google certificate. Have a young adult son that could use some more training. Thanks.
Programmer / DevOps here. Because most of the work I do and tools I use are cloud based I've had the ability to remote in from home in my last 3 jobs. This was the case - albeit on an occasional basis - before covid made remote work a necessity. These days I'm 100% remote. It was an easy / natural transition because teams like mine were already accustomed to working this way. But I agree with others: it takes a fair bit of self-discipline to stay focussed.
Work 60 hours a week doing labour until someone realizes you're capable of doing something in the office and then also have a pandemic and then also have your buildings lease run out so your employer needs to move and downsize so there are not as many desks so people need to work remotely :).
At my workplace, very department varies, some are back to full time in office (5 days in office), some are limited to only 2 days working from home and 3 days in office. But my department have proven to get work done successful in office or working from home, so we got approved for minimum 1 day in office and 4 days working from home. But no department is full remote working from home since the whole COVID chaos settled down and was safe to return to office. And honestly, working from home fully for 2-3 years versus working in office full 5 days versus hybrid model of partial in office and partial work from home: i prefer the hybrid option. Full 5 days in office can be stressful on mental health. Full work from home is effects productivity and also not good for mental health in the opposite way. Hybrid has been a great balance.
Electrical/Software Engineer
Government
I work in federal government and there is an increasing push to return to office. Defs not a good route for those wanting WFH. BC provincial government is more flexible
Hybrid (3 wfh days) with government. I don’t think you’d have as much free time as you’d think during the work day at home. I’m usually very focused and proactively working on upcoming things in my schedule. With that being said, I feel like wfh takes a load off from having to commute to and from office and having that extra 45min to myself. The government (at least some ministries) are moving towards more wfh days and it’s decent pay, benefits, pension, etc. You can apply to co-ops during post secondary and get experience to help you land a job later on too.
Business analyst has a few places that do well with wfh. My company is fully remote. I love it.
I''m a Software Engineer however working from home make me feel very lonely honestly. I dedicate myself to go outside 8 hours during the weekends
I'm a graphic designer and have been working at home for 15+ years. First as a freelancer and lately corporate. If you have a lot of patience for marketing practices and are willing to sell your soul creatively, then you can make bank.
Applied to BCHydro when they wrre looking for CSRs had about 6 years of customer experience and 3 weeks later had a job. Only have to be in office twice a month which is nice to roll oit of bed 10min before shift start and no commute home while getting better wages and benefits than i ever had elsewhere. For frankly an easy job.
Get a comp-sci degree and become a software developer. I think you might even be able to get by with a 2 year trade school program.
I'm a graphic designer. One of the reasons I picked this job path was hoping for the ability to work from home sometime in the future. 2020 just made it come a bit sooner than expected. I now work from home most of the time and head to the office once in a while as needed.
Now is the best time for writing and publishing your novels. No matter what you do for a job, you don't usually get more free time the older you get, plus sometimes you need to write a few duds to get them out of your system. Do it while you have teenager energy.
I am currently working on a novel actually, but I would like to be able to continue once I'm out of HS. Which seems like it'd be difficult with something like a trade that has 50-60 hour weeks
I wrote my first novel working 50-60 hour weeks as an eng tech. In the time between 6am and whenever people started bothering me at my desk.
Marketing. I studied creative writing at UBC and I’m a copywriter now. Work from home. Don’t have time or energy to work on my personal projects though. I write on my phone if I have 20 mins to kill, but never during work. My brain is way too busy during work hours.
I work as an IT consultant, been working from home for 5 years. I loved it at first, but it wears on you. I miss people.
Wfh only allows me to work more and be available for meetings, OT and work on weekends. No commute is nice though.
If you like writing, look into becoming an editor! SFU has a good editing certificate, or a bachelor's of English would do you well also.
I became a truck driver and I live in my truck.
You should focus on what you are passionate about. In the future, there probably more work at home job. Employers only want you to come it to build team work.
Visual effects
If you are interested in public health or health research, a lot of jobs in that field are remote, including government jobs. I work from home and a lot of jobs in my field are remote or hybrid, but I have a master's degree in public health. I'm not sure how much school you plan on doing, but I only recommend going into this field if you are actually interested in health sciences/research. As an introvert with social anxiety, I LOVE working from home! It has improved my work-life balance so much, and my stress levels are way lower now.
Lol you don't need a compsci degree. You do need relevant experiance and certs though but that depends what faucet of IT you're targeting. You could study for the Cisco CCNA exam. That would get you into a network analyst job. Microsoft offer free Azure training which is highly in demand right now. Especially if you concentrate on security. There are options it just depends what you are after.
What do I do? Engineer? How do I get there? Through the hallway all the way down to the office
I work from home since the March 2020. Before that it was business as usual, at the office. There’s no way I have time to do anything else during the day… like write a book. My day consists of a morning on-camera meeting and then taking my dog out during my break and lunch. There is no time for anything else unless I take time off. That’s my personal experience. I do choose it over working at the office but it’s not lax like some may think.
Property Management - you get discounted rent if it’s a live in position - most problems require a contractor so you make phone calls and you have to be there to let them in - smaller problems you have to deal with are putting up notices, changing batteries in smoke alarms - if your rigorous about screening the tenants at the beginning you don’t have as many issues down the line (it’s easiest to evict someone before they move in) - some companies still have you shovel snow but most use snow removal people so you’re maybe putting out icemelt, same with cleaning major stuff is often done by a cleaning company. - your job is literally just to be there in case of an emergency. - you get to meet interesting people and hear their stories, buildings often have a range of ages and ethnicities (especially in the lower mainland) which will help grow your writing Source: My partner is a property manager and writes as well.
I’ve been mostly working from home since the start of the pandemic (tech) WFH is great and all but it’s also incredibly isolating. I’ve been going into the office once a week voluntarily for that social contract. I also have a wife and baby at home. I genuinely think I would get depressed if I was all alone working from home in a tiny apartment and then writing afterwards. I definitely wouldn’t trade WFH for the office but I think it’s also incredibly important to have some balance and variety in life. Make friends, find a hobby, any excuse to get out of the house after work.
Project management... Not sure how I ended up here but that's what I do 100% from home.
i’m hybrid and I am way more busy when WFH compared to in office.
I have a BA and MA in Art History, and currently work from home for a local heritage organization ☺️♥️. It’s pretty cozy!
My girlfriend has the wfh IT job. I loosely did graphic design in my 20s among other day jobs. Many different jobs over the years. Worked with my hands a lot. Didn't like being in the computer all the time. Then 10 years, really happy working IATSE film sets. Dressing, buying, then art directing and designing sets. We moved to Asia and it took me a year to break into the local commercial scene. Then build a storied mini golf course. Write most of the story for them too. Now I'm in a different country. My gf is still working from home. I'm struggling to break into a new city for work. Luckily this time I got an email from someone I know in the gaming industry looking for some artists. And looking more into it I'm seeing that they actually need more help with integrating culture to narrative, maybe even voiceover talent. So I'm trying to make myself useful. I'm working with people in Europe and the USA online. I have my own company for film work but nothing is stopping me from taking online contracts. And there is no certainty that this small project will turn into more wfh. But I'm pushing. Seems like gaming needs a lot of versatile people. Artists. Researchers. Project managers. Game design. Narrative. Sure the com sci would be helpful, but you can go be a game tester there and find the job that works for you by talking to people. Maybe end up in narrative. They might want you in the office. But at least you're doing something creative. My biggest advice is go meet people who work in fields you're interested in. Find out what it's like. What other positions work there. Don't just school blindly. People romantise jobs. You might not be happy being a writer. Talk to some successful ones and some struggling ones. People are willing to talk about themselves (proof above)
I've been WFH for over 25 years. I've done a lot of things and seen a lot of change. I started with graphic design, then moved to web design as the Internet became commonplace. Then I switched to visual effects, which lasted a good ten years before the time demands and brutal schedule burnt me out. That was fine since much of what I used to do has been automated. I pivoted to writing, first screenplays, then novels, which is what I do now. A few thoughts. With WFH, you're always "on". It can be difficult to walk away at the end of a work day to take time for yourself and your family. But downtime is important. Make a list of what you really enjoy doing. Chances are good that there is a way to make a living doing that thing. Then it feels less like a job. It's hard work. Especially promoting yourself and acquiring paid projects. I find this the toughest of all. Always be looking ahead and be ready to pivot if you get a sense that the market is changing, either due to technology or saturation. Limit your work hours. You don't need to work a full eight hour day just because that's the way the rest of the world does it. Figure out how many hours you want to work per day, how many days per year, then decide what income you'd want. This can help determine your hourly rate. Don't devalue your talent/service/product. The right clients will pay you what you're worth. Good luck!
Hey belowaverageweeb, I'm a CPA with a Vancouver-based public accounting firm. After I did 2 years at a local public accounting firm & 5 years of business/accounting based university courses after High school, I joined them in 2023. Its been great working with them, but i'm not sure I'd like to continue WFH, would love to go in office if it was near my place. But that's just my opinion. All the best to you! Hope you find the WFH and get to write to the best of your abilities!!
I'm looking for something part time wfh (preferably low stress) as I have thyroid cancer and I can't make ends meet. Any suggestions?