The COVID-19 Pandemic is still ongoing and it seems it won’t be subsiding anytime soon for the next coming week or month. According to some experts, there could be succeeding waves - 3 waves just like the 1918 flu. The pandemic killed lives and disrupted the economy and jobs. The good news is some jobs are flexible even during the forced lockdown and lack of transport.

Video Game Developer/Designers

Since the start of the pandemic, people have been advised or forced to stay at home to avoid infection. To fight boredom, those who are video gamers found video gaming a great pastime. With demand increasing, sales for video games also increased. Here are the statistics - Gamedaily.biz and Japantimes. If you’re a video gamer and a fan of some greatest games - Half-life, Counter-Strike and Resident Evil series, you can find many video games sold online.

An increase in video game sales is a boon for video game companies as well as for their employees - video game developers and designers. Video game developers use programming languages such as C++, CSS3, Java, HTML5, Javascript and SQL to build the movement and game physics.

Webmaster (E-Commerce)

When most people were advised or forced to stay at homes, eCommerce proved a useful tool for remote business. Such eCommerce involved online marketing of products such as ready to eat meals, pastries, bread, buns, coffee, jams, and condiments. Then there are non-food items such as plush toys, smartphones, electronics, ceramics, keychains and everything that you can sell legally online. The job of eCommerce site webmaster is to maintain websites, find bugs and update content. A need for COVID-19 safe business makes this job thriving.

 For this job, you’ll need the following skills in:

• Web hosting
• Domain registration
• Finding and fixing bugs on HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP
• Customer service

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist 

The job refers to the specialist of another information technology field. Here you are tasked to increase the website visibility in the search engine and recommend improvements on the website. The competition among eCommerce sites and the need to survive such brought more opportunities for SEO specialists. You’ll work with webmasters or web developers to make sure an optimised website. You’re also a part of the marketing team that makes sure that the website can gain web traffic and reach more potential customers. Just like web developers, your job is flexible and can be done at home and that makes your SEO job flexible and thriving even during Pandemic.

Skills you need include:

• Data analytics
• Keywording
• Writing
• Webhosting

Copywriter

Copywriters are tasked to write blogs, landing page and subpage contents. A demand in website content and eCommerce makes the need for this job. Here you’ll also work with web developers and SEO specialists to make a user-friendly website. Depending on the company policy, client’s industry and workload, you might be asked to manage social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), write storyboards for videos, and edit articles and blogs. 

Skills you need for this role include:

• Thorough understanding of grammar
• Ability to write for formal and informal style
• Write storyboards for videos
• Script for video games
• Research news, fact or statistics

Delivery Rider

Delivery riders partner with eCommerce companies or online sellers and use the app to process the service. Here you may deliver fast foods, products from eCommerce sites and homemade products. For this, you’ll need the following: 

• Mobile application and mobile data
• Awareness of government lockdown rules and regulations
• Compliant motorcycle or car
• Customer service skills

Graphic Artist

A graphic artist is a diverse role that includes sub disciplines such as illustrator, photo editor, video editor and animator. Other internet sources distinguish graphic artists from animators and video editors. Here, you need a compliant laptop/desktop, reasonable internet speed, and comfortable table/chair. This role remains in demand as the IT industry survives during the forced lockdown.

Skills needed:

• Vector graphics software (Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Inkscape)
• Photo editing software (Adobe Photoshop CC, Capture One Pro, GIMP)
• Understanding of colour theory
• Understanding of typography

Computer:

• Laptop - 8 to 32 GB RAM, Processor: Intel i5/i7/9
• Extra monitor

Technical Writer

A technical writer is another type of writer. This role involves writing manuals, documentation, and  FAQs. Here you’ll write easy to understand and direct to the point sentences and paragraphs that turn the complex process into simpler and easy to understand documents. You might already have a new smartphone. The accompanying manual in the box is written by a technical writer. Many industries support this job that include:

• Information technology companies doing business in security systems, software, mobile applications, gaming, and security.
• Engineering and architectural companies
• Healthcare - Hospitals and pharmacies

For this role, you need the following skills:

• Writing
• Knowledge of specific discipline (Architecture, Engineering, Medicine)
• Understanding of grammar
• Authoring tools such as Robohelp, Kotobee
• Flowchart makers such as MS Visio

Online Seller

If you can offer any products and services and sell them online, then you can be an online seller. You can launch a website, make a social media page or join an eCommerce website. For example, you can make brownies or confections at home, package and sell them online. Contact delivery services and reach your customers. If you have writing, programming and graphics skills, you can sell them as digital goods or services.  Here are some ideas on products and services you can sell online. 

Products and Services

Digital goods

• 3D models
• Architectural/Engineering plan
• Astrology reading
• Business card design
• Cartoons
• CGI models
• Cliparts 
• Document templates
• Ebooks (fiction/non-fiction)
• Emojis and Bitmojis
• Fonts
• Infographic design
• Logo designs
• Lookup tables
• Music
• Plugins
• Research reports
• Resume making
• Stock photos/videos
• Tarpaulin design
• Tickets
• Translations
• T-shirt designs
• Voice over
• Applications
• Website design
• Website themes (custom and CMS)
• Worksheets

Food

• Adobo
• Crispy wings
• Flavoured gelatin
• Flavoured pandesal
• Cake
• Ube halaya
• Leche flan
• Maja blanca
• Orange chicken
• Pancit
• Sashimi
• Sushi
• Vegan meat
• Pasta

Furniture

• Computer table
• Ashtrays
• Laptop table

Protective wears

• Gloves
• Face mask
• Face shield

Sanitizers

• Alcohol/Alcogel
• Hydrogen peroxide

Ornaments and arts

• Bonsai
• Diorama
• Potted plants

Services

• Teaching
• Copywriting
• Content writing
• Technical writing
• Front-end/Back-end coding
• Social media marketing
• Web scraping
• Beauty consulting
• Home service haircut and rebond
• Home service manicure/pedicure

Subtitler

Subtitler refers to a work of hearing a voice from audio and video and transcribing them into text. A subtitle can help people (especially those with hearing disabilities) understand and enjoy the video more. Subtitles are also useful in understanding foreign languages. For this role, you’ll need the following skills:

• Attentive listening
• Knowledge of accents
• Typing skills
• English grammar
• Foreign language grammar