The workplace is shifting in ways that you may not have noticed immediately. Working from home, or telecommuting, is quickly becoming both a lucrative and fulfilling avenue with information technology jobs. According to a recent survey, employees who work from home were actually 13% more productive.

Flexible independence from contracting, freelance, self-employment, and even partial telecommuting allow several benefits to employers, clients, and employees:

1. Collaborative feedback from virtual team members make more efficient use of online tools

2. Less expensive cost from gas and reduced commuting time

3. Expense savings for clients and employers with reduced staff and equipment

4. The ability to ‘mix and match’ in terms of skill sets and creativity for various clients

Graphic Designer

Design is key to the success of any kind of business. As more businesses and institutions move toward developing a brand, a graphic designer becomes a crucial part of the whole project. Graphic design has become a telecommuting career for various reasons, most of which are reliant on tools and software that can build professional results. Graphic design has crossed over into areas of web design, print design, typography, and visual communication design. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics graphic designers earn an average of $20 per hour with a growth and job outlook of at least 13%. The path to becoming a graphic designer usually requires a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, but may be earned through portfolio work and building clientele. Graphic Designers also gain the experience of working with exceptional levels of creativity and software that will enhance portfolio work.

Technical Support Specialist

Customers as well as businesses are consistently using equipment and devices to power their lives and increase productivity. The traditional idea of a call center is quickly shifting and technical support is finding itself in home offices throughout the world. The role is also quickly shifting away from the typical customer service role and evolving into tier 2 and 3 support that allows virtual screen sharing, software diagnosis, and hardware analysis. The work may involved dealing with frustrated clients, but it also brings satisfaction in solving challenges and providing solutions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Support Specialists earn between $20-22 an hour and have a job outlook growth of 18%.

Software Engineer

Behind every good software program and its design lies the strength of the engineer. Software engineers combine the expertise of software development models and interpret them into efficient designs. Telecommuting has become a popular option for software engineers due to the increase in virtual teams, online collaboration tools, and testing tools. Businesses are using software testing and usability teams virtually through crowd-sourcing to design more efficient products. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Software Developers earn an average of $90,000 per year with a fast job growth rate of 30%.

Web Developer

The web development of the 1990′s and into the early 2000′s is radically different than what a telecommuting web developer does today. Web development often stretches into mobile application design as well as website design. As a result, web developers collaborate with graphic designers and consulting teams to deliver a final package to a client. According to a recent study from Pew Resarch Center over 43% of adults have applications on their cell phone and application users had on average 18 applications on their devices. This number is enough to convince any burgeoning telecommuter the demand involved. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the pay is approximately $75,000 per year and is expected to grow quickly at 22%.

Consulting

If you enjoy marketing your skills and providing a service in a variety of areas and online setting, consulting may be a viable option. Information technology paths converge in consulting work that allows telecommuters to use online tools at their disposal to provide analysis for clients. IT consulting is an immensely growing field. As clients and institutions deal with more complex and integrated IT problems, the need for a solution from a higher-level perspective will be needed. Consultants often wear many hats and should be able in:

1. Communication skills

2. Technical advisory skills

3. Teaching & Coaching

4. Management

Featured images:

• License: Creative Commons image source

Dan Granger is a software developer and guest author at www.topcomputersciencedegrees.com, where he has contributed guides to top-rated online computer science degree programs.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 24th, 2013 at 9:20 am and is filed under Career, Job Search, Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.