I have been there. It hasn’t happened often, but there have been times when I didn’t have a job. Sometimes I quit a job but there was a time or two where I have been fired. Just because someone gets fired people just assumed you must of did something wrong. But there are states where employment is considered “At Will” and this means you can be fired from a job without there being a justified cause. And that’s what I mean by I have been there. It sucks to have a job one day and through no fault of your own you don’t have a job the next day. Millions of people are experiencing that right now and I want to tell you I understand your pain. It’s nothing like wondering how you are going to survive it hurts like the dickens.

So I want to offer encouragement to the unemployed or even the under employed. And sometimes being under employed is just as bad as or worst than losing your job. If your job cuts your hours you can still suffer and have the stress of being financially disadvantaged. So in this post not only am I offering encouragement, I would like to give you some suggestions of ways to make money during the pandemic if you are unemployed or under employed.

Babysitting/ Pet Sitters

You can watch the children or the pets of the people who are still working during the onslaught of COVID-19. No, it may not be your normal profession but if you happen to love children or pets this is a job that can be done full time or part time and it will pay the rent. Know that this is not a job that you will succeed at if you do not like being around children or pets. Meaning, don’t just do this job for the sake of needing a job, because while these jobs can be fulfilling, they are also very trying at times, you must understand this first.

It can be a plus to be in these jobs because you can also do these jobs from the comfort of your home if need be. This means you need to adapt your residence to be child or pet friendly. I would not advise that you be both a pet sitter and baby sitter, because these are jobs that are high on supervision so you do not need your attention divided in too many directions.

Delivery Drivers

Delivery Drivers are in high demand right now, so it will be easy to find a job working especially food delivery drivers. A lot of restaurants have been closed off to in restaurant seating and many have had to start offering delivery. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get a job delivering for companies such as Postmates or Door Dash. You may even get a job working for a restaurant directly as they adapt to operating during the pandemic.

Many grocery stores may need more help as they transition into delivering its goods to people at home, and you can apply for jobs with them. While fast food delivery may or may not involve the use of your personal vehicle, some of the larger grocery store chains have vans or trucks they will provide. Working as a delivery driver for a grocery store is a lead up to my next job suggestion…

Personal Shopper

In addition to delivery drivers some grocery stores need people to shop for people at home. You will be given a list of items and you go throughout the store and gather these items for the customer. Some places like Wal-Mart already offered this service but have had to widely expand this service as more and more people are placing their orders online and then these orders need to be filled.

You can also just offer your services as a personal shopper and charge a fee. Working as a personal shopper is a lead up to my next job suggestion…

Stockers

There is a tremendous need for people to restock the shelves of stores as many people are starting to fill their pantries with items that are deemed essential. The good thing is these jobs are usually occurring when stores are closed or very few people are moving about shopping. The hours for these jobs are usually nice as well. Stockers at places like Wal-Mart work overnights and early mornings. These are great hours for people who are attending school while working. I know because I did it.

Call Center Agent

There are a lot of customer service agents that have already been working from home, but the need for them have grown as many companies need their employees to work from home. You may be setting appointments or making reservations from your computer in your living room while appearing to be at a place of business.

While it helps to have customer service experience usually companies will train you. If you do not like talking on the phone, are not computer savvy or don’t like working from home, this is not the job for you. Also you will be required to have a quiet place where you can conduct business uninterrupted and if this is not available to you, than this will make you ineligible for this job.

Remember to be safe no matter what job you choose to do. Still use social distancing measures, use masks, gloves and hand sanitizer when applicable. Stay six feet away from people if at all possible.

The good thing about these jobs is that some of them can supplement your income if your hours have been cut down. Remember in many situations when you go from working full time for some companies to working part-time you may be eligible for unemployment benefits, check with your local unemployment agency for the details.

But what do I know? I’m just a bootleg sociologist who nobody will listen to so I started a blog……….

What are your thoughts?

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