16 fastest-growing remote jobs in 2020 and how to land one

Executive overview

More businesses shifted online in 2020, creating a surge in demand for digital, creative, and technical roles. The fastest-growing jobs cluster around three themes: content and social media, developer skills, and online services replacing offline ones.

The fastest route to any of these jobs is to do the work first, then ask to be paid.

The 16 jobs

1. TikTok editor — video skills transfer directly as brands move to the platform
2. Director of diversity — companies actively hiring for inclusion roles
3. Online chef — teach cooking via Airbnb Experiences or hirechef.com
4. Contact tracer — disease testing and tracking; no college degree required
5. Online personal trainer — gyms closed, home fitness demand surged
6. Online gardener — homebound audiences seeking to improve their spaces
7. Product researcher — talk to customers, surface needs, make recommendations
8. Podcast editor — find podcasts with bad audio and offer to fix them for free
9. Shopify developer — build apps for e-commerce stores going online
10. Squarespace / Webflow designer — offline businesses need simple online presence
11. Online English tutor — speaking the language is the main qualification
12. IT security specialist — remote work created demand for security guidance
13. React developer — front-end skill in high demand at growing tech companies
14. Kubernetes engineer — server infrastructure scaling with cloud adoption
15. Machine learning / AI engineer — fastest-growing long-term developer career
16. Head of growth / Instagram marketer — social media volume only increases; start by doing it for yourself, then for others

Five ways to find or create the work

• Your network is the highest-leverage channel — go through every contact before looking elsewhere
• Do the work for free first: send Instagramers a ready-to-post image, send a podcast edit, not a pitch
• Avoid Fiverr and Upwork — marketplaces commoditise you and cap your rate
• Use the kindling technique: start with small businesses where you can get access, collect wins and referrals
• Start your own business if employment isn't the goal — validate before you build

Developer skills worth prioritising

• React (front-end web)
• Kubernetes (server infrastructure)
• Unreal Engine (gaming)
• Machine learning and AI — the largest long-term opportunity in development

Key warnings

• Piggyback on growing trends, but watch competition
• Build manually before building software — validate demand before spending money
• Don't build a product without a paying customer first