Can anyone recommend a solitary occupation?

[Lansky]

I'm a guy looking for a j-o-b, preferably with not too many other people, or none at all would be ideal. I can't think of too many myself. Nightshift is fine, but what kind of jobs work that shift? I have some computer experience, data entry, typesetting, etc. Something relatively safe and legal.

Can anyone help out a brother down on his luck?

[raeanna74]

Medical Transcriptionist - I looked into this. There are several companies that sub-contract to people to do this sort of work from home. Some hospitals or clinics have people there who do it but you would not have to do much with other people. When I looked into it the only requirement for most companies was a single medical terminology course. Inexpensive and it was very useful when later I dealt with my own Dr appointments because I better understood what they were saying.

Security Guard - Would also require SOME training likely but depending on the location you were working it might not require a great amount.

Sanitation - Making the rounds to collect garbage I usually only see too men, not in conversation, early in the mornings when no one is around.

Let your imagination run wild. Just think about what everyone is doing that you see during the day. Take note of the ones that you DON'T talk to or have direct contact with and ask yourself if you could do their job. Then if the answer is yes - apply for it.

[RangerDick]

Originally Posted by raeanna74

Medical Transcriptionist - I looked into this. There are several companies that sub-contract to people to do this sort of work from home. Some hospitals or clinics have people there who do it but you would not have to do much with other people. When I looked into it the only requirement for most companies was a single medical terminology course. Inexpensive and it was very useful when later I dealt with my own Dr appointments because I better understood what they were saying.

My mother is a medical transcriptionist, and seems to enjoy it. She works from home, has never even met her boss (or for that matter, anyone else who works for the company), and all correspondence takes place online.

From what I understand, it works like this....

.....doctors call a certain phone number to dictate their reports, those reports are entered into a "bank" of reports that the company is tasked with transcribing. The transcribers dial a number that gives them access to the "bank" of dictations and basically work at their own pace to (given the time constraints on the physician's orders). Once a particular is typed up, the transcriptionist emails it to the "home office" who checks for errors, typos, etc. and then sends back to the doc.

You'll never be rich, but it's a good solid job if you're organized and have excellent typing abilities (in addition to decyphering wtf foreign doctors are even trying to say in their dictations.)

[Lansky]

Thank you for the information, folks.

I think I could do transcription work. As for security guard, I don't look like a security guard at all. People would probably steal shit right in front of me and laugh. I have noticed a security car that drives around my apartment complex here...I could do that I think, as long as I don't have to leave the car. People terrify me.

[feelgood]

Try Fedex Data Entry. I used to do that.

Boring shit but can't beat the benefits

[eribrav]

It will take some capital and some time to learn, but you could trade for a living and not have to deal with anyone. It's a dream of mine!

[Charlatan]

I always wanted to be one of those guys that sit in a fire tower all year watching for forest fires... Now that is a very solitary job.

[Lansky]

I applied online at UPS & Fed Ex. A solitary data entry job like this (anywhere) would be a dream. I don't care about boring, I can do boring all day and night. Anything is better than sitting at home doing nothing.

Also got some info online about Medical transcription -- training seems to run about $800 minimum -- doable, I think. The companies I looked at want experience off the bat, plus specialized equipment necessary for dictation. I'm gonna look some more.

eribrav, I don't know squat about trading stocks (or about stocks, period), but I'd be willing to learn. I've heard about day trading -- if this is what you mean. Could you recommend a first step in learning how to get into this? A book to read? A company to contact? Any special equipment I would need to buy?

Charlatan, that sounds nice. Bonus points for being in a forest all day.

Thank you all for your suggestions thus far.

[Rodney]

Some of the medical transcription work is going to India these days; you might want to talk to somebody in the field and see how the prospects are.

You might look into truck-driving; not long-distance, but short- or medium-distance delivery work for some kind of business or distributor (not UPS or Fedex or anybody). Sure, you'll meet people when you make your deliveries, but most of the time you'll be alone in the cab. If you deliver bread or milk or other foods to supermarkets, you'll do a lot of your work at a time when the world's mostly deserted, in the early morning.

[Zeraph]

Here's my advice on day trading: don't do it. I got that advice from an economics proffesor. As for why, I forget.

[raeanna74]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

I always wanted to be one of those guys that sit in a fire tower all year watching for forest fires... Now that is a very solitary job.

I forgot about this one. I had the opportunity to do this but passed it up for a more steady job. This particular occupation can be on-again, off-again. They need more people doing this when there are electrical storms, or during dry spells, in the winter when there's plenty of precipitation but no lightening they need much fewer people to work. If you can handle heights and don't mind sitting alone in a can, above the trees, during a storm - this would be a good job.