Full time work can often be a drudge. You might feel unfulfilled by your line of work, but kept by obligation, bills and so forth. Even then, in times of recession and tight wallets, even the relative security of the 9-5 can seem a little unsteady. But with the steady march of societal progress comes ever-more inventive, creative and fulfilling ways to make wages off your own back.

The continuing normalisation of the internet has opened up a raft of new conveniences; it’s likely your downtime entails using the internet for something, be it shopping, playing at online casinos like LadyLucks, streaming videos on Netflix or Youtube, or even just reading. While the casino might not be a surefire way for you to earn, it might surprise you that within your post-work interests lie possible avenues for moneymaking. With some knowhow and some spare time set aside, it’s astonishingly easy to turn your hobbies into your career. Here we’ll take a look at some of the internet’s more viable avenues for finding your next job.

Blogging

If done right, simply writing about your life or a hobby can pay handsome dividends. Blogging is perhaps of the oldest pursuits to be found on the internet, with 20+ years of worldwide heritage behind it, but it can still be lucrative in the now – even if it seems like most things have been done before. The trick to raking in a profit is hard work, high quality content and advertisements: your revenue is what you earn from hosting adverts within your site. Your high quality content guarantees more internet traffic to your little piece of the internet, and hence more clicks through onto adverts and more profit for you. So, a well-made, well-written blog on any topic from health tips to music can easily become a fruitful labour.

Vlogging

If writing isn’t quite your thing though, you’d don’t have to worry; with much the same principle, you can make money by instead talking about your hobbies! YouTube has more than 1 billion users, and is a veritable goldmine for making some extra money in exchange for your content. Make a video of any description – documentary, comedy sketch or even just a presentation – and, with Google’s AdSense application, you can earn money on each video with banner ads or pre-video skippable ads. Here, hard work is especially important, since the revenue only adds up to anything worthwhile if you achieve a solid fanbase and consistent viewing figures.

Streaming

A latecomer to the e-earning cabal, live-streaming is taking the centre stage as a premium way to make a living from the internet. Services like twitch.tv enable people to live-stream themselves doing anything, from playing video games to simply answering questions and debating with viewers. It’s an astonishingly personal reaction to television, where online personalities can be cultivated and followed by a dedicated community of fans. In-stream advertising is available, though much of the big-name streamers sign on to sponsorship deals, wherein they get paid in exchange for showcasing a product or service mid-stream.

There are three of the easiest ways to establish yourself online instead of behind a desk. But how do you want to live? Where have your online successes been found, if you’ve experienced them? Comment below to let us know!