The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of the American workplace, and while there are many companies that have pushed their employees to return to the office, there are many that continue to telecommute, either full-time or part-time.
In May it was reported that there was a large number of vacancies in the US that were still unfilled, with 1.9 available positions for every job seeker, and this number has not changed significantly over the year. While there is a wide variety of jobs available, some industries, such as food service and hospitality, suffer from worse shortages than others.
But for those looking for employment, sometimes it’s just a matter of learning about interesting positions you’ve never heard of. One TikToker, Michael (@findfulfillingwork), recently went viral for educating viewers about “knowledge base managers,” high-paying roles for introverts who are typically aloof.
@findfulfillingwork in reply to @thereal_bakar #remotework ♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose
Many of Michael’s social media posts focus on helping individuals find work from home, and he offers free tools to help job seekers find employment they enjoy.
“My remote job is perfect for introverts,” says Michael in the viral clip. “Nobody talks about it, it pays well, there’s just no clear path to get there. I broke in through customer service. I just started in customer service doing emails, phone calls and chats and then I just started helping out with other things. I started helping out and helping with documentation, training and all that stuff.”
The TikToker then records how it searches for job opportunities and highlights a role as a knowledge base manager.
“Here’s one – knowledge base manager,” he says, pointing at the screen. “It’s not remote, but it’s a good example. It’s nice that they tell us the compensation, 100,000 to 120,000 dollars. No mention of a degree, only three years of knowledge management experience. You might still be confused: what does this job consist of? Let me show you an example.”
Michael notes that viewers may be confused as to what the position actually entails.
“Here’s a website called Getguru.com,” he explains. “The knowledge base manager basically creates the help center. You create the how-to documents on a website. And I do that for my job.”
Intuit also released another list of gigs that might be suitable for people with more introverted personalities, including accountants, actuaries, application developers, archivists, and data architects, among others.
TikTokers who saw Michael’s post suggested other work from home jobs for introverts, along with some tips and tricks on how to land a job as a knowledge base manager.
“Try going through a recruiter and they can help you get your foot in the door. I currently work for an ed tech with a customer support role,” wrote one user.
“Look for a technical writer – I do and it’s the same,” said another.
“I’m a documentation specialist/technical writer and I hardly ever speak to people,” added a third. “They hardly ask for degrees, only 2+ years of any type of document work.”
One viewer argued that knowledge base manager roles could open up more opportunities in technical writing. “Can confirm. It’s also a great way to break into technical writing,” they said. “Depending on the company, the roles can overlap a lot.”
Others mentioned that a great foundation for this type of work is to compile any type of knowledge base or guide that you’ve created for previous jobs. Additionally, data management, writing FAQs, or creating tutorials or step-by-step guides of all kinds could serve as prominent talking points if you secured an interview for the position, viewers noted.
“OH MY GOD I’ve built more than a KB in previous ecom jobs and you say I can SIMPLY do this?? I’ll start looking,” said one user.
Some have argued that “Knowledge Base Manager” is just another name for a content author. However, Michael explains that while this job title can certainly refer to the same job requirements, it could also be reserved for marketing positions.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Michael via Instagram direct message for further comment.
*Initial publication: September 18, 2022 at 9:15 am CDT
Jack Alban
Jack Alban is a freelance journalist for the Daily Dot, covering trending human interest/social media stories and real people’s reactions to them. He always tries to incorporate evidence-based studies, current events, and relevant facts to those stories to create your not-so-average viral post.
