By Julia Pearlman

The great thing about being a talented writer or keen sub is that you don't have to be in the office to complete an assignment. As long as you have a computer, the internet and a good old-fashioned library nearby, you could save yourself the stress of having to deal with office gossip, inconvenient fire alarms and dodgy smells coming from the guy who's sat behind you eating leftover curry.

Volunteer editorial roles, whether they are for a newspaper, magazine, newsletter or website, can often be fulfilled from home if you have the right sort of equipment.

There are lots of voluntary editorial opportunities on do-it.org.uk and they can be a great way to get started in the industry. Often the hardest part of getting a job in the media is proving you have experience. Ask any journalist, sub-editor or writer and they will tell you they've had to work for free at some point in order to build their portfolio.

I've done this since the age of 16, with two of the roles resulting in the offer of permanent paid work. I soon learnt that if I was going to be taken seriously as a journalist I would have to prove my passion wasn't simply for the thrill of seeing my name on a by-line.

One thing you do need to be good at is picking up the phone. There won't necessarily be someone next to you who you can ask a quick question, often it will involve speaking to a complete stranger. Distractions may also be a problem, so if you are working from home you need to look at ways of keeping barking dogs away and children amused while you work – in a separate room to your bedroom if possible.

Sharpen skills

Marcella Carnevale, 29, is a teacher and student journalist. She's been volunteering as a journalist for TheSite.org for six months. "I tried to get a couple of articles published, but to no avail," she explains.  "I realised I needed to get experience and sharpen up my skills and thought the best way to do this was to volunteer for a magazine or website."

"I think working from home in an editorial role is one of the best ways to do it if you like having flexibility because then you can fit your work around your routine," she continues. "You do have to be self-disciplined though, and make sure you meet your deadlines. I'm really glad I've got involved in editorial volunteering because I'm always getting advice and support. I think it's something I'll always consider doing because often there may be articles you want to write that don't fit into generic media, so hopefully there's more of a chance to get something published this way."

If you've always fancied yourself a review writer (and you want to bag yourself some free gig or theatre tickets), you could combine a night out with work by writing restaurant, theatre and club reviews, which can easily be sent in from home.

Other editorial roles range from writing content for e-newsletters and print newsletters. If your grammar is spot on then sub-editing will give you the chance to put on your teacher's hat and use your red pen. Whether it's feature articles or news reports, the best thing to do if you want your editorial volunteer role to be from home is to ask the organisation you want to work for if this is possible.

You may have to come into the office every now and then, but as long as you come up with the goods, it shouldn't matter where you are when you do it, or if you happen to be in your fluffy pyjamas and monkey slippers at the time.

Search the do-it database for editorial roles in your local area.

quick search