How To Get A Remote Job
In recent years, remote work has experienced an unprecedented surge in popularity, revolutionising the way we work and creating a plethora of new job opportunities. Since many of us got a taste of remote working during the covid pandemic, the allure of working from anywhere, setting flexible schedules, and becoming location independent has become irresistible to people across various fields. I have been working remotely now for years and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way! (I also wrote this blog post on why remote working if the future of working).
But if you actually are not able to do your current job remotely, how might you get one?
In this blog post I want to share some tips and ways on how to find a remote job. Of course, a lot of it really depends on your motivation, on the skills you have and external factors, such as the current state of the job market. Nevertheless, I hope that this article will help you in some way or another.
What is a remote job?
But first, what is actually the definition of a remote job?
A remote job is any job that you can do from anywhere in the world - as long as you have a laptop (or similar device) and a internet connection. Oftentimes, companies that offer remote jobs have a fully remote policy, that means that all their employees live anywhere they want. There may sometimes be some limitations, such as that the company let’s you work remote, provided you work in a certain time zone, or they want you to overlap at least some of your working hours in a certain time zone. This also depends on the type of work you do. There are also some legal restrictions sometimes, where you are bound to a certain country because of the contract you have with the company, who has to comply to certain labour regulations.
What jobs can you do remotely?
Can you do your job remotely?
Think about what you do for a living. Would you be able to do it from anywhere in the world? Some careers are inherently not very remote friendly, such as a doctor, police or construction worker, since you need to be at a specific location to do your job.
However, for most office jobs you just need a laptop and an internet connection. This often means that you can do your job anywhere. The only thing that may be holding you back is your company’s policies, which may require you to be at the office for some days a week, or even all days.
Remote friendly jobs
The majority of remote jobs you can find currently are in the following areas:
Software Engineering
Customer Support
Marketing - usually digital marketing
Data Analytics
Content writing / Copywriting
Design (UX/UI/Graphic Design)
Product Manager
Researcher
Coach/Consultant - such as Lifestyle coach or business consultant
However, nowadays there are also many jobs that traditionally were more in-office jobs that can be done remotely too. Sales, account management, project management, HR and other admin-related jobs can all be done remotely. In many cases, such as for roles in Sales and Account Management, the company would require you to be in the country you are working for, so that at least you can visit prospects or clients fairly easily. Of course, this all depends on the company and the industry you are looking at.
That being said, in the current dynamic technological landscape (aka AI) we find ourselves in, many new and non-traditional roles are appearing that can also be done remotely.
Changing Your Skill Set
Once you have identified in which area you want to find a remote job, you need to start learning some new skills and gathering some experience in the topic.
For skills like software development, design and marketing, there are many bootcamps and other similar courses that you can do that would only take you a few months to reach a certain level of basic expertise that may be required for a remote job.
Certificates that you get from such courses or bootcamps can be very helpful in showcasing the skills you have acquired via this training when applying for jobs.
Gaining experience
Once you have taken a bootcamp or have done some courses, you can either start applying for remote jobs already, or starting a bit smaller, by working in your free time on gaining more experience.
For example, if you chose to pursue a career in design, then working on your design portfolio is a good way to build up your reputation. You could even contact more senior people in your network who are doing a similar job, and get their feedback on your work.
If you chose to pursue a coaching or consultant direction, you could start doing some projects for free (only in the beginning though!) so that you can earn some testimonials that give you some more social proof and to “get the ball rolling”.
Other “soft” skills for remote working
Another thing you need to be aware of is that working remotely requires a few other “soft” skills, next to the topical skills you are learning, that are very important. In fact, some companies hiring remotely often write that they would prefer employees who have experience in working remotely.
Communication skills - Because working remotely means you won’t be in an office surrounded by your coworkers but instead miles away from any colleagues and often in different timezones, communication skills are very important. Asynchronous collaboration is an important way of working for many remote companies, as people work from all over the world. So, how clearly and thoroughly you can express yourself via written communication is extremely important. In fact, over communication when working remotely, is often necessary.
Organisational skills - as a remote worker, you need to be able to manage your own workload and this requires a certain level of organisation and planning skills.
Proactivity - Working by yourself away from your colleagues there can be quite a barrier and you need to overcome this often by being proactive and having a “can-do” attitude. This is something that many remote companies look for in an employee.
Technical literacy - it goes without saying but being tech-savvy is essential as a remote worker because of the main tools you are using in your work. Not being able to turn on your camera when you’re in a virtual meeting would not be a great signal while you are interviewing for a remote job, for instance.
How to find a remote job
Once you have acquired new skills, it’s time to start going on the hunt for a remote job. Bear in mind that since you don’t have any experience (yet) you may need to look for junior jobs or even internships, so that you can start gaining some experience.
So how do you actually go about finding a remote job? Let’s dive into a few options.
Remote Job Boards
Nowadays, there are quite a few remote job boards that list different remote positions all around the world. Here are just a few that are out there:
Make sure to subscribe to their newsletters too, as most sites regularly send updates via email with the newest remote jobs added to their websites.
Start your own business or go freelance
Another way to get a “remote job” is to actually start your own business. If you have your own business, you obviously can choose yourself how and where and when you work. Of course, this is perhaps not the easiest way to go. However, think about what you want to achieve in life: has having an own business always been a dream of yours? Do you have a skillset that could easily be converted to a business, such as consulting, marketing or content writing? Especially if you have many years of expertise in your field, it may be something worth considering.
If you want to go freelance, there are many sites, such as Upwork and Fiverr, where you can start finding your first clients. This is not easy: there are many people out there doing the same and often for a lower price point, simply because they live in a cheaper country. However, don’t let that discourage you!
For more information, I also wrote a blog post comparing the pros and cons of a full time job versus being a freelancer.
Other ways to find a remote opportunity
Finding a job at a remote company or starting your own business are just two ways of landing a remote job. Of course, there are many other ways you can go about it.
For example, if you are currently working for a company and you like your employer, it may be worth discussing with them about your new preferences for a remote job. If the company has a strict “no remote work” policy you will know fairly soon and then it’s time to move on. But you never know - maybe they are open for negotiations.
Applying for a Remote Job
When doing an interview, make sure your dog doesn’t distract you ;)
Once you have found some remote jobs to apply to it’s time to get to work! Work on your resume and start writing a few cover letters. When writing your cover letter, don’t focus too much on how you want a remote job but rather, why you chose to change your career. Showcase your motivation, dedication and drive in both your cover letter and resume. Make sure to tailor each letter and resume to the job description - customisation is key.
Interviewing for a remote job
If you finally land an interview for a remote job - congratulations! This is a really great achievement already.
This interview will most likely be via video call, so make sure you test your internet connection, your camera and microphone. It can be beneficial to invest in a good camera and microphone, as that can give a good impression, especially for a remote job. Make sure you are in a quiet and well-lit room, with no other distractions. Having an interview in a cafe is a no-go.
During the interview, make sure to also ask about the conditions of working remotely, i.e. are you allowed to work from anywhere in the world or is it required you stay in a certain timezone and/or country?
Final Thoughts
I hope this blog post has shed a bit of light on how to go about getting a remote job. I would also like to point out that there is no one way to get a remote job - but maybe this post can give you at least some ideas on how to get started. It’s not an easy process, especially if your current job requires you to be somewhere physically and/or you need to change your career and skillset.
However, if you are motivated and are persistent, it’s definitely not impossible! I’ve done it and so can you:)
If you have any other questions or thoughts on how to get a remote job, just comment below.
