Remote working became much more common during the pandemic, and with the rise of digital nomads, it’s also part of an aspirational lifestyle choice for many.
Whether looking for freedom to travel or simply an escape from the daily commute, more and more people are looking for remote jobs.
An estimated 50 million Americans changed to remote work, like during the COVID era. With hours saved traveling to work and the freedom to work in your pajamas, many people want to make it a permanent change.
Finding a remote job can be a challenge as lots of companies transition back to life in the office. To help you find your first or next remote job, we’ve got five tips to find a job plus freedom.
Identify your skills
As with every job, a remote role will need you to have skills. There are some roles that can easily be done remotely, such as marketing or programming, and others where you’ll need to change industries, such as healthcare or construction.
Whatever you do at the moment, you will have soft skills that can translate to an online job. If you work in retail then you probably have the skills for online customer service, for example.
Figure out what you can do and what you have to offer a remote employer. Then work to highlight this on your resume and start your search.
Start learning
If you have an ideal remote job in mind, you may need to start working towards building new skills. Investing time – and potentially some money – into upskilling yourself can pay off in the long run.
There are lots of options to build your digital skills, such as Google or Hubspot certifications and coding boot camps. Consider the type of remote career you want, then look at the courses you can take.
Start with the free resources available then consider spending some money if you really want to stand out from the crowd. It’s worth looking at job ads for your deal job to see what will be expected of you, too.
Understand remote working tech
Even if you have the skills and experience for a remote job, you may still need to learn the technology used for online employment.
You can’t just walk over to a colleague’s desk or grab a file from the next office when you’re fully remote. You’ll need to get familiar with things like:
- Communication tools such as Slack or Skype;
- Project and time management tools like Asana, Airtable, and Hubstaff;
- Collaboration and cloud storage tools like Google Suite or Microsoft Teams;
- Security tools, so download a VPN and learn about antivirus software.
Being able to tell a potential remote employer that you already know the basics of the tools they use could set you apart from a bunch of other applicants.
Look in the right places
Once you’re ready to start your remote job search, you need to start looking in the right places. You’ll find that most online job sites will have a filter for remote work now, so be sure to turn that on when you start looking.
LinkedIn has developed into a great resource when looking for a job. There are two ways you can use LinkedIn to find remote work:
- Use the filters in a job search to only look for remote positions.
- Begin networking with people in your ideal industry so you see job postings early on.
Build a network
The power of networking cannot be overstated. As well as LinkedIn, join Facebook and Reddit communities for the industry you want to work in – you can get the inside track on jobs before they make it onto the normal job listing websites.
A strong network will also help if you have questions about remote work or the new sector you’ve moved into. Remember to return the favor to people just getting started once you’re established in your new remote role, too.
FAQs about finding remote work
Why is it so hard to find remote work?
Put simply, there are lots of people chasing not so many remote jobs. Jobseekers have realized the many benefits of working from home or anywhere there is an internet connection so you have a lot of competition. Improve your digital and industry skills to make your resume stand out.
How can I land a remote job with no experience?
You may need to start with entry-level remote jobs when you have no work experience. Doing online certifications can boost your chances, and doing some freelance work can build skills, such as doing some social media management for a local business to prove you know what to do.
What are the highest-paying remote jobs with no experience?
Finding a high-paying job when you have no experience is challenging. Some roles that you can start to look at include remote call center work, social media management, administration roles, and data entry.
How to land a remote job
Sitting in an office when you could be sitting in your living room or on a beach isn’t the life that most people want. Remote work can be the silver bullet to release you from a commute and give you chance to travel and set your own schedule – to an extent at least.
Understand what you can already offer to a remote employer and build your skills with free online resources. Build a network of contacts in your industry, and you’ll soon start finding roles that suit what you’re capable of.
