Land a Job That Let's You Work From ANYWHERE

Being able to work remotely – as in, not having to go to an actual office everyday – is a freeing thing. To be geographically independent means getting to work from anywhere, whether that’s the comfort of your home or someplace across the globe. Finding a position that allows this kind of flexibility can be a challenge. Today I’m sharing ways you can scout out a remote job (like a real actual legit job too!) to give yourself freedom to travel wherever the WiFi is strong.

Check Your Current Office Policy Before you look to move on from your current job, check with HR or your boss on any existing remote work policies. Even if there isn’t something formal in place, your supervisor might be open to allowing you to hop into the remote working world depending on your job duties. Having an open and honest conversation about your goals and intentions is sometimes all it takes. It might not be an overnight process but establishing a time frame to transition might be a viable option.

As a pro move – make sure your job performance is on par with expectations before asking. Those who are struggling in their current role might not qualify for making the move to remote working. Be frank and direct in what you are looking for. A great line to use is “I would like to transition to working remotely, how can we make this happen?”. Be prepared with reasons why you’d like to make the change and the positive impacts it can have for the company – check this article HERE if you need some tips.

Transition Internally

If your boss wasn’t on board with having you transition to an offsite working structure, try looking elsewhere within your company. While your specific role or department may not have those opportunities, others might! Check out your internal job boards or chat with HR on what areas already support remote working. It may mean making a job shift, but it all comes down to your priorities. Some areas like marketing, IT, and customer service are a bit more open with the arrangement in general. It’s almost always easier to move internally than apply for a whole new job!

Work With a Recruiter Once you’ve exhausted your internal options for moving remotely, now is the time to shift to changing companies. A recruiter can be a fantastic way to get matched up with opportunities that meet your needs – including flexibility options, benefits, salary, etc. LinkedIn is a great way to connect with other recruiters (you should also spend some time cleaning up your profile and resume at this point, too) otherwise you can simply Google search for recruiters in your area.

You’ll usually go through an initial call where the recruiter will learn about you and what you’re looking for - make sure you highlight your interest in remote opportunities. They’ll go through their inventory of positions and work to pair you up with job openings that would be a good fit. Recruiters are incredible resources that are free to you that help you get your foot in the door with companies that align with your wish list.

Connect With Other Remote Workers Dive into your professional network and try to identify any connections that are in remote positions. If you can’t find any, try searching for nomadic hashtags on social media or remote working groups on Facebook or online. Ask them how they made the transition to a remote career and tap into those resources. They may be able to put you in contact with a recruiter they worked with or name-drop some remote-friendly companies. Offsite working is on the rise, but it certainly isn’t widely embraced yet. Having valuable connections who have gone through the process can provide you with tons of insight and advice from their firsthand experiences.

Consider Freelancing Depending on your skill set, you could look into pursuing freelance work. In these setups, you find ways to connect with other individuals or brands who could use your assistance on a project basis. Great at social media management? Become a social media manager for a company. Juggling tasks is your jam? Maybe being a virtual assistant is the best move. Have some technical skills like coding or graphic design? Put em to work!

You’ll need to provide your own equipment and it’s not as stable, but it’s a good way to call the shots yourself. You can also consider doing freelance work on the side while maintaining your current job and slowly making a transition as you build up your skills, portfolio, and contacts. Upwork, Freelancer, and Guru are great platforms to pitch your skills or find businesses looking for freelancers.

Visit Remote-Only Job Boards Since remote positions can be like finding a needle in a haystack on everyday job boards, narrow your search to platforms that cater to these opportunities. You’ll only be exposed to jobs that are already set up and approved to be remote! Virtual Vocations, FlexJobs, Remote.co, and We Work Remotely are some trusted websites to check regularly. Just because it’s a remote job doesn’t mean you should throw tradition entirely out the window. Make sure your resume and cover letter (yes, you should still use those) are up to date and tailored to each role you apply for. You’ll need to standout in a wider sea of candidates since anyone from anywhere can be applying for these remote opportunities.

Find Remote-Friendly Companies

You can go about your job hunt from a different angle by identifying remote-friendly companies and checking their job boards for openings. Not all companies will use the platforms mentioned in this post, so going out to their website might reveal openings that you would have missed out on otherwise. Each year, Forbes puts out an article on the best remote-working companies in the US. This is a great resource for putting together a “hit list” of companies to look into. Business on this list have to not only offer remote roles but do a really great job at making these remote workers feel involved, engaged, and valued.

Switching to a remote position can take some time and patience. If you’ve tried the suggestions noted above and still aren’t having any luck, don’t lose hope! Work closely with a recruiter and continue to check job boards. You can also try some of these tips in the meantime:

Inventory Your Skills and Upskill If Needed While remote work is spreading, it’s more available for certain skill sets than others. Customer service positions, data entry, marketing/graphic design, and IT-related skills seem to have more opportunities to work remotely than things like accounting or talent development. See if you can expand your current skills to align with where the demand sits. Udemy offers tons of courses you can take at your own pace, otherwise look into community classes offered at your local college (which are specifically designed for non-degree seeking individuals). Try Telecommuting If you can’t get your company to get on board with going fully remote, see if they’re open to telecommuting. This is a subset of remote working and calls for working from home/outside the office for only a few days a week. For example, you might spend Tuesday through Thursday in the office. You can take advantage of extended weekend getaways or use this setup to show your boss that working remotely can work just fine. Telecommuting positions might also be easier to come by on job boards than entirely remote roles.

Consider Temp Working Temp work can be a unique way to squeeze in plenty of extended getaways during the year. With temp working, you’ll work with an agency who will pair up your skills to limited-term openings that companies have. These are typically short term (to meet seasonal needs or fill in when they are temporarily shorthanded). You can pick up a temp job for a few weeks, all while getting paid hourly, and then go vacay while you’re in between assignments. It’s definitely a different way to go about it, but it allows you to travel throughout the year without needing to worry about days off or company approval!

If being a digital nomad sounds like a dream come true – but you aren’t ready to totally ditch a traditional job – working remotely is the perfect solution. It gives you the freedom to work from just about anywhere without having to worry too much about where your next paycheck is coming from. If you’re ready to explore a geographically independent working arrangement, hopefully these tips will help you during that process!

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