Many people dream of working from home, but finding a job that allows you to do so isn’t always straightforward. Jill Duffy, a productivity guru, shares her top advice for finding work that doesn’t require you to go to an office every day.
If they could just find the ideal job that allowed them to work from home, a lot of people would give up their commutes and business clothing. Despite the fact that remote work has become more widespread in the previous two decades, remote job posts are still uncommon among the thousands of other job listings that a job search may pull up. How do you go about finding a job that doesn’t require you to go to an office? This article will provide you with some pointers on how to get started.
There are three basic ways to find remote work opportunities, aside from good old-fashioned networking (which might be difficult with remote employees because they aren’t concentrated together in any single region by definition). You can do the following:
- Using the correct filters, look for jobs on regular job boards.
- Using the right keywords, conduct a broad search.
- By following their job listings, you can find all-remote companies.
What Is Remote Work and How Does It Benefit You?
However, it can be helpful to define what we mean by remote work first. Remote work can take many different forms. You must be aware of this diversity in order to find the ideal career for you.
Some companies advertise themselves as “100% remote.” These businesses have no physical offices, and all of its workers work from home or anywhere they like. It’s possible that their formal headquarters is little more than a mailbox. Employees in organizations that function entirely remotely are frequently scattered across multiple time zones around the world.
Then there are those that take a more eclectic approach. You might come across a company that rents office space to some of its employees on a daily or occasional basis. Other members of these teams may work entirely from home, depending on their role or personal circumstances.
Even while freelance and contract positions are frequently distant, they are not always lumped in with other remote workers. Because they are not full-time compensated workers, freelancers and contractors are in a unique position. They usually do not receive company perks and must pay their own taxes rather than having them withheld by the employer. However, don’t dismiss this form of remote employment if you want a flexible career that doesn’t require you to be physically present.
Use Job Boards to Help You Find Work
Casting a wide net is beneficial in any job search. Look for remote opportunities, flexible work, and freelance gigs on both big online job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed.com, as well as sites dedicated to remote roles, flexible work, and freelance gigs. The following are a few remote-specific sites:
Other web sources of remote jobs and employment may exist depending on your sector. For instance, GitHub has a large employment section dedicated to computer programmers. Dribble allows graphic designers to advertise their portfolios while also hunting for work.
You’ll notice that “remote” or some variation of it is now an option for location on the main job boards. The term “remote” is used by LinkedIn. Indeed.com accepts “remote” and “home based” positions. “Remote (Work From Home), US” and “Virtual (Work From Home), US,” according to Glassdoor. Make sure autofill isn’t sending you to positions in Remote, Oregon, which turns out to be a genuine place.
Check the results to see if any new places emerge on the roles that you’re interested in. Read the job description over and over again. Some remote jobs need you to be within a day’s drive of a real office where you may be required to show your face on occasion. Alternatively, you may be required to work similar hours as a group in a specific time zone.
Make use of keywords.
Too “Remote” isn’t the only word that might lead to a position where you can work from anywhere. The words virtual and telecommuting are still used in some industries. I spoke with Kanika Tolver, a career coach and author who has written for Glassdoor.com about remote work. Other terms she included were home-based, telework, work from home, and freelance.
These keywords can be used to search job boards or the internet in general, but they are not interchangeable.
Even if a job listing or call for submissions does not specify it, freelancing and contract work are frequently remote. Working partially remote or flexible means you can work from home for short periods of time or on a regular basis, such as every Monday and Friday. You may be required to attend on-site events on a regular basis, such as client meetings or in-person training. The terms “virtual” and “full-time remote” are often interchanged. Telecommuting is still the term used by government organizations to describe distant work.
Several additional terms for remote work have become obsolete. If you notice “e-commuting,” it’s a sign that the company is behind the times. The term “cottage industry” has also largely fallen out of favor, though it may still be heard in specific manufacturing industries.
Target Companies that operate entirely from a remote location
Finding and following all-remote companies is another way to earn a full-time, all-remote career. Once you’ve found a cause that interests you, follow them on social media and participate when it’s suitable. Use their public-facing product or service if they have one.
You’ll be the first to know when vacancies become available. Apply to anything that looks somewhat intriguing to you, but keep in mind that you’ll be up against a considerably larger pool of individuals than if the position was limited to a specific geographic area.
The following are a few companies that are totally remote or encourage remote work:
Is Working From Home Right for You?
Working from home isn’t suitable for everyone. Finding the appropriate balance between work and personal time requires discipline. It can, however, be a perfect circumstance for persons who like working alone or require a flexible schedule.
Those of us who work from home appreciate the conveniences it provides. Nothing beats doing a load of laundry during your lunch break or being practically always available to let a service specialist into your home. People who dislike it sometimes miss out on social connections with coworkers, find it difficult to stick to a self-imposed schedule, and see many of the conveniences as a source of distraction.
If you’re cut out for remote work, you might be even more productive than in an office. A call center study discovered that a self-selected set of staff who worked from home full-time answered 13.5 percent more calls than those who stayed in the office.
It’s difficult to find remote work. Because remote workers aren’t constrained to being in a physical area, these positions are very competitive. That means there is a large pool of candidates to choose from. According to the American Time Use Survey, despite anecdotal evidence that remote work is on the rise, the percentage of full-time employed workers doing some work at home stayed largely steady from 2009 to 2017.
You’ll need some insider tips and tactics for acing a remote job interview once you’ve started your job hunt for remote work. I’ll go through those in more detail in next week’s piece. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for work, check out PCMag’s feature on Alexa abilities that can assist you in your job search.
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Niam Patel, a writer who is always seeking to learn and grow, both as a storyteller and as a person. I believe that writing is not just about expressing oneself, but about constantly challenging oneself and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. I strive to create work that is both original and thought-provoking, that pushes the limits of what's possible with the written word. I believe that writing has the power to change the world, and I am honored to be a part of that tradition.
Arden Mitchell, a writer who is always looking for new ways to push the limits of what's possible with my words. I believe that writing is not just about expressing oneself, but about pushing the boundaries of what's possible and exploring uncharted territories. I strive to create work that is both ambitious and thought-provoking, that challenges readers to think differently and to question their assumptions. I believe that writing has the power to change the world, and I am honored to be a part of that tradition.
