A one-time goal for many, remote work has become a much more familiar reality due to COVID-19.
Proving that the workforce can be productive working remotely, it’s now become an ask by many employees to make remote work a regular thing. When you factor in the cost savings of contracting out more remote freelancers over adding office space, a lot of employers are starting to see the economics differently. Whether you’re looking for a post-pandemic career change or have actively wanted to pursue remote work, we’ve come up with a few strategies for diving into the field. Check them out below:
Start with your network.
The best place to land work regardless of location is through your network.
Not only will the autonomy be an easier ask, but you’ll also have a sense of familiarity relationship-wise as well. Although it can seem intimidating, a simple post on LinkedIn that you’re available for freelance work is sometimes all the spark you need to get a couple of conversations going. Additionally, try to think through a few people you feel comfortable enough to ask that might need your services. As long you aren’t imposing, getting in some rejection is perfectly fine, as it gets the word out that you’re available regardless.
Depending on your expertise, sometimes it’s good to be flexible with what type of work that’s available. For example, if most professional designers can charge anywhere upwards of $10,000 for a website, being able to sell a simple Squarespace for $500-$1,000 can be helpful if you know someone looking for a business card site. Thinking outside the box on one-off projects like this can sometimes help you obtain work you otherwise might have viewed as inaccessible, while also building new branches in your portfolio.
Check out what remote job postings are available for your field.
For remote work, there are a few great resources available for specific remote listings. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Remotive
- We Work Remotely
- No Desk
- RemoteOK
- Angel (startup-focused networking and job posting site)
- Remote.co
- Daily Remote
We’ll note that a lot of remote companies (especially startups) aren’t necessarily always looking for a linear-match of skills, but rather similar skills that they can rely on you to do autonomously.
Remote work comes with a lot of personal responsibility, and while it can be great to set your own schedule and work at your own pace, it’s also expected for you to steadily get better at your job Start cycling through the list above for some options, as it’ll also start to get your head on what the remote world’s demands are.
Finally, don’t be afraid of getting creative with how you view a company. If the passion is there for their mission, it’s almost always worth it to apply (as long as your skills are within a relative range). For example, let’s say you found a job doing entry-level client services at a startup you love, but the posting requires “4+ years of customer-oriented experiences; believe it or not, most hiring managers would consider a first or second round interview from someone who’s been career service industry without a college degree, as long as they made the effort on the other application questions/cover letter, as well as showed their thinking. Hiring is expensive, which is why it’s often a game of learning more ways to say ‘no’ than ‘yes’ to candidates, however, no one can deny hard work, experience, and passion, which are the first tools you’ll need for getting remote work.
As you start to see what types of companies are hiring remotely, you’ll also notice where you might fit into their structure.
Looking for full-time remote? Make an action plan.
Beyond stints of freelancing or temporary contracts, having a full-time remote job is a great goal to have. While incredibly competitive, full-time remote work is also the best of both worlds for those who’ve already been working in an office environment. By providing a structure that mimics the nine to five life, a full-time remote job still offers the autonomy and flexibility of working on your own.
If you’ve got the experience to put your name in the hat amongst the best, create a list of remote companies that you’d like to work for, followed by connecting with a couple of the team members on LinkedIn. Don’t be too pushy with your message, but rather just a simple introduction and explaining what you love about their work. Keep it brief, with the overarching mission to build a relationship and positive interactions over the course of the next couple of months until something opens up. Even if it’s freelance or temporary, getting in with a good company that’ll treat you well is always worth it in the long run of going full-time.
Follow the money flow.
As you start to see what types of companies are hiring remotely, you’ll also notice where you might fit into their structure. For example, writers, graphic designers, and photographers are often looking for freelance work charged at a day rate (as well as a weekly or monthly retainer), where it’s cheaper for a company to get the type of content they’re after without hiring full-time. Startups and media publications especially follow this route, and generally have solid cashflow to afford these types of projects.
A helpful tip in looking where the money is flowing is building sources to check-in on for guaranteed leads. One of our favorites is Axios’ Pro Rata, which has a section that outlines all the venture capital deals for that day. As it’s a lot easier to ask a company for $500-$2,000 per month that’s pulled in $10 million in funding than a small mom and pop shop, hedging your bets on strategies like this is always wise. Although not everything will be enthralling that’s hiring, take the time to learn about something you might be willing to appreciate, honing in on any new interests in developing industries.
Look into temporary, one-off projects.
Similar to what we suggested above, taking different skills to learn what you can do as one-off projects will help tremendously in looking for remote work. A strategy that’s helpful in getting your foot in the door, one-off projects can help develop new relationships while also building your portfolio. An excellent opportunity to get some new names under your belt, doing one-off projects for any of the sources above is the least threatening route to go, as well as one that’ll help you explore what you want out of remote work.
Final thoughts:
Finding remote work can sometimes be a more patient job hunt than that of a normal office environment, so be prepared to hold a cool head. Perhaps with COVID-19, there will be an increase in remote job opportunities (especially freelance and contract), however, that’s currently just speculation. Soon, we’ll start to see the results, honing in on possibly a new era of autonomy in the workforce, or back to the way things were before. Regardless, the strategies above should be a good start on getting you familiar with the remote market. Happy hunting.
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