Five Tips for Getting a Remote Job
As technology continues to optimize the workplace, more and more remote jobs are becoming available at companies..
We live in an era of optimization and automation. Some people are forecasting a day when robots and algorithms replace work related processes altogether, resulting in a massive loss of jobs in the market. I on the other hand believe that, while many jobs will in fact become automated, there will always be a need for administrative workers to oversee said technology, pushing updates, repairs and of course, always adding that human touch. The beauty of this type of work is that much of it can be done remotely. So let’s take a look at five tips for how you can get situated in a remote job that will last.
1. Find a high quality remote job network
In one of our previous Mods, we wrote about five places to find remote jobs online. Today, there are even more (advanced) networks available for browsing remote opportunities and, like most things in life, it pays off to have multiple options. Genie.so is one such resource- a forward thinking remote job finder website that actually sends you jobs that fit your interests, based on a profile you create upon signup. With the revolution of generating income from on-demand & shared-economy services, it has become impossible to know what's around us and what is tailored to our own preferences, assets and skills (delivering with DoorDash, renting your car with Turo, tutoring online with Preply, SkillShare, etc.
With Genie.so, you can find ways to generate income by using your own unique skills and assets, as well as compare various services and plan an optimized work day. After I created an account, I was able to find tons of opportunities with companies like Amazon M Turk, TaskRabbit, EasyShift and more. You can sign up for free and start finding new ways to earn income right on their website.
2. Display your previous work experience online
The internet is basically an open source job hiring fair where companies have the benefit of staying anonymous and finding employees from all around the world. In terms of competition, this makes it very hard to stand out, so it’s quintessential to always be putting your best foot forward and present yourself as the most appealing candidate- at face value. This is where having a portfolio can make you stand out- especially if you are looking for technical or creative related work and can put some of your recent projects on display. Creating a website today is quite easy, in fact you can build a static site using AWS for as low as $0.50/month, here’s some more information about how to do that.
There’s also the issue of getting found online. If you’re a freelance web developer looking for your first client, finding you will be like finding a needle in a haystack. SEO is important, and there are tons of companies online that offer SEO optimization services. In my opinion, you need to take it on yourself to rank higher in Google search results. Make sure to have high quality copy, images and design on all of your websites (socials, personal, portfolio, etc). For more information about SEO, here’s a helpful resource.
3. Engage communities that relate to your remote work interests
If you’re a business consultant, you might not have much luck finding remote work in a community of hobbyist painters (unless they’re running a moderately successful business). A small business owner community however could be just the place to find your perfect remote job. It’s all about going to where the customers/users are because that’s also where other companies are going to evaluate opportunities to improve customer experience. For example the AWS forums are a place for AWS users to ask community questions about their services. Often, AWS support staff will directly engage on these forums and provide solutions, but there’s nothing stopping you from going in there and providing the support itself- maybe you can land a few freelance clients this way? AWS is, after all, a very popular service.
This is all good and great if you work for yourself and are looking to take on new clients, but what about if you’re looking to join an existing company as a remote worker? There are tons of online communities that function as hiring pools for massive companies. A few places to start looking are Facebook and LinkedIn groups like these. Many of these companies depend on the online consumer and thus are looking to hire people who are internet community-savvy.
4. Keep a list of your clients & connections
As times change, so do companies and people. Your old chum from college might just be the CEO of a wildly successful tech company that’s hiring remote workers. A quick rekindling of old dorm study parties and you could be set up with a prestiges referral to the remote finance department- nice! Even if your frat/sorority house roommate isn’t a tech billionaire by now, they might be working at a remote job company and be able to refer you to join their ranks. There’s a popular saying that I believe is so true- your network is your net worth! Retaining clients is also huge for independent/freelance workers, as many past clients have an established rapport with you and are more willing to work together again. Just be sure to do a good job of tracking your freelance finances!
5. Learn new remote job skills
“Change is inevitable” -that statement doesn’t hold anywhere more true than in the remote job space. As many of the remote job opportunities involve some sort of technical work, it can be expected that new, emerging technologies will displace current ones. That means staying up to date on the most recent industry trends/practices is an absolute must. There are tons of online, educational resources like Udemy and Teachable (even Fiverr) that provide detailed courses on almost anything that a remote job offer could ask for experience in. You can even get certifications for social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The same is true for highly technical jobs. If you’ve never once parsed a line of code, it’s not too late to start learning the basics- even if that means getting started on your own.
The remote job market is going to continue growing and changing, so long as technology continues to innovate and disrupt entire industries. It’s not too late to pick up some new skills and begin creating your remote (online) footprint, so take some time to think about what it is you want to do, contribute to some quality online communities, sign up for recommended remote job alerts, and continue to learn new things. I’ll see you in the future.
If you enjoyed this Mod, you might also enjoy learning about these other remote job websites. Please share this Mod using the social media icons below. Any comments or questions? Let us know on Twitter!
Aleksey Weyman
Aleksey Weyman is a web designer, music artist and creator of Millennial Moderator
