I Want to Work Remotely – How Can I Find Virtual Jobs?

Right now, there are many, MANY remote workers – some traditional, others forced by Covid-19. The future landscape of the remote workforce is uncertain, but the pandemic has accelerated the use of remote workers in a way that has made companies and employees reevaluate the cost-benefits and work-life balance of the physical office.

If you are currently a remote worker and want to continue to work from home (or where-ever!), are interested in becoming a remote worker, or want to convince a company a job for which they are hiring can be done remotely even if it’s not intended to be (yes, you can do that if you handle it properly), consider the following:

• According to U.S. News & World Report (April 2020), the best and most lucrative remote jobs are in technology, accounting, marketing, and business consulting. Remote jobs are already more common in these sectors and your pathway to finding one that matches your skill set and professional development goals is more abundant with potential opportunities. Since these roles require advanced, specialized degrees, compensation is competitive. 

• To find job listings that are advertised as remote, search for the job title but also use keywords like “remote”, “virtual”, and “off-site” when searching Monster, Indeed, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, or any other board. Expect to find a cross section of roles that are defined as remote, but may vary in their details. Some jobs are 100% anywhere, anytime, some are half and half, some may be remote workers that are hired local for training purposes and/or other reasons that require you to be in an office at some point, and some may be temporarily remote.

• There are also job sites that specialize in remote jobs. There are many to choose from, but here are the Top Three dedicated to virtual jobs (in alphabetical order):

  • o   Flex Jobs

  • o   Remote

  • o   We Work Remotely

• Due to Covid-19, many companies have transitioned their entire workforce to remote and many new job postings specify if a role is remote, however that does not mean it will remain that way once the company is ready to bring employees back into the office. If your goal is to have a remote job for the foreseeable future, check to see if they are hiring local. That may indicate the job is remote for now, but once feasible you will be expected to work out of an office; if it’s not clear, still apply and ask for clarification when you are contacted by the recruiter or hiring manager.

• If you want to work remote but the job you want does not specify it’s remote, it is okay (but a gamble) to apply for the job. Make it clear in your application you are looking for a remote job (or an employer may believe you are willing to relocate) and be prepared with a strong pitch demonstrating the value to the company’s bottom line of making the position remote. But be prepared for rejection – employers that don’t indicate that a job is remote probably aren’t planning for it.

Regardless of your starting point, here are some final tips:

• The most important advantage you can give yourself is to have a real, robust, and quiet home office outfitted with the standard technology – a fast internet connection, a computer set up for remote access, a professional web cam for meetings, a printer with scanner and fax, a smart phone, and any other tools needed to perform your job duties. The onus is on you to demonstrate you can “plug in” on day one and minimal intervention will be required on the employer’s part.

• If you’re someone who has been working remote because of Covid-19 and want to continue to do so, or have applied for an office job by offering to do it remotely, don’t expect the company to say “yes.” Companies are at an uncertain and difficult transition point. Lots of companies are not ready to bring employees back into offices, but will when it can be done safely. Extra safety precautions mean extra costs, so exactly how things play out will vary company to company. Some may be hesitant to engage in job classification negotiations during the recruitment stage.

• Work your network. Work LinkedIn. Work whatever you need to find someone you know, or someone with whom you have a professional connection, who can open the door to remote work. Be direct – indicate that you’re looking for remote opportunities and ask if they can provide you insights into whether the company would allow such an arrangement. The worst thing that could happen is that you don’t get a response.

• Consider freelance remote work. Freelance remote work is remote work without benefits, but while you are searching for a permanent home, if that’s your goal, you can build a track record of success as remote worker that will enhance your future opportunities.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.