All I want for Christmas is Remote Work | #122 | December 2024
A roundup of job opportunities and work search tips
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👋 Howdy loyal readers!
Thanks for opening this edition and swinging by! Nice to see you here.
🫖 Welcome new subscribers. Edition #122 is coming from Zaragoza, our base location. We have done some local travelling over recent weekends, visiting the Pyrenees and spending this last weekend in Madrid, visiting friends.
» check my pic and bio below, I also post cool stuff on Linkedin and a regular free Newsletter: “Remote Work Digest”.
This week, I pull together a round-up of my advice and articles on securing a remote job (or work!) as over the last 2 years I have posted various editions focused on remote work and the search for opportunities. Enjoy!
🚨 Every Wednesday on Linkedin, I share a mid-week round up to non-coding roles, covering a wide gambit of remote-first roles that are for non-developers.
»Comments are open on this post, if you would like to share or ask questions.
1. Get ready for the reality check
Finding a remote role can be challenging, with most job listings getting 1000’s of applicants. Demand outstrips supply. Add to that currently it is an Employers Market i.e. in favour of employers, anyone trying to find a remote role needs to be committed to a long haul of effort and commitment.
As I like to advise mentees:
Finding a remote work, is a marathon not a sprint and takes a huge chuck of commitment and resilience.
However, it is not impossible and many people, given the flexibility enabled by remote work, believe it is worth the effort. Especially as “breaking into” a remote role from an office job or another career gives that extra layer of challenge to push through.
Even if it can take many months, meaning lots of extra effort, there are ways to streamline the process, which I share later.
»You can book a 1:1 video mentoring session with me here.
2. Where exactly is your starting point?
Where you are starting from matters, like with all job searches. It is said to be easier to look for a job when you have a job. I do think this is the case, especially from a practical financial income perspective.
So, if you are trying to break into the remote world of work for the first time, consider trying to keep any work and income going, rather than it be an all or nothing situation.
I have even come across people teaching in person, who keep commuting and going to classrooms, building some online experience through side-gigs. Who later then manage to move into online instructional design as a career, meaning they can find remote contracts.
So acknowledge where you are starting from, appreciate it and make decisions from that perspective.
3. Consider remote work (not just jobs)
"Looking for the ideal Remote Job, limits thinking and opportunities. Consider exploring the wider world of remote work opportunities: including side-gigs, contract, fractional, part-time, internships, temporary, ad-hoc and voluntary roles".
When we open our mind to opportunities, then we open our mind to finding those opportunities. Many mentees I work find that loosening up their expectations can really help to widen their application pool and range.
»You can book a 1:1 video mentoring session with me here.
Also, when I share some of the real story scenarios, like the one above, where trying a combination of approaches leads to success, helps!
Side-gigs, temporary projects and voluntary opportunities - in a long-term remote work search strategy - can really help foster resilience and new avenues to explore. All whilst building your existing remote work skills, which is a good thing.
“ Remote work opportunities can be project based, voluntary, temporary and ad-hoc, etc. etc. So decide your key focuses and strive for consistency in your approach. ”
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4. Everyone needs a process
“Explain (or show me) your current remote work search process?”
When I ask this question above, I often get responses that are:
Unclear on what is an exact approach or process
Don’t have clear goals defined
(Without the goals) they don’t have any metrics or timelines outline
Are focused *solely* on remote jobs
Have no written plan, so when they go to review what is working and what isn’t, they have nothing in writing to review and refine
This also impacts having templates and simple efficiency gains with copy and paste, reuse of copy etc.
No plan, means no routine. This impacts consistency and resilience in the longer run.
Lacking Accountability (see above) and why people work with mentors
BONUS: No process or plan means you cannot streamline using tools like AI (see article below for examples)
5. Not all remote work is for coders
This is a myth, which each month is getting more and more busted! More and more remote-first companies are emerging, yes many of which require technical developers who code, however, their support jobs are not technical. Examples include, roles in:
People Ops and HR
Finance, Legal and business administration
Marketing and growth
Product Design
Sales
Content, UX and copywriting
Plus many others!
🚨 Every Wednesday on Linkedin, I share a mid-week round up to non-coding roles, covering a wide gambit of remote-first roles that are for non-developers.
REMINDER:
3 bonus remote job application tips
Ensure your CV is customised to match the job description.
Pay extra special attention to job description details, following instructions and any special requests carefully and to the letter.
Be proactive for non-tech based remote jobs, seek out the companies that could fit you and your skills, making a note of job titles, departments, keywords used in descriptors and keeping a centralised tracker list to support your remote job search. Foster a regular routine to check and review this list, endeavouring to find a good rhythm in how and when you apply.
Any questions? share them below, comments are open!
TLDR: 🫱🏽🫲🏾 In case you don’t know me already, I am Ro, I am based in Zaragoza, Spain with my Location Independent, somewhat Nomadic (4-6 months a years of nomading) family. For work, I am a Remote Work and Digital Nomad Expert, Advisor and Writer, oh and a Linkedin Top Voice.
»You can book a 1:1 video mentoring session with me here.
All my web and FREE resource links are here.
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May the road rise to meet you,
love n light,
💚 Ro