redeploying. You already have many of the skills in your wheelhouse right now that will help make it work for you. These include organizational skills, an ability to focus, self-discipline, communication skills (both verbal and written), time-management skills, and a self-reliant ability to work independently.
Tech skills are especially important when you work remotely, and that might mean learning new computer programs and communication tools, such as web conferencing, video chats, and other tools, and making sure typing skills are up to par. The ability to troubleshoot minor computer and technical issues can also come in handy.
And it goes without saying that you have to be comfortable working without a pal to pop around the corner to kibitz with to break up the day. Importantly, you have to really want to continue to work—not to just dabble in it.
The hundreds of remote workers I have interviewed have told me what I already know firsthand, that it takes discipline, but the time flexibility to do things such as nonwork hobbies, volunteering, or simply the joy of working with their dog nestled under their desk (as I often do with my Labrador retriever, Zena) is what makes it worthwhile.
Another, lesser-known aspect to chuck into the pro column: When you work remotely, your “age” is not necessarily the deal breaker it can be when you're front and center in the workplace, face to face. Truth. And that holds true for those in their 20s as well as those in their 60s and over.
In this book you will find my strategic advice on how to land a remote job, to love it and make it work for you. This includes:
Do the inner soul-searching. Not everyone is hard-wired to be a remote worker. “You need to be honest with yourself,” Sutton tells me. “Are you self-disciplined, focused, organized, skilled at time-management? You must be able to set boundaries around your work environment with friends, family, neighbors, or when working in a co-working space and not being distracted all the time.”Are you tech-savvy, open to learning new tools, and comfortable fixing minor technical problems? They will arise.Do you thrive off of the stimulation of office colleagues buzzing around you? One of the biggest hurdles for remote workers is loneliness. “If it's going to be a real con for you, and you can feel it in your gut that it will be hard for you not to have that interaction and action environment, then don't consider remote work,” Sutton advises. “Part-time or a flexible schedule might be better.”I agree with Sutton. Succeeding as a remote worker really is an individual effort. If you're in your 20s and 30s, an office environment can be fantastic. You build friendships and a lifelong network. I loved working with colleagues during my 20s and 30s in the Forbes magazine office in Greenwich Village and at the U.S. News & World Report headquarters on the edge of Georgetown in Washington, D.C.Many of those relationships remain strong today. I could not have achieved what I have in my career if I had not had that in-office experience and learning opportunity from the veterans who mentored me and those with whom I shared bylines and reporting duties along the way. Those long days and eyeball-to-eyeball interactions formed the spine of my work ethic and solidly built my career trajectory.But for someone who has young children, or is an introvert, remote duties might be the perfect ticket to achieving a balanced approach to productive work. And for those gliding, or phasing, into retirement, or working part-time in retirement, the freedom to work remotely is a benefit you can't put a price tag on.That said, you can put a cost savings on some of the basics. The researchers at FlexJobs estimate that the average person could save around $4,000 a year by working from home. Dry cleaning and laundering ($500–$1,500) ranked as one of the largest costs of working from an office, as well as lunches and coffee ($1,040). Commuting also factored in, with items like gas ($686) or car maintenance ($767) costing additional money over the year.
Connect, connect, connect. The very best remote workers will reach out to co-workers and managers regularly. “A key skill companies who hire remote workers are looking for is communication,” Sutton says. “You need to be able to say, hey, I'm a little confused about this, or hey, can you help clarify this for me? You have to take responsibility and speak up. If you're not visible, it's hard for your manager to know something's wrong.”Network with people you know at remote-friendly employers where you'd like to work. UnitedHealth Group, Kelly Services, Amazon, Robert Half International, GitLab, and Dell are among the leading companies regularly hiring for remote jobs. Xerox, American Express, and about two dozen other Fortune 500 companies have made entire divisions remote. (See Part II for a deeper dive.)You might go straight to a company you'd like to work for, maybe even your current employer, and see if it hires remote workers. A good place to start is the career section of the company's website.
Take the time to research. Online job boards like Flexjobs.com, Remote.co, and WAHVE.com connect employers with workers who are focused on legitimate work-from-home jobs and prescreen each job and employer to be certain they aren't scams. Other popular remote job boards to check out are Rat Race Rebellion, Working Nomads, We Work Remotely, Skip The Drive, Jobspresso, Sidehusl and ZipRecruiter, and even UpWork regular gigs (more on these in Chapter 5).FlexJobs, for one, reports that its remote job listings grew 52 percent in the past two years; the most common and top career fields offering remote work are sales, medical and health, education and training, customer service, and computer and information technology.Job titles range from customer service representative to program manager to teacher, accounting (bookkeepers, CFOs, controllers, etc.), administrative assistants, virtual assistants, medical transcriptionists, remote nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, and data entry. Pay ranges from $18/hour to $40/hour or more, depending on the level of the job and the experience. (See Part I.)“Search on the job boards for skills you have and passions outside of titles,” Sutton says. “Be a little experimental with it. If you're in data analytics, but also love biking, type in those words and see what comes up. With remote work, it is really helpful if you're passionate about what you're doing, and it's not just punching a clock That will keep you motivated when you are working solo.”
Focus on a few employers. “These remote jobs are increasingly competitive,” Sutton says. “I encourage job seekers to put out fewer applications, but for jobs they really feel strongly about. Instead of doing 100 applications, do 10 for the ones you really, really want. Thoroughly investigate the company. Write in the cover letter that you admire x, y, z things they are doing. You can find these newsy items on their website press page or company culture page. This is your first impression, and you want to show you care. And if you know someone who works at the firm, toss out their name there, too.”
Watch out for scams. There are a variety and abundance of jobs that are all career categories from entry level to executive. “But for every legitimate work-from-home job, there are dozens of job scams. Google the company name and the word “scam” and see what comes up, Sutton advises. “That's not proof, but you will see if there is chatter about the quality of the company.”
Some States Actively Promote Remote Work
Fed up with living in an expensive city or community? Eager to bring your stress level down? Interested in working hours you prefer and from your home? That may sound like a TV infomercial, but the fact is that working remotely in a low-cost area is becoming easier at a time when it's also becoming more appealing.
New programs in Savannah, Georgia, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Vermont have been rolling out to lure new residents who'd work from there remotely. Also, new and growing websites are helping people find jobs where they can work from home, wherever that may be, as I mentioned above.
“Advances in technology such as high-speed internet and Wi-Fi over the last ten to fifteen years definitely make it easier
