Remote work offers many obvious advantages. Studies show remote employees have higher productivity and job satisfaction. They also save on commuting time and costs. Companies benefit through access to a wider talent pool, reduced overhead, and improved retention.
Finding a remote position in your field is very possible with the right approach. In this guide, we’ll cover proven strategies to land a remote job tailored to your skills and interests. Whether you want to work from home full-time or just occasionally, you can find remote opportunities in nearly any profession.
Know Your Preferences
When searching for remote work, it’s important to know your preferences upfront so you can focus your search and evaluate potential opportunities. Consider the following:
Full-time vs. Part-Time vs. Contract
- Full-time remote roles provide ongoing employment with a regular salary and often additional benefits like healthcare and retirement accounts. This offers stability but less flexibility.
- Part-time remote work allows you to work fewer hours, such as 20-30 hours per week. This provides more flexibility but lower compensation and potentially fewer benefits.
- Contract remote work involves short-term assignments, often project-based. This offers flexibility but less job security. Contract roles are usually paid hourly or per project.
Decide which arrangement best fits your needs before beginning your search.
Desired Salary and Benefits
Research typical salaries for remote roles in your industry and experience level. Determine the minimum salary you need, along with which benefits are essential, such as health insurance, paid time off, etc. This will help you evaluate potential job offers.
Communication and Collaboration Preferences
Consider how you prefer to communicate and collaborate when working remotely. Important factors include:
- Video calls vs. phone calls vs. messaging/chat
- Frequency of scheduled meetings and check-ins
- Expectations for response time
- Company culture around remote work
Finding a remote role aligned with your preferences will set you up for success.
Update Your Resume
When looking for remote work, it’s important to update your resume to highlight your relevant experience and skills. Specifically, you’ll want to:
- Tailor your resume to emphasize any previous remote work or virtual collaboration. Even if your previous roles were based in an office, highlight any experience with remote tools, video conferencing, communicating virtually etc.
- Add a skills section that showcases abilities like using collaboration platforms, working independently, managing remote teams, etc. Remote hiring managers will look for evidence that you can succeed in a virtual environment.
- Use keywords in your resume that commonly appear in remote job postings, like “remote”, “virtual”, “telecommute”, “work from home”, etc. This helps your resume surface in more searches.
- Optimize for applicant tracking systems (ATS) by mirroring keywords from the job description in your own resume. Most remote jobs require passing through an ATS.
- List your address as “Willing to relocate” rather than a specific location. This conveys flexibility for remote work opportunities across the country.
- Format sections clearly so both humans and ATS can easily scan your resume. Use clear headings, bullet points, and consistent structure. White space also helps highlight important information.
With a tailored, keyword-optimized resume ready, you’ll be well positioned for remote jobs that align with your skills and experience. Take the time to update your resume before beginning your remote work search.
Search Remote Job Boards
There are a number of job boards specifically dedicated to remote work opportunities. These sites allow you to search for and filter remote jobs in your industry or location. Some of the top remote job boards to utilize in your search include:
- Remote.co – Remote.co is one of the largest remote job boards with opportunities from startups and large companies hiring remotely worldwide. You can filter by career level, job titles, skills and more.
- We Work Remotely – We Work Remotely features thousands of hand-screened remote jobs from companies offering partial and full time remote work opportunities. Jobs are categorized by categories like programming, design, customer support and sales.
- Working Nomads – Working Nomads provides remote and flexible jobs screened for legitimacy. You can search by location, career level, job type and more.
- Remote OK – Remote OK has an extensive list of vetted remote jobs from startups to larger companies worldwide. You can filter by specific skills like programming languages or marketing skills.
- Remotive – Remotive offers a searchable database of remote jobs from marketing to software development and everything in between. Jobs list salary ranges and highlights companies with the best remote cultures.
- FlexJobs – FlexJobs requires a monthly subscription fee but provides access to pre-screened remote and flexible job listings in over 50 career categories.
Taking advantage of these dedicated remote job boards expands your reach and allows you to find open positions that fit your exact needs and career goals.
Find Companies with Remote Roles
More and more companies are embracing remote work arrangements. Do some research to find companies in your industry that offer remote positions.
Rather than relying solely on job boards, go directly to company websites and check their careers page. Oftentimes companies will advertise if they support remote work or flexible work locations. The careers page may specifically list remote opportunities.
Look for statements like “we support remote work” or “work from anywhere.” Browse their open positions for keywords like “remote” or “virtual” to find remote roles. For example, a job title may be “Remote Customer Service Representative” clearly indicating it is a remote position.
Some companies also have a remote work policy or remote work page detailing how they support telecommuting and remote employees. Read through their remote work policy to get a better sense of their flexible work culture.
You can search by industry as well. For example, search “remote tech companies” or “remote healthcare companies” to find employers embracing location flexibility within your field.
With more companies expanding remote work options, searching individual company sites can help uncover exciting telecommuting opportunities in your chosen career path.
Network and Social Media
Using your social networks can be a great way to find remote opportunities. Connect with others already working remotely to learn about companies hiring for remote roles. Join relevant LinkedIn groups and Facebook communities to expand your network.
Interact regularly by commenting on posts, sharing content, and participating in discussions. Let people know you’re looking for remote work in your field. Follow hashtags like #remotejobs, #remotework, and #remotelife to see job openings and advice.
Make connections on Twitter by reaching out to and engaging with professionals in your industry. Pay attention to tweets from companies announcing remote positions. Connecting with the remote community can alert you to openings and provide tips on landing remote roles.
Remote-Specific Job Fairs
Remote-specific virtual job fairs have become very popular for finding remote work opportunities in recent years. These online events allow you to connect directly with multiple employers who are actively hiring for remote roles, all from the comfort of your home.
Some of the top virtual job fairs to check out include:
- Virtual Career Fairs by CareerEco. These fairs feature a wide range of companies looking to fill remote roles across many industries and job functions. They hold multiple events per week and allow you to chat with recruiters and hiring managers in real time.
- Remote Work Hiring Events by Remotefair. These targeted fairs focus on specific industries like tech, marketing, customer service, etc. You can browse open positions beforehand and schedule meetings with company reps.
- CareerFox Virtual Job Fairs. With a global focus, these fairs bring together remote employers from the US and worldwide. They also hold events focused on diversity hiring initiatives.
- Online Hiring Events by Brazen. As one of the pioneers of virtual recruiting, Brazen connects job seekers with leading employers for chat, video, and automated screening.
To stand out at a virtual job fair, be sure to:
- Have an updated resume and portfolio ready to share
- Come prepared with questions to ask employers to show your interest
- Dress professionally and have a clean background for any video chats
- Research companies beforehand and tailor your pitch to open positions
- Follow up promptly with recruiters after the event
Taking part in remote-specific job fairs allows you to put your best foot forward and get direct exposure to businesses actively hiring in your field. With an engaging online presence and polished networking skills, they can be a great avenue for landing a remote role.
Staffing Firms and Agencies
Working with staffing firms and agencies that specialize in remote placements can be an effective way to find remote work opportunities in your field. Many firms build relationships with companies offering remote work and can connect you directly with relevant openings.
- Identify staffing firms and recruitment agencies that place candidates into remote roles within your industry. Look for those that clearly advertise remote job placement services on their website or LinkedIn page. You can search “[your industry] remote staffing agency” to find relevant firms.
- Network, connect and develop relationships with recruiters at these firms. Communicate that you are specifically seeking remote work opportunities in your field. Recruiters may be able to advocate for you and pass along your resume when relevant openings arise.
- Ask the recruiter about their experience and success with placing candidates into remote roles in your field. Choose to work with firms that have proven expertise in remote placements.
- Be prepared to explain how you are a strong remote candidate. Highlight your previous experience working independently, meeting deliverables, communicating virtually, and being productive in a remote setting.
- Staffing recruiters may have exclusive access to unlisted remote job openings that align well with your background. Maintain contact over time as new opportunities emerge.
Developing relationships with specialized staffing firms and recruiters is an effective way to gain access to exclusive remote job openings in your industry. With a recruiting partner advocating for you, you’re far more likely to find a great remote opportunity.
Be Flexible
When searching for remote work, it’s important to keep an open mind and be flexible with the types of roles you consider. Here are some tips:
- Consider part-time, contract or freelance roles. Many companies hire remote workers on a contract or freelance basis, especially when testing out remote work arrangements. Be open to part-time and project-based work, which can help you gain valuable remote experience.
- Look beyond your industry. With remote work, you’re no longer limited to roles within your specific industry. Consider how your existing skills and experience could transfer to another industry that has more remote positions. For example, customer service, writing, data entry and IT skills are useful across many industries.
- Broaden your search beyond job titles. Don’t get hung up on job titles when searching. A “project coordinator” role may involve similar work to a “program manager” position. Focus on the actual job description and responsibilities.
- Consider alternative arrangements like job sharing. Some roles can be shared between two remote workers. For example, two people could share an administrative role, each working half-time. This provides flexibility for working parents or those seeking better work-life balance.
Being flexible opens up more potential opportunities. Approach your remote job search with an open mind, and you’ll be more likely to find a great match.
Finding remote work in your field is definitely possible with the right strategy and effort. Here are some of the key tips covered in this article:
- Know your preferences – What kind of remote work schedule and environment suits you best? This helps narrow your search.
- Update your resume – Tailor your resume to highlight your skills and experience working independently and remotely.
- Search remote job boards – Take advantage of sites like FlexJobs, Remote.co and We Work Remotely that focus on remote opportunities.
- Find companies with remote roles – Many companies are now hiring for roles that used to be in-office. Seek these out.
- Network and social media – Connect with professionals in your field and let them know you’re seeking remote work.
- Consider remote job fairs – Some fairs are dedicated to remote employment across various fields.
- Look into staffing firms – Agencies like Robert Half, Aquent and others can help match you to remote roles.
- Be flexible – Remote work often requires adaptability as priorities shift. Show this in interviews.
The remote work landscape is constantly evolving, with new resources frequently emerging. Stay persistent and creative in your search – with the right approach, you can absolutely land a remote role in your field.
