You've probably been back at work for a week or so now; working remotely probably sounds more attractive than ever.
At Deekit all of our team can work remotely if we want to, and we love it! It puts us in control of where we will be most productive. You find all types of people in remote positions and although remote work has certain challenges, the pros outweigh the cons for most.
The positions are out there if you know where to look. So here's our top tips for finding the remote job of your dreams!
Remote job boards
The first place to check out are the remote job boards. Sites such as We Work Remotely and RemoteOK only focus on remote positions. Remote teams come in all shapes and sizes so whatever the stage of business you're looking to join, you're likely to find it here!
The only downside with the roles advertised on these sites is that they receive a huge number of applicants. That's not to say all of the applicants are a good fit though. If you see the perfect role for you, fire off an application. What have you got to lose?
Freelancing platforms
Upwork, PeoplePerHour and Freelancer are great places to secure remote work. What you'll find may be more short-term, but that doesn't mean it can't evolve into something permanent (if that's what you're looking for). As with the remote job boards, competition is fierce. Stay true to your value and don't drop your prices too low to compete if you can.
Networking
Oh, networking ... It's for a good reason that most professionals rave about its benefits. Knowing the right person can open up a lot of doors! You have probably built up a network already in your field and if your LinkedIn account is bursting at the seams, you have a great starting point. You don't even have to leave your sofa to start networking.
Better yet, get out there to local meetups. Sites like meetup.com are a great way to find like-minded people to network with. They're also a great excuse to get out and have a beer or two.
Online communities
We have already touched on how LinkedIn can be used to your advantage, but there's more. Facebook groups are a goldmine for remote work opportunities. Remote work is pretty new still. By getting involved in Facebook groups focused on remote work, you can infiltrate a small, but growing community. It's a familiarity thing. When someone is in the same group as you it implies they have the same interests so you're way more open to having a discussion with them.
Here's a trick: join the 'hotspot' digital nomad groups around the world. Start checking out groups such as Chiang Mai Digital Nomads and Bali Digital Nomads, you'll find remote-friendly opportunities popping up quite frequently.
Another largely untapped resource is Slack groups. It's important to look at Slack groups from an employers perspective. Your future CEO/CTO may be active on groups that are of interest to them. If you're a marketer, get on Online Genuises. You're more database oriented? Check out the Postgres community for example. There are several great places to find a Slack community that's relevant for what you do: Slacklist, The Ultimate list of 300 Slack communities or Slofile. By building rapport with people in these communities, you become first in line for any new opportunities.
A direct approach
There's nothing wrong with being direct when you know what you want. This approach requires you to be very systematic and have a clear vision of your end goal.
Step 1: Create a list of remote friendly companies that you would love to work with.
Step 2: Find out who the hiring manager is you need to speak to. Go as high up in the organization as you can, but make sure they are relevant (content writers shouldn't go speaking to the lead developer).
Step 3: Find a way to speak to them either through LinkedIn, Twitter or better still, by finding their email using a service such as Hunter.
Step 4: Write them a short, succinct message saying who you are and what you're looking for. Finish the message with a direct sentence asking if they have any open positions/need any help!
You are likely to get quite a few no's with this approach but you will also get a ton of 'let's touch base in a few weeks' messages. Don't be put off by this because if you're persistent and patient, you'll be amazed how far it gets you.
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