Finding remote work

Dear Career Curator,

Where should we start?

Even prior to the pandemonium (Covid-19 pandemic), the market was flooded with remote work opportunities. With all of the buzz around remote work currently, it makes me believe that maybe people considered remote work jobs to be a scam of some sort. Always vet any job prospect thoroughly, especially if you are leaving a role that is currently stable and need continuity of income. However, I would suggest this approach even if you were evaluating an office-based job. Remote jobs are listed in the usual places, similar to any other job opening. Applying a bit of search savvy will help you find a role that align with your skills and interest much quicker. 

Start with Google. Literally type in your line of work (sales) and location preference (remote) and Google jobs will serve up a laundry list of options. Narrow the list by including more specific details that include the name of the company you're most interested in, salary range, industry, type of sales (B2B, B2C), etc. The key here is to approach this search with the ideal role in mind and expand from there. Doing so will help you see the variety of opportunities that are available. This search process also applies to job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and others. Be sure to create an account and save your search string to make your next attempt much easier. You can even activate job alerts on most of these sites. 

Pro tip: if there's a specific company that you are interested in working at, create a candidate profile on their careers site to sort through open remote positions at that company. Applicant tracking systems have job alert capabilities as well. 

Know the difference between jobs that require travel and remote work. If you are asked to report into an office location with regular frequency, the role is not remote. There are more opportunities that require travel to a base location cropping up. Companies that are not as remote work savvy are using this angle to get into the mix of candidates looking for remote work opportunities. It's annoyingly brilliant because there are so many new candidates looking for roles in the corporate space and they really don't know the difference. From the candidates perspective, quarterly travel to an office or even frequent visits to regional locations still gives them more flexibility than they had in their former job. You may decide that either arrangement will work for you, but it's important to understand the expectations of the role before committing to that responsibility.

Be sure to share what you've learned as you navigate this broadened landscape of remote work. We all have friends and family members that can greatly benefit from this shift in work, especially in America. Show them what you've learned about finding remote work opportunities. Keep in mind the majority of remote roles have a very low barrier to entry. You have to have stable internet access and a dedicated space to work uninterrupted; other than that many companies will train you to do the administrative tasks that are being advertised at pay rates that are equal to and most times greater than what the average entry-level worker is making. Not to mention, these roles offer more stability and access to career pathing.

With encouragement,

Career Curator

P.S. In my research for this question, I quickly found a data entry role that required no experience and pays $47, 840/year. While this may be considered a low salary for experienced professionals, imagine re-entering the workforce from a hiatus or being a new high school graduate with the ability to earn that amount without leaving your home. It's an optimal way to learn the responsibility required to curate a successful corporate career while earning a decent wage.