How to Find a Remote Job and Live Where You Want
Remote working is nothing new. Since the 1990s, the internet has made it possible for some professions to work partly or completely from home.
It seems like the change to a bigger work from home workforce was happening slowly, until 2020 came along and COVID-19 hit the world, and work from home became the norm. At that point, it became necessary for office employees to work remotely. Now, even as vaccinated people can return to the office, some jobs are remaining remote.
This means it’s easier than ever to find a remote job that will allow you to make a good living and live wherever you want.
Advantages of Remote Working
There are some excellent benefits to remote working, including not having to commute and therefore having more time for yourself, saving money by eating in, and some schedule flexibility. You can even work in your pajamas. Working remotely takes the stress out of getting to work.
There are also responsibilities associated with working from home. You’re responsible for getting your work done, checking your emails regularly and communicating with your coworkers, attending meetings (often via Zoom), and punching your hours.
Remember that you’re lucky to get to work from home, so treat the job with respect.
Finding a Remote Job
There are dozens of job sites, many of which include remote jobs. We picked five that specialize in remote work to get you started. At each of these sites, you’ll find thousands of jobs in many fields.
Calling itself the #1 remote job site, FlexJobs offers flexible, freelance, part-time, and remote opportunities. The staff vets each job before it’s posted. FlexJobs also offers career advice, webinars, coaching, and more.
JustRemote features jobs all over the world and, if you have a subscription, you’ll get access to jobs that aren’t advertised elsewhere. The staff makes sure each listing is available and actively being recruited for.
Right on the front page at Dynamite Jobs, you can search for work by hours, category, timezone, salary, and more. Also, the staff here ensures that every job is completely remote and offers fair compensation. New jobs appear every week and you can sign up for job posting alerts.
Browse Remotive’s homepage to see long lists of jobs in software development, customer service, data, and much more. As with the other sites, you can sign up for job alerts. Remotive also offers a newsletter with interviews and webinars that can help you land the perfect job.
Whether you sign up for a free account or a paid one at Virtual Vocations, you can search for your next full-time or part-time remote job here. They have jobs in just about any remote-work field you can think of, from education to technical writing.
Living the Remote Dream
A remote job isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer going into the office and socializing. Others enjoy working from home but want to work part-time in the office to touch bases with everyone else.
Thanks to Zoom, video calls via phone, and other communications options like Slack or Discord, however, if you’re a self-starter, you can have your proverbial cake and eat it too. You can work from home and still have a positive, productive relationship with your coworkers.
We mentioned a few advantages of working remotely, but we wanted to mention a few more that may get you excited about it.
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Live Somewhere Affordable
Often the best paying jobs are in the most expensive places to live. By working remotely, you may be able to land a high-paying job but move to a more affordable place.
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Work and Travel
Do you enjoy traveling? As long as you can stick to an acceptable schedule for your job, by working remotely, you can visit other countries or states and get your job done.
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Work Outdoors or in a Cafe
Thanks to high-speed internet in many cafes, the affordability of getting a Wi-Fi hotspot on your phone, and virtual private networks (VPNs), it’s possible to work securely while relaxing in a coffee shop or a park.
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Save Money
Your employer should be able to pay you just as much as if you worked from the office, but by not commuting and by eating at home, you’ll save a lot of money. Your employer will also save money by not having to provide office or cubicle space, which can be freed up for someone or something else.
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Be a More Present Parent
Unfortunately, child care can be expensive, but responsible remote workers can save money by sending their children to school and not after-school care.
Meanwhile, if you need to make extra space at home for your office, we recommend renting a self storage space. Storage space rents for much less per square foot than residential space, so you won’t have to pay much. Check our listings, which span the U.S.
