How to Find Remote Jobs (and Land Them!)

The best ways to search for remote job opportunities might be simpler than you think. It’s really a matter of setting your focus narrowly on that goal, and implementing the best tactics to get there! In this article, we’ll go over how to find and snag remote dream job opportunities. Plus, I’ve linked ten awesome resources at the bottom of this article to help you on your way.

Many of my clients tell me they want to work remotely for more flexibility, autonomy, or simply because they just don’t want to deal with coworkers. There are so many remote opportunities these days, especially as technology gets more and more advanced. Companies are also starting to recognize that a growing number of employees want to work remotely. In order to capture and retain them, they’re growing more receptive to the concept.

So with that being said, let’s go ahead and dive into the various ways that you can find and land remote job opportunities. You can continue reading along or watch the video version below.

How to Find Remote Jobs | Best Ways to Search for Remote Job Opportunities

One of the things I love most about remote work is the variety of options it affords. There are so many opportunities when it comes to remote work! You can work for a company that has a 100% remote workforce or you can find a specific role that allows you to work on your own, meaning you don’t need to be there hands-on in the laboratory or meeting clients all the time.

Envision What You Want

Your first step is to get clear on exactly what you want. I want you to paint a picture of what your ideal remote work situation looks like. Is it full time, is it part-time, or is it a freelance? How will it be structured? Are you a morning person or do you like to sleep in? If you’re a morning person living on the East coast, for instance, you probably want to stick to companies that are on the East coast. But if you’re someone who likes to sleep in such as myself, you might look for an opportunity with a company on the Pacific coast.

So there’s a lot of really great ways to get clear and really paint that picture of what you want. Because with this in mind, we can then move on to the next step in the process, which is identifying the ways to get in front of these different opportunities. Now that we have a bit of clarity on what we’re aiming for, it’s now time for the real fun to begin. It’s time to take a look at what opportunities are the right match for you.

Strategies for Finding Remote Job Postings

Like I touched on earlier, so many companies that are offering remote positions these days. So one of the best things you can do is to Google search for companies that are 100% remote, meaning their entire workforce is working remotely. They might have an annual or bi-annual company retreat where everybody comes together, but for the most part, their positions are just 100% remote across the board.

The second thing that you can do is take advantage of the advanced search filter parameters on job boards such as Indeed or LinkedIn. On these specific job boards, there are boxes that you can check to indicate that you only want to see remote positions in your search results. Another really great resource and tool, believe it or not, is Facebook groups. There are a ton of Facebook groups that are designed just to promote remote work positions. To learn more about Facebook groups, you can check out my article linked below.

Finally, don’t discount LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the single most powerful tool for your job search! You can find exactly who the hiring manager of a position is, who works at a specific company, and even exact contact information to get in touch. So if you have a company that you really, really admire, don’t discount the power of having a powerful LinkedIn profile and a strong message to introduce yourself and get that conversation started. You never know what opportunities are just waiting to be snatched up by you! It all goes back to being visible, so companies can know that you exist, what your skill sets are and what it is you’re looking for and how you can help them.

Don’t Discount In-Person Networking!

Another tip is to scope out your local co-working spots, whether it be WeWork or another similar co-working organization. This is really great especially for those of you who love in-person connections. A lot of these co-working spots host startups with very flexible operations, or employees of larger organizations who rent out spaces on a monthly basis just to be a part of an environment and team. It’s a great place to network and see what kind of companies are there because there’s likely an opportunity to work remotely with one of these organizations. Don’t discount in-person networking and find opportunities to share with everybody you come across what you’re looking for. You never know who knows of an opportunity that matches what you’re searching for!

5 Must-Have Qualities of Remote Workers

Now that you have identified the opportunities and the companies that are able to hire remote positions, it’s now time to start preparing for interviews. I cannot emphasize enough that the more you’re working remotely, the more you need to be able to embody the following important characteristics. In order to succeed as a remote worker, you must be…

Independent
A self-starter
Highly motivated
Organized
Reliable

If you can embody all of these qualities and sprinkle evidence of them throughout your entire application process, you will be successful in the hiring process!