Hi friends! I’m coming at you with a super special post because I have some very exciting news: I’m going fully remote! I recently accepted a position working entirely remote as an Administrative Assistant for the company Clevertech. It was a bit of whirlwind going through the application and interview process, but I’m so excited to begin this new role in the coming weeks and transition into working fully remote.

For anyone else looking for remote work opportunities, I wanted to share some resources and tips for finding potential jobs and making yourself stand out as a strong candidate. Without further ado, let’s jump in!

Why remote?

Firstly, I think it’s important to note that working remote is not for everyone, and that’s completely okay! I began seeking out remote positions for a couple reasons, mostly centering around my lifestyle and family needs. My husband is in the military and often has to go out of town for multi-week trainings or deployments, so working remotely will give me the chance to travel and visit friends and family while he’s away.

Piggybacking off of this is the fact that all of our friends and family live in other states. In fact, being stationed in Colorado actually puts us right in between Washington, where my parents live, and Georgia, where his parents live! One of my biggest hopes for this position is that it will give me more opportunities to visit family without having to worry about taking time off or not making money if I’m not physically at work.

Another big reason I wanted to move into remote work was the fact that I wanted more opportunities for growth and to gain new experiences to bulk up my resume. I’ve been working in the outdoor retail industry for 5+ years and while I have absolutely loved it, I found myself working at jobs where there wasn’t much opportunity for upward mobility. I may not be working in this role forever, but I am looking forward to making the most of my time there and using it to build up skills that will open up more career opportunities down the road!

Where to look

Once I decided I wanted to seriously consider working fully remote, I began seeking out websites, forums, Facebook groups, and other resources that would help me find jobs I’m currently qualified for. Below are some of the places I would recommend checking out:

Female Digital Nomads on Facebook
This is an excellent Facebook group with thousands of members located all around the world and working in a wide variety of fields and industries. If you have questions about working remote or are looking to connect with other “digital nomads”, I would recommend joining this group, or finding others like it.

We Work Remotely
This is one of the best websites I’ve come across for remote job seekers, and this is where I found the posting for the position I got hired for. We Work Remotely is great because they post reputable job opportunities, the website is very easy to navigate, and job postings are updated frequently.

Fiverr
Fiverr is a great resource to check out if you’re interested in transitioning into remote or freelance work over time, without jumping into a full-time position right away. You essentially create “gigs” where you offer services, which can range from marketing to photo-editing to working as a virtual assistant, and so much more. While I don’t make enough on Fiverr to do it full-time, it is an easy way to earn some extra money and build up your freelancing portfolio.

Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a fantastic website to utilize as you can not only search for job postings, but you can also read reviews that current and former employees have left of companies to get a sense for how people like working there. I will say to take every review with a grain of salt, because I find most of the people who leave reviews either had amazing or horrible experiences, so it can be hard to find the middle ground. However, I frequently use Glassdoor to search for companies and jobs, and I’m more inclined to want to work for a business with higher ratings, because it generally reflects a good company culture and work environment.

Reach out to your own network
Another great way to find remote opportunities is to reach out to people you know personally who work remote, and see how they started doing it! Oftentimes they’ll know of some great places to look or can possibly get you in touch with someone at their own company to discuss open positions.

Application/interview tips

So, you found a remote job that sounds amazing and you’re ready to apply, or maybe you’ve already scored an interview! Here are a few things I would recommend doing to ensure you stand out as a strong candidate:

1. Depending on how many jobs/professional experiences you’ve had over the years, create a few different versions of your resume that cater to specific fields/industries. This will help you narrow down which experiences are relevant to the job you’re applying for and avoid sending in a multi-page resume that overwhelms potential employers.
2. If relevant, include any personal projects you have been involved with, even if they weren’t paid. For instance, I typically include a section about Wandering the Gap because even though it is a personal blog and not a paid job, it shows I am comfortable with technology, have a creative side, and am confident taking the initiative to start projects on my own!
3. Know how to communicate your strengths and weaknesses. Talking about yourself can be uncomfortable during an interview, but it’s important you pinpoint specific strengths and examples where you demonstrated them. A potential employer simply isn’t going to have the time to dig through your resume and discover your strengths for themselves, so get comfortable hyping yourself up!
   On the other hand, it’s okay to acknowledge areas or skills that you may be lacking experience in, but instead of saying “I don’t know how to do that” or “I’ve never done that before,” spin it as: “That is a skill I would love the opportunity to develop more” and “While I don’t have extensive experience in that currently, I’m comfortable taking on the challenge and I’m always eager to learn new skills.” This shows a willingness to be coached and challenge yourself!
4. Don’t just talk about who you are and what you’re passionate about, demonstrate it through relevant scenarios and experiences. One of the biggest pieces of advice my dad has given me about building my resume and acing interviews is that instead of just saying “I’m passionate about XYZ,” actually put your words to action and seek out experiences or situations that show employers who you are and what’s important to you.
   If you’re passionate about volunteer work, for instance, find opportunities for volunteering to put on your resume and bring up specific scenarios in your interview where you demonstrated a spirit of service and giving back. Anyone can talk the talk, but having tangible evidence of living out your values and priorities is so much more impactful!
5. Do your due diligence to pick the best opportunity that will work for you, not just the first opportunity that you can find! There are so many things to consider when looking for a new job, from pay/benefits, to how much/when you’ll be working, and how it will accommodate or perhaps challenge your currently lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to go on a number of interviews, even if it means getting rejected or being the one to turn down a job offer. I almost always accept a job interview when one comes my way, because it’s great practice and a good opportunity to see what roles and positions are out there. Before accepting a job, however, I’ll make a short list of things that are top priority to me, such as a certain pay rate, work schedule, etc., and I try to stick to those as much as possible. Be your own advocate and stick up for what’s most important to you!

I hope you find this post helpful in some way, and for anyone on the hunt for a new job, I wish you the best of success! If you have any specific questions or other resources you’d like to share, be sure to leave a comment on this post. Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you all soon!