Author: Michael Scaletti
There have been some fundamental changes to the landscape of employment since the beginning of 2020, and they don't seem to be slowing down as we head towards 2022. Two of the most significant changes are that more people are looking for remote work than ever before, and more companies are willing for workers to be remote than ever before. In 2019, only about 6% of workers were full-time remote. That number is now up to about 45%.
While there are obvious benefits to this during a pandemic (the slowing of infection rates and individuals staying safe and healthy), there is also uncertainty, with some research showing that collaboration becomes harder for remote teams. That said, it is extremely likely that many companies will decide that the ongoing benefits of increased remote work will be worth any potential risks. That means that learning to look for remote work will be a skill that any job hunter should pick up.
Many of the same skills you use to hunt for a traditional job apply to looking for a remote job:
Keep yourself marketable by focusing your job search on one market.
Use your connections to give you a leg up in your job search.
Make sure you focus on what it is that you can bring to any given organization, not just what it is you're looking for.
There are a lot of websites that focus on remote work, and below are some of our favorites:
If you can afford to do so, there are fee-based job search sited that can be absolutely worthwhile. They often have a more curated list of jobs available, and a more active employer base which can lead to achieving employment faster. This can make the monetary investment more worthwhile. FlexJobs and VirtualVocations are two of the best known sites like this that focus on remote work.
Freelance Work Sites
One option, if you are open to a non-traditional work environment, is freelance work. Sites like Fiverr or Upwork provide a rotating job board where you can find various odd jobs.
Temp Agencies
Temp agencies like The Job Shop can help you find work. If you specify that you are looking for remote work, The Job Shop and our recruiters will be happy to do anything we can to find you the perfect fit!