Remote work, as I was considering it, is the ability to answer calls, provide remote support and contribute digital content from anywhere around the world as assigned by an employer.
There are a lot of resources when you’re looking for a job and even when you’re looking for location independence. Many of the ideas for working on the road involve starting your own business. I’ve always sort of shied away from wanting to work for myself. But one day I was introduced to the Remote Work Pros group on Facebook.
When I originally contacted them and asked for a call-back, they graciously obliged. I was informed that this group was not for helping you find remote work, it was more for working with your existing employer to allow you to do your work remotely. While it sounds admirable, I couldn’t think of a way to do my job remotely. But it did give me the idea to find a job which I could work remotely.
There are heaps of job boards out there – LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster – I used them all looking for remote jobs. And what I found was that most remote jobs pay about 1/3 of what I make now, or approximately $25,000/year (topping out around $30,000). This is dependent on what your qualifications are. Remote helpdesk just doesn’t pay much. It’s much less expensive to outsource.
That being said, our budget (which I am anxious to discuss soon) couldn’t tolerate that sort of cut. As I’ve figured it, to be able to cover international medical insurance, transportation, fees, living expenses, an international phone plan, retirement savings and taxes, my wife and I combined need to make about as much as I am earning at my current job (~$70,000USD). This affords us comfort that we can travel sustainably. So that is our goal.
Which means we need to look in a different direction. [teeth-rattling fear] Starting our own business.
It didn’t work for me, but maybe it’ll work for you.
Tips for finding remote work:
-You should have a budget to know your minimum acceptable income
-Specialize and take advantage of specialized skills (like languages) to qualify for better paying jobs. If you don’t have those skills, consider building them while you’re looking.
-Search wide, but the best paying jobs will likely be on specialty sites (ie. dice.com for I.T.)
-If you’re applying for a job overseas, make sure you research their local resume/CV format online. Some expect pictures, marital status, age & interests that are not common on US resumes and may keep your resume on the bottom of the pile. Don’t forget country codes on phone numbers.