While recent headlines showcase high-profile companies mandating their employees to return to the office, the news may not be as gloomy as it appears. The fact of the matter is remote work isn't likely to entirely disappear. For quite a few years, a consistent trend in the workforce has been the desire of most professionals to achieve greater work/life balance. And in many peoples' minds, a vital aspect of this goal involves finding a position allowing the opportunity to work remotely at least part of the time.
As a career coach, I can confidently say that at least 70% of my current clients are seeking remote work opportunities. If you're one of the many folks looking for a remote position, you’re in luck, as there are numerous tools and techniques for tracking down roles that no longer require a daily trek to the office. Here are 5 brilliant ways to find remote work so you can grab the best opportunity on the market.
1. Use “Remote” in the Geographical Search Box of Common Job Sites
If you haven’t searched for a job recently, you may not realize that all the leading job sites (e.g., Indeed.com, Glassdoor.com, LinkedIn’s Job Board, etc.) now let you enter the phrase “remote” in their geographical search box. This update limits the results to roles the employer has designated as work-from-home opportunities.
On Indeed alone, there are currently over 194,000 remote openings posted throughout the U.S. There’s no question that employers recognize the many benefits of allowing workers flexible work arrangements. In response, virtually all employment advertising sites have added the unique "remote" geographical code into their system.
2. Don't Fully Trust the Above Step; Do This, As Well!
In addition to trying some searches using the above method of putting "remote" in the location box, I'd recommend running a second search that's a little more sophisticated. In this case, you'll want to run a search on Indeed.com that leaves the geographical box blank but contains the following phrase in the main "What" search box on the site:
"remote role" OR "remote work" OR "hybrid role" OR telecommute OR telecommuting OR "work from home" OR "home office" OR "virtual work"
While only some employers directly specify a job's geography as remote, many might still tout the option of remote or hybrid work in the job description itself. By searching for the phrase above, you'll turn up a ton of additional openings you hadn't previously seen that might offer a convenient telecommuting arrangement.
If you want to narrow the results down to your specific field or career path, try running the exact search shown below and replace the placeholder phrase "job title" with whatever type of role you're targeting.
"job title" AND ("remote role" OR "remote work" OR "virtual work" OR hybrid OR telecommute OR telecommuting OR "work from home")
3. Designate Remote or Hybrid in the LinkedIn "Open to Work" Section
Want another way to increase your odds of finding a work-from-home role? If you're on LinkedIn, use the “Open to Work” setting on your profile page to indicate to employers that you’re seeking a new opportunity. Under the same menu, you can specify both Remote and Hybrid as the workplace types you'd consider. If you're currently employed and seeking a new job confidentially, be sure to read the important privacy considerations LinkedIn explains in their help section regarding this feature.
If you decide to upload your resume on more traditional job sites such as Indeed.com, Monster.com and Glassdoor.com, you'll find they also generally contain options for indicating your preference for work-from-home or hybrid roles. Most of these sites are aware of the massive shift towards remote work in recent years and now allow professionals to indicate their preferences as part of their account and profile settings.
4. Research Career Paths Highly Suited to Remote Work
For early-career professionals just starting their professional journey and established workers contemplating a career shift, now might be a great time to investigate some fresh job options that lend themselves more readily to remote work. To do so, speak with school admission officers, professors and established professionals in various fields that interest you. Ask them their opinion of how flexible a particular type of job might be, geographically, and whether it would be a good choice for somebody seeking to work remotely.
Let's not kid ourselves; there are still plenty of roles in today's world (e.g., chef, plumber, nurse, forest ranger, safety manager, etc.) that require going into a physical workplace. And yet, things are changing fast, and you might discover certain exceptions when talking to people in these fields.
For example, with the growing adoption of telehealth practices, many medical professionals can now work remotely, at least part-time, providing advice to patients via phone and web conference. So don't make assumptions — talk to people in the fields that interest you and get their take on things!
5. Research Companies that Have Gone "All In" on Telecommuting
Lastly, if you’ve already adopted all the methods above to find a remote role, one additional technique that might be worth exploring is to hunt for companies that have announced a permanent commitment to allow their employees to work from home.
Beyond simply doing a bit of Googling (e.g., "Seattle companies allowing remote work") on this topic, be sure to check out several of the well-known business sites that have already compiled lists of remote-friendly companies. Here are a few resources you might find helpful:
Clockwise List of "33 Companies Going Permanently Remote"
FlexJobs List of Top 100 "Remote Work" Employers
Forbes List of "The Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs in 2022"
Levels.fyi List of "Companies Going Remote"
BulitInSeattle List of "Top Companies Hiring Remote Workers in Seattle, WA"
There are lots of creative methods that enterprising professionals can follow to maximize their chances of joining the remote work revolution. If you're looking to telecommute for the first time or to maintain an existing "virtual" arrangement you've recently wrangled for yourself, the above tips should prove helpful in helping you track down your next virtual gig!