You wake up, drink some water, walk to the living room, and open up the sliding glass doors that overlook the Pacific Ocean.
You take a deep breath and look out over this landscape:
It's been almost a month, but the view never gets old.
You dress for the beach and go for your morning walk.
You think about your to-do list:
After your walk, you head back to the apartment, make some coffee, and open your laptop.
Another day as a remote worker traveling abroad.
So, how do you find a remote job in 2022?
In this article, we're going to discuss:
1. Five benefits of working remotely
2. Five important remote work statistics
3. Five of the best strategies for finding remote work
Let's go!
First, these benefits are going to assume a few things:
So, what are some major benefits?
I've never seen this point in another remote work article.
If you live in California and earn $2,000 a month, you’re probably going to struggle to make ends meet. But in most other countries on the planet, you’d live a very comfortable life.
Take Turkey for example.
Turkey is a wonderful country with an incredibly rich history.
You can walk down the street and see ancient ruins in the patch of grass by the sidewalk.
It’s an amazing place to live, and your USD will go far due to the tragically devalued local currency, the Lira. You can stay there for up to 90 days in every 180-day period, so traveling around that area can be advantageous.
When you work remotely for a company that allows you to travel, you have to think about this:
How can I use the power of the USD to live a better life abroad?
This is basic economics. If you go to countries where the local currency is worth less than the US dollar, then you’re going to be earning more money relative to the local economy.
That means that if you earn $20 an hour in the US and travel to certain Latin American or Southeast Asian countries for example, you’ll generally be able to live a more comfortable life.
You’ll be able to travel, enjoy nights out, and not worry about having that morning cup of coffee at the local café.
For example, I lived in the Philippines on a remote island and spent $200 to rent this sizeable house with a large lawn for a month:
The Wi-Fi wasn't great, so I bought cellphone data and used it as a hotspot to perform basic computer work.
And more recently, I visited Quito in Ecuador and spent $1,100 for a month long stay at an apartment complex with a full gym, private 24-seat movie theater, pool, sauna, hot tub, Turkish bath, basketball & squash courts, etc. We even had a bowling alley with a bar above the pool! Everything was booked in advance, so we could have the entire sauna or pool to ourselves for an hour.
I would have a really hard time finding accommodations that nice for that price back in California.
Everyone's worried about gas prices these days, and with gas prices over $6 a gallon in Los Angeles, cutting out your work commute can save you hundreds of dollars a month. Plus, it's better for the environment!
Working remotely generally gives you a more flexible schedule than working in person. If you have a remote job, you're probably not going to clock in at a 9-5.
Most remote workers are expected to complete tasks by a given deadline.
They're not expected to sit at their desk during office hours.
Many websites cite loneliness as one of the major drawbacks of working remotely. But if you're traveling with your spouse, family, or significant other, then loneliness is not an issue at all.
If you work remotely from home in the US, then that means you have more time to spend with your family and kids, more moments to enjoy watching everyone grow up.
And if you're traveling while working, then you get to explore the world with your loved ones while working when it's convenient for you and your company.
If that sounds great to you, then I hope the rest of this article is useful!
In case it wasn't apparent already, working remotely allows you to travel the world and explore new cultures.
Many remote jobs demand that you live in the US while working for them, but if you travel abroad without taking up residence in another country, then you're probably not bound to another country's tax laws.
You're just out traveling.
For now, we'll assume that you can work remotely, and your job allows you to travel.
Now, instead of planning your morning commute, you get to plan your month-long stay in Thailand, and your three-month journey through Turkey.
Now that you understand an overview of some of the major benefits of remote work, let's look at some of the newest statistics on the subject.
During my research for this article, I came across several credible sources for remote work statistics. These statistics are key to understanding the state of remote work in 2022, and I’ll highlight the most important stats here.
These are some of the most useful and persuasive statistics available for those who want to travel abroad and work remotely.
Remote job posts on LinkedIn doubled between May 2020 to May 2021— from 6% of all job posts to 14%. (Owl Labs)
There are hundreds of remote job boards available online, and while I would recommend a different approach (see the last section), there are tons of remote jobs available for you to apply for.
32.2% of hiring managers state that overall productivity has gone up with their remote employees, and a follow-up survey of 1,000 hiring managers found that 68% said it was going better than when they first started working remotely (UpWork)
This means that remote workers are becoming more and more productive as they get used to their new roles and working habits.
Feel free to bring this point to your current management if you have a job that you can take remote!
In 2019, the industries with the highest number of remote workers were healthcare (15%), technology (10%), and financial services (9%). (Owl Labs)
In 2021, we saw other industries catch up:
That means that if you already work in these fields, your chances of landing a remote job are higher than average.
For remote workers who travel abroad, this means that you can spend more on travel and experiencing the world instead of paying for lunches out, office commutes, and the $12 a gallon for gasoline that we'll presumably be paying in 2023.
This might seem daunting, but take it as a challenge, not as defeat. The pandemic has forced companies to be more flexible.
A remote workforce can be more beneficial than an onsite one.
Now that you know the benefits and key statistics for remote work, let's learn how to find a remote job!
Finding a remote job that lets you travel abroad is like finding a lost photo in your 600 GB pictures folder. It's tough, but not impossible.
That's why you have to leverage every advantage you have.
And what's your biggest advantage? Your network.
Do any of your friends know of a startup that's hiring?
They're likely to be more flexible. Startups are known for letting their employees work remotely.
Do any local businesses need help with their social media campaigns?
If you run their socials you can source pictures and make posts from anywhere in the world.
Are your dogs or cats super photogenic?
If they are (and be honest with yourself) then maybe they can make great pup-fluencers. Alright, I'm kitten around, but seriously,
Your network is one of your biggest strengths in finding a remote job.
If you want to grow your network for finding a remote job, LinkedIn is your easiest and most effective resource.
We have tons of articles that explain LinkedIn strategies, so check them out for more details, but the gist is this:
1. Flesh out your LinkedIn profile and make it competitive.
We can help you with that if you need it.
2. Once you have a killer profile, connect with people.
Identify remote jobs that you're interested in.
Connect with people who are hiring for these jobs or connect with people that have these jobs. If you're connecting with people who have these jobs, tell them that you want to get to where they are, and ask if they can help. Be sure to bring something to the table for them, too. People on LinkedIn are generally helpful, and if you find someone who isn't, don't worry. Just keep searching!
3. It's easy to connect with people who share common interests or backgrounds.
Are you both alumni of the same university? Great! Let's connect!
Are you both fans of working remotely? Of course! Connect.
Do you follow the same show and are worried about getting spoilers? Connect anyways! It's for the best.
If you want to grow your network and want one-on-one guidance, check out our services here and we can set you up with one of our service providers who can help you connect with the right people to find you a remote job.
Do you work at a small company?
This point is for you.
Quick story: I used to work in an office in Los Angeles and I commuted from Orange County.
I didn't have air conditioning in my old truck, so I carried a bottle of tap water and poured it over my head to keep cool in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 5 freeway.
True story.
That sucked.
I didn't want to make that commute anymore, so I figured out how to do all that work remotely.
If you are working for a small company doing basic office work, chances are you could figure out a way to go fully remote.
This is up to you and your situation.
I just hope that someone out there turns their office job into a remote job after hearing this story!
Definitely let me know if you do! 😄
What jobs are going to be remote in 2023? What jobs can you work towards now, that will likely be totally remote in a few years?
Here it pays to think ahead.
Today's in-person jobs can be tomorrow's remote working opportunities.
If you can answer this question, you can set yourself up to outpace the market.
Many people want a remote job, and there aren't enough to go around.
If you want to standout, you're going to have to get creative.
This is unique for each person and each circumstance, so it's hard for me to guide you here.
It's best if you contemplate this yourself.
Maybe you can go to businesses around your neighborhood and negotiate a remote working deal.
Maybe you can reach out to businesses online and show them how you could benefit them with your skills.
Are you a programmer? Writer? Do you walk dogs remotely with your patented robot?
Sometimes you can't find the answers online.
Sometimes you've gotta have a long think and discover your eureka moment.
Think about your current skills or skills that you could develop and think about how they could put you ahead of the competition.
If you've applied for jobs online, you know this feeling:
You find a job you might qualify for, and you apply on the website.
You fill out all your information: employment history, education, skills, etc.
Then they have you upload your resume.
Then you have to take a personality test and tell them why you're most excited to work for them.
Then you have to type it all over again because your browser refreshed.
And that was just one application.
If you're like me, you didn't even get past the second page before giving up and thinking it's pointless.
Well, if you hate applying for jobs yourself and want us to apply to fifty jobs that perfectly match your qualifications and goals, check out our Auto Apply service.
This service is incredibly useful if you want to find a remote job.
Why?
When you sign up for Auto Apply, you tell us about what jobs you want, the jobs and experiences you've had, and everything else we need to know to apply to the right jobs for you.
If you search through job boards, it's really hard to know where you're a good fit.
Our professionals know where you're a good fit.
They will look for remote jobs that fit your skillset, your experiences, and your career goals.
When you apply for a job online, you're competing with hundreds or even thousands of other applicants.
That's why you have to make sure you apply for the right jobs. Not to mention you have to have a perfect resume to be considered over all the other candidates.
But, if you want to find job boards where you can apply to jobs yourself, it's tedious, but they're out there.
Just google: "remote job boards 2022"
And try to look for sites that let employees go 100% remote.
Finding a remote job can be difficult, especially with how competitive it is out there.
This article went over the benefits of finding a remote job, and some strategies for getting there.
Hopefully this article showed you that it's worth the struggle to find a remote job, and that if you work hard enough, you can make it happen.
If you want one-on-one guidance through your remote job search, we can help.
We can update your resume, make your LinkedIn shine, apply to jobs for you, and even prepare you for your interviews.
We help people find their dream jobs.
It's our thing.
And we can definitely help you find yours.
Be sure to reach out to me on LinkedIn and/or Instagram with any questions or comments!
I might just write another article answering your questions, so be sure to follow our blog here and follow us on our social channels: Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, & TikTok!
Good luck, and happy hunting.
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