Over the past months I have been getting a lot of the same questions: Where should I start if I want to work remotely? How do I know this is something for me? How do I know this is feasible? Therefore, time for a roadmap to remote working and being a digital nomad. And what better way to write it from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, where I will be for the upcoming two weeks to remote work and surf.
A whole new landscape
First of all, there are a lot of different categories in this whole new landscape: there are the digital nomads and the remote workers. Though kind of the same, it is thought that digital nomads really earn a living from online working, while changing places (or countries) every couple of weeks or months, they typically don´t own a home or have to much of a base. Remote workers, work, well.. remotely. This cán of course be while travelling. But it can also be from the comfort of your own home office. Just, to explain the difference between the two when you stumble across
You can become a remote worker by starting your own company (as I did three years ago with Sivin Communications) and/or by joining a, what they call, fully or partially-distributed company (as I did last October when I started working with WeForest).
Of course, if you start your own company, you get to make the rules, so I will not focus on that right now (though you can read more about it in my past blog). Here I will focus on how to join a fully or partially-distributed Company, to be able to work from wherever you want, be it your own home, a co-working or a different country every couple of months.
How do I know this is something for me?
Whether it´s for you? That´s also a good question. As said, it sounds great on Instagram 😉 And after I just counted that I´ve worked from 21 different countries (not counting the doubles) over the past three years, it sounds like a dream. But don´t get fooled.. nothing is just paradise! I already wrote a blog about it, but am currently waiting approval to be posted on one of the bigger sites for female entrepreneurs Business Babes, so hang in there. It´s coming (and the English translation will be published here after that..) In the end, it all depends on what you find most important in both your work life and your personal life.
Then, there are some jobs that just cannot be done remotely, think: dentists, veterinarians, and the likes. But in our ever more digital world, former jobs like teachers, psychologists and especially anything communications, IT and social media related can easily be done remotely.
Get yourself a good map
A nomad without a proper, understandable map would be lost. A NonMad without a digital map on where to find remote jobs would be equally lost (nice metaphor eh ;)).
Let´s start with saying that remote working is still rather new, and it will take some time to find your job. And when you finally find some, be prepared that competition is tough. However, don´t give up, and make sure you show the skills a remote employer values (more about that later).
Since I focus only on jobs in the ´development and social change sector´, I started looking on UNjobs, C4D and Impactpool for example, selecting the home-based options only.
A simple Google search for ´vacancy´, ´communications´ ´social change´ ´remote´ can also provide some interesting entrances.
A good place to search is idealist.org as well. Though most jobs are based in the US, and though they offer remote working possibilities, they might still prefer a remote worker in the US (which is great if you are that lucky one), but sometimes jobs based on other continents stop by.
Internationally known remote working platforms are: Remotive, FlexJobs, Remote.co, Working Nomads, We Work Remotely, Skip the Drive, and Jobspresso.Outsourcely. The AngelList platform for start-up jobs (though mostly ICT related) also has a ´remote´ option.
Then, I will share some of the
big list that my dear business-partner David Kramer put together last year,
while we were both on the hunt for a bit more stability (thanks Dave!!!!).
Remember to look for the home-based or remote options. Bond jobs (mostly in the UK,
but I did find my WeForest job here), PCD Network, NGO Job Board, Devex, Development Aid, OFDA Jobs and One Planet Business
Facebook groups
Join Facebook groups: there are many Facebook groups out there. For example, ´digital nomads´, ´remote working jobs´, etc. Though I sometimes become a bit overwhelmed by the amount of posts (of which a 65% is not really relevant, related or simply not interesting), there might be good stuff every once in a while. Or at least it´s a good place to put a post stating what exactly you are looking for (if you can handle some of the unrelated and probably annoying comments you will most likely get).
Where NOT to look
Don´t waste your time searching for remote jobs on LinkedIn. Funnily enough it´s one of the best places to search for a ´normal´ job, but it provides no search option for remote jobs only. So unless you want to spend weeks scrolling through everything and seeing if they are potentially open to remote options, this might not be the way to go. What you cán do is to post on your wall what you are specifically looking for, and you might never know where your network might lead you.
Furthermore, the bigger job opening boards such as SEEK, Monsterboard, etc. are not the best way to go to find solely remote jobs.
Check what kind of legal status you are being offered
One thing to take into account as you consider going down this path (other than seeing if it fits your personality and your lifestyle): Check the legal status and what the remote employment concerns. In my past experiences working with WeForest, but also working on multiple-months assignments with organizations such as the World Agroforestry Centre and CIFOR, I have been hired as a consultant. In the case of WeForest this is because they are legally based in Belgium (amongst others) and do not have a legal entity in Spain. They therefore hire me as a consultant, I invoice them monthly and pay taxes as a freelancer in Spain.
This means whoever that, though it feels like being a remote employee, I am in charge of my own taxes, insurances, social security, equipment, internet and phone costs and pension funds, and am not entitled to paid sick leave, bank holidays or general vacation days.
If this is the construction you are offered, take into account these extra costs as you discuss your rate.
So there you go, start searching through the big World Wide Web to find your new job. And don´t forget to let me know if you have any other leads, ideas or.. if you managed to find your remote job!!!
As a follow-up, I will soon post a blog about which skills remote companies prefer
