“You get a remote job, you get a remote job, everybody gets a remote job!”

Okay, so since Oprah isn’t leaving remote jobs under your seat, you’re gonna have to land that dream role yourself.

But, in this day and age, when there are seemingly thousands of job opportunities floating around the internet, why, when you’re the perfect fit for the gig, is it so hard to land a decent remote role?

This isn’t Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and you’re not searching for an elusive Golden Ticket. This is real life, and your career and happiness is on the line. But you’ve spent hours sifting through openings on the same remote job board and nothing seems to happen. Securing your next move shouldn’t be this hard, right?

Of course, we all know how tough the job market is right now thinks back to the post-Covid layoffs and thousands of global retrenchments but all is not lost… Sure, you’ll have high competition with many applicants looking in the same places you are, but I’ve got something that can help.

In this post, I discuss the anxiety-inducing topic of how hard it is to find a remote job. I also share tips and strategies to help you improve your job search approach as you look for your next remote placement.

With a little bit of swift thinking, grit, and determination, I firmly believe you can land the dream remote job you’ve been waiting for. You can travel the world, live the digital nomad lifestyle, and have a high-paying paycheck to match.

If your search is taking a little longer than expected, this blog post will give you some great ideas for shaking up your remote job search and finding that kick-ass remote job opportunity you’ve been longing for.

Brian from DevOps just flew the coop and landed in Brazil… indefinitely. And you can, too.

Why is it Hard to Get a Remote Job?

Are you tired of hearing crickets after you hit send on an application or opening your inbox to find another email with opening lines like “We regret to inform you…”? (It’s the worst, right?).

Even though career experience can be a big advantage, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll find a remote job easily. Experience is just one piece of the puzzle, and in this case, there are many pieces in the set.

There are several factors that could add to the challenge of landing a remote job. From what we’ve seen, these are the most common:

• High Competition: Working remotely is so popular that pretty much everyone, including their dog, seems to be packing their bags and swapping their office chairs for seats in cafes around the world. Now, remote work has been around for ages, but after the response to COVID-19, it’s even more popular than before. Beyond the health risks of working in close contact with others, professionals have seen the benefits of working remotely (better quality of life, freedom, no commute, travel opportunities, etc.), and more people are opting for the digital nomad lifestyle. Simply put, there are so many professionals looking for remote work right now; the job market is just competitive af.
• Company Policies and Restrictions: Unfortunately, some companies tend to prefer on-site work or require it entirely. This could be because of the nature of the work, security concerns, a need for in-person collaboration, or similar. Another thing to consider is that some companies could have remote work limitations for tax or legal reasons. In this case, they can’t let their entire workforce work remotely. Companies like this will have fewer remote job opportunities, so it’s a good idea to get to know which companies are sincerely remote, but more on that later.
• Networking and Referrals: Often, remote jobs are filled by people sharing within their network. We all know that word-of-mouth referrals come with a bump of credibility, and sometimes, employers look for this reassurance. If you’re not well-connected within your industry and are going into job applications cold, you may struggle to find a remote position.
• Skills: Beyond the skill required for the job, remote work often comes with other, more subtle soft skills. Good communication, expert-level time management, an ability to self-motivate, and the capability to work independently are all things that employers will consider when placing a remote role. Also, if this is your first time landing a remote job, employers may consider your lack of remote work experience a hindrance. If you’ve never worked in a remote team before, and if your previous jobs were all on-site, it’s more of a gamble for an employer to take on a resource who needs to adjust to the remote work setup.

Sounds bleak, I know, but don’t be discouraged. This is a challenging task but not an impossible one. With equal parts determination and patience, you’ll land the remote job you’ve been searching for.

Strategies to Find Your Next High-Paying Remote Job Opportunity

Finding the right remote job posting is challenging when you have no idea where to start. So, to help you along, I’m going to share some strategies and tactics for your job search.
Back to our puzzle reference, start with the corners first, and just keep going until you see the big picture. (P.S. The big picture is you, working at the Outsite coworking cafe in Lisbon, coffee in hand).

Find the company first

It seems counterintuitive to start with the company rather than the job role, but here’s a sobering, not-so-fun fact for you: most remote job listings are scams.

In fact, the listings promising your dream remote job are fake, the positions don’t actually exist, and the process is used by recruiters for data harvesting. Ouch.

And the worst we’ve heard so far: a remote employer asking for a deposit payment or money exchange.

To make matters worse, other remote companies share job postings that, despite their shiny exteriors to lure you in, actually contain hidden catches and restrictions in the fine print.

Sheesh! It’s wild out there.

That’s why finding real, authentic remote companies is the first step in your journey. Beyond avoiding scams, to land a remote job, you need to make sure that the company you apply for is actually fully remote in the first place.

What’s the point in having a banging CV and cover letter to match when the company you’re applying for either is not fully remote or a scammy crock of shit?

When you’re scrolling through remote job openings, take the time to dig deeper into the company offering the job. Read their website’s About page and see if they’ve made their remote culture known. Cross-reference their Careers page to check if they’ve listed any restrictions or limitations. Check out their reviews on Glassdoor.

After deep diving, you’ll quickly discover who are genuine, fully remote companies offering fully remote, authentic jobs.

Authentic remote companies have a culture and processes built around their remote-first approach. They know the costs they’re saving, they know they’ve got access to global talent, and they know you don’t want to be location-dependent. No fighting, no fuss.

You can find remote companies in your industry with a simple Google search or by scouring LinkedIn with a ‘remote’ filter on your job searches. But beware of the scammers, and don’t get too discouraged if some of your applications are misses.

Adjust your CV

Employers or recruiters receive countless job applications each day. Your resume needs to stand out from the crowd.

First, make sure your CV is tailored to the position you’re applying for.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to resumes. When you apply for each job, carefully consider which role you’re applying for and tailor your CV for each application.

Tailoring your CV every time can be time-consuming, but templatizing the process can speed things up.

Only show previous employers, experience, and projects that are relevant to the prospective job. Adding data-driven results or positive outcomes will raise eyebrows and catch the attention of a potential employer.

Examples could include “Increased site traffic by X%” or “Implemented X solution that improved Y in the following ways…” or similar.

Employers want to know you’re the best fit for the job so making sure the experience you provide is relevant and gets results is a big W.

Then, look at the job specs and the skills required—these are huge indicators of what they’re looking for. Add these skills to your CV (no lying, of course), and it’ll ensure your resume aligns with what they’re looking for.

Finally, make sure your CV is well written and free of grammatical errors (no brainer).

You’re on a mission to flex, so make sure pesky grammar or spelling errors don’t discredit you. If need be, you can always hire a professional CV writer to help you structure your accomplishments, sound professional, and so on.

If you’re looking for a cool online CV builder, VisualCV is a great option.

On the topic of applications, it goes without saying that similar to your CV, your cover letter also needs to be tailored for each position you apply for.
You may find yourself sending out plenty of cover letters, so keep a ‘base letter’ close at hand as a template and edit it for each role.

One last thing to remember is that remote companies are pretty nontraditional. You may, if you are asked to, and if the company and brand vibe align, opt for a more creative or innovative approach to the cover letter, particularly the starting paragraphs:

• Share your values and note how they align with those of the organization.
• Highlight a mutual connection at the company (more on the importance of networking later).
• Share some ideas you have for the company, possibly from an audit or mini-assessment of sorts.
• Showcase a professional accomplishment you’ve achieved.
• Be uber creative and tell a story (an excellent approach for more creative positions).

Recruiters and employers receive countless applications and cover letters. Their eyes probably glaze straight over the “To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to apply for the position of…” text. So, if you can capture attention from the start, you’ll stand out and be remembered.

Create a portfolio

A portfolio is a brilliant digital asset that you can throw into the mix to expand on the notable points and accomplishments listed in your CV.

As a living, breathing online exhibition of your creativity, strategic thinking and talent, a portfolio is great for displaying your work, showcasing results and sharing testimonials or social proof.

If you don’t have sufficient real-life company experience, you could build up your portfolio by:

• Sharing passion projects you’ve been working on (if they’re relevant to the skills required for the job).
• Offer work for free to build up a portfolio, such as pro bono work for non-profits, causes, or initiatives you care about.
• Take on freelance remote work (this is great for both building a portfolio and gaining more remote work experience—a particularly good idea for aspiring digital nomads without previous remote work experience).

For developers, there are plenty of free coding initiatives that you could participate in, each resulting in portfolio-worthy projects to showcase. Contributing to Open-Source projects can also help build out your portfolio.

At the bottom of each previous job listed in your resume, you could easily add a hyperlink to the related project in your portfolio, and boom, you’ll have an epic body of work to back up your claims.

Get networking

Word-of-mouth referrals are still the number one driver of trust and credibility, especially with remote jobs.

If you’re already established in your chosen field, then trust me, your network is your biggest asset. When you’re searching for a job, tap into your network and mobilize your biggest assets—people who already know, like, and trust you.

Strike up conversations and share your intentions for a new remote opportunity. People can only put your name out there if they know what you’re looking for. Some of your connections will go out of their way to mention your name in the right rooms.

If you don’t already have a network, you need one, like yesterday.

These days, many positions are filled through referrals alone. They’re not even publicly advertised. Instead, employees are asked to make recommendations for the role, and jobs get filled rapidly.

This cuts down the long-winded application, review, and vetting process for employers, recruiters, or H.R. staff, but for you, this means there are remote jobs being offered that you will never hear about.

It’s crucial that you build up a network of professionals, so if you’re still operating like a lonely island, it’s time for you to brush up on your professional speed dating skills and start flirting (for your career, not your love life, to clarify).

Without a solid network to lean into, you may struggle to find a remote job, so to get better connected, consider the following:

• Join online networking sites or groups related to your industry. Surprisingly, Facebook Groups can be a gold mine for connections and are often free to join. In contrast, more professional networking groups come at a cost (usually a nominal fee in the grand scheme of things).
• Find in-person networking events relevant to your industry. MeetUp is an excellent platform for this, as you can almost always find an event in your city that’ll attract like-minded peer professionals.
• This is an outlier idea, but travel! You’re an aspiring remote worker, so if funds and vacation time allow, consider booking a flight to one or two nomad hotspots that you like and start building connections on the ground. Some of our favorite nomad hubs include Bali, Medellin, Mexico, and Cape Town. Once you’re in the city you could see yourself in, find nomad meetups or similar events relative to your field.

Once you’ve got your name, face, and intentions out there, you can start building a presence in these networking spaces. Running in the right circles is crucial for credible referrals.

Another thing to think about is social media. While not a formal networking space, social media instantly connects you to a plethora of people.

Reach out to trusted friends and ex-colleagues on LinkedIn (or even Facebook or Instagram—do not discredit the power of big conversations going down in the DMs).

If you’re feeling brave, you can create a public post letting your connections know you’re hunting down your next remote job. You never know; your first-grade teacher who comments on your dog pics may have a weekly bridge club night with the mother of a tech firm head honcho.

Be brave, be bold. Make strategic connections and get your intentions out there. Buckle up. Those messages will come pouring in fast.

Search for jobs in the right places

I hate to break it to you again, but you may be looking for jobs that can lead to dead ends.

To help your job search, look on platforms and websites that focus explicitly on remote job listings—and authentic, non-scammy ones at that.

Also, be creative with your search.
Some of the most popular platforms for searching for remote jobs include Wellfound, Remote OK, and We Work Remotely. However, these job boards attract the most attention.

You may need a new approach to looking for remote jobs, and if you’re interested, I have the thing for you.

ICYMI, we send out daily emails to our Beach Community, where we feature two fully remote companies and their open job positions. Our team researches and vets the company and job, ensuring any listing sent out is authentic, fully remote, and certifiably not B.S.

If you are using a more traditional job board like LinkedIn or ZipRecruiter, remember to add filters to your search.

When entering the search criteria, enter the name of your desired position followed by the word “remote” into the job title field or enable the “remote” checkbox (depending on how the platform is set up). If possible, leave the location field blank, as this will bring more opportunities your way.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for the first time around, play with the phrasing of the job title or enter related titles.

Prepare for your interview

Yay, friend! If you’ve been asked to attend an interview, it means your foot is halfway through the door. You’re a strong contender for the role, you’ve piqued the company’s interest, and now, it’s your time to dazzle and shine.

Before you find yourself face-to-face with a hiring manager, recruiter, or a higher-up in the company, take some time to do the following:

• Research the company thoroughly. Read everything you can about them online, follow their socials, and, if you’re called to, interact with their content. Learn about what the company does and understand how they communicate this with their audience. Talking about some of their recent work or projects you admire will show that you go the extra mile.
• If possible, do some research on who is interviewing you. Prepare any questions you may have about the company, role, or responsibilities ahead of time.
• If, during the interview, you are called to, you could always offer to do a test project. This will give you brownie points, showing your dedication to and interest in the role. If not a requirement for the application itself, think ahead of time about what you’d be willing to offer as a test project.

Got interview jitters? Practice beforehand with a friend or family member, or even better, a peer who is in the same or similar industry.

Consider a mentor

Spending time with and learning from someone more experienced is always an option, and you could stand to walk away with a lot.

This doesn’t have to be a formal mentor, although that could be a prospect, rather someone in the industry who is in a position you aspire to be in, working for a company you admire—someone who can expand your frame of reference or ways of thinking.

They can share more about what they’ve learned from their job and talk more about their experience in the industry. They can even shed light on the interview process. Finding this person is the first step, so start with your network.

Don’t give up

I know it can feel discouraging to get emails saying, “We regret to inform you…” but remember, the poignant quote so carefully plastered on Pinterest quote graphics and embroidery on tea towels says, “Rejection is merely a redirection.”

Persevere. You’re getting closer, and it’ll all work out.

Every interview you take, every CV you send, every time you show up is another step in the right direction—a step toward your remote lifestyle and freedom-focused future.

Apply for multiple remote jobs, and just don’t stop. Keep refining as you go, lean into your network for advice and guidance, and maybe even consider reaching out to companies you didn’t land and asking what you could’ve done differently. Try to take a lesson away from each experience.

Write down a list of your ideal remote work scenario. Where in the world are you? What work are you doing? How do you feel in these moments?

Create a vision board and pin pictures of your top remote destinations (or, better yet, print out postcards from the places you’re dreaming of going to).

Wake up every morning and pretend you’re having a phone call with a seriously supportive friend where you tell them about your morning commute to a cafe where you’ll smash out a work sprint before your midday yoga class/surf/10,000 steps stroll around the city.

Take aligned action by repeatedly applying for jobs and continually putting yourself out there.

Fun, woo woo sidebar: When I first decided to quit my full-time job and pursue working for myself, I made a vision board. I pulled pics from various spaces on the internet and used InDesign to create a grid-style collage (the pre-Canva days were tough for non-designers like me).

I distinctly remember one image I pulled from the Unsettled website (ICYDK Unsettled is an organization that arranges remote trips for nomads). This image was of a girl sitting at a wooden desk, typing on a laptop, surrounded by leafy green trees. Whenever I looked at this picture, I imagined myself working remotely from a cafe in Bali—typing away at my laptop, unequivocally free, making moves by myself in a life I designed.

Now, nine years have passed, and I’ve found myself working remotely in plant-filled cafes all around the world. And Bali is next on my list.

Don’t knock the woo woo energy stuff. Try it, or don’t try it. But, know that, sometimes, this shit works.

In closing…

Is it actually hard to find remote work? The answer is (sorry to say) “Yes.” You’ve got high competition, ever-changing job markets, sneaky scam listings trying to catch you out… and yet, you keep at it.

Why? Because you know the end result of all this hard work will be so damn good.

Admiring the city sights from the top of Table Mountain after a long workday. Strolling along the cobblestones as you amble to your favorite cafe in Lisbon. Planning your work day around the surf and the swell. Enjoying a peaceful, slow morning ritual before work with a meditation sesh overlooking the treetop canopy of a Balanese jungle paradise. Meeting your new best friends at a coworking space and heading out for after-hours drinks at Barcelona’s hottest bars.

It’s possible, and it’s worth it. Each step is just a piece of a puzzle. Keep going.

If you’re not finding the remote role of your dreams, it may just be time to change your strategy. Switch it up and try something new.