Remote careers aren’t for everyone. Before deciding to pursue a full-time fully remote career, it is important to step back and take stock of what makes you tick. Be honest with yourself. It might be tempting to opt for a remote career because the idea of rarely commuting or seamlessly scheduling yoga classes in the middle of the afternoon seems too good to be true. These considerations should not be guiding your decision-making.
Our experience with thousands of candidates seeking remote opportunities has shown that being successful in a remote career requires a lot more discipline, drive and creativity than you would think. Here are some important elements you should consider before dedicating yourself to a remote career:
Are you self-motivated and disciplined?
This may seem like an obvious question, but it’s probably the biggest reason why people succeed or fail in remote roles. Discipline is not only critical to your professional performance in a remote position, but it’s also important for preserving your personal life. Discipline stems from your inner motivation. If you are not motivated it will be impossible to continue to be disciplined every day. It takes just as much discipline to sit down at your desk to churn out a presentation as it does to stand up and go for a run or meet with a friend when you need to focus on your personal life and wellbeing.
Can you collaborate effectively in a remote working environment?
Collaborating remotely spans the gamut of co-editing to co-creating and co-innovating. If you do not see yourself becoming fluent in remote collaboration, it’s worth reflecting twice before pursuing a remote career. If being with people in the same room is a prerequisite to brainstorming and building, then a remote career is not for you.
Do Your Immediate Surroundings Support Your Remote Career Ambitions?
Many people opt for remote careers because they are seeking income while taking care of younger children or older family members. There are remote roles and positions that can accommodate such needs, but it is challenging to build a remote career if your immediate working environment is subsumed by care-taking responsibilities. Advancing in a remote role requires performance that can only be delivered if there is a clear line between work and home. If your remote role is a side-gig while you fulfill your care-taking responsibilities, that’s fine. But this won’t allow you to build out a remote career.
If you’re wondering what remote roles are out there, what they entail and which employers are hiring remote candidates, sign up for Jobkast, a job platform dedicated to fully remote positions worldwide. Sign up for job alerts, find out about remote-first employers, submit your profile or search and apply for remote roles.
