When you’re ready to find a remote job, it can be all too easy to get overwhelmed. Where do you look? What options are out there? Is something a scam? All these questions (and more!) will likely pop into your head at one time or another as you start your work-from-home job search.
And, a lot of times, all these unanswered questions can cause you to freeze up. So, instead of actually finding a remote job, you end up throwing in the towel out of total confusion.
Sound familiar? Don’t worry. You can conquer work-from-home overwhelm by arming yourself with the knowledge needed to help you find a remote job — even if you’re a total beginner.
First Things First…
Do yourself a favor and, before you even look at a single job listing, figure out which type of remote worker you are.
You may not know it, but there are several different types of work from home jobs to consider:
- Employee
- Freelance
- Contract
- Entrepreneur
Each type of job has its pros and cons, and one will probably be best suited for you than the others. Figuring out which one that is will streamline your remote job search, saving you plenty of time, energy and effort.
As a reminder, here are the basics of each type of remote job:
Remote Employee Positions
Most employee positions offer benefits, stability, and steady pay. Plus, taxes are withheld from your check. But, as an employee, you need to ask for permission for days off and must follow a schedule set by your employer. Often, a quiet home office free of noise and distractions is a must! Kids at home, noisy pets, or caretaker responsibilities can make it difficult to land an at-home employee position. Think you want to become a full-time remote employee? You need to grab the Ultimate Guide to Finding a Full-Time Remote Job with Benefits. The best part? You can pay what you want for the 74-page mega guide to help you kick your cubicle to the curb.
Freelance
As a freelancer, you are not an employee and are in charge of finding your own work. This means no benefits or steady pay. However, since you are your own boss, you get to set your own schedule, work on projects of your choosing, and negotiate your pay rate. For anyone with a busy schedule, freelancing offers plenty of flexibility to work when and where you can.
Independent Contractor Jobs
Like freelancers, independent contractors (ICs) are not employees. Instead, ICs are hired to work on a per project basis or for a predetermined length of time. Contractors are given the flexibility to work when and how they want, as long as they meet the parameters of their contract which may specify a certain number of hours logged each week. Although ICs are hired to work on a per project basis, contracts can end at any time for any reason.
Online Entrepreneur
As an online entrepreneur, you are completely in charge of everything. Today, there are tons of ways to earn a living from home as an online entrepreneur — Amazon FBA, blogging, niche job board, affiliate marketing, digital download, information marketing are just some of the ways! While online entrepreneurship offers the most flexibility, it takes time to see substantial income. You may start an online business as a side hustle and grow it to full-time over time.
Which Type Of Remote Worker Are You?
Only you know what type of remote job makes the most sense for you. If you’re a parent with little ones in your care, you’ll need the flexibility of freelancing or working as an independent contractor. If you’re in need of a steady remote job with health insurance and have a quiet home office, an employee position fits the bill.
Take an honest look at your current situation, responsibilities, and wants as a remote worker to help figure out which type of remote worker you are.
Set an Intentional Goal That Helps You Find a Remote Job
Now that you know which type of remote worker you are, give yourself a goal to work toward. Why should you set a remote job goal?
Studies show, over and over again, that those who set goals are more motivated and increase their likelihood of actually achieving change. By giving yourself a work-from-home goal to work towards, you can gather up the resources needed to help you get there.
For example, if you figured out that freelancing fits your busy schedule, you might say your goal is to become a freelance writer in six months or less and earn enough to replace your income from your 9 to 5.
Once you know your end goal, you can start taking the necessary steps to get you from Point A to Point B. Don’t worry at the moment if you have no idea how to get there. The whole purpose of goal setting, at the moment, is to give yourself something to work towards.
For extra help and a free worksheet that’ll help you set the perfect intentional remote job seeker goal, give this article a read. Seriously, read it right now and use the free worksheet to put your goal down on paper. Those who write down their goals are up to 40 times more likely to achieve it!
Don’t Be Afraid To Learn Something New
Have your goal written down? That’ great! Now you can get to the logistics of actually attaining it. Let’s say you want to become a freelance writer, or land a job as a developer for a distributed company, or even start a money-making website that lets you earn a full-time passive income. The problem? You have absolutely no idea how to achieve your goal.
That’s okay. The truth is, you can learn what you need to know or even develop a new skill. In fact, many remote job seekers need to learn something new or brush up on an existing skill to help them reach their ultimate work-at-home goal. I know I did. If it weren’t for all the ebooks, courses, and articles I read, I wouldn’t have had any idea of how to become a successful freelance writer.
Don’t let lack of knowledge hold you back from starting your work-from-home journey. There are plenty of free resources you can use to get started as you work to find a remote job.
Know Where to Look
Half the battle of finding a remote job is knowing where to look for legitimate work. Again, that’s why it’s so important to know which kind of remote job you’re after. There’s no sense applying to freelance positions if you want to work as an employee just as you shouldn’t waste time on employee positions if your end goal is to have your own money-making blog.
With that being said, there are a number of job boards and websites that offer plenty of leads to keep you busy, whether you’re thinking of freelancing, need an employee job, or are open to IC roles:
But popular job boards and marketplace sites aren’t the only places to find a remote job. The hiring pages of distributed workforces — those companies that let you work for anywhere — can lead to dozens of legit job leads every single day.
And because I want you to have as much success as possible as you work to find a remote job, I’ve put together a free cheatsheet for you that contains 141 direct links to the career pages of remote-friendly companies now hiring out-of-the-cube thinkers, like you. Grab your free copy by clicking the image below.
Questions? Hit me with them in the comments section! I’m here to help.
Happily,
P.S. This post contains affiliate links. What are they? Read my disclosure statement for more info.
Hi Ashlee,
Thanks for putting these tips together. This will definitely help anyone who is looking for their first work-from-home job.
The best thing to do is plan and knowing what type of remote worker we want to be to help narrow our search.
Already passed this along. Have a great week hun!
Cori
Thank you for all the tips/info it was very helpful.
Do you have a link to your blog/website where I can get more info.
My only other question is, I want to work from home as a customer service rep. but, I don’t have any experience, do you know of any courses/classes/web sites that can help me learn more of what to expect.