I am primed to look into full-time remote job opportunities for their flexibility and other advantages. My current job allows a couple days of wfh, but demands a commute to the office on most, even when most of my day is in an empty office and done online/via Teams, etc.
I also love the idea of making my own schedule and getting out of the 9-5 track.
Anyone been down this path with good experiences to share for my info gathering? Places to look? Cautionary tales?
My company has been WFH/hybrid since the start of the pandemic, and is only now dipping their toe in the water of having people go back in the office occasionally. At first, I liked the WFH lifestyle, but after the last 4 years I have these observations (about myself):
On the upside:
Your upsides are the greener grass I’m longing for. But you make some good points about disconnection and isolation, which I understand and experience to a degree in my current role, along with other things that make me think a change of some kind is on the horizon. Thank you, I appreciate your comments!
I’ve been offered 5 remote jobs in the past thirteen years. Three of them were academic-administrative roles. The best places to look for a remote position (in my limited experience) would be online higher education if you’re not picky and are willing to accept a pencil-pushing, bureaucratic, do-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again job - University of Phoenix, Ohio University, University of the Cumberlands, Southern New Hampshire University, Champlain College, etc. None of them pay well (since academics is never where you go to make bank,) but they are one of the most remote-friendly employers. And they often give fairly generous amounts of PTO.
Upside of work-from-home: Can sleep more (with my sleep disorder, it would have been difficult or dangerous to commute in traffic every day,) can take a nap on a real bed in the middle of the day, can stay away from sick coworkers (during Covid,) don’t have to dress up unless you’re going to be on camera for a Zoom call.
Downside: Not much, unless you’ve got something bad at home. For instance, right now my house has a mold infestation and I’m trying to figure out how to deal with it and I’m inhaling spores and mycotoxins that I wouldn’t if I were in an office. But such events are rare.
ISTM any job search starts with what skills you have. Until we know what ki ds of jobs you can plausibly perform we have no idea where to direct you.
You may already be aware of this, but a lot of jobseekers have been scammed by “job opportunities,” especially work-from-home. A common scam is this: you will have an interview via Zoom, they will say you got the job, and then will send you a check for you to purchase a laptop and other hardware. They eventually steal your money in the process. Be careful.
Thank you for your remote-friendly employer list! You say you were offered 5 remote jobs in the past 13 years - did you work them all?
Yes, I was waiting for some words on scams - I’m expecting to see many, as the internet does.
Thanks for mentioning that one - and more surely on the theme. I hate scammers. Life is hard enough.
No, I only took 3 of them. The other two would have been too much work on top of the original stuff.
Thanks, Mod, for changing to the more appropriate forum.