With the rise of remote work, many people have found new possibilities. The trend is certain to become even more popular in the future, with an ever-increasing number of businesses realizing they can save massively with this type of work.
The two main driving factors of remote work’s popularity, from an employer’s perspective, are outsourcing and savings on office space. For workers, the good news is that they can work from literally anywhere – their living room, a café, a park, a hotel, and even from abroad.
To switch to full-time remote work, however, it is necessary to either secure remote work from one trusted business or a stable recurring client base for gig workers.
There are actually numerous ways to work remotely. Let’s take a look at the 4 most popular ones.
1. Acquire Skills to Be a Freelancer
First of all, classic freelancing for many people portend gig work, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be so. For example, one can work as a contractor for one large business. The main perk is that freelancers aren’t employees. They can take up as many projects as they like or look for a stable full-time remote job.
However, if this option calls your name, keep in mind that the competition is fierce. You’ll need to actually acquire some skills to be successful. Fortunately, there are learning solutions aplenty available online. Since freelancers are the masters of their time, they can easily fit in a course or two to polish their skills.
Look up the current demand and make sure to learn the ropes of the trade.
2. Look for Fully Remote Positions
For people not interested in constantly relying on gigs, there’s the option to become contractors for one client. If this is your cup of tea, look up remote startups to work for. You’ll find that due to labor shortages, remote positions have become more popular than ever.
Startups are more open-minded when it comes to hybrid and fully remote work, as these people are, as a rule, tech-savvy and know the benefits of outsourcing.
3. Search for Hybrid Work Opportunities
Some people like the best of both worlds. For them, the best solution is to work for a company, partly in-office and partly from home. This is a great opportunity for people who can really stick to a learning and development plan.
Hybrid work covers a variety of models, as follows:
· Almost entirely off premises – mostly remote work with no office space
· Almost entirely on premises – limited remote work, large office space the majority of managers and workers
· Partially remote work, large office space – the majority of managers and workers spend most, but not all, of their time at the office
· Partially remote work, multiple hubs – multiple offices with the workforce dispersed among them
· Multiple microhubs – management and employees are dispersed across small microhubs located in different cities and countries
· Partially remote work, with flexible office space – no permanent offices; rented flex space used for periodic collaboration (but not connectivity)
Basically, there is a mixture for everyone’s taste, so if you’re looking for hybrid work, look up innovative companies offering multiple work options.
4. Travel as a Digital Nomad
Lastly, there’s digital nomadism as the ultimate dream come true for every remote worker. To be sure, this option is exciting, but if you don’t have any savings, it is very difficult.
Namely, even though many digital nomads relocate to a country with low costs of living and establish their base there and only then start traveling, there are still taxes and other costs to consider, so make sure to have some savings first.
On the matter of taxes, they can be complex, especially since there are both U.S. state and local taxes to consider, but fortunately, there are methods for streamlined filing that will help you keep your finances on track.
How to Choose the Best Type of Remote Work
As you can see, there is an option for everyone. If you’d like to try different options, start by familiarizing yourself with the demand and the offer. Remote workers, and especially freelancers and digital nomads, need to be competitive since they compete against remote workers from the whole wide world.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a job for everyone – just that well-paid jobs come with higher requirements. If you don’t meet them, stick to eLearning. Build a portfolio you’ll be proud of and don’t accept the first offer you get. Shop around until you’ve learned the rates and the offers.
No matter what you do, make sure to polish your soft skills and pay attention to literacy, as you’ll be writing a lot of emails and communicating with many different people from different cultures online. When traveling, make sure to visit local coworking spaces, as there you can make useful connections for the future. Network whenever possible and look ahead! The world is getting more connected by the minute!
