Do you have any advice for remote workers?
Interview with Maggie, a senior product manager at HubSpot
Take the time to forge professional relationships, both in your company and in your community. You do not have the benefit of having the water cooler chats, so check out local meetups, etc.
I joined my local CoderDojo as a mentor, and it opened up my professional network locally.
I also put myself out there with people in my company whom I didn’t work with on a day to day basis, to look at what others were working on, and find opportunities to get involved in a variety of initiatives.
For me, I love to see what others are doing with accessibility in tech. Anything to do with developing women in tech will always have my attention.
Remote work allows Maggie to live in a small town and excel in her career. Hear about how she stays professionally connected, and her essential career advice for remote workers.
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Interview with Ben, a web developer who freelances from home
Be lucky :)
But seriously, luck played a lot of a role in the bigger contracts I got. Work hard, but don't be afraid to throw out that post about whatever you're writing, or try to sell some hours on a popular community site, or apply for that job. You never know what's going to get you in the door somewhere, or put you on someone's radar, or give you that next idea to run with.
Work hard, don't mess around, be straight. This advice applies even if you were an employee, but it's even more important as a remote worker. Your boss / client can't see you work, so they only have how they perceive you're working to go off of. Always communicate, before you start a project, as you work through it, when you're ready to sign off. Involve people in the process of your work, share your progress, always make sure they know what you're on and how it's going.
Being remote means they can't tell how things are going as easily, so be the person to let them know. I cannot stress how important this is, regardless of if the projects are going well or poorly. As long as you are straightforward with where you are and any challenges you might be running into, you're in a good place. You can't cover that stuff up. Don't skip owning mistakes.
Build a reputation as someone who they can trust to tell them the real state of the project.
Learn the tips and tricks Ben uses to stay productive while working remotely on a hybrid team
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Interview with Jake, a customer success manager for Atlassian
I'll be honest; I'm only four months into full-time remote work. I've worked with remote teammates for years, but I'm pretty new to remote work as a full-time thing.
That said, I did a lot to prepare for this change, and I think that's my advice to others: prepare. Read blogs, read books, listen to podcasts. Get ready for the change.
Buy a good desk, get a dedicated workspace, and get things that will make your office space comfortable and conducive to work.
Jake was burned out on the San Francisco lifestyle—see how he transitioned from working in-office to working remotely for a remote-friendly company.
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Interview with Dani and Luca, digital nomads who have mastered work and travel
Do whatever makes you happy, choose a job that you like, and you will never work a single day in your life.
It is a quote from Confucius that lived a long time ago, but it is true these days more than any time. Remote working is not for everyone, but it is awesome if you get it in the right way
Dani and Luca have mastered the art of traveling while working—see their hacks & tips for thriving as digital nomads.
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Interview with Laura, a communications specialist and travel writer by night
My advice is to stay connected with the people you work with and develop bonds with them.
You don't have to be best friends, but when you find common ground with people you work with (or for) and when you discover and establish that you're working toward the same goal, you'll find your passion and motivation increase.
Create and encourage a team environment and you'll find joy in your work.
Laura Coronado discusses her method for juggling her career as a communications specialist by day and her side hustle as a freelance travel writer by night.
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Interview with Digital Nomad Sage, an entrepreneur and UX consultant
I would advise remote workers to continuously improve upon their skill sets. Back in 2015, I had a big problem with feeling “entitled” to a job just because I had a degree. Nobody in this life owes you anything, including a job.
You really have to make yourself employable by finding in-demand skill sets that will provide value to others.
It’s important to develop high-income skill sets that will provide you with financial security.
Once you achieve financial security, you can look at outsourcing the more mundane tasks that you do every day to give you more leisure time for a 4-hour workweek or time to start up new projects.
I have failed many times, but it’s “ok” to fail! Because I failed, I learned how to become more successful.
You won’t always succeed when you try things out. Try again.
From e-books to blogging, Digital Nomad Sage has become an expert on making money online—see his advice for developing an online business.
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Interview with Liz, a UI/UX designer and cowork advocate
Make sure to not work in your bedroom, or the space that you typically relax. Creating a ritual for yourself to enter into a work mindset can also be helpful – for example, take off those pajamas since it's 2 PM!
Maintaining a separation between parts of your home that are dedicated for "work" will help to keep you from feeling like you're constantly working.
Liz is a traveling UI/UX designer—see her strategy for thriving as a digital nomad and her efforts to promote coworking.
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Interview with Ayush, a CEO and avid remote team builder
"With great power comes great responsibility." So, if you are a remote worker or looking to be one, make sure that you take this opportunity with both hands and double up your output as well.
Ayush is a CEO that is committed to helping companies build successful remote teams—see his process and tips for developing location independent teams that thrive.
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Interview with Alexandra Cote, a remote digital marketer and freelancer
Make sure to test out the remote life before going for a full-time gig, just to see if you're the right fit for this culture.
Then, try to choose a decent workplace from the beginning. A company that's known for caring for its employees and not those that have a score of less than four on Glassdoor. Huge no!
Beyond this, work on staying productive. It's easy to get caught up in your freedom and forget about the development of your career. All things aside, if you want to work remotely and one day go into a higher management or leadership position, you seriously need to consider a remote job just like an office one.
Professional growth is part of all kinds of career paths, but it's something you can easily forget about when you have a safe job, you're working remotely, and you're busy traveling this beautiful world.
Alexandra juggles freelancing, a full-time remote job, YouTube, and Skillshare instructing. How does she manage it all? Find out in her interview.
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Interview with Alaina, a nonprofit program state director
Get organized!! Set a schedule and try to stick to it regularly. Have a set start time, and include breaks as well as an end time for the day.
Be prepared to have conversations with family and friends about the boundaries of work time.
That's a real conversation I've had with family who thinks that because I am home, I'm not working. Be firm and know that remote work means flexible hours, but if you don't work during the day, you might be pulling all-nighters to complete tasks.
Also, get out of the house to work. Change your scenery. Find a coffee shop (with wifi) or a library where it's productive to work.
Lastly, find a remote work buddy to work alongside. Being remote doesn't mean you can't be sociable!
It takes a minute to find your rhythm in a new remote position—hear how Alaina organizes her time to hit the ground running in a new remote work job.
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