Do you have any advice for remote workers?
Interview with Cecilia, a content writer managing her remote career in Dubai
My advice is to upgrade your skills frequently. You can do this by working on a personal project, taking online courses, attending events with experts in your industry, and staying on top of the latest trends in your industry by setting up Google Alerts.
Remote work requires people to adapt very quickly to new tools and processes.
The more familiar you are with all the tools of your trade and the more practice you have with learning new skills quickly, the better you'll be at your job.
Cecilia got her start translating blog posts, and in 2018 she went fully remote. See her tips for managing an international remote work career.
Read full interview from Interview with Cecilia, a content writer managing her remote career in Dubai.
Interview with Alyssa, a copywriter and content strategist
Remember to create boundaries for yourself. It's really easy to blur the lines between your time working and time off, but being mindful of that is important.
You have the power to determine your schedule, don't forget to schedule in time to recharge.
Alyssa has found her rhythm as a freelancer and founder of the blog, Freelancing Flow—see her tips for keeping it all running smoothly.
Read full interview from Interview with Alyssa, a copywriter and content strategist .
Interview with John, an international business writer sharing 15 years of insights
I’d say we’re in a long transition to more remote work—and finding organizations who both need your skills and who are willing and able to work with remote workers is very challenging but very important to focus on.
So, my most important suggestion is to try to find clients or employers who want to work with remote workers or who are part of the remote work movement.
It’s important to find clients who understand that just because you’re remote, doesn’t mean that you’d like your role to be eliminated when internal capabilities are found to meet the need you have already been assisting with.
Focusing on clients who understand remote workers and their needs will fundamentally alter your career prospects and work and life stability.
Take time when possible to socialize with others and spend good amounts of time away from work. Often remote work can creep into weekends and late hours. Try where possible to set limits, while maintaining the flexibility to work more when necessary.
It’s not fun to get to the end of a week and realize you’ve worked so much you never had time to have a day or two of rest and relaxation.
For over a decade, John has worked as an international business writer. See his insights on the state of remote work, freelancing, and attracting clients who are the right fit.
Read full interview from Interview with John, an international business writer sharing 15 years of insights.
Interview with Mindi, a content manager and social media strategist
You must be a self-starter and learn to manage yourself when it comes to getting things done and be proactive about communicating with your team and clients.
If you're involved in a project in any way, it's up to you to make it happen.
A ten-dollar per hour social media gig got Mindi hooked onto remote work—see how she meets her client and business goals and manages time zone differences.
Read full interview from Interview with Mindi, a content manager and social media strategist .
Interview with Grainne, a professional writer and content marketing manager who works remotely
One thing I hear a lot is, "how do I get a remote job?" However, that's not the right question. The question you need to ask is, "how can I use my existing skills to work remotely?"
So, if you're just starting out, my advice is to work with what you know and go from there. Look at it like any other job/career choice and search for work you're passionate about and experienced in, not just the fact that it's remote-based.
In terms of the actual work, I think you need to have a strong degree of self-awareness in relation to your strengths and weaknesses and be brutally honest with yourself at all times.
You have to be comfortable and confident about working autonomously and managing your own schedule, so it's really important to focus on building your time management skills.
Communication is another big one. It's more important to over-communicate than run the risk of getting your wires crossed or be misunderstood (this is so common when you're communicating solely online!). As silly as it sounds, an emoticon at the end of a message can go a long way.
Grainne's freelance work led to her landing a remote work job—see how she manages distractions and balances her work with Buckets.co and her clients.
Read full interview from Interview with Grainne, a professional writer and content marketing manager who works remotely.
Interview with Hrishikesh, an entrepreneur helping to shape remote work
I have observed and realised over time that remote working requires a lot of self-discipline to achieve productivity.
This aspect is often overlooked by many and is typically the most significant factor leading to a successful remote engagement.
Adhering to a proper work routine while setting aside enough time for sleep, meals, workout, and meditation is super critical if you want to succeed as a remote worker.
Hrishikesh's platforms are helping to shape the world of remote work and the gig economy—see how he mobilizes his remote teams to facilitate this new future of work.
Read full interview from Interview with Hrishikesh, an entrepreneur helping to shape remote work.
Interview with Erin, a videographer who found her freelancing niche
Ah, there’s so much I’m still figuring out myself. Overall I would just recommend to constantly be learning.
If you’re running a freelancing business, you should always be trying to grow in both your craft and your business knowledge.
I have a few freelancer podcasts that I like to follow, and I have recently started listening to business and creative audiobooks in the car.
I already know that I was able to avoid a couple of common mistakes by just hearing other people’s stories of how they started and grew their freelancing business.
I know it’s easy to feel like you are way too busy with work to be growing in your knowledge, but education can take you further faster. If you’re already reading this blog, you’re probably on the right track!
Erin is a videographer who carved out a successful freelancing niche—see how she optimizes her time and plans for the ups and downs of freelance work.
Read full interview from Interview with Erin, a videographer who found her freelancing niche.
Interview with Emma, a founder helping companies shape their remote work policies
Make sure you are active in reaching out to your employer and/or colleagues. If you need social contact, arrange it regularly. Schedule it in, so you don’t miss out.
Emma carved out her own remote work niche—see how she manages her own virtual law firm while maintaining work/life balance.
Read full interview from Interview with Emma, a founder helping companies shape their remote work policies.
Interview with Rose, a co-founder growing the impact of remote work
Check in with yourself on a regular basis to recognise what might not be working for you, so you can then work towards changing it.
But also take time to be grateful for what remote work gives you.
In taking time to practice gratitude, we remember the benefits of what remote work gives us. It's very easy to take the benefits for granted.
And also check out Grow Remote! We're helping to build a remote working community all over the world!
Rose balances part-time SEO work with leading Grow Remote—see how she optimizes her time to build a community and resource for remote workers.
Read full interview from Interview with Rose, a co-founder growing the impact of remote work.