Remote job: the ultimate guide to achieving success

What do I need to get a remote job? 

This is probably the main question for many professionals around the globe, who have found their new go-to option when it comes to their job. 

Remote work is not a new concept, however, due to the pandemic it has become a hot topic and it has been on the rise among companies and professionals. 

Simple and quick research and we will find several studies showing that professionals are now considering a remote job and point out flexibility as one of the key factors when evaluating and/or considering new career opportunities. 

The truth is that, while the idea of a remote job was already a reality for many, the pandemic boosted the concept for so many others and several companies have been creating new and broader remote work policies. So much that, tons of professionals are now surfing around a myriad of job opportunities not only within but across borders. 

If you happen to be looking to establish yourself as a remote worker, we gathered a list of everything you need to know.

Remote job: a definition

First things first. It’s important to understand the concept of remote work or remote jobs. 

Simply put, this refers to an organisation and/or professional who can be working and living anywhere in the globe, providing that one has a computer and internet access (preferably a good one in terms of connection stability and speed). This means that remote workers can be located anywhere where they feel most fulfilled and comfortable. And yes, it means that you can either be in your hometown, your home country or in any working from home location of your preference. 

Easy peasy, right? 

But there’s more to it. 

In fact, for many, this is the most desirable option for several reasons. Here are some of them: 

1. No need to commute 

Most professionals spend hours commuting every day. A waste of time that has consequences for their productivity and health. When opting for a remote job, professionals ditch the commute and are now able to use that time focusing on other priorities, such as extra sleep, working out, having a nice and calm breakfast, and spending time with their family and friends. 

2. Better work-life balance 

This goes in line with the previous one. If professionals have a bigger control of their time, it means they organise their work, provide strong outcomes, and enjoy their free time as they want. Having full control of one’s schedule can be highly valuable to fulfilling the needs of their professional life, whether it’s running some errands, going for a workout or just dropping the kids at school. 

3. You can be located anywhere

This is probably the best one. With a remote job, any professional in the world can now have access to a broader range of job opportunities, which are no longer limited to a geographic location. This means that a Portuguese professional can be working for a company located in the USA or anywhere around the globe. 

4. Money-saving 

If there’s no need to commute, you don’t have to spend as much money on gas, car maintenance, parking fees or other means of transportation. Money-saving is always good. 

5. Increased productivity 

When working from home, professionals tend to deal with fewer interruptions and distractions, fewer meetings, and less noise. This means they experience an increase in their productivity and performance, given that they’re focused on what really matters – the tasks they have at hand. 

6. A more inclusive approach

In addition to these points, there’s also the fact that remote jobs enable companies to be more inclusive by recruiting people from different backgrounds (socially, culturally, economically, and geographically speaking, as well as people with disabilities, for instance). Plus, for professionals, it also means they’re able to create an adjusted working space (a comfortable home office matching their individual needs). 

7. It is a bit different from an in-person job 

Yes, you probably get it by now, but it’s worth reminding. While a remote job has many advantages (as those previously mentioned), there are a few features you must consider. First, the working tools or software. You’ll have to deal with those you were already using, but you’ll have a few others (whether it is for meeting purposes, for time tracking, or to interconnect tools and tasks you might have). 

Also, you’ll have specific guidelines to follow, even if you’re not in the office, you’ll still have to follow some rules (it only makes sense!), to make sure you keep ensuring the company’s good practices and comply with the internal rules. 

In addition, you might find some remote jobs that imply asynchronicity. This means you won’t necessarily have to be working at the exact same time as the rest of your team. This also means you have to make sure you fulfil all your tasks, so it won’t jeopardise your coworkers’ jobs. 

But it is also important to keep in mind that, while working from home has a number of benefits (such as zero need to commute, flexibility to arrange your time according to your needs or a better work-life balance), it also means you must be prepared to assume full responsibility for your work and to keep things going smoothly. 

And let’s not sweeten the pill. There are also cons. Keep in mind that a remote job means that a professional will be mostly working alone (apart from some virtual meetings and occasional on-site commitments – if needed), which might be quite lonely. It is important to be aware of this and to be prepared to deal with it. 

Plus, there’s also the risk of either overworking or underworking. To avoid this, it’s important to establish some rules and a working routine. Yes, we said this was flexible, but you – as a remote professional – must deliver results, so you have to be also organised. 

Remote job: the complete checklist

Let’s face it: while a 9 to 5 (or 6 in some countries) work schedule is not for everyone, the same goes for a remote job with a flexible working schedule. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The key is to find which model suits you better and then focus your attention on finding the best job opportunities for you. So, ask yourself: what is the best fit (job wisely) for your real-life demands?

If the answer to that question is remote work, here’s what you need to consider. 

Speak the language 

Just like any other job search, finding a remote job presents its own set of challenges, the first one might be understanding the jargon around it. 

So yes, when browsing for a remote job it is important to recognise and fully get the lingo. Just to exemplify, there are several ways to say remote work or remote job, namely: work-from-home (or work-at-home, probably the most known one), distributed workforce (which means everyone is working remotely), online job (or virtual job, which implies that everything is done online), agile workforce (or flexible), work-from-anywhere (self-explanatory). And these are just a few examples. 

This goes to show that to target your search you need to be aware of the used terms. Paying attention to these subtleties may help you to channel your search according to your career goals. 

Pay attention to the details  

Just by the multiplicity of existing terms for “remote job” it is easy to figure that there are also different typologies for it as well. 

For instance, while most jobs are fully remote, others – on other hand – go by the definition of hybrid. This means that it consists of a combination of in-office and remote work. So, when applying for a remote job, make sure to confirm it is 100% remote. 

Also, some jobs, while fully remote, might have a location requirement (namely, a country or a metropolitan area). These happen mostly due to legal reasons (licensing requirements or government regulations), taxes, travel costs or client base. 

Consider the best legal and tax options 

This is a huge question for those considering remote work. Mainly, if we are talking about companies based in different countries. It’s important for you to comply with all the legal questions. 

Remote recruiting it’s not the same as on-site recruiting. It can be quite complex, both for professionals and companies, given that it involves ensuring full support to the employee. One of the options is the employer of record or EOR. 

The EOR is basically an entity that works closely with companies to employ professionals regarding their location. It works with the recruiting companies to make the process as smooth as possible. Simply put, an EOR works as the employee on the paper, managing the recruitment process, compliance, payroll, and benefits, thus eliminating the hardships of remote hiring, as well as the costs of getting in the market where the company is recruiting. 

There are some common points between an EOR and a Professional Employer Organisation (PEO), given that both manage HR tasks (namely: payroll, benefits, and tax deductions and reporting). But there are some distinctive points, such as: 

• An EOR can recruit and employ on behalf of a company while a PEO can’t; 
• A PEO requires that a company has their own local legal entity in the country they’re recruiting. An EOR doesn’t; 
• While the EOR is the legal employer on paper, when working with a PEO the company has to be the legal employer; 
• The EOR is the easiest solution when companies don’t have a legal entity established in a foreign country. The EOR handles everything, companies are solely responsible to comply with the local labour laws (which are indicated by the EOR); 
• The PEO is the most affordable solution for companies with an established legal entity in the destination country. If not, the EOR is the easiest and cheapest one. 

While this information seems to be for companies, it is important for professionals to be aware of it so that they can easily understand both the concepts and the way it works. Plus, this will help you to be fully aware of how the payment procedure will go down.

Ready, set, go! 

There’s a lot to talk about when the subject is remote work or searching for a remote job. 

We got on this. Not only by providing multiple remote job opportunities but also all the information you need. Stay tuned, there’s more to come. 

The big question at the moment: are you ready to embark on this remote job journey? Good! You can start by finding a list of fully remote jobs here!