5 Tips to Find Your Remote Dream Job

Chances are, you’re already working remotely. You’re no longer stuck in fool’s traffic for what feels like hours each day, or smushed onto a stinky train with fellow sweaty commuters. You aren’t wasting hours at the office dodging office drama or stuck in mindless meetings. But is it your remote dream job?

In all of your daydreaming about what you don’t miss about your in-office job, have you taken some time to consider what you really want from a remote job?

If you want to find your remote dream job, these five tips should help you make your dream a (remote) reality.

1. Figure out the flex.

Yes, you know that you want to continue working remotely. But do you know exactly what type of remote job you want?

Remote jobs come in all sorts of fun, flexible flavors, such as full-time telecommuting (where you’ll never have to step foot into an office, which is particularly helpful if you’re a digital nomad) or part-time telecommuting (where you might have to report for duty at a workplace outside your home office).

You might want a freelance or contract remote job where you’ll work when you want to, for the companies that you want to, and most importantly, where you want to (i.e., your home office).

The type of remote job you choose will be based on a variety of factors, such as the amount of time you can (or want) to dedicate to work, plus the income you want to earn. Which brings us to …

2. Know your numbers.

Sure, everyone would like to earn a stellar salary, but there are other factors, such as being able to wake up in the morning, pour yourself a cup of coffee, turn on your computer, and report for duty all in under five minutes flat, that matter just as much.

In order to find your remote dream job, you’ll need to have a good grasp on what type of income you’re looking to earn and whether it’s a part-time or full-time salary.

The great thing about having a remote job, as you know, is that you stand to save a significant portion of your salary by eliminating the costs that come with an in-office job, such as commuting, work attire, lunches, and so on.

3. Pursue your passion—at least partly.

If you tell anyone that you’re looking for a dream job, the advice that will follow will most likely be: “Pursue your passion.” And while that can seem like solid advice, it’s not always realistic.

After all, if you spend all your time looking for your remote dream job, you might miss out on some really great jobs you’d be happy with (and that could also expedite your job search).

Instead, why not try looking for positions that incorporate some (if not all) of the qualities that your dream gig would have? This isn’t to say that you should give up on your dream job, nor should you settle, but you might just be surprised by how happy you’d be working in a job that isn’t in your field, even if it’s not exactly what you envisioned.

4. Consider a change.

After some careful consideration, you might come to the conclusion that your remote dream job looks nothing like what you’ve done in the past. And that can be a good thing, since job seekers might decide to take on a career change as part of the transition to remote work.

Never feel like you’ve invested X amount of time on one career, and that you might as well keep on keeping on, especially if your previous position didn’t bring you happiness or fulfillment. Take the time to figure out what job really calls to you, and then try to find a remote job that matches most or all of your requirements.

5. Get into the mindset.

Your remote dream job won’t just land in your lap; it’s up to you to put in the work to make your dream a reality. And that starts by setting yourself up for success from the get-go. For starters, designate an area in your house as your home office—and nothing else. Even a small nook in the kitchen (and not the kitchen counter) or a converted closet, attic, or garage can serve as a home office.

Next, anticipate what you’ll need to work remotely successfully. No matter what type of job you’re after, you’ll most likely need a good computer or laptop, the fastest Internet you can get, and perhaps an all-in-one printer/scanner/fax. You don’t have to buy every doodad that you find at your local office supply store, since you’ll have time to get them later, once you get the job.

But what you do buy should be of the best quality that your budget can afford in order to get ready to work remotely.

It can be very exciting to start planning for your remote dream job. Take the steps to set yourself up for success, and know that your remote dream job is out there waiting for you.

Start searching for your remote dream job.