Are you looking into digital nomad life? Are you looking to land a remote job with a reputable company? And are unsure where to start? That’s very normal! It’s not easy to get a good remote job with a reputable company that pays decently too. Especially if you’re starting from scratch and the internet is just overwhelming you with opportunities. That’s why I put together this blog about 2 simple strategies to find a remote job with a reputable company.

Best thing about finding a remote job: working from where ever you want[/caption]

There is no such thing as an overnight success

The first and foremost thing you have to realize is that you cannot find a remote job or become a digital nomad overnight. Most successful remote workers and digital nomads have been planning their trips and accompanying careers for a while. Also, they have been acquiring skills and educating themselves before leaving. Things you can do to prepare yourself are for example reading books about the digital nomad lifestyle or following an introductory course in something you think you may like. You can then choose a niche in which you want to excel and build a business around that. You will soon notice what gets you excited soon enough 🙂 From then on, you can start focusing on finding your remote jobs.

Reasons to want to find a remote job

So what are your reasons to work remotely? Mine are as follows:

1 – Work from where ever you want

The one main benefit of working remotely for me is to work where ever I want. In a coffeeshop, in a restaurant, a park, my campervan, on the beach, in the house of my parents. All I need is my Macbook and a Wifi (or even 4G) connection and I’m good to go! 

2 – Work whenever you want

I’m an early bird, so I like to work in the morning and go off exploring in the afternoons. But sometimes, I also work late at night. It really does not matter when you are a digital nomad 🙂 Although sometimes, your clients will request you to submit work before certain deadlines in a different timezone than you may be in. That said, I rarely ran into trouble with this.

3 – Work as much as you want

1 hour a day? 12 hours a day? I don’t have a fixed schedule to be honest. Some days I have lots to do, and some days I choose to enjoy the outdoors and go hiking. Those days I simply answer some emails or keep in touch with my clients, but I don’t open my laptop.

So let’s move on to check out which 2 ways exist to land a remote job with a reputable company.

Option 1: Work your way “up”

The first option to land a remote job is to go online, and look for companies that offer remote jobs. This is the way most people go. Therefore, in my guide on how to become a digital nomad I list several freelance marketplaces and websites where you can start. For example, the freelance marketplace Upwork can be a good place to start. Especially if you don’t have a fixed skillset yet, freelance marketplaces can be good places to discover what kind of jobs you like most. For example, I discovered that I really like writing a lot! I did manage to find some regular clients this way that were flexible and paid well.

I also managed to find some gigs on the side – I do some software testing with for example Testbirds or give career advise with Evisors .

The big problem with the option to find a remote job online, is that you have to cut through the masses to find the real good companies. Plus, you have to stand from all your competitors. There are a lot of companies on freelance platforms that just try to get stuff done for the lowest price possible and there are always people willing to do it for that price.

What you want is a good company (or more), that pays decent rates and that comes back once in a while for more work. But it’s not easy to find!

Option 2: Work your way “down”

A lot of people think that in order to work remote, you also have to find your client online. But this is definitely not true! Next to finding a remote job online, a great way to find a good job with a reputable company is to find a client offline and actually work for them offline first. They key here is trust. They have to trust you, before they will let you go remote. You will probably have to work at the client’s space for a couple of months to build trust.

It really helps if a company has already hired you and you are familiar with the ways of working. At some point, you can start working from home for a couple of hours/days a week and keep delivering results. The company will see that you can be trusted, even if you are not working on the spot. After a couple of months, you can start the conversation of working remotely 100% of the time. Now you are ready for unlimited travelling or working from home! Benefits for the company are often reduced costs, no need to seat someone in the office, flexibility to have you work more or less hours when needed and sometimes even overnight service (if you are working in different time zones).

What I want you to realise as well: even if you want to work remote or from home, you can still work locally. Go to beauty saloons, small business owners, dentists – whatever! Have a coffee with them, explain them your services and come work in their offices for as long as you need until they trust you. Then you can gradually take your work home with you. KEEP ADDING VALUE 🙂

Having a remote job is great when travelling in a campervan!

How did I find my remote job with a multinational company?

I used the second approach with a large multinational company, based in the Netherlands. A couple of years ago, I started there as a consultant. Then I left for about 1,5 year to run my own startup. But when I ran out of money and had to find a job again, I got in touch with the people I knew in that company. I worked on-site as a freelancer for about 8 months and became proficient in their processes and got to know all the people. When I told them I would take off with my campervan, they were very disappointed that I was going to leave! That’s where I saw my chance.

This company does not usually hire remote people because of a variety of reasons. But the people in the company are very busy and do need help with some projects once in a while. That’s how I worked my way in – I offered to freelance when they needed me, and they now have a freelance employee that can be called when needed. At first it was a bit getting used to, and I often needed to remind them I was still there and available to work 🙂 But now we have a steady flow with fixed activities, I only charge the hours I work, I help out when I can and I deliver high-quality work. Everyone is happy!

On top of that, using the second option means that I am currently not competing with the masses to find a remote job that is only posted online – and that’s awesome!