Remote work let me travel the world, here’s how I found my job

Where to search to find your next remote role

Hi y’all,

Remote work has changed my life in ways I wasn’t expecting. It’s given me opportunities I wouldn’t reach in rural Texas, let me see parts of the world I couldn’t visit, and opened up possibilities for greater work-life balance.

I know the job market is rough right now. I applied to 100+ jobs (I stopped counting after 101) and heard back from five of them before accepting a full-time position. However, remote work opportunities still exist, and I want to share where I found mine.

Look beyond LinkedIn and Indeed

I’ve rarely received a decent interview from a job applied to via LinkedIn or Indeed. And today, these job boards are flooded with “ghost jobs” (listings that don’t actually exist) and predatory third-party sites like Lensa, whose purpose is to mine your data.

Please do not apply to jobs through Indeed or LinkedIn “Easy Apply” portals. Find the company’s website, scroll to their career page, and apply directly. You can still use LinkedIn to look for jobs (not apply), but it shouldn’t be your only source.

Use social networks and word of mouth

I found my first remote tech job via Twitter. I’m not even a regular Twitter user, but I saw an editor position and applied on a whim. That led to five solid years in tech marketing which I highly enjoyed and allowed me to travel while working remotely.

I’ve also been offered job opportunities from former coworkers who know my work. Word of mouth is still supreme when finding a job, so don’t be afraid to reach out to your professional and personal networks when applying.

Apply to roles found on job boards made for remote work

My favorite remote role to date was found via WeWorkRemotely, a job board made specifically for remote job seekers. I’ve compiled a list of these types of job boards and can personally vouch for getting interviews from 4 Day Work Week.

1. angel.co

2. 4dayweek.io/

3. remoteok.com/

4. remote.co/

5. realworkfromanywhere.com

6. Remote Job Database

7. Weworkremotely.com

8. skipthedrive.com/

9. careerhound.io/

10. omnijobs.io/en

11. workremote.cc/

12. arc.dev/

As I mentioned, with any job board, you want to find the roles they advertise and then apply directly on the company’s website. Never give your information to predatory companies like Lensa, Swooped, Jobot, and CyberCoders.

Sign up for newsletters that share remote roles

I’m subscribed to a few newsletters specifically for remote jobs. Some writers on Substack like Jen Ruiz at Jet Plane Crew also advertise for these roles. The key is to find a newsletter that promotes the types of roles you’re searching for and keep an eye out when it’s sent each week.

Get creative, no matter where you live in the world

I have quite a few readers who are from countries outside of the US and Canada, where many remote roles are found. However, opportunities exist in all geographies or may even be location-independent.

Get creative and don’t be discouraged if the process takes longer than you thought. I applied to 70 jobs for my second remote role and more than 100 for my third. Be persistent, stay aware of scams, and reach out to your networks.

I’ll keep sharing remote roles with y’all in this newsletter.

Until next week,

Ash