What would you have thought if someone told you in 2019 that you could choose where you could work and be a valuable contributor to the success of your organization? Would you have known that you could arrange your work schedule around your personal commitments, such as child care and elder care, without jeopardizing your job?
The beginning of the pandemic in 2020 forced many companies to shift to remote work for business continuity. Lock-downs and other restrictions meant that employees had to bring their work home and fulfill their responsibilities while juggling personal commitments and health concerns.
Today, in 2022, our expectations of where and how to work have changed significantly. Employees, perhaps like you, have demonstrated that they can be successful working remotely and, by doing so, derive benefits such as location flexibility, time and cost savings, and less interruptions. Many have decided to pursue other career opportunities, such as self-employment and starting a business, after reevaluating career paths against the backdrops of what employers offered.
It’s no surprise that those headlines where senior managers demanded return to the office by certain dates became part of the past. Instead, we are reading about the new business models of companies which include remote work as an option or as the preferred way of doing business in retail, healthcare, education, and information technology to name a few fields.
Remote work has become a viable option for companies to retain talent, widen talent sourcing, and, subsequently, diversify available talent pools and control operational costs. Therefore, this is the best time for you to seek a position where work can be done remotely whether for an organization or working for yourself.
Let’s look at some facts. According to The Ladders Quarterly Remote Work Report, the number of available permanent remote positions doubled by the end of 2021 (i.e., from 9% to 18%). FlexJobs, which posts positions from entry-to director-level, reported that about 25% of the workforce worked remotely by the middle of 2020. The Ladders further predicts that about one quarter of high-paying jobs will be available for remote work by the end of 2022 and FlexJobs is already reporting increases in the number of postings for remote positions.
If you decide to join an organization, depending on your role, you may be able to work remotely all the time or some of the time under what is known today as a hybrid arrangement. Likewise, you may choose to work from your home or work from different locations such as rented spaces and coffee shops if you decide to be self-employed.
But, how do you know if remote work is the best career choice for you right now?
REA’s professional career coaches are ready to guide you to make that important decision. They can:
Assist you in defining remote work options for you
Provide guidance on criteria to decide if working remotely is your best option
Define the resources you will need to succeed as a partner with you
You don’t need to navigate your next steps alone -- we’re here to help. Check out REA’s Flexible Coaching Services to help you get a jump start on deciding if remote work is right for you!
References
Ladders. (2022) Data: Nearly 20% of All Professional Jobs are Now Remote. https://www.theladders.com/press/data-nearly-20-of-all-professional-jobs-are-now-remote
NBC News. (2022). Full return to the office is “dead,” experts say- and remote is only growing. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/full-return-work-dead-experts-say-remote-only-growing-rcna11323
Pelta, Rachel (2022). Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2022. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/top-100-companies-for-remote-jobs-in-2022/
Vasel, Kathryn. (2022). These companies decided to go fully remote – permanently. https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/27/success/full-time-remote-decision-pandemic/index.html