Looking for a Remote Job in 2023? Here Are 4 Skills You Should Have

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Some workers are better suited to that remote life than others. 

The rise of remote work has been one of the major effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Gallup poll found that 3 in 10 American workers were fully remote as of June 2022, and both hybrid and fully remote arrangements are expected to grow in number, despite some companies’ increasing desperation that employees be physically present in an office. I’m firmly on the side of remote work, due in part to my experiences in a former career that was entirely location-dependent and resulted in me moving nearly 5,000 miles in service of it.

Remote work arrangements aren’t possible for everyone, though. This could be due to the work itself (such as my old career — try running a history museum while working from home), but it could also be due to your personality, work style, or even technical skillset. Here’s what to focus on improving if you’re eager to never set foot in a cubicle-filled, fluorescent-lit office ever again.

1. Time management

This first one is major, as while it’s likely you’ll still have a supervisor in some form (even as a freelance writer, I am not an island unto myself), they will not be standing over you, watching you work. You will likely have regular Zoom meetings and possibly an instant messaging system (like Slack) so you can check in, but ultimately, getting your work done in a timely fashion will be up to you.

Some people find it difficult to balance working from home (or anywhere other than a set office) with distractions, like chores that need to be completed or pets who beg for attention when you’re on a deadline. If you struggle with this, see if you can create a set work area at home (or rent a spot in a co-working space), like an office with a door you can close, to minimize potential time sucks that wouldn’t be present if you worked in an office.

2. Communication skills

When you work in an office, there are often endless opportunities to talk to your colleagues about the work at hand. You might run into your co-lead on a project in the breakroom, and be able to have an impromptu meeting about the assigned tasks. When you work remotely, you have to be able to communicate effectively despite not encountering colleagues around the office. This can mean reaching out to schedule a Zoom meeting or sending emails or Slack messages — and following up as necessary. The same goes for if you’re encountering problems with your work and need to speak to your supervisor. If you’re a shrinking violet when it comes to speaking up, remote work may not be a fit for you — or you may have to actively work harder at it.

3. IT troubleshooting

There’s often a sharp technology divide by age in the workplace. I remember being the on-site computer tech for my much-older boss in one of my museum jobs, and it was very easy for me to help her as she was in the office next to mine. If you’re flying solo at home, you will not have on-site IT folks to help you troubleshoot your computer, modem, or router.

It will help if you know your way around the technology you’ll be using, and can easily reach out for additional help if the problem is beyond your skills. I was recently having frequent internet outages (yes, it was as infuriating as it sounds), and ended up having to get my internet service provider out to my home to fix the problem — twice. This was more legwork than I would have needed to do if I worked in an office with IT staff to help me.

4. Initiative

Finally, if you’re not physically present in an office, it can be much harder to make your voice heard and considered in terms of ideas and ways to make your company run better or make more money. Try not to be the person who sits silent in the Zoom meeting, because engagement is more important than ever as a remote worker. In some cases, working remotely might harm your career for this very reason — but only if you let it. I promise you that it is still possible to become a person others think of and rely on at work, even if you’re remote. It just takes some initiative and sometimes being the person who makes the first move.

I love being a remote worker, and I encourage anyone in a field that supports it to give it a try, if they want to. Finding the work style that makes you the happiest and most productive is a great way to invest in yourself, both as a human and as a professional. Plus, you can save money on commuting and buying an office wardrobe. With the above skills in hand (or a plan to work on them), you can succeed at remote work.

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