I got a job once on Craigslist. It was my first remote work experience about a month after my husband and I started RVing full-time. lt was a total fluke too. We we’re in Eugene, Oregon waiting on RV repairs, and had planned to leave as soon as we got the coach back. But a crazy set of storms rolled in. It was too dangerous to drive over the high elevation passes, so we decided to stay four more days.

 

My active brain went into over-drive, and I was like, “Let’s find work!” My husband, the level-headed of the two of us, said “What do you mean, ‘let’s find work?’ that’s kinda crazy!”

 

I know, it is kinda crazy, but also really doable, at least in my mind.

 

I started looking on Craigslist at part-time and gig jobs in Eugene, Oregon. I found four jobs right away that seemed possible:

-Scooping Alpaca poop (the job I actually wanted)

-Representing a brand of alcohol at the local market

-Keeping an elderly man company while his kids took a weekend off (the second job I wanted)

-An acting gig

These were within the span of the four days we were in town.

I’m Not Really an Actor But I Play One In My RV

 

I applied and heard back from three. The alpaca poop scooping, the elderly man’s son, and the acting gig!

 

Unfortunately, the storms put the Alpaca poop on pause, and the elderly man’s son said my days didn’t line up.

 

But shockingly the acting gig came through! I have done some amateur acting to raise money for charity, and I come from a creative family of actors, singers, and a mime. I have been around actors, and I’m a corporate trainer, which is like acting sometimes—so pretty much I’m qualified to act.

 

I sent in our “head-shots” from some outdoor scene on our travels. And boom, the next day we were in an acting studio (see featured image above).

 

It was a quick, educational video on being foster parents. Bryce and I have actually talked about being foster parents, so this was perfect. We read lines from a teleprompter which made the process easier. I managed through it pretty well, but Bryce was a little freaked. He had never done anything like this before, except the one time he did improv at my aunt’s comedy show and slayed! So I figured he was an actor too. But he was really nervous and it took him a few tries. But dang if I wasn’t proud of him for stepping up and doing something outside his comfort zone. That’s love—or $50.

 

I’m probably offending real actors right now. I’m sorry, forgive me, I don’t think I’m a real actor, I promise. I know it’s a craft and I respect it. But I was grounded in Oregon and decided to find work. I’m a little tenacious like that–y’know like actors.

 

Remote Work is Plentiful

 

It’s sometimes difficult for people who work “traditional” jobs to picture remote work. Maybe you’ve been going to the same place everyday, working generally the same schedule. It’s likely that you rely on a consistent paycheck. Even if you’re not getting paid what you’re worth, at least you can count on something.

 

I get it because that was me. I reported to the same place everyday. I’d drive basically the same route to work, walk the same path to my desk, and do pretty much the same things all day. While my job was interesting and even fun sometimes, it was fairly predictable. And after 10 1/2 years at the same company, I thought I’d be further in my career.

 

Predictability is safe, and transitioning to a remote work situation might not feel so safe. Many people say things like, “I want to travel more but don’t know how to earn an income.” or “I’ve always been a teacher, office manager, accountant….I don’t know what else I can do.”

 

 

I’m here to tell you that remote work is possible and plentiful! I’ve been doing a TON of research on this topic and just finished creating an online course (coming soon!) called How to Transition to Remote Work. What I learned is that there are so many remote work options, sometimes it’s a matter of knowing where to look. If that describes you, then here’s a resource that can help. 21 Remote Work Websites: a compilation of sites where you can find remote work opportunities. You can access it here.

 

Never Disqualify Yourself From a Job That Interests You

 

I have extensive experience as a corporate trainer, manager, and worked in Human Resources. I have written job descriptions, hired people, and helped people get promotions and raises.

 

What I know is that people tend to disqualify themselves for jobs before even applying.

 

People say things like, “I’m an administrative assistant so I’m not qualified to be an X, Y, Z.” And they never apply for the job.

 

My advice to people has always been to focus on your skills and interests as opposed to your current title, or what you went to school for. Focus on what you bring to the table, because that will open up your thinking to other possible job options, many of them remote. Blogging was something I wanted to learn, so I transferred skills from my corporate training/adult learning background into that role and picked up some blogging work. Here I am working on a post outside.

 

 

For example, as an administrative assistant, chances are you have skills like, organizing, scheduling, planning, communicating/emailing/corresponding, etc. You can use those skills in many jobs, for example event planner, content manager, project management. I could go on and on about what you might be qualified for but instead, I’ll give you some tools.

Follow These Steps

 

1. Write down all the things you are interested in. It could be anything like, cooking, crossword puzzles, birding, planning parties, etc.

 

2. Then write down the things that you’re good at. Maybe it’s planning, listening to others, handling customer complaints.

 

3. Then circle your top 3-5 interests and skills.

 

4. Then look for jobs that align with those interests and skills. You will find many more job opportunities than you would have if you looked for “Administrative Assistant” for example.

 

5. Use the 21 Remote Work Resources

 

21 Remote Work Websites

 

When you are ready, use the 21 Remote Work Websites to look for jobs. This is a listing of the top job sites that include remote work options.

 

My acting gig experience may not be the typical remote work experience that people ask about. But the point is to show you that when you put your mind to it, remote work is a real possibility.

 

Be open, don’t disqualify yourself, and know that remote work is possible and plentiful!