I’m blessed. I want to start with that because many of you will read this and think that. I want you to know you are right.
I also want you to know you can switch to a remote job if you want. This story, I hope, will inspire you to take action this week, to read the tips I share, and to let me know what more I can do to help you on your journey to landing and/or excelling in a remote job.
April 1st, 2022
I was terrified. I had bills to pay, not only for myself, but my fiancé, her brother, and her mother.
And I was sick, but I didn’t know how to step away from my job to take care of it.
At the time I was working 12 hours a day regularly, in front of a screen, often in meetings for hours. I would eat through meetings if possible, go back into the office and stay late, only to wake up early for other meetings. This was my norm, and what I accepted to be the head of the department I had built.
Meanwhile my abdomen was on fire with pain. I had developed issues in my stomach and intestines that caused me to have both acid reflux and burning pain in my abdomen almost all day. I couldn’t even sleep many nights, and I really needed to see a doctor, but the idea of doing so and stepping away from my work most days seemed implausible.
I had serious doubts that I would get the support I needed to put attention to my health if I stayed in my job.
But I also had no idea what job to switch to. Because I’d been looking… for 6 months.
Keeping One Eye Open
I don’t like the idea of frequently switching jobs. I believe, unless it’s an amazing, career defining position, that 2 years is the right amount of time to stay in a role. I learned this from a Pakistani sales manager in Beijing. Great advice.
But I also look at job boards daily, or at minimum weekly. It’s out of curiosity more than anything else. I am always “passively looking”. More often that not, I’ll see a job I think is a good fit for someone else, and forward it.
For me though, 99% of jobs don’t fit for 2 reasons:
I’m not interested in the work. At 32 years old, I’m picky. I spent a 6 months homeless in China because I refused to do work I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t go that far again, but I refuse to do a job I wouldn’t find interesting. One of my life goals is to help as many others as I can achieve this sense of commitment to themselves.
I don’t have enough experience. Despite having had incredible job experience over the last decade, most positions want me to have twice the experience as a product manager that I currently have. This is a problem unfortunately many face.
Which gets me back to that day, April 1st. By that time, I had been more seriously looking for a new position for 6 months. Every day I would open up the same 3 jobs boards and check. I chose those 3 because I knew they supported work from anywhere jobs consistently, which I needed.
In that time, I found 5 jobs I believed I should apply to. All but 1 of them rejected my application right away. The final 1 turned out to be a different position than I had understood, so I turned it down.
April 15th
I finally took some time to go to the hospital and get medication. It helped, a little, but my job remained the same level of intensity.
The good news? After 5 failed attempts at finding a job, I was able to land an interview with one that did the following for me:
Reduced my workload by 50% and my responsibility by 70%
Had a better (or at least more relaxed) company culture
Gave me an opportunity to use all my skills and background to deliver real value
Approached my profession in a way much more aligned with my beliefs
This wasn’t easy. And I was still sick. But I finally had an opportunity I could be excited for.
May 12th
I had finished the interview process for the new job, given notice to my old job, and taken my first weekend trip with my fiancé in the entire 8 months we had been living together again. We were on our way to visit another city for her 30th birthday. That night, I had my final calls to say goodbye to colleagues at my old job.
I was excited at the possibility of finally having a remote job that was a good fit for me, and let me take care of myself, rather than just taking care of the business.
Today, I’m happier at work than I had been the entire previous 2 years. And much healthier.
I Want This For You
If you’re new, welcome! This newsletter is for you to be inspired to apply for remote work, learn tricks on how to get to the remote job you want, and learn more about how to do remote work well.
I shared this story because I want you to know, like you, I’ve struggled to find a new job. I spent countless hours learning how to apply better, how to job hunt better, and how to network better.
Now I’m here to teach you how to do it, for free. If that sounds good to you, leave a like. If you have questions, leave a comment.
See you tomorrow.