Finding a remote job ended up requiring quite a bit of persistence on my part. Before looking for a fully remote job, I had no idea how competitive remote jobs are. What really helped me land quite a few interviews, some of which were with some pretty large companies, was the fact that I have a pretty big online presence. I not only blog on my web developer portfolio site, but I have created an online presence for my artwork. I was competing with a lot of applicants who have more of a Computer Science background, but I think my online presence helped me stick out.

When I was applying to various roles, I kept combing the following job boards/online services:

• FlexJobs – this is a paid service, although if you’re unhappy with your subscription in any way, they’ll give you a refund
• Hiring without Whiteboards – this repo includes companies that have remote roles
• Remote.co
• We Work Remotely (this one was my favorite, and is actually where I found the company where I landed a remote role)

It also helped that I have had previous experience working remotely for companies and contracting work, so I’m familiar with the various ways of communicating with colleagues in different cities. Many companies with remote employees are interested in if applicants have had previous experience working remotely, so they know if candidates are able to work remotely on their own. After all, remote work isn’t for everyone, and it’s a matter of trying it out to determine if it’s the type of environment you can thrive in.