Why the first 30 days of your remote job search are the most important (the exact roadmap I'd follow today)
Most people spend months applying for remote jobs before building the right foundation. Here's why I think that's backwards, what I'd focus on first & what I created to help you with the first 30 days
Most people spend way too much time looking for remote jobs… and then, a lot of them complain that they keep seeing scams all over.
Unfortunately, those people are going to waste a lot of time & I don’t want that to be you, okay?
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I literally spend hours every week finding remote jobs to share with you. I have a free remote job directory since 2019, I send out a weekly newsletter with opportunities, and I’ve created an entire challenge about finding legitimate remote jobs...
So no, I’m definitely not saying looking for remote jobs is a bad thing.
I’m saying it’s a mistake to make that the very first thing you do.
In fact, I think it’s one of the biggest reasons people tell me they’ve been trying to get a remote job for 6 months... 8 months... sometimes even a year without results. No interviews, no callbacks. No wonder they get frustrated.
So let me remind you:
If you aren’t getting callbacks and interviews it it not because you aren’t qualified, or because the remote job market “is saturated.”
It’s because they’re spending all your energy on the wrong part of the process or you’re not starting with the right step.
Think about this:
Let’s say I handed you a list of 500 amazing remote jobs today. Real companies. Great salaries. Incredible benefits. The ultimate list.
Are you actually ready to apply to them?
I don’t mean could you click the “Apply” button.
I mean:
Would you genuinely feel confident sending your resume?
Would your resume actually show a remote employer why you’re a great fit?
Would your cover letter make sense for a remote company?
Do you even know which of those 500 jobs you should be applying for... and which ones are a complete waste of your time?
Because if the answer to those questions is “not really” “not sure” “lemme think about it.”
Then finding more remote jobs and applying to the best of your ability isn’t getting you closer to getting a remote job.
It’s just giving you more places to send an application that probably isn’t ready yet. You’re literally wasting time.
And I know that might sound a little harsh. My bad.
But I’d much rather tell you that now than let you spend the next 8 months applying over and over again wondering why nobody’s calling you back.
Here’s the good news though...
This is actually super fixable.
I know that if you spend the first 30 days of your remote job search building the right foundation, the next couple of months become so much easier.
Not like easy and overnight. Just... easier and more manageable. I’m always going to keep it real with you.
That’s because instead of guessing what to work on every week, you’ll actually have a plan. Instead of opening LinkedIn and applying to random jobs with that terrible Instant Apply feature just because they happen to say “remote,” you’ll actually start coming across like the kind of candidate remote companies want to hire.
So if I had a friend sitting across from me right now saying,
“I want a remote job. Where do I start, Andrea?”
And btw, I’ve helped many friends and family members, and this is exactly what I tell them to focus on during those first 30 days.
That’s how I helped my mom get a remote job in 2 months.
And my bff also made it happen in 2 months.
I’ve shared their stories here in Substack articles.
So, the fact that they’re getting remote jobs within like 2 months is proof that if you follow the right plan… it should never take 6 months or more.
Why most people accidentally waste the first 30 days
Most people who want remote jobs are all excited and motivated at the beginning. They open their laptop, Google “remote jobs” and start applying right away.
Which sounds perfectly productive, right?
They might send out a few applications, search a couple of the popular job boards, tell they’re friends they want a remote job… they’re putting it out in the universe and to them, it feels like they’re moving in the right direction.
The problem is that they’re skipping the part that will actually help their application stand out.
So, they get ghosted again and again & start blaming the job market or saying something like “remote jobs aren’t real”. LOL.
Imagine you decided tomorrow that you wanted to run a marathon.
You probably wouldn’t wake up tomorrow, put on your running shoes and try to run 42kms with zero training. You’d spend a few weeks researching, starting a training plan, building some endurance, trying some shorter runs, figuring out what sneakers you need… right?
Nobody would look at all that and think, “Nahh, that’s a waste of time. Imma’ just run. Forrest Gump style. Zero planning.”
All of that is part of the preparation needed to succeed in the marathon. But for some reason, when it comes to getting a remote job… we think preparation is optional and we’d rather skip it? Don’t do that.
Some people who come to me think the answer is just to apply more, send as many applications as possible, find opportunities in all the job boards, more LinkedIn scrolling, more Instant Applying… boom boom boom…
Hoping and manifesting that one company will magically say yes.
And yeah, the remote job search is definitely a numbers game. Eventually you do have to apply. Quite a lot, actually. But applying before you have a solid foundation is kind of like trying to bake a cake before checking if you have flour. If you do it like that, chances are you’re going to end up frustrated wondering why everyone else seems to get remote jobs faster than you.
And then one of the biggest misconceptions I see is that people think they need to learn ten new skills before they even deserve to apply for a remote job.
I hear it all the time:
“I’m deciding if I want to learn coding or backend engineering.”
“I think I need another certification.”
“I’m waiting until I learn Adobe Photoshop before I apply to my first remote job.”
“I’m thinking about enrolling in an online coding bootcamp.”
And look... I’m all for learning new things. I love learning. I’ve joined all sorts of online courses, challenges, coaching — all of it.
But I also think a lot of people use learning as a form of procrastination instead of just doing the work or implementing what they already know. Or they’re just focused on learning stuff that’s not needed at the point where they’re at.
Most of the times they could be applying for remote jobs with the skills they ALREADY have instead of joining a new online course to learn a new skill.
Remember: You can always get your first remote job and get paid while learning and gaining experience. Much better use of your time, and yupp… totally doable.
Here’s what we’re going to tackle together in this article...
If I only had 30 days to help someone get their first remote job, these are things we’d focus in that timeframe… before sending a single application:
💜 Step 1: Figure out the skills you already have (most of the times you already have quite a few).
💜 Step 2: Build a resume that’s actually made for remote jobs
💜 Step 3: Learn how to find legit remote jobs, read job descriptions & find the best remote companies to work for
💜 Step 4: Start applying with a clear plan & a system that keeps you consistent.
Ready?
Let me break down each step for you so you have a roadmap for your first 30 days…