If you’re an aspiring digital nomad, we’re here to tell you how to find an online job during COVID-19 — and YES, you can still find an online job during these times! Granted, it’s not the easiest thing to do but we promise you with a little diligence, patience and determination, it’s possible.
Worry not, this is not going to be one of those guides where we tell you to find odd jobs like taking surveys or even things like how to become an Online English Teacher (which I have tried), because that market is overly saturated already. Instead, we’re going to focus on where you should put your energy into, how to identify your best skills, and how to market that for an online job.
At the end of the day, you want to find something that fits you, that you’re passionate about and that gives you a purpose based on what you’re most skilled at. So that when travel opens up to a new world, you can finally fulfill your dream of making an income in a job that you enjoy all while travelling. Yes, travel will never be the same, but the job market is also evolving. It’s now having more presence online and that’s something you can take advantage of as an aspiring digital nomad. Let’s get into how to find an online job during COVID-19!
How to Find an Online Job during COVID-19: Find Your Strengths
Find a skill to leverage but demonstrate flexibility
As an aspiring digital nomad, ask yourself what you’re good at, what skills do you have that employers are looking for in these current times? I find that a good way to figuring this out is to check the existing remote job listings online in the platforms we mention later and see if there’s one that matches your strengths.
Once you’ve figured out what that skill or strength is, leverage it. Revamp your CV, highlighting the specific skill that employers are looking for. BUT also show other types of skills, so that you appear as a more flexible and versatile candidate.
For example, you see that a lot of companies are looking for social media managers and you have the technical know-how and people skills for that job. Tailor your CV or resume so that it particularly showcases those competencies. But also include other things you’re good at such as customer service skills or knowing how to use different CRM platforms like Salesforce or ZenDesk. This helps to show that you’re not only good at the expertise they’re looking for, but you are also knowledgeable on other things. Hence, you’re a versatile candidate.
We can’t stress enough the wonders of having a good CV. With the right set of competencies presented in a well-written and well-organised CV, you can really stand out from a pool of applications.
Our tip: For CV templates, we highly recommend checking out the ready-made formats by Canva or Google Docs.
Be Strategic in Your Digital Nomad Job Search
Set aside time each day for your job search
Finding a job is a job in itself. You have to be prepared to put your time, effort and commitment into it. Hence, we strongly advise to set aside time each day for your job search.
The idea is if you keep applying (following our previous tip on having a well-written CV), we honestly believe that at some point you’ll hear back from a few of the companies you’ve applied from.
When I was searching for a remote job, I would set aside 2-3 hours each day to apply to more or less 5 openings. More if they were similar types of companies as I could reuse the same CV or Cover Letter.
Eventually after 3 weeks of setting aside time almost every day, I gradually heard back from a few companies, got invited to the next stage and eventually found my current online job.
Best Sites for Digital Nomads
LinkedIn for Digital Nomads
We’ve always been a big fan of LinkedIn for job search. We think it’s one of those universal platforms where you can search for a job in an organized and credible way. You can really build good connections through the platform when done right.
What’s especially great about LinkedIn is they have a filtering system where you can filter jobs as remote and/or freelance.
Job Search Platforms Specific to Remote Jobs
○ We Work Remotely for Digital Nomads
We also highly recommend We Work Remotely (WWR). It’s visually appealing and is organized based on different categories from programming, copywriting, sales among many other points. The website interface is clean, easy to use and easy to apply in.
In fact, this is where I found my current online job during COVID-19. The companies here are legit (they pay a lot to post a job in the website), will end up paying well and are ALL remote jobs. For us, it’s the perfect website for aspiring digital nomads wanting to know how to find an online job during COVID-19.
○ Working Nomads Co: Curated for Aspiring Digital Nomads
Another great platform which is specially curated for Digital Nomads is Working Nomads Co. Just like We Work Remotely, the website is segmented into various categories and they market themselves as a platform specifically for Digital Nomads. I also applied to various listings here and would definitely recommend the platform for your job search.
○ Remote Ok / Remote Co / Remotive / Flexjobs: Other Online Job Platforms
Other good platforms on your search for how to find an online job during COVID-19 are Flexjobs, Remotive, Remote Co and Remote Ok. Out of these four, Flexjobs is the most famous (though I prefer WWR and Working Nomads) and the biggest platform for remote jobs. However, I find that the jobs there are not for everyone, even if they are mostly remote. Some are only for certain nationalities and not totally universal.
Remotive, Remote Co and Remote Ok are all smaller platforms that are like WWR and Working Nomads, where the website is clearly segmented into different remote job categories. These are also great websites for your job search.
Fiverr for Digital Nomads / Upwork for Digital Nomads
Fiverr and Upwork are good platforms to sell your services. It’s simple to sign up, create your profile and post your services. But it’s not as easy to be hired. It takes a while to get established through the platform, hence, you can’t expect to earn income or raise your prices through these sites right away.
We recommend using Fiverr or Upwork more as a side job, rather than depending on it as your main digital nomad income, especially if you aren’t well established in the platform yet.
Keep An Open Mind to Different Opportunities
Expect to apply to 10 times more jobs
With COVID-19, the job market is not the best, BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t find anything. On the bright side, more and more companies are embracing the idea of remote work and are switching their activities online. Hence, there are more opportunities to find work online. You just have to expect to apply to 10 times more jobs than you usually would. With diligence and patience, you’ll definitely find something.
Furthermore, it’s important not to keep all your eggs in one basket. Have an open mind to different opportunities that you can target your skills towards. For example, if you were primarily looking at social media engagement jobs, you can also look at customer service which is quite similar or even virtual assistant jobs. The bottom line is: Be open to various opportunities that you can potentially get into that are in line with your skills.
Be Prepared With Tools to Work Better
Show you are capable of working remotely
Companies ultimately want to find a candidate who can show that they are capable of working remotely and with less supervision. Make sure you highlight this point in your resume and during your interview.
Even if you have no experience working remotely, you can provide insights on how you are still capable of working remotely – such that you have the right tools that enable you to work productively online or that you have personal projects which are similar to what they’re looking for. These all portray how you can be independent, that you know how to use technology for online work, and that you are competent for the job. It can truly make or break your journey on how to find an online job during COVID-19.
Our tip: Have the necessary tools to work better on the go as an aspiring digital nomad. From elevating your internet connection (this changes everything) to having a comfortable environment wherever you may be, we have just the tips that can help you out in our article below!
Our Final Thoughts
So there you have it – we hope this provides you with the encouragement and direction on how to find an online job during COVID-19. If you’re an aspiring digital nomad, we’re here to assure you that it’s definitely possible. The global pandemic has been hard on all of us, but we truly believe that it’s also slowly redefining the concept of online work. More and more, we see opportunities popping up with the chance to be location independent.
Ultimately, if we can do it, then we genuinely believe you can too! With patience, diligence and determination, you can make your digital nomad dreams a reality. If you have other tips on how to find an online job during COVID-19 that were not covered in this guide, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.
This is a great post and very timely! Pinning for future reference.
Thanks so much for the kind words Jennie, we wish you the best in your digital nomad journey!
This post is so necessary right now with everyone working from home. It’s good to know how to pivot and market yourself in a new light. Thanks so much for such an in depth post! Pinning for later too!
You are most welcome, Vee! We hope these tips will inspire you 🙂
This is great information, especially now when so many are working from home. I suspect many more companies will be looking at hiring people to work remotely and now would be the time to start looking.
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Janet! Thank you!
This is such a handy blog post! Full of ideas that are much needed now, more than ever before.
We hope this helps, Shar! Have a lovely day 🙂
My dream job is to become a full-time digital nomad. I know my company is reexamining its working remotely policies, and I have my fingers crossed for changes in the near future. 😊
We hope it all works out for you, Kelly! The silver lining of the past year is that regular jobs might allow working remotely for more than a few days at a time. Even if it’s just temporary, it’s a good way to know if this lifestyle is made for you. 🙂
This was such a great and informative post.
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Very useful information! Since the pandemic, I’ve found I loved working from home! Thanks for this valuable resource. 🙂
Working online or at home is truly a lifestyle we promote! We’re glad you enjoyed our article 🙂
This looks REALLY helpful for job searching! Thank you so much for sharing this post!
You’re so welcome Claris! We wish you the best of luck in your job search and digital nomad journey 😉
Thanks for the encouraging post! These are great tips, but the best part is your positive perspective!
Aww that’s so sweet of you Emily, we’re happy you enjoyed the article and we do believe positivity is key. With determination and passion, you can definitely find a job to kickstart your life as a digital nomad.
I’ve been trying for months to find something online! Hopefully now I’ll land something!
Goodluck with the job search!! With a little grit and patience, you will land something in time. 🙂
We keep our fingers crossed for you, Leisha!
Thank you for sharing such an informative post about online jobs. I’m saving this to my bookmarks for future reference because I’m thinking about starting an online job.
Wow this is super informative! It really helps a lot since I’m looking for an internship and preparing for graduation next year. The pandemic really makes me worry about missing out on great opportunities. I’ll sure try what we recommend and see. Thanks for sharing these tips!
We wish you the best of luck with your internship, Phuong! Maybe you can land a remote internship if your program allows it. 🙂
Thanks for the information here in this article. I have grown so much in understanding my skill sets over the years, making it helpful to know which side hustle things work best. Very insightful.
What a wonderful and informative post for those who seek work from home. It can be a real game changer to many people. Wonderful addition to a community of job seekers which will be surely grateful for this piece of information. 🌟
Love the term digital nomad. Great tips for those looking for ways to make money from home!
I enjoyed reading your tips on how to find an online job during Covid-19! Very helpful information – thanks for sharing!
You are most welcome, Amanda!
I love this post! I would love to be able to travel from beach to beach working fully remotely. What a dream! Thanks for your tips 🙂
We are so glad you like it, Julianne! We also love to be based in beach towns whenever possible. 😍
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