Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com.
Whether you’re considering taking the leap to a remote or hybrid job or you’ve already been working from home for a while, you might wonder how a remote position will affect your career progression.
While remote work adds an extra dimension to career development that in-office work doesn’t have, that doesn’t mean your career development has to take a back seat to your remote work goals.
In fact, with the right approach, you can set yourself up for career success by taking advantage of the unique opportunities that remote work provides.
Understanding Career Development and the Impact of Remote Work
Career development is the process of planning and progressing along a professional path. It encompasses everything from finding the right job to developing the skills and experience needed to move up within an organization.
For many people, career development is linear through the five traditional stages of career growth. They identify their dream job or desired position and then set a straight course toward it, picking up the necessary skills and experience.
Remote work, however, can introduce some complexity into this process.
Because remote workers are not tied to one specific location, they have more freedom and flexibility when finding job opportunities. But this also means remote career paths may be less clear-cut than those of traditional workers.
Unique Ways Remote Work Affects Career Development
Let’s take a closer look at how remote work can affect your career development opportunities.
1. Wider Pool of Job Opportunities
One of the most significant advantages of remote work is that it opens up a whole world of job opportunities.
Because remote workers are not limited by geography, they can apply for jobs anywhere in the world. They’ll have a much more comprehensive range of options to choose from, making it easier to find a position that’s a good fit for their skills and experience.
2. Easier to Gain Skills and Experience
Another benefit of remote work is it can make it easier to gain the skills and experience needed to progress in your career. With a remote job, you might be free to choose when and where you work, or perhaps you’ll have more free time without a daily commute.
All of that means you can decide when and where you learn.
For example, suppose you want to learn a new programming language. In that case, you can take an online course or join a remote meetup group dedicated to that topic during the hours you’d typically be in traffic.
Or, if you want to gain experience leading a team, you can volunteer to do so on a remote project or with a nonprofit outside of your geographical boundary. The possibilities are endless.
3. Challenges When It Comes to Networking and Building Relationships
While remote work can offer some advantages regarding career development, it also creates new challenges. One of the biggest challenges is networking and building relationships.
In-person networking is still one of the best ways to build relationships with potential employers, mentors, and other professionals. Often, that’s because it can happen more effortlessly as you interact with other professionals throughout your day.
But when you’re working remotely, it can be challenging to create and maintain those relationships, as remote workers have to be more intentional in seeking out networking opportunities.
There are a few ways to overcome this challenge:
- Make an effort to connect with people in your field online. Join relevant LinkedIn groups, participate in Twitter chats, and attend virtual conferences and events.
- Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for advice or guidance from more experienced professionals.
- When you do have the opportunity to meet people in person, make the most of it. Attend local meetups and events, and take the time to follow up with the people you meet.
The 5 Stages of Remote Career Development
By understanding the ways remote work affects your career development, you can adjust your approach.
Take some time to consider which of the following career stages you’re in and how you might approach it more intentionally.
1. Exploration
The first stage of remote career development is defining your career goals and exploring your options. Ask yourself what you want to achieve in your career and how working remotely fits into those goals.
Are your reasons for wanting to work outside of the office related to a temporary or permanent need?
For example, if you’re a military spouse, your need for a remote or hybrid job will likely be long-term. In that case, your career goal would be more focused on establishing a foundation with a company or in a field that can support remote work from anywhere your spouse might get stationed.
Suppose a career can’t support remote work, such as brick-and-mortar retail leadership or an operations role with an airline. In that case, you’ll devote this stage to exploring different careers you can transfer your skills to until you find one matching your interests and remote work goals.
2. Establishment
You may be working from home for the first time or simply haven’t yet found your groove. Or, perhaps you’ve recently moved to a remote job more aligned with your interests and career goals.
At this stage, it’s essential to focus on building good habits and routines that will set you up for success in the long term.
It’s also important to start networking and connecting with other remote professionals in your field so you can learn from their experiences. One way to do this is by joining relevant online communities and forums or attending virtual events and meetups.
3. Mid-Career
Now that you’ve established good habits and routines, it’s time to start thinking about how to pursue growth in your career and industry.
This may include taking on additional responsibilities, seeking new opportunities, or developing new skills.
You might also consider volunteer work, which can help you gain experience and expand your network and skill set. Plus, many volunteer opportunities can be performed remotely.
As you start taking action, you might find your original plan needs to be adjusted. That’s perfectly normal. You’ll gain new insights and learn new things. Use what you’ve learned to fine-tune your strategy and make it even more effective.
4. Maintenance
Congratulations! You’ve reached a point of stability in your career. At this stage, focusing on sustaining your success and ensuring you’re still learning and growing with new technologies is essential.
And there are free online courses from top universities available to help you pursue remote learning and upskilling from the comfort of home.
It’s also important to start thinking about how you can give back to the remote community and help others achieve their goals.
And if you’re looking to move up to senior leadership, you might need to start networking and building relationships with people in senior positions. Or, if you’re interested in starting your own business, you’ll need to develop a business plan and start marketing yourself.
5. Late Career
As you head toward the later stage of your career, you want to determine your continuing career goals. Remote work is an excellent option for those entering semi-retirement, as you can often find flexible roles that allow you to enjoy personal freedom.
It’s critical at this stage to remain current with industry standards and technologies.
You may be able to parlay that learning into a consultant or mentor role when you combine it with your long career history. This should pair nicely with time to travel and more focus on your personal life.
Building Remote Career Growth Intentionally
No matter what career stage you’re in, it’s essential to keep building momentum toward your remote career goals.
You’ll be able to meet your goals if you are intentional in the adjustments you need to make as a remote worker to get there.
