How to Land a Remote Job in the United States While Living Abroad

If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that remote jobs offer an appealing alternative to traditional work schedules. For one, you don’t have to commute to and from the office, saving hours of time each week. Often, these jobs are more flexible, as well, giving you time for appointments, childcare, and other parts of the work-life balance that you may not have had time for before. 

With such an appealing schedule, it’s not surprising that remote jobs are hotly in demand. SHRM recently released a report noting that 47 percent of the 1,700 respondents surveyed were “definitely” going to seek a remote job. 

“Our research shows that there is still a lot of demand for remote positions from job seekers, which could even increase in the future. Close to a quarter of respondents currently working in an onsite position say that they definitely want a remote role in the future,” said Mark Smith, Ph.D., SHRM’s director of HR thought leadership. 

Another population competing for these attractive remote jobs?

Digital nomads or workers can do their jobs remotely while traveling or living internationally. This lifestyle is certainly desirable but has one significant drawback: according to FlexJobs, about 95 percent of the remote jobs based in the United States have a location requirement, like a state or city. 

So, if you live internationally and you want to land a remote job based in the United States, then you need to be really competitive to beat out all the other candidates seeking the same thing. Here are some tips for how to do it: 

Don’t make it seem like landing a remote job – any remote job – is more important than the work itself.

Sometimes, job seekers are so desperate for remote jobs they’ll cast a wide net without tailoring their cover letter and resume to the specific position at hand. This is certainly the wrong tactic. 

“Employers need applicants to show them that they can do the exact job, and they need it spelled out clearly. You may be capable of doing five different types of jobs, but if your résumé and cover letter aren’t specific to the one job you’re applying for, an employer won’t realize you can do that particular job,” said Kathy Gardner, VP of Communications at FlexJobs. 

Make sure you’re emphasizing skills that would make you a successful remote worker.

Lots of people want the remote job until they’re tasked with being as self-directed and autonomous as this style of work really is. 

So, in your application materials, highlight not only the skills that would make you great at the role but also strong in this work modality. 

According to CUNY, the most important skills for a remote worker include the following: 

• Top-notch verbal and communication skills 
• Time-management skills, especially in a “less structured and more independent environment.”
• The ability to get to know team members while working independently and across time zones
• Adaptability and problem-solving abilities

“If the job you’re applying for calls for it, highlight previous tasks or projects where you worked well independently and collaborated seamlessly online. Or if you’re applying for a management position, you’ll want to distinguish how you set expectations and monitor progress with employees you oversee from afar,” adds CNBC’s Jennifer Liu. 

During the interview, be sure to put the hiring manager at ease about living abroad.

If you’re applying to a remote job that doesn’t have location requirements, that’s great! You’ve stumbled across a rare find. 

At the same time, you want to emphasize that you’ll still be able to communicate with your co-workers, especially if many of them live in the same place. Tell them that even if you’re six hours ahead, you’ll get up early or stay up late for regular synchronous meetings is what your future colleagues expect. 

If you can’t fit into the company’s work style from abroad, then you’ll be less appealing than regional candidates who could. 

Highlight your previous experience working remotely.

Hiring managers will find candidates who have worked remotely before more desirable. This way, they can be sure you know what you’re getting into and won’t be overwhelmed by working by yourself, at home, all of the time. 

So, when submitting your resume and cover letter, note when you worked remotely in your past profession. In your cover letter, you could even discuss which jobs were remote and hybrid. Then, talk about how you managed teams and built relationships with others, as well as mention the skills above in your materials. 

If you haven’t worked remotely before, that’s OK, too. You can still talk about instances when you successfully worked virtually, which you likely did, at least during the pandemic. 

Add references – and even ask for recommendation letters if you can.

One of the ways that you can prove yourself is by including references who can discuss both your job proficiency and your ability to work remotely effectively. If you have worked remotely in the past, choose strong references from these places to show that you can build relationships even in a remote workplace. 

“References help employers confirm that you are a reliable, proficient, and effective employee who would be successful at their company. Securing references who will speak highly of your character and strengths can help employers notice your application and abilities in a large pool of talent,” said Hannah Harshman for BioSpace. 

If you can, also ask your references to write you recommendation letters, as well. Having these, and adding them to your application materials, can help you stand out from the get-go. 

How to Land a Remote Job

Remote jobs are hotly sought after, especially now that so many workers got to explore this modality during the pandemic. Of course, when you find a job without any location requirements, plenty of other job seekers are also going to be entering the ring. 

So, be sure that you write application materials that demonstrate that you would do well in the position and in remote work. Highlight your experience working virtually and building relationships with distant colleagues, as well. What’s more, finding strong references can boost your candidacy. 

Landing a remote job at an American company is possible; you just have to work a little harder to stand out from the crowd. 

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