Contents
- Step 1: Assess Your Readiness
- Step 2: Find Your Motivation
- Step 3: Find Your Hunting Ground
- Step 4: Learn The Remote Lingo
- Step 5: Create Your Remote Identity
- Step 6: Bring It All Together
- How to Work Remotely: It's Time to Make Your Move
Faking enthusiasm in daily team huddles while secretly daydreaming about how to work remotely? Stop burning your best work hours on clock watching and start channeling your energy into work that frees your life.
When all you have to go on is outdated office norms, figuring out how to work remotely can feel like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded.
There you are, trapped between fluorescent lights and mandatory fun. Watching Bill polish his 40-year service award for the thousandth time this week.
Your most productive work hours dissolving into the void while you nod through meetings about scheduling more meetings about next week's face-to-face meetings.
You're stuck... or are you?
Here's the secret: You're not trapped. You're just so tangled in the corporate puppet strings that freedom feels impossible and, somehow, unethical.
The same strings that say:
- Real professionals work from the office
- Culture dies when you're not in the building
- Remote work is just an unsustainable fad
The corner-office fear merchants have programmed an entire workforce to believe that professional growth only happens under their watchful eyes. But the workforce isn't as fooled as they think.
According to recent data, a staggering 98% of modern professionals are quietly dreaming about their escape to remote work. And 49% of workers are plotting their path to the international remote work stage.
We're here to help turn all that dreaming and plotting into some serious doing.
Here are our 6 steps that'll take you from office prisoner to location-free professional. No corporate buzzwords, no empty promises – just a clear path to claiming your freedom.
Step 1: Assess Your Readiness
We're not exactly subtle about our love of remote work.
The unparalleled freedom and flexibility. The access to truly global opportunities (...and above market rate pay). That sweet sweet work-life balance.
That's why we fist pump hard when we hear that those working remotely are:
- 27% more excited about their work
- 22% more likely to say their colleagues are crushing it
You can't buy (or fake) that kind of enthusiasm.
But even though we believe remote work is awesome for almost everyone, we're not here to pretend there are no exceptions to the rule.
Remote work at a killer async company might not be your jam. And that's okay. But you need to make an informed decision about it.
That's why Step 1 in your journey is all about building a crystal-clear understanding of what remote work is AND isn't. Because you need the full picture before deciding if it's the right path for you.
The good news? You don't have to figure it out alone.
There's a whole community of remote professionals sharing their unfiltered experiences. We recommend Out of Office, where our very own VP of Content Marketing, Andrew Allen, has real conversations with remote workers who've made the exact leap you're considering.
Cut through the biased noise and hear what real people have to say.
The good. The GREAT... And the ugly.
Step 2: Find Your Motivation
We promised honestly so here it is.
That burning hatred of fluorescent lights and pointless meetings? It's valid, but it won't fuel your remote drive forever.
And honestly? It shouldn't.
When you leave the office, leave the office baggage behind too.
But when that initial spite-fuel runs dry, you'll need something deeper to fire you up each morning. Something that outlasts the novelty of winning back 3-hours from your old commute.
This is your time to dig deep and find what really moves you.
Maybe it's that legendary async company freedom that lets you be there for life's big moments. Maybe it's the chance to collaborate with the world's best minds on projects that actually matter.
Whatever gets you going, that's your sustainable fuel. Because when there's no manager hovering nearby with their over-shoulder check-ins, your motivation needs to come from somewhere real.
Step 3: Find Your Hunting Ground
You've made the decision. You've found your motivation. Now it's time to get tactical with your escape plan.
First, let's eliminate the noise.
Forget Indeed. Forget LinkedIn. Those platforms are drowning in remote-ish jobs that still expect you to live close enough to smell the CEO's cologne.
Instead, focus your energy on platforms purpose-built for true remote work.
Here's our hit list:
- Crossover (😏): Where the top 1% land roles that pay above market rate at serious international async companies. We're not for everyone, and we're proud of that.
- FlexJobs: Your go-to for pure volume. They've got more remote listings than you've had awkward elevator conversations.
- Himalayas: Clean, crisp, and built for the future of work. Their UI is killer.
These aren't just job boards – they're gateways to companies that fundamentally get it. Organizations that measure success by impact, not office attendance.
Pro Tip: Need more options? Check out our full list of the top 9 remote work platforms (2025).
Step 4: Learn The Remote Lingo
Want to know what makes remote employers sit up and pay attention? Spoiler: It's not your ability to dominate a conference room or perfect your water cooler stories.
They're looking for:
- Great Communicators: People who can share compact, content-rich async comms that'll never need a sync follow-up
- Autonomous Workers: Self-starters who treat independence like oxygen - not optional
- Self-Motivated Problem-Solvers: People who see obstacles as puzzles to solve, not reasons to schedule another meeting
Translation: You need to become fluent in all the things the office used to solve with shoulder taps and side eyes.
These aren't just skills - they're your passwords to the remote work party.
Time to get fluent.
Step 5: Create Your Remote Identity
The great resume purge is upon us. Time to evolve or get left behind.
Some companies still worship at the altar of the PDF resume - fine. If that's your target, make yours scream remote warrior with data-backed wins and killer remote skills.
Highlight the times you:
- Crushed complex projects independently
- Led initiatives across locations or time zones
- Turned chaos into clarity without constant supervision
But here's where things get interesting.
Forward-thinking async companies like *ahem Crossover are doing things differently. We've thrown the whole resume-cover letter dance out the window, opting for modern methods suited to a modern workplace.
We care more about what you can do, than what a pretty resume said you did.
That means come prepared for:
- Aptitude tests
- Skills assessments
- AI-driven interviews that look at the real you
You'll still need to come armed with evidence of your awesomeness. But we're more interested in your ability to solve problems than your ability to schmooze with fancy filler words.
Step 6: Bring It All Together
The motivation's clear. The homework's done. The targets are locked.
Now comes the easiest and hardest part. The part that separates the dreamers from the doers.
Actually. Taking. Action.
It's time to stop stalling. Make your final pass and click that apply button. Stop waiting for the perfect moment - because there's no better time than now.
The future is remote. The future is now. It's time to pull... that... trigger
How to Work Remotely: It's Time to Make Your Move
Look, building up the courage to find a new role can be hard. But so is tolerating Bob's in-office microwaved fish lunches, and you're surviving that.
The truth is, you're stepping into a workplace revolution that's already in full swing.
By the end of the decade, remote-ready global digital jobs are projected to surge by about a quarter, pushing past 90 million roles.
And here's what should really fire you up: Over half of companies are already operating across multiple countries, throwing open doors that were previously sealed shut by borders.
The old guard can keep their outdated playbooks about culture needing face-to-face and team member interruptions being collaboration. Meanwhile, remote-first companies will keep building something better: workplaces where talent trumps location, results matter more than face time, and your best work happens when you're at your best.
You've got the roadmap. You know the steps. You understand what it takes to make the leap.
The only question left is: are you ready to stop dreaming about remote work and start living it?
Your neighbor's probably already updating their Crossover profile. Time to decide: Will you be sending them congrats, or will you beat them to the punch and refresh your own?