The IT Nerd

According to a FlexJobs survey* of approximately 4,000 people who have been working remotely during the pandemic, 51 percent report they have been much more productive working from home than they were in the traditional office. 44 percent said their productivity was about the same. Only 5 percent say they have been less productive in their home office.

Overall Views on Remote Work:

• 65% would prefer to work remotely full-time post-pandemic, while 31% would like a combination of remote and in-office work. 4% would prefer to return to the traditional office full-time
• Just 3% view remote work less favorably since the pandemic started. 61% say they view remote work more favorably and 35% say their views have been unchanged
• Exactly half of people working remotely during the pandemic say their companies view remote work more favorably since the pandemic, while 21% think their views have been unchanged. Only 9% say they view it less favorably, while the remaining 20% are unsure

Remote Job Market During COVID-19:

FlexJobs has seen a significant increase in people looking for remote and flexible jobs since the COVID-19 crisis began, as well as more companies than ever allowing remote work and hiring for remote positions. In fact, despite a slower overall job market, FlexJobs saw a 12% increase in remote job listings in August over July, and previous pandemic months saw increases as well.

Top Reasons Remote Work Has Benefited Job Performance During COVID-19:

Despite the potential distractions while working from home during an emergency, workers say their focus has improved because of:

• Quieter work environment (68%)
• Fewer interruptions from colleagues (68%)
• More control over workplace (66%)
• More comfortable work environment (65%)
• More focused time (63%)
• Avoiding office politics (55%)
• Fewer meetings (35%) 

Top Ways Working Has Benefited Overall Life During COVID-19:

Eliminating pain points around commutes is the best benefit of remote work. This is not surprising, given that 36% have had roundtrip commutes of more than two hours. Relatedly, 39% either have plans to move in the next six months, or are considering a move.

• No commute (79%)
• Better work-life balance (73%)
• No commute cost (72%)
• Not having to “get dressed” for work in more formal office clothes (62%)
• More time to take care of myself (cook healthier, exercise, meditation, etc.) (62%)
• Save money on eating out, making my own coffee, etc. (62%)
• More time with my family/children (46%)
• More time with my partner/spouse (42%)
• Easier to take care of my pet(s) (37%)

Top Things People Miss About Being in an Office During COVID-19:

Roughly 1 in 4 say they don’t miss anything about the office, but missing camaraderie with colleagues has been observed. Only a fifth struggle with unplugging after working hours.

• Miss seeing my colleagues (49%)
• Stronger relationships with colleagues when in person (44%)
• Nothing (37%)
• In-person meetings are more effective (26%)
• Unplugging is too difficult while working from home (20%)
• More stimulating environment (14%)
• Miss water cooler talk (14%)
• Worried about remote work’s impact on my career (12%)
• Too lonely working from home (11%)
• Too distracted working from home (7%)

Insights for Employers to Consider:

• 81% say they would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options
• 30% have already made a request and been approved by their employers to continue working remotely post-pandemic. 13% say their companies have already requested they continue to work from home. 13% have made a request but been denied. 
• 27% would take a 10-20% cut in pay in exchange for the option to work from home as much as they wanted
• Less than 4% worry a lot that working from home will hurt their career progression

*FlexJobs created the survey, which was promoted to general audiences and its subscribers/members primarily through social media and newsletters. We used a multiple choice and multi-select question format via Survey Monkey’s online platform. The survey ran from August 19, 2020 – September 7, 2020. 
 

 **Demographic breakdown of the 4,000 respondents: Location: United States (73%), Canada (4%) Outside US & Canada (23%) ; Gender: women (69%), men (31%); Ages: 20-39 (37%), 40-59 (51%), 60+ (11%); Education: high school degree or equivalent (4%), some college but no degree (12%), associate or bachelor’s degree (50%), graduate degree (33%); Career level: entry-level (10%), experienced (55%), manager (21%), senior level or higher (14%). Income: 11% earn over $100,000, 12% earn between $75,000-$99,999, 20% earn between $50,000-$74,999, 28% earn between $25,000-$49,999, and 29% earn less than $25,000. 62% had children 18 or younger living at home with them. 

For more information please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/survey-productivity-balance-improve-during-pandemic-remote-work/ 

To demonstrate the broad growth and impact of remote work, FlexJobs, the leader in remote and flexible jobs, has compiled key statistics detailing the current state of remote work in today’s workplace. Working outside of their company’s main location and having a choice of work environment is now a key factor for many job seekers when evaluating new career opportunities. In fact, 74% believe that flexible working has become the “new normal.” Below FlexJobs has compiled a set of intriguing remote work data points that indicate the far-reaching benefits of remote work across the board, ranging from real estate to environmental to bottom-line benchmarks.

Remote Work Is Increasing

• A special analysis done by FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics found that there has been a major upward trend in the amount of people working remotely in the U.S. In the span of one year, from 2016 to 2017, remote work grew 7.9%. Over the last five years, it grew 44% and over the previous 10 years, it grew 91%.
• Between 2005 to 2017, there was a 159% increase in remote work. In 2015, 3.9 million U.S. workers were working remotely. Today that number is 4.7 million, or 3.4% of the population.

Remote Work is Impacting Real Estate

• In a recent report from Zillow, more than half of homebuyers who work remotely say remote work influenced a major home change, whether that’s moving to a different house (28%) or to a different location (24%).
• Additionally, 30% of homebuyers indicated that a commute between 15 and 29 minutes was their max. And only 12% of homebuyers said they were willing to commute an hour or more.
• Furthermore, 62% of Gen Z and millennial homebuyers work remotely at least one day per week. Remote work gives the two youngest generations in the workforce more options with where they live and reduces the necessity to live near large metropolitan city centers.

Remote Work Is Environmentally Friendly

• Flexible work, especially working from home, reduces traffic congestion, air pollution, and road wear and tear with either a reduced or eliminated commute into an office.
• According to the “2017 State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce” report: “Existing telecommuters reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking over 600,000 cars off the road for a year. If the work-at-home workforce expanded to include those who could and wanted to telecommute half of the time, the GHG savings would equate to taking 10 million cars off the road.”

Remote Work Is More Prevalent in Certain Areas

• In an article by Pragli, a virtual office product for remote teams, remote work was found to be more common in cities with high income levels. Why? “Remote work positions tend to be knowledge work that pays higher salaries, such as software engineering and accounting.”
• Pragli also found that locations with small remote populations generally have industries “with physical work constraints, such as agriculture and manufacturing.” Many blue-collar jobs like this simply cannot be done from a home office.

Remote Workers Make More Money

• According to a report done collaboratively with FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, the average annual income for most telecommuters is $4,000 higher than that of non-telecommuters.
• Add to that the ability to save more money—FlexJobs estimates $4,000 a year—and remote workers come out on top.
• In the State of Remote Work 2019 survey, that trend continued: “The salary breakdown of remote workers surveyed was 74% earning less than $100k per year, and 26% earning more than $100k per year. In comparison, the on-site worker’s salary breakdown was 92% earning less than $100,000 per year, 8% earn over $100k per year.”

Remote Work Attracts and Retains Talent

• 80% of U.S. workers say they would turn down a job that didn’t offer flexible working, and it’s so important to them that more than a third say they would prioritize such arrangements over having a more prestigious role.
• In another survey, more than three-fourths of respondents cited flexible schedules and remote work as the most effective non-monetary ways to retain employees.

Remote Work Is Good for Business

• Among performance-based remote work statistics, 85% of businesses confirm that productivity has increased in their company because of greater flexibility.
• Additionally, 90% of employees say allowing for more flexible work arrangements and schedules would increase employee morale, while 77% say allowing employees to work remotely may lead to lower operating costs.

Remote Work Increases Job Satisfaction

• Amerisleep’s study of 1,001 remote workers found that they are 57% more likely than the average American to be satisfied with their job.
• Plus, nearly 80% of respondents described their typical stress level during the workweek as either “not stressed” or only “moderately stressed.”

Remote Workers Are More Productive

• FlexJobs’ annual survey found that 65% of respondents are more productive in their home office than in a traditional workplace. Fewer distractions and interruptions, less stress from no commute, minimal office politics, and a personalized, quiet environment are all contributors to a more productive remote worker.
• In another survey, 47% said they strongly agree that flexible work arrangements “would or do allow me to be more productive” and 31% said they somewhat agree.

Remote Workers Can Be Healthier

• Remote workers tend to take less sick days, likely due to less exposure to germs in a typical office. According to Indeed’s Remote Work Survey, 50% of remote employees said working from home reduced their sick days and 56% said it reduced their absences.
• In FlexJobs’ Work-Life-Relationship survey, 86% of respondents think a flexible job would reduce their stress, and 89% said they think they would be able to take better care of themselves.
• Flexible work options can also help workers manage mental illness and keep them in the workforce during difficult life events.

Remote Workers Stick with It

• Remote workers have longevity. According to the Remote Work Report, “42% of people who are 100% remote said they have been working remotely for more than 5 years.
• 28% said they have been working remotely for 3 to 5 years. 19% said they have been working remotely for 1 to 2 years. And 11% said they had been working remotely for less than a year.”

Remote Work Is Here to Stay

• Finally, in a study conducted by Condeco Software, 41% of global businesses surveyed say they already offer some degree of remote working, while 60% provide flextime opportunities that allow employees to choose when to start and end their workday. Upwork’s “Future Workforce Report” predicts that 73% of all teams will have remote workers by 2028.
• And it’s a good thing, too, since 75% of current teleworkers say they plan to work remotely for the rest of their career!

To learn more, visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-statistics/

The belief that remote jobs are only suited for lower-skilled, entry-level workers remains a common misconception about remote work. In fact, the average remote worker is 46 years old or older, has at least a bachelor’s degree, and earns a higher median salary than an in-office worker. To demonstrate that remote jobs are available at the highest career level and to educate people about the professional remote job market, FlexJobs has identified ten leadership jobs for virtual workers.

Data entry, writing, medical coding, and technical jobs tend to be the typical titles most associated with remote work. However, many industries have adapted and offer remote work arrangements. Healthcare, computer/IT, education, and finance are among the top industries for remote jobs. Remote job offerings in every career area will likely continue to grow with technological advances and more open attitudes towards remote working.

About the Jobs on This List
The remote leadership jobs below all offer some type of remote work arrangement, ranging from partial remote work to 100% remote. Average salary information from PayScale, which may slightly differ depending on location, is also included. Some common executive-level remote job titles include director, executive director, vice president, medical director, and various C-level jobs such as COO, CFO, and CEO.

Companies in the U.S. have added the most workers since May 2015, making it an extremely robust market for job seekers of all career levels.

10 Remote Leadership Jobs

Chief Financial Officer
Average Salary: $132,467
A CFO manages the financials of a company. Tracking cash flow and financial planning, analyzing financial strengths and weaknesses of a company, and providing solutions are some common tasks. This executive-level job often requires 10 or more years of experience.

Chief Marketing Officer
Average Salary: $172,492
The chief marketing officer will oversee developing marketing plans that help companies gain brand recognition and customers. The CMO will need to understand the company’s marketplace position and heavily rely upon performance analytics to develop detailed strategies in this remote leadership job.

Chief Technology Officer
Average Salary: $159,532
A CTO is in charge of the technological needs of a company or organization. The role finds and implements technology solutions to help a company succeed and leads the development and maintenance of a technology road map.

Director of Communications
Average Salary: $79,900
Communications directors help create a positive image of a company to the public by overseeing strategy and messaging. They may act as a spokesperson and contact for journalists and also monitor the public perception of the company.

Director of Content Strategy
Average Salary: $127,674
In this remote leadership job, typically more than 10 years of experience in marketing, communications, or publishing can qualify you for this role. Common duties include determining a company’s content strategy based on the company’s and users’ needs, managing writers, creating an editorial calendar, and conducting SEO research.

Sales Director
Average Salary: $99,317
Sales directors lead sales teams by providing vision and guidance. Approving sales projections and budgets, hiring sales managers, and working with marketing and logistics teams are some typical tasks.

Vice President of Business Development
Average Salary: $133,599
This executive-level role develops and executes an organization’s sales and marketing plans. Creating new client relationships, writing proposals, managing a sales team, and setting team and company-wide goals are tasks of this job.

Vice President of Engineering
Average Salary: $167,990
A VP of engineering will manage a team to get products completed. This role has a big-picture view of what stakeholders or clients need and the route to meet these needs. Many times, seven to 12 years of experience are needed to qualify for this executive-level job.

Vice President of Operations
Average Salary: $127,799
An operations VP most often works with the company president to assist with daily operations. With a thorough understanding of company operations, this role will provide business performance leadership, monitor finances, and evaluate operational procedures.

Vice President of Project Management
Average Salary: $170,398
This role provides direction and leadership on project management tasks. A project management VP handles developing a road map, prioritizing projects, communicating with key stakeholders, and creating best practices.

For more information about executive-level telecommuting jobs, please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/executive-level-jobs-remote-workers-v2/.

Across the total U.S. workforce, remote work has grown 91% in the last 10 years, according to an analysis by FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics (GWA). While remote work exists across most career fields, it is growing more quickly in some fields than in others. With that in mind, FlexJobs analyzed over 50 career categories in its database, comparing the number of remote jobs posted on January 1, 2019, to the number of remote jobs posted on December 1, 2019, to determine which seven remote career categories have grown at a high rate during 2019, indicating they will be promising fields for remote job seekers in 2020.

The seven categories below have seen remote work job listings grow more than 40% when comparing the number of jobs posted on January 1, 2019, to December 1, 2019. A “remote job” is defined as a professional-level job that allows the worker to work from home either entirely or part of the time. Remote jobs are also known as telecommuting jobs, virtual jobs, and work-from-home jobs.

These are in order from highest to lowest growth, with each category having grown more than 40%.

1. Art & Creative: Creative careers often allow its professionals an exceptional amount of flexibility in their jobs. These jobs usually involve coming up with original and innovative ideas, both for aesthetic and practical value. Some artists work freelance while others work as part of a company’s or educational staff. Some of the common remote job titles within this career are Art Director, Illustrator, Commercial Artist, Website Designer, Conceptual Designer, Interior Decorator, Textile Designer, Painter, Photographer, and Musician.

2. Bookkeeping: Remote work opportunities for bookkeepers come from a variety of industries such as nonprofit, sales, small business, art and creative, client services, and of course, accounting and finance. An aptitude for organized and detailed work, and math and computer skills are essential for bookkeepers. Common job titles associated with this remote career category include Accounting Clerk, Sales Manager, Bookkeeper, Operations Manager, Office Assistant, and Accountant.

3. Internet & Ecommerce: The Internet and Ecommerce have made it possible for thousands of professionals to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of working from home. There are many jobs relating to the Internet that involve working with information technology, web development, and design, and social networking tools. This category also encompasses SEO, SEM, and social media jobs. Common remote job titles include Operations Manager, Search Marketing Specialist, Paid Media Manager, SEO Consultant, and Social Media Specialist.

4. K-12: Teachers and educators most often manage live classrooms in elementary, middle or high schools but in this information age, many are providing their teaching services online. There are many accredited virtual learning platforms such as elementary, middle and high school programs that are fully online now so that has opened up the door for more remote jobs for qualified teachers. There are also many parents who choose to home-school their children and receive support from K-12 teachers. Common remote job titles include Virtual Teacher, Tutor, Online Instructor, Curriculum Developer, and Speech Language Pathologist.

5. Graphic Design: Graphic designers produce visual solutions to the communications needs of their clients through a variety of creative skills and commercial awareness. They are creative people who have a flair for what is appealing to consumers, are aware of upcoming trends and can convert their ideas into visually pleasing images. There are many avenues for graphic designers to work virtually in marketing, technology, and commercial industries. Related remote job titles include Commercial Artist, Illustrator, Designer, Conceptual Professional, Art Director, Layout Manager, and Creative Director.

6. Translation: Translation careers are an exciting option in remote work. As business is becoming more global, the demand for professionals who can work as translators to bridge the communication gap between cultures and businesses is immense. This is especially important for companies that operate internationally or have operations in other countries where associates must live and work. Some of the job titles available for remote work in this category include Website Tester, Training Specialist, Language Tutor, Business Translator, Document Proofreader, Meeting Facilitator, Advertising Quality Rater, and Bilingual Writer.

7. Math & Economics: Math & Economics jobs exist in a number of industries, including education, accounting and finance, nonprofit organizations, government, banking, information technology, and publishing. Common remote job titles in this career field include Financial Services Representative, Operations Specialist, Mathematics Translator, Instructional Designer, Economist, and Statistician.

For more information visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/fast-growing-remote-career-categories/

With unemployment currently at 3.6 percent, near a half-century low, job seekers are strongly positioned for successful job searches as 2020 approaches. By comparing the most recent data on the fastest-growing occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to the jobs in its own database, FlexJobs has determined which 12 fast-growing occupations also come with flexible work options, such as a remote arrangement, a flexible or part-time schedule, or freelance work.

Ordered from highest growth to lowest, occupations with the highest percent change of employment between 2018-28 that also offer flexible work options are listed below. Each occupation is projected to grow at least 23%. The 2018 median salary information is also included.

1. Home health aides 37% growth ($24,200)
   2.  Information security analysts 32% growth ($98,350)
   3.  Physician assistants 31% growth ($108,610)
   4.  Statisticians 31% growth ($87,780)
   5.  Nurse practitioners 28% growth ($107,030)
   6.  Speech language pathologists 27% growth ($77,510)
   7.  Genetic counselors 27% growth ($80,370)
   8.  Mathematicians 26% ($101,900)
   9.  Operations research analysts 26% growth ($83,390)
   10. Software developers, applications 26% growth ($103,620)
   11. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary 23% growth ($97,370)
   12. Medical assistants 23% growth ($33,610)

To help flexible job seekers in their 2020 job search, FlexJobs has also compiled three main strategies to follow in the pursuit of a more flexible work arrangement.

1. Educate themselves on flexible work options: People don’t realize just how many flexible work options are available across industries and career levels, or how many flexible and remote jobs are currently offered by employers.
2. Identify their preferred type(s) of flexible work options: 
   – Remote jobs (work from home either some or all of the time)
   – Flexible schedule jobs (some control over your daily schedule)
   – Part-time jobs (career-level, professional jobs that offer part-time hours)
   – Freelance jobs (project-based and consulting-type jobs where you are self-employed and work with one or more clients at a time)
3. Refine flexible work application materials: FlexJobs recommends key tactics for writing resumes and cover letters when applying for flexible jobs. Resources include:
   – FlexJobs’ downloadable guide, “How to Find a Job and Start Working from Home” with specific tips and examples for resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and more.
   – The resume and cover letter sections of the FlexJobs blog, with hundreds of articles offering tips and tricks for every type of flexible job application.
   – Remote.co’s “Hiring Remotely” section details how 140+ companies hire remote workers-

For more information please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/fastest-growing-flexible-jobs-v2/

To help job seekers interested in finding flexible jobs, today FlexJobs named the Top 40 Companies to Watch for Flexible Jobs in 2020. This list is based on an analysis of over 52,000 companies and looks specifically at their flexible job posting histories in the FlexJobs’ database between January 1, 2019, and October 31, 2019.  Given the consistent, high volume flexible job hiring practices by these companies in 2019, FlexJobs believes these companies are likely to be strong recruiters for flexible job positions in 2020 as well.

Computer & IT, sales, medical & health, education,  marketing, and finance are among the top career fields for flexible jobs.  A “flexible job” is defined as any professional-level job that offers flexibility in terms of when, where, and how work gets done. Examples include:

• Remote jobs (a.k.a. telecommute or work-from-home) that are full-time and part-time
• Freelance (contract) jobs
• Jobs with flexible schedules or alternative work hours

Below are the top 10 companies with the highest number of flexible job listings in the FlexJobs database between January 1, 2019, and October 31, 2019.

For the entire list of top 40 companies hiring for flexible jobs, please visit: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/top-40-companies-hiring-for-flexible-jobs/

1. UnitedHealth Group
2. Kelly Services
3. Kaplan
4. Motion Recruitment Partners
5. SAIC – Science Applications International Corporation
6. Robert Half International
7. Amazon
8. Pearson
9. SAP
10. Parallon

Along with this list of 40 flex-friendly companies, FlexJobs also tracks the growth and evolution of the flexible job market.

Here are recent studies and statistics that show what the market looks like today:

• Businesses that offer “flextime during core business hours” increased from 52% to 57% between 2015 and 2019, according to SHRM’s 2019 study on work benefits
• In just two years, there’s been a 78% increase in job posts on LinkedIn that mention work flexibility, according to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2019
• 74% believe that flexible working has become the new normal, according to an IWG survey
• 78% cited flexible schedules and remote work as the most effective non-monetary ways to retain employees in 2019, up from 67% in 2018, according to Crain’s Future of Work Survey
• To attract and retain employees, 44% of businesses have put in place new strategies to permit a more flexible schedule as their chief way of coping with record unemployment and fewer available workers, according to a 2019 USA Today and LinkedIn survey

To help flexible job seekers in the interview process, FlexJobs has also outlined sample responses to tough interview questions, such as those addressing salary, reasons for looking for a new job, and relationships with former bosses.

Remote work is on the rise, having increased 91% in the last 10 years in the United States. With full-time remote work consistently reported as the most desirable type of flexible work arrangement, FlexJobs, which specializes in remote and other flexible jobs, has detailed 26 remote jobs from eight career categories that all have the potential to pay $100K+ per year. The premium job service has also offered 10 tips on how job seekers can prove themselves as qualified remote workers during the interview process.

The majority of the remote jobs below are high-level positions that require higher education and multiple years of experience. The pay rate is based on data from PayScale.

Career Fields with High-Paying Remote Job Potential

Computer & IT Remote Jobs

• Cloud Architect $69K–$164K
• Senior Solutions Architect: $97K–$166K
• Technical Support Manager: $50K–$118K

Computer Security Remote Jobs

• Cyber Security Analyst: $51K–$117K
• Privacy Officer: $50K–$140K
• Security Consultant: $56K–$134K

Engineering Remote Jobs

• Research Engineer: $58K–$119K
• Senior Systems Engineer: $78K–$140K
• Software Engineer: $60K–$124K

Marketing Remote Jobs

• Marketing Communications Director: $47K–$136K
• Marketing Director: $46K–$149K
• Senior Product Marketing Manager: $86K–$156K
• Vice President of Marketing: $84K–$202K

Medical Remote Jobs

• Clinical Trial Manager: $65K–$132K
• Medical Director: $119K–$301K
• Psychologist: $48K–$113K

Project/Product Manager Remote Jobs

• Product Manager: $54K–$121K
• Project Manager, Operations: $47K–$107K
• Senior Project Manager, IT: $84K–$145K

Sales and Business Development Remote Jobs

• Business Development Manager: $44K–$121K
• Channel Sales Manager: $50K–$124K
• Senior Account Manager: $49K–$110K
• Senior Sales Executive: $44K–$131K

Software Developer Remote Jobs

• Front-End Developer: $46K–$107K
• Java Developer: $50K–$103K
• Mobile Developer: $49K–$112K

High-paying remote jobs are highly competitive and coveted. Because they require a unique set of skills, job seekers should be prepared to showcase their competency and fit as a remote worker. After conveying one’s remote work experience and skills intentionally through strategic cover letters and resumes, job seekers can then demonstrate during the interview process that they have the skills and knowledge to be an outstanding virtual worker.

10 Tips to Prepare and Showcase Remote Work Expertise During an Interview:

1. Prepare a designated interview space free from clutter and distraction to have the meeting.
2. Download and test the software that will be used for the interview (it’s okay to ask ahead of time what platform will be used).
3. Turn on the webcam prior to a video call to check your surroundings and ensure nothing within view is in motion or inappropriate.
4. Close all unnecessary software, turn off notifications on your computer and phone, and make sure your computer is fully charged.
5. Place the video meeting window at the top of the screen, as close to your computer’s camera as possible.
6. Dress professionally (not just from the shoulders up) and avoid fabric or jewelry that might disturb a microphone or be too busy or shiny on screen.
7. Offer to give a tour of your office or share the photos to showcase a highly functional remote home office environment.
8. Talk tech – digital communication is essential for all teams, but it plays a particularly important role when workers are based in different locations. Promising candidates are aware of various communication and collaboration tools, such as Trello, Slack, and Google Docs, and they showcase a willingness to learn new ones.
9. Demonstrate awareness of common remote work pitfalls such as unplugging after hours, distractions, or loneliness, and the steps you will take to minimize them.
10. Share a remote work backup plan in case you experience a power outage, tech or Internet issues.

For more information please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/high-paying-work-from-home-jobs/

FlexJobs and 1 Million for Work Flexibility (1MFWF) have announced they will celebrate National Flex Day (URL) on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, with a number of activities, and by hosting a virtual career fair later in the month, to raise awareness about the importance of work flexibility. National Flex Day, started in 2013 and held during National Work & Family Month, is designed to inspire professionals and employers alike to unite behind the need for work flexibility, bring awareness to the benefits, and move the issue forward on a national scale.

Flexible work is defined as any type of job or work schedule that gives workers more control over their workday and therefore over their personal life. This could include remote work, freelancing, part-time jobs, alternative schedule jobs, and flexible schedule jobs, and it is absolutely growing. In fact, FlexJobs found that remote work has increased 91% over the last ten years. National Flex Day can be a catalyst to increase this number in the next ten years and help put even more workers in control of their work life.

Activities to celebrate National Flex Day, which can be promoted using the hashtag #NationalFlexDay and tagging @flexjobs and @workflexibility, will include:

• An invitation to join Brie Reynolds, Career Development Manager and Coach at FlexJobs, for a free one-hour Live Career Coaching Q&A event on Oct. 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET
• Interactive polls on Twitter throughout the day. Follow @FlexJobs to weigh in!
• Promo code FLEXDAY for a 50% discount on a FlexJobs membership on Oct 15
• A virtual career fair for remote jobs, featuring Appen, BELAY, Education First, Hilton, Lionbridge, LiveOps, Sykes, Sutherland and Williams-Sonoma on Oct 24

Some of the top careers for flexible jobs in 2019 are computer & IT, sales, medical & health, customer service, education, and marketing.

According to FlexJobs’ 8th annual work flexibility survey, workers believe a flexible job would help them reduce stress, improve their health, and contribute overall to a better quality of life.

• Top reasons: Since 2013, work-life balance, family, time savings, and commute stress (42%) have been the top four reported reasons people seek flexible work.
• Quality of life: 44% said a job with flexibility would have a “huge improvement” on their overall quality of life, and 53% said it would have a “positive impact.”
• Health: 78% of people said having a flexible job would allow them to be healthier (eat better, exercise more, etc.), and 86% said they’d be less stressed.

Flexible work options are growing worldwide and can have a big positive impact on the workplace, society, and individuals. Everyone is encouraged to join the work flexibility movement by adding their name to 1MFWF! For more information please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/what-is-national-flex-day-v2/

Freelancing continues to grow, with projections that freelancers will make up 51% of the total U.S. workforce in 2027. According to FlexJobs’ 2019 annual survey, which reached more than 1,800 freelancers, freelancers enjoy working, want to travel, and are passionate about success in their careers at much higher rates than workers who do not identify as freelancers. To demonstrate the various opportunities in the freelance job marketplace and help freelancers connect to jobs they enjoy, FlexJobs has identified the top 20 companies hiring freelancers so far in 2019. 

Below are the top 20 companies, ordered from greatest to least, for the number of freelance job postings in 2019. Staffing and recruiting companies have strong representation on this list, which shows their deep involvement in the hiring process for freelance, contract, and temporary jobs. Some staffing companies are full-service hiring for a huge variety of career fields and industries, and others specialize in a particular field or group of related industries.

This list is based on an analysis of over 51,000 companies and their freelance job posting histories in the FlexJobs database between January 1, 2019, and August 31, 2019.

1.  Kelly Services
2.  Kforce
3.  Onward Search
4.  Real Staffing
5.  Motion Recruitment Partners
6.  LanguageLine Solutions
7.  AFIRM
8.  Robert Half International
9.  CyraCom
10. Aquent
11. CSI Companies
12. System One
13. Trilogy Education Services
14. 24 Seven
15. VanderHouwen & Associates
16. Landi English
17. Addison Group
18. Dahl Consulting
19. VocoVision
20. Paladin

Additional findings about freelancers from the FlexJobs survey, conducted in July 2019:

Why Freelancers Work

•  61% of freelancers reported that they work because they enjoy working, compared to 53% of non-freelancers who report the same
•  60% of freelancers work because they want to travel, compared to 53% of non-freelancers
•  48% of freelancers work because they are passionate about success in their career, compared to 38% of non-freelancers
•  When evaluating job opportunities, freelancers are more eager for a professional challenge (43%) than non-freelancers (34%)

Who is Freelancing

•  Freelancing appeals to older generations as well as younger generations, with respondents identifying as: Gen Z (2%) Millennial (28%) Gen X (38) Baby Boomer (25%) Silent Generation (7%)
•  Freelancers are well-educated, with 72% having at least a bachelor’s degree and 31% having a graduate degree

How Much Freelancers Work

•  The vast majority (90%) of freelancers report working three or fewer gigs at a time, with 42% only working one gig at a time

When searching for freelance jobs, there are a number of different terms for job seekers to consider. These can be used to help find freelance job openings, and describe oneself to potential clients.

•  Freelance job: A person works for themselves, rather than for a company. While freelancers do take on contract work for companies and organizations, they are ultimately self-employed
•  Contract work: Working as a temporary contract worker, rather than a permanent employee
•  Independent contractor: Work terms are specified by a contract with another company or individual, which is how the IRS classifies this type of work
•  1099: Used to describe the type of job. Refers to the IRS form an independent contractor fills out: form 1099-MISC
•  Contract consultant: Someone who is hired for temporary consultations for specific issues within a company
•  Contract-to-hire: A job that begins as a freelance, independent contractor position but has the potential to become a regular employee position if things go well

For more information please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/top-companies-freelance-jobs/

According to a July 2019 FlexJobs survey of more than 2,000 women with children 18 and younger living at home, 31% of women who took a break in their career after having kids wanted to keep working, but reported that their jobs were too inflexible to remain in the workforce. Forty-two percent said it was either extremely difficult or difficult to restart their career after taking a break. The labor force participation rate for all women with children under age 18 was 71.5% in 2018, up slightly from the prior year.

Additional survey findings include:

Career paths and challenges:

• 31% of women with children 18 and under who took a break in their career after having kids wanted to keep working, but their jobs were too inflexible to stay in the workforce
• 70% who off-ramped their career after having kids said it was difficult to re-enter the workforce
• 71% have left or considered leaving a job because it lacked flexibility
• 40% are concerned that having flexible work arrangements will hurt their career progression

The importance of work flexibility: 

• Work-life balance (82%), flexible work options (78%) and work schedule (77%) were ranked ahead of salary (76%) as the top factors they use to evaluate potential job prospects
• Over half (56%) have tried to negotiate flexible work arrangements with their employers but only 32% have been successful
• Just 13% are extremely confident in their ability to negotiate a flexible work arrangement
• 86% said having kids living at home has affected their interest in a flexible job

Employer relationships:

• 31% would consider taking a pay cut in exchange for the option to telecommute as much as they wanted
• 85% would be more loyal to their employers if they had a flexible work arrangement, compared to 80% of general workers who say the same thing
• 64% think they are more productive working from home than in a traditional workplace.
• Nearly half (48%) have felt discriminated against in the workplace because of their gender

Mothers are confident in their dual parent/employee roles:

• The majority report “needing” to work, but 73%—more than two out of three parents—also report “wanting” to work
• 84% are entirely sure that they can simultaneously be both great employees and great mothers
• 91% also indicated that flexible work arrangements would increase their volunteerism at their children’s schools or organized activities

The mothers who responded to FlexJobs’ survey were highly educated, with 70% having at least a bachelor’s degree and 28% having a graduate degree.

Earlier, FlexJobs released the full results of its 2019 Annual Flexible and Remote Work Survey with more than 7,000 professionals weighing in on work and life. To help moms (and anyone who’s taken a career break) return to work through remote and flexible work, FlexJobs has also created A Mom’s Guide for Returning to Work, a comprehensive downloadable guide. For more information please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/survey-flexible-work-moms/.