Gone are the days when you have to log years or decades at a company before they approve you for remote work flexibility. Now, that once hard-earned perk is expected straight out of the gate.
In a recent survey from FlexJobs, 40% of Gen Z respondents stated that remote-work options were important to them, with 73% considering some kind of hybrid structure as their ideal setup.
Adding fuel to the remote-work fire, 80% of the more than 7,000 overall survey respondents across Gen Zers, millennials and Gen Xers acknowledged that they’re more productive in a remote work environment.
FlexJobs — a career resources site and database specializing in remote and hybrid job listings — recently unveiled the Top 10 entry-level remote jobs for college graduates.
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Some of the highest paying entry-level jobs, based on average salary from Payscale, include software engineer ($93,346), data analyst ($67,302) and territory account executive ($63,617).
Other openings are in customer service, as a business development representative, accountant, recruiter, administrative assistant, Spanish bilingual interpreter and sales representative.
Toni Frana, manager of career experts for FlexJobs based in Niceville, Fla., is hopeful that 2024 grads will be able to secure their dream job despite the recent 2% dip in hiring projections for their class. “While the job market remains competitive, there are a wide variety of remote and hybrid entry-level career opportunities across several industries for new grads,” said Frana.
“We have seen a decline in the number of fully remote jobs, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist,” echoes Cassie Spencer, a New Hampshire career coach known as Career Coach Cassie, who also works as a co-coach with Eliana Goldstein Coaching of Brooklyn. “Exploring different companies, effectively networking and using a variety of job boards can lead to great success when looking for a remote or hybrid career,” she said.
While certain fields like customer service, accounting, finance and IT generally offer the most hybrid and remote opportunities, other arenas on this list may be more surprising. “However, seeing the increase of remote and hybrid roles in business development and account management indicates that companies hiring for these roles are aware of the desire for young professionals to have flexibility in the way they work,” said Frana.
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Spencer encourages job-seekers to pay attention to the technical skills associated with the positions and industries included in this list. “Computer, IT, data and other more technical roles and industries are growing, but it also means that the skills required to obtain these jobs are also growing and changing,” she said.
If you have your heart set on not schlepping yourself to an office on a full-time basis, if at all, remember you can still find plenty of excellent job opportunities beyond the aforementioned arenas and specific job titles.
Additionally, Spencer stressed that job titles are incredibly varied in the current job market and what one company calls a “customer service” role another company may call a “client relations manager” or something completely different.
“Researching industry trends can help job-seekers determine which job titles are both most common and which align most with their skills and interests,” said Spencer.
All in all, Spencer believes that the FlexJobs findings regarding the top growing and most popular remote and hybrid careers reflect a similar growth that we’ve seen in these fields over the past handful of years.
Working with large numbers of soon-to-be and recent graduates, the job coach also urges job-seekers to use these lists as reference points and explore other industries, fields and roles that align with their interests, skills, experience and education.
Want to land a plum remote gig? Here’s how:
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Do your research
“If working remotely or hybridly is a top priority, it’s important to learn about the companies, not just the fields or jobs, that have a strong remote or hybrid culture,” said Spencer. “Learning about the companies that are ‘remote first’ or who have established hybrid or remote cultures is a great way to expand your job search outside of scrolling job boards.”
Step into the light
In today’s market, it’s especially important for new grads to be visible to hiring professionals. “That means exercising their networking skills and building relationships with people who are doing the type of work they want to do — and with people who work at companies they’d like to work for,” said Frana.
Connecting with professionals and asking for an informational chat can give new grads direction and advice from people doing the work they’re seeking. “This can help shape their job-search activities, enabling them to be as strategic as possible, so they are able to secure a position soon after graduation,” she said.
Spencer believes networking will always be key to any job search, but especially for anyone seeking a remote opportunity. “Talking with current employees can be a great way to both learn more about the remote or hybrid culture the company offers and to help move you along in the job search and interview process,” said Frana.
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Customize your résumé or cover letter
Young professionals should be sure to tailor their résumé and cover letter to every job posting.
“As a new grad, it can be a good idea to highlight special projects or coursework you’ve completed that would be relevant to the role,” said Frana. “This helps highlight a skill set that matches a role even without traditional work experience.”
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Get granular
One of the biggest interviewing mistakes Spencer sees is candidates talking about their experiences too broadly.
“It’s important to provide specific examples and to tell stories that showcase the skills and experiences that you have,” she said. “I often work with soon-to-be and recent grads who discredit the work that they’ve done. Own the experience that you have.”
Be patient
Whatever you do, don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t secure a job offer fresh out of your cap and gown. Frana emphasizes that it takes time to land a job as a new grad.
