Remote Work Helps Woman Leave “Dead-End Job” and Assist Husband After a Cancer Diagnosis
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns, and having the flexibility to deal with what comes can make a huge difference. This week’s FlexJobs success story focuses on a woman whose remote work allowed her to leave a “dead-end job” and help her husband after a cancer diagnosis.
Newly married, Shannon M. had moved to a smaller town and found herself face-to-face with a very limited local job market. Shannon decided to broaden her job search and look for a remote job—a decision that led her to FlexJobs.
After becoming a member, Shannon found a full-time, remote job as a senior product manager at UnitedHealth Group, the diversified global healthcare company that provides insurance, healthcare, and wellness products across the U.S. and in more than 125 countries.
Struggling in a Limited Local Job Market
A resident of Savannah, Georgia, Shannon had undergone big changes in her personal life when she launched her search for flexible work. “When I got married, I moved from Dallas, Texas, to a smaller town with very limited job opportunities,” she said.
Although she was able to find work, the job wasn’t living up to her expectations. “I wasn’t loving my job locally, so I was hunting for companies that offered telecommuting options,” Shannon wrote in response to questions FlexJobs asks members who’ve used our services to find flexible work.
Flexibility to Deal with Family Health Problems
Thanks to her new work-from-home job, Shannon had the flexibility to deal with an unexpected health diagnosis in her family. “My husband was recently diagnosed with cancer,” she wrote. “I now have the flexibility to go to doctor’s appointments with him by arranging around my work schedule.”
There are other benefits as well, said Shannon, who identifies as a member of gen X. “I love my job, the company I’m working for, and the much better pay!” she said. “I could not be happier to have found a full-time, telecommuting position with a Fortune 500 company and I owe it all to FlexJobs!”
Shannon said her perspective about her career options going forward has “definitely” shifted. “I had felt very limited when job searching using the other typical job sites, since they rarely had search criteria for telecommuting and if they did, it wasn’t always accurate,” she wrote. “After finding FlexJobs, it was so easy to use the search options to pinpoint exactly the job I was looking for. I no longer feel ‘trapped’ due to the local job market. FlexJobs opened up a world of options!”
Strategies and Inspiration for Other Job Seekers
As a FlexJobs member, Shannon found a winning strategy to achieve job search success. “Researching companies and taking the time to tailor my resume to fit the ‘buzzwords’ attached to each position I applied for online” made a huge difference, she said, referring to using keywords in her job search.
Becoming a FlexJobs member, Shannon wrote, was “the best money I’ve ever spent!” She continued, “Even if you’re not looking for telecommuting jobs specifically, I would still highly recommend [FlexJobs] to all job seekers due to the excellent user experience and great search criteria options.”
“I can’t thank you enough for helping me dig my way out of a dead-end job and find a job in the industry I wanted, and with excellent flexible options!”
Related Product Jobs:
FlexJobs Is SO Much More Than Just a Job Board
In addition to helpful articles like this one, members get unlimited access to:
- Highest Quality Remote & Flexible Jobs
- 200+ Expert Skills Tests
- Virtual Job Fairs
- Weekly Career Coach Q&As
- And so much more…
Related Articles