Remote Worker Finds More Time for Sleep, Travel, and Fitness

No matter how organized we might be, many of us have days where it feels like there just isn’t enough time to get it all done. That feeling can be compounded if you carve out hours to commute to a traditional job, leaving less time for sleep, travel, and fitness, and other activities that enhance quality of life.

When FlexJobs touched base with Erica T. from Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the subject of this week’s success story, she told us her stress levels had decreased considerably since she began working remotely and achieving healthier work-life integration. As a FlexJobs member, Erica found a full-time, remote job as a marketing manager that gives her control over her daily schedule.

Erica was hired by Evolution Labs, a technology company offering solutions designed to transform the way schools engage with students. As a remote worker, Erica said she’s better able to find time not only for her great career, but for activities that are meaningful to her.

Familiar with the Benefits of Remote Work

Erica’s former position was a traditional office job, she told us, writing in response to questions FlexJobs asks members who’ve found great work using our services. “After a year, I decided to move to a new city with my family,” Erica wrote.

She was fortunate enough to work for a supervisor who, seeking to keep a valued team member, took steps to make her job flexible so she could stay on. “Instead of accepting my resignation, my employer offered to create a remote position allowing me to work flexibly from home,” Erica said. “I didn’t know how I would feel about it at first, but after a while I realized how much it improved my quality of life.”

Dedicated to a New, Flexible Career

Erica’s positive remote work experience convinced her to continue with virtual work as her career advanced. “When it was eventually time to move on to a new role, I knew it would be difficult to go back to a traditional schedule and commute,” she wrote. “FlexJobs was exactly what I needed to find legitimate, flexible opportunities.”

Working flexibly, she added, “allows me to sleep better, travel more, work out, and spend more time on myself. I’m less stressed every day, so my quality of work is better and my life is more balanced.”

Down the road, Erica said, she could envision additional benefits as a remote worker. “I feel like I have very few limitations in terms of how I want to live my life,” she said. “If I want to have children, I have more options for how I can raise them while balancing my career. If I want to move to a new place and continue doing the same work, I can do that. I’m not limited by such a strict schedule or type of lifestyle, and that feels wonderful.”

Tips and Encouragement for Other Job Seekers

Based on her own success, Erica had great advice for other job seekers. “I would urge anyone who’s interested in a flexible lifestyle to give FlexJobs a try,” she wrote. “It’s super easy to enroll or cancel your membership if it’s not for you. But if you’re curious about job options you might not be seeing elsewhere, I would definitely recommend signing up at least for a month to see what’s available in your field. There were always tons of jobs here that I didn’t see anywhere else.”

Erica’s success didn’t happen right off the bat. “Perseverance is key,” she wrote. “I searched and applied to TONS of positions for nearly a year before finding the position I ultimately accepted, not for lack of listings, but because thousands of talented people were also applying to each of these awesome opportunities. Don’t be discouraged by rejection or competition, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”

“Once in a while,” Erica continued, “I would really connect with a job listing and feel like it was a perfect opportunity for me, so I would spend a lot of time personalizing and perfecting the application. I almost always heard back from those ones because I really gave it my all and that was likely apparent to the employer.”

To succeed in your job search, keep your flexible career goals in mind, Erica advises. “If there’s something you really want, show [potential employers] how dedicated you can be, and know that there are a million different paths you can take to happiness.”