137 - Possible To Land An Entry-Level Remote Job? Part 1

The Connection / 2023.08.08 / Issue #137

Hello, Connectors 😎

Before we dive in, here are the stats on last week's newsletter about 👸 The Queen Of Pop

• 👋 Readers: 1640 (+22)

• 📧 Open rate: 42.9%

• 🐁 Click rate: 3.8%

• 🔗 Most popular link: Where high earners move

I’m seeing this question more and more:

"Is it possible to land an entry-level remote job?"

The short answer: Yes.

But you need to know what jobs to target, where to find openings, and how to stand out.

Today, we'll focus on what jobs to target. In 12 minutes or less, you'll learn about:

• 😍 Entry-level remote jobs you can land

• 🗞️ ➡️ 🧑‍💻 The newspaper editor turned product manager all-in on remote work

• 💰 My favorite money newsletter for remote workers and expats

Let’s jump in:

13 Entry-Level Remote Jobs (No Experience Required) - Part 1

"Is it even possible to land an entry-level remote job?"

I get the skepticism. On LinkedIn, you can't scroll without reading posts about sending in 10, 100, 1,000 applications to remote roles without ever hearing even a word back.

It can feel impossible.

So let's talk about what entry-level jobs you could be applying for. Having that list of potential remote jobs does a few things:

• 🌌 Shows you the universe of options

• 📦 Gets you to think outside of the box

• ✅ Helps you find the right role for you, right now

But first, let's define what we mean by "entry-level."

What Does Entry-Level Really Mean?

"Entry-level" used to mean your first "real job" out of college (or even high school). Fresh-faced and eager, no one expected to have specific skills. You earned those skills on the job, after "paying your dues."

Times, they have changed.

The days of sending in a general resume touting your "strong communication skills" are long over.

Let’s dive into jobs you can target.

13 Entry-Level Remote Jobs

1/ Administrative Or Executive Assistant

Your job as an administrative, executive, or virtual assistant is simple: make sure the trains run on time for your client. Typical duties include:

• Administrative tasks. Manage the schedule and calendar, book travel, and clerical duties like maintaining files

• Gatekeeping. The first line of defense for phone calls, emails, and any other messages

• Research. As varied as competitive research to the best playgrounds in Santa Monica to take your kids

If you’re considering an assistant role, you should be extremely organized and able to work autonomously. Demonstrating these abilities is more important than a college degree. Remember, your job is to remove items off your client’s plate, not add to it.

P.S. The executive assistant role was one of my first when I started in the entertainment business, working for 3 literary agents. I landed it with no prior experience as an executive assistant. Later, I used that role to land my dream job.

Average salary: $58,205

2/ Social Media Coordinator or Manager

Social media coordinators and managers are responsible for managing a company or individual’s social media presence. That can mean the big four (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter). It can also mean developing more nascent channels like Snap, TikTok, and Pinterest.

Typical duties include:

• Managing the community. Responding to comments and DMs and answering questions

• Creating assets. Anything from the written word, images, or videos

• Tracking performance. Monitoring how posts are performing

• Strategy. Developing whole campaigns or series of posts (e.g. “New Year, New You”)

A social media coordinator is an individual contributor role and is typically entry-level. A social media manager handles more strategy and has direct reports. Going from a coordinator to manager is one path in a traditional company structure. Fortunately, both are usually remote-friendly, especially once you’ve mastered project management software like Trello, Basecamp, Asana, or Notion.

Average salary: $52,724

3/ Customer Support Representative

Customer support representatives are a part of every company. It’s common to land a customer support role with no experience. Most companies will train you up on their systems and processes. In general, you should enjoy talking with others and diffusing situations where a customer might be upset. Typical duties include:

• Providing support. Solving a customer problem across phone, chat, or email

• Improving systems. Systematically improving playbooks and scripts (called macros) that get distributed across the support team

As mentioned, the customer support role is great if you’re looking for a remote job with no experience required. At the right company, you can get flexible hours, plus opportunities to take on side projects, become a manager, and even transition to other roles.

However, at other companies, customer support representatives keep very strict schedules, and there’s little room for advancement. If this is important to you, ask and be discerning about what company you work for.

Average salary: $40,000

4/ Graphic Designer

As a graphic designer, you’ll use words, images, and aesthetics to convey what a company or individual represents. You (or a team of graphic designers) are in charge of creating any visual assets.

Typical duties include designing web graphics, product packaging, social media images, and logos.

An artistic eye and terrific design sense are the obvious table stakes. You also want to be a great communicator. It’s your job to get everyone aligned with the final vision.

Similar to the social media coordinator role, once you’ve proven your chops, it’s a remote-friendly role. Companies hire both full- and part-time designers, as well as work exclusively with agencies. You’ll need to master this generation’s digital design toolkit:

• Design tools. Canva, Figma, Photoshop

• Free image sources. Rawpixel, Unsplash

• Project management tools. Trello, Basecamp, Asana, or Notion

Average salary: $47,032/ year

5/ Game Writer or Journalist

A Game Writer or Journalist is a terrific entry-level remote job in the gaming industry. Responsibilities include:

• Content writing. Craft articles, reviews, and features that capture the essence of video games and resonate with other gamers. You’ll also need to adapt your content across different platforms and mediums

• Research and analysis. Dive into game lore, mechanics, and industry trends to provide insightful and well-informed commentary

Obviously, a passion for gaming goes a long way to start. You’ll also need a strong foundation in writing fundamentals. Your writing chops and depth of knowledge of the gaming world will be your two differentiators in this competitive industry.

It can be difficult to break in, but once you get your foot in the door, you can contribute to the gaming community from home.

Average salary: $54,047

6/ Sports Content Creator

A Sports Content Creator breaks down game highlights, discusses team strategies, and covers the gamut of their “beat.” Here’s what you’ll do:

• Create content. Written articles, videos, or podcasts covering various sports topics, from game highlights to analysis and player profiles

• Research and analysis. Stay updated on sports news, trends, and events. You’ll be directly on the front lines

• Social media engagement. You’ll go where the fans are. That typically means managing social media platforms, engaging with followers, and generating conversations with fans.

If you start out as an independent Sport Content Creator, there is no barrier to entry. However, it can take time to build a following. Still, the work will be worth it once you’re sharing your insights with fans from across the world.

Average salary: $45,725

7/ Copy Editor

As a copy editor, you’re the last line of defense for a company or individual when they’re shipping words that need to be perfect. Typical duties include:

• Working any content. Web copy, print copy, press releases, blog posts, briefs, reports, etc.

• Tightening the message for clarity. Removing passive voice or simplifying the language used

To succeed, you need a strong command of the English language. You need to be extremely detailed oriented (remember, the last line of defense)! Most of the time this work is done solo, which makes it the perfect remote job.

Average salary: $50,351/year

Conclusion

That’s what we’ll cover for today. Next week, we’ll cover Part 2 of entry-level remote jobs.

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🔎 Remote Spotlight: The Newspaper Editor Turned Product Manager All-In On Remote Work

I first connected with JJ Marshall after noticing him on LinkedIn. I loved how methodical he was in leveling up his product skills while making progress on his remote job search. I wanted to dig in more to hear about how he thought about advancing his remote career. 

Tell us about your remote work journey.

I was still in the office as editor of a newspaper just before the pandemic hit. I was in the prime of my career as a writer and editor, receiving dozens of awards from peers in my field...

Yet I was still stagnant in terms of compensation and respect at work. 

Having time to go all-in during bootcamp gave me a huge leg up.

I invested heavily in my remote relationships at school, which was not necessarily a new skill. I had experience teaching English online in the years prior to people all over the world, so I knew the basics of establishing connections with people through screens. I found the people at bootcamp who shared my excitement for finishing bootcamp and landing a job asap, and we dug into together during the tough parts.

I made besties with my bootcamp instructor. I quickly got over the embarrassment of being the brown-nose student at the front of the class. I mention these relationships because that is what set me up for success in the remote world.

Since then, all of my work has been remote — from software engineer at a bank to product manager at a startup and now my current role as TPM at Radancy.

What's your number one piece of advice for someone currently looking for remote work?

Don’t expect it to be a magic device that will solve all of your problems.

Remote work has inherent benefits — no need to go into detail there, we all get it.

Remote work comes with its own set of unique challenges: it takes just as much work and craft to sort out your home office as it would an in-person setting. People seem to get tripped up a bit when they’re a few months into the job and the feel stuck and alone.

It takes a lot of work to establish your personality and character in a remote setting. It’s a skill like anything else.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

A ton of planning, repetitive habits and commitment. Setting boundaries and sticking to them.

First of all, I don’t hide who I am during interviews or when I get hired. The company that hires me will know what they are getting.

• I block time on my calendar religiously.

• I read the smartest product people in the world.

• I mimic strategies I see work in the real world.

Along with that, I am almost insanely committed to getting on my feet and outside. I start my day at CrossFit, I go for a walk after standup and sometimes a bike ride to boot.

I have an afternoon walk as well and I go to the yoga studio when I finish work. Not everyone has my schedule (no kids, no pets :D) — but the simple act of getting away from the computer and desk does wonders. That’s where I find clarity.

I still haven’t figured it out. I don’t think I actually have true work/life balance. I wish I had a life! But I’m working on it, I’m still quite new to this world now that I think about it.

How has remote work changed your life?

I’ve worked from France, Spain, Mexico, New Mexico, New York, New Orleans - anywhere. I am not tethered to the location of my office, and that liberates me.

It’s changed my life. I couldn’t have imagined anything like this a few years ago.

Additionally, it’s made me a better thinker. I have space to sprawl out and whiteboard, meditate, take the time I need to dive into difficult problems without sharing space with people in an office. Nobody looks at me strange for going out on my fourth walk of the day.

Looking back, if there's one thing you could have done differently, what would that be? 

Now when I start work at a company, I make it a point to arrange to meet my team/boss in person within the first few months. I had a job recently where I never met anyone I worked with, and it made me feel expendable in a way.

There is something to be said about in-person connection, you cannot replicate that feeling on zoom. I think the future of remote work includes a healthy balance of in-person interaction. The world is still sorting this out.

Where can people go to learn more about you and your work?

• JJ on Medium

• JJ on Substack

• JJ on LinkedIn

What’s your favorite movie?

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Conclusion

That’s a wrap.

Next Tuesday, August 15th, we’ll dig into Part 2 of these 13 entry-level remote jobs.

We’ll also cover:

• 🤑 How much money do remote workers make?

• 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 How to protect your family while traveling abroad

• ☀️ A new Remote Work Spotlight

...and more!

See you next week 👋

When you’re ready, here are 3 more ways I can help you with remote work: