Do you want to know how to get a remote job abroad from Nigeria? If so, this article will provide you with some useful information to help you get started.
In this article, you’ll get to understand what remote jobs are exactly, where to find one, and how to go about finding a suitable one for you. So, let’s begin from the very top!
What is a Remote Job?
A remote job is a job that doesn’t require you to physically visit a designated office before it can be done. This implies that if you have a remote job, your assigned tasks can be completed from anywhere; whether at home or any other place you prefer, you’ll only need a computer to do them. People with remote jobs rely on technology to complete their tasks and projects.
Remote working is beneficial on several counts. The two topmost benefits are the lack of a commute and the advantage of fewer distractions. These benefits have made remote working very attractive. And it has remained increasingly so over the years.
One interesting aspect of a remote job is the flexibility it offers. Most remote jobs offer such fluid flexibility that people can have their normal active job roles together with their remote jobs and still be able to juggle them effectively. In this scenario, the remote job becomes an additional source of income for those people.
Having a remote job abroad as a Nigerian is one stellar way to begin a new and prosperous chapter. Whichever way you look at it, it is an opportunity you don’t take lightly when it comes your way because it opens up great prospects, from earning more to advancing your career.
So, if you are looking to earn more than you do here in Nigeria, or you want a boost to your resume, getting a remote job abroad might just be what you need to achieve it.
However, it is important to note that, like active job roles, remote jobs vary. They can either be temporary or permanent, depending on various factors. If there is no defined employment end date, it is a permanent position, but if the employment end date is stated, it is a temporary position. A temporary remote job position is otherwise known as a “contract job.” So, before you commit to doing any remote job abroad, you must check to ascertain what type of position it is.
How to Get a Remote Job Abroad from Nigeria
1. Make a plan ahead of time
Before you begin to look for a remote job, you need to plan. You need to be sure that getting a remote job is what you want to do. Whether you are considering juggling the remote job with the regular active role you have here in Nigeria, or you want it as the only work you do, you need to be prepared emotionally, psychologically, and practically for it.
If you wish to combine your active job role with a remote job, then it’s critical to objectively consider whether you’ll be emotionally and psychologically strong enough to handle the pressure from both jobs. This is also the time to assess yourself and see if you have the necessary skill set for the remote job role you are looking to apply for.
You will also have to consider if the schedule and demands of a remote job can fit in with everything you have going on. After being careful and deliberate about all of this, you can then decide whether or not to search for a remote job.
2. Have a marketable skill
Once you decide to get a remote job, you need to make sure the skill you have is a marketable skill. Your search for how to get a remote job abroad from Nigeria becomes easier when you have a marketable skill to offer.
A marketable skill is a high-demand skill that can help you earn more money and is valuable to employers. An example of a marketable skill is a graphic design skill. It is marketable because brands and businesses need a graphic designer to help them communicate their message visually.
So, if you love art and design, or you simply desire to create, you can learn graphics design to have a marketable skill. Don’t know where to start your learning? Begin with any of the Udemy courses for graphic design.
3. Gain enough experience
Next on the list of things to do is accumulate enough experience. If you must get that high-paying remote job, you have no option but to know your skills backwards and forwards. It is very important to become an expert in what you do because, with foreigners, there is no halfway house. It is either you are good at it or you are not.
Now how do you accumulate experience? First and foremost, by practicing your skills if you are just learning. But once you have perfected your skill by practicing regularly, it is important to work with the skill you’ve acquired locally so you can get some work experience to build your portfolio. When you have ample work experience, you are seen as a professional, and this creates an exceptional opportunity for you to explore possible profitable options.
4. Create your portfolio
For a remote job, you need a portfolio that markets you and emphasises your strong points as a professional in your field. This is important because your portfolio is what tells your employers the story about each skill or service you have offered. It is the tangible evidence that convinces them you can do what you say you can do.
You don’t have one? There are several free online templates you can use as a guide to create a unique portfolio that would attract employers. However, if you do have one already, this is the time to check if it is up-to-date before you begin your search.
5. Become an expert in the use of communication-enhancing tools
Remember when we said that people with remote jobs rely on technology to complete their tasks and projects? This is one of the aspects we were referring to.
Some video-conferencing tools like Skype and Google Meet are useful for communication while on a remote job abroad, so you need to master how to effectively use them.
6. Start your search for the remote job
After you have sorted out your portfolio and mastered the use of popular video conferencing tools, you can begin your search.
Here is a list of the most popular remote job sites where you can find remote roles specific to your skill set.
- Remote OK
- Crossover
- Pangian
- Flexjobs
- Remote.co
- Virtual Vocations
- Remotive
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Freelancer.com
Sign up on any of these remote job platforms to find a suitable remote job for you.
7. Seek assistance
Are you finding it difficult to get a remote role appropriate for you? Seek professional assistance. You might meet someone who knows the ins and outs of this and enlist their assistance. They can assist you with whatever you need to know to get your desired role.
8. Perform job research
Once you find a remote job suitable for you, you’ll need to research the remote role. It is crucial to find out how much you’ll be paid for the job, the employment privileges attached to the role, the requirements for the role, and any other information you should have, including if it is a permanent position or a temporary one.
You don’t want to find out after you have applied for the job that it isn’t what you were expecting. Therefore, you must check for the details before you apply.
9. Consider the benefits
This is a follow-up step after your research has been carried out. Whatever remote role you are applying for, you need to ensure it benefits your professional development in the sense that it provides a personal learning and growth experience for you. If it doesn’t offer this benefit together with the high earnings, then it’s probably not worth it.
10. Hone your skills
Once you have gotten the remote job you desire, you may begin to rejoice about your expected earnings, but not just yet. Why? Because you need a plan in place to upscale.
With the fierce competition in the job market today, you need to find a way to upgrade your skills to remain valuable.
Conclusion
A remote job abroad from Nigeria is one of the legitimate ways to make more money today. Though the process of finding one may be simple or daunting depending on various factors, it is worth the effort.
Therefore, in summary, how to get a remote job abroad from Nigeria is simply adequate preparation. Once you have that covered, when an opportunity presents itself, you are ready for it.