How to Land a Remote IT Job

Information Technology is an ever-growing field that continues to increase in demand as more businesses require the services of dedicated IT professionals. With the right skills and certifications, an employee can enjoy a lucrative career at a variety of successful, innovative companies.

And they can do it without ever leaving their homes.

Working remotely has become prevalent among several industries and fields, and information technology remains at the forefront. In fact, information technology was an appealing remote position years before health concerns required more employees to work remotely. Even as they eventually return to a location-based job, IT will continue to have a great number of remote work opportunities in the future.

While there are some cases where IT staff needs to be on-site, the nature of the position dictates that a great amount of maintenance, troubleshooting, and problem solving can be done remotely. With a fast connection and access to network tools, an IT professional can assist a business from anywhere in the world with the same effectiveness and speed as if they were just down the hall. This flexibility and convenience only add to the appeal of a career that already has many advantages.

Why Work Remotely?

Finding the right position is never easy, and the IT job market can be challenging and competitive. Choosing to pursue a remote position opens up opportunities in a different location than where the employee currently lives, so they’re not limited to whatever local companies require IT services. Any business in any industry that utilizes information technology talent is a potential employer, and difficulties regarding commute or travel disappear.

Also, the freedom of working remotely doesn’t come with production limitations when it comes to information technology. Since IT professional can do their job just as well wherever they are physically, the position can be just as rewarding, challenging, and satisfying as the exact same position in an office setting. The downside challenges that come with remote working in other positions don’t normally exist in the IT field.

Best Remote IT Jobs

While IT is a career that lends itself to remote work, some positions are even more effective in that designation than others. Here are a few IT jobs that are particularly well suited for working remotely.

Website Developer (front and back).

Whether you’re dealing with features that are used by clients and customers, or the business functions of a website used by the company itself, developers are excellent candidates for remote work. Their tools and applications can be utilized from any location with a secure internet connection. If a website developer can access the server, they can do their job.

Security Analyst.

A professional whose job is to review, maintain and monitor a company’s network security can do their job remotely. A security plan needs to be comprehensive and cover every location, and the security analyst can’t be everywhere at once. They need to be able to install and manage protective software that secures every access point, no matter where it is, and analyze the data that reveals its effectiveness. As long as they can cover the entire organization, their physical location can be almost anywhere.

Cloud Architect.

A company that makes great use of cloud-based resources needs IT professionals who can monitor a cloud strategy, make recommendations, and implement new tools and protocols. A cloud architect makes its usage more efficient and accessible to those who use it and makes sure that project managers can utilize cloud resources when and how they need them – and with the right communication and tools, it can all be done remotely.

Software Developer.

If a company or project requires the use of a software developer, it becomes another ideal remote job. The creation of the proper software, testing, troubleshooting, and eventual implementation can all be done remotely and is a viable solution, compared to bringing everyone in house for the duration of the project.

IT Project Manager.

Project managers need to be able to handle a variety of company needs at the same time, communicate with management, and turn their goals into actionable information technology projects. It’s critical that they monitor a project’s success and make changes as necessary, but their physical location is less important than their ability to guide a team with respect to organizational strategies and budgetary concerns.

Working with a Staffing Agency

If you have found the kind of remote IT job you want, the question you ask yourself is how do you get it? Finding the most lucrative opportunities and best fit for your skillset and goals can be a full-time job in itself, and you still won’t have the contacts or experience to find every appealing opportunity. Just as a company delegates IT needs to a separate department, job seekers can benefit from delegating the search to a staffing agency.

Like an accredited, focused employee, a staffing agency devotes all its time to a specific type of goal, in this case, matching IT candidates with good jobs and companies. The best agencies will find out your specific capabilities and needs, provide feedback on how to best present your qualifications, and find the right fit for both parties. They can reach a large number of prospective employers and quickly filter out the ones that won’t be a good match based on your unique situation. The candidate saves a great deal of time, gets tips on how to maximize their potential, and gains access to potential jobs they might not hear about otherwise. By guiding an IT candidate toward suitable and interested employers, a staffing agency can put them on a direct path to the career of their dreams.