I got the chance to connect with I-Wen Huang a few months ago when I first published my ebook: Get That Remote Job. We chatted about remote work, the ebook and the exercises. A few months later, I was excited to learn that she landed her first remote job!

In this quick chat, we talked about exercises, the experience of looking for a remote job, useful blogs and information online, and much more.

Without further ado, meet I-Wen Huang:

Note: Anything in italic in this post is my own comments and some information to help you further.

1. A small presentation about you, your work, and where people can find you online

I’m a multidisciplinary designer. My work focuses on UX/UI, interaction design, and video installations. I was born and raised in Taiwan and currently based in Ecuador. You can find my work and get in touch here: http://iwenhuang.com/

2. What makes remote work appealing to you? And when did you decided to work remotely?

The idea of remote work came to me when I worked in New York in 2018. Although it was a pretty stable and nice job, I often felt drained. The visa application and the 9-to-5 workday in the middle of Time Square made me doubt if this is the type of life I want. So I decided to quit my job, move to South America, embrace the freedom and unknown, and explore remote work.

Ahmed: Working remotely is not for everyone. The idea of working in the middle of Time Square can be the best job for some, but for others it’s not.

3. How does the “Get That Remote Job” ebook helped you to land your first remote job? Any specific exercise/idea you liked about the ebook and you want to recommend?

Ahmed: If you don’t have the ebook yet, make sure to get it!

This ebook sets good fundamentals for people who just start searching for remote jobs. But I also found it helpful and informative for people who are ready to deep dive into the remote world. I was lucky to find my first remote job when I moved to Ecuador, and I needed to go back to the job search because of the pandemic. When the whole world suddenly shifted working remotely, I needed some strategy to get a remote job. This ebook let me know how important it is to showcase my work and see things from the remote companies’ perspectives. Blogging in English is an excellent exercise. It prepares me to be a better communicator and helps to build myself as a brand.

4. How was the process of looking for a remote job? Was it too long? Short? Any blockers you experienced?

The whole process took me about four months. I was freelancing at the same time, so I wasn’t doing it full-time. And that gave me some mental break from searching on job boards, sending resumes, and writing cover letters. The information on the job boards isn’t always accurate, which is frustrating. Sometimes the positions are no longer available. Some companies can claim that they’re entirely remote, but then I found out they are limited to some specific timezones, or even worse, they think remote work equals working from home.

5. Now that you’re working remotely, what changed in your working routine? Are you liking it so far? What challenges did you find in your first weeks/months?

I love it. I think I’ll never go back to the office. Interestingly, people always think I have more free time because I have a remote job. But the truth is, I get busier than before because of how accessible it is to work. All I need is a stable Internet and my laptop. I even work on weekends sometimes. I need to constantly remind myself to unplug so I can reach the work-life balance I want.

Ahmed: The work-life balance in remote work is a real problem. It usually takes a lot of time and experience to be able to stop at the end of your day.

6. What are the other books/articles/content that helped you in getting your remote job?

We Work Remotely, RemoteWoman, Distributed Podcast, Ambition & Balance by Doist.

7. If you want to give a piece of feedback or a lesson to people trying to get a remote job, what that would be?

Don’t forget to take care of yourself. After months of applying and hearing nothing, one can easily lose confidence and resilience. I got an onsite job offer when I had nothing else. It was hard for me to turn down the opportunity and go back to the job search, but deep down, I knew I’m meant to work remotely. I understand how time-consuming and stressful this process could be, but it will be worth it! I suggest taking your time, focusing on quality over quantity. Connect with people, offer help, and reach out when you need one. You’re not alone.

8. Conclusion or any comment you want 🙂

Remote work is undoubtedly the future of work, and I’m so grateful for being part of this revolution. My next step is to explore the digital nomad lifestyle when borders start opening up 🙂

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Thanks to I-Wen Huang for the time and for sharing useful information with the readers of remote.ma, make sure to check her website for more information.

If you still don’t have the ebook, make sure to get it.