77. #Hired: Be Clear About Your Hard-Lines
Show Notes | September 29, 2020 | Episode 77 As a military spouse with a toddler at home, Hannah Ledford knew she wanted a job she could take with her to the next duty station and allow her to work from home when needed. With a PhD in physiology, at first Hannah was set on going the academic route — becoming a professor and doing research at a university. When the timing did not work out due to an upcoming PCS combined with COVID, Hannah began looking into other career fields. With its resources and vast network, VirtForce demonstrated that remote work was a viable option, so in her cover letter Hannah communicated she was solely looking for remote positions. Hannah is now a regulatory medical writer for a California-based agency focused on medical and technical writing for large pharmaceutical and tech companies. Hannah writes the documentation that is produced during a clinical trial including protocols and clinical study reports. Since it is primarily a writing job that can be done from anywhere, Hannah was able to negotiate for a full-time position with remote, part-time flexibility. When she first started interviewing for the job, Hannah was sure to communicate that she is a military spouse whose husband’s job requires frequent flying, so at times, she would need to work remotely. Hannah works on-site part of the time and remotely part of the time. Since she has to commute on the on-site days, negotiating the ability to work remotely on the days she needs to be at home with her toddler was really important to her. With an undergrad in English and a PhD in physiology, Hannah is enjoying being able to write all day and keep up with the latest scientific literature and cutting edge medications and technologies. Hannah's advice to other candidates currently applying for remote jobs is to be really clear with yourself about your hard-lines — know where are you willing to comprise and where you need to be unwavering. Hannah was clear about her own needs as a candidate. She did not want to be in a position where the employer thought she would be remote temporarily, and eventually come into the office every day, and she had the expectation of eventually working from home full-time. Tune in to hear more about how long Hannah looked for remote work and how the COVID-19 pandemic both hurt and helped during her job search. If you are a new listener to VirtForce podcast, we would love to hear from you. Please email support@virtforce.us and let us know how we can help you today! Links and Resources VirtForce Facebook Group VirtForce Job Board Kimber Hill LinkedIn Resume Boot CampFreemium Course (Episodes 47-60) – https://bit.ly/RBCEp47Premium Course – http://bit.ly/vf-bc Join the Conversation Our favorite part of recording a live podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on our live chat, on social media, and in our comments section. VirtForce on Facebook VirtForce on LinkedIn VirtForce on Instagram Check Out Recent Podcast Episodes 76. Stop Apologizing ― Write it Right Part 175. #Hired: Just Go For It74. Or Should I Go? ― Resigning Part 273. #Hired: Stand Out with Video72. Should I Stay? — Resigning Part 171. #Hired: Work Social Media