Brief History

I have been working in the field of software development for more than 6 years with more than 2 years working remotely. I have plenty of experience working in MNCs, startups, and service-based companies. My first remote job opportunity was in Lithuania in 2018. At that time, the remote job was not that much in trend. The company mailed me the assignment and the package that I would receive If I make it through the interview.

The salary that was offered to was 6.5 times the salary at that time. Also, they offered to travel to Lithuania once a year. I was very happy with the package, but not sure about the work. What if the company did not pay me at the end of the month? So, I decided to move on with my current company, leaving behind such a good option. I could not take risks at that time.

After that, I got emails and messages from various companies as a Laravel and Vuejs developer:

• Vietnam(Remote, Relocation to Vietnam after 1 year)

• Canada(Remote)

• Ireland(Relocation)

• UK(Remote)

• USA(Remote)

• Germany(Relocation, Remote)

Skills required to get a remote job

Apart from learning HTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP, I will share what other skills are necessary and required to get you a good remote job.

Organizational Skills

Let’s deep dive into the requirement of various organizational skills that one should have, before looking to work remotely.

Communication Skills

The most required and desired skill which is required for a remote job is your communication skills. I had colleagues who were excellent in various aspects of software engineering. Whether it was to plan a new project, code the project, and implement the infra for that project in the most efficient and cost-effective way, they had their job done. But, the skill which made them feel under-confident was their communication. They were reluctant to talk to clients as they did not have good communication skills and they knew about this drawback. As a result, they are still not able to get remote jobs despite good technical skills.

Why communication skills are required:

• Communication skills are the most important skills in the IT industry. You should be good at two-way communication.

• You should be able to grasp what the employer is trying to convey, whether it is regarding the project or any other informal communication.

• Timely and effective communication creates a good impression. Whether you are facing any blockers in the project or there is something that needs to be communicated to the employer, it should be done well before the desired time. This creates an impression that you are responsible and take ownership of the project.

• You should avoid communicating important things verbally. If there is any issue, blocker, important requirements, or any other thing which needs to be communicated to the employer, it should be communicated in writing such as via emails, JIRA, or Slack. Also, if you are communicating in Slack, make sure you post in groups so that all the concerned persons should be aware of the issue.

How things should be communicated?

• Prioritize things on the basis of importance. Low, medium, and high. The medium and high-importance tasks should be communicated over email or JIRA or any other which is used for task-tracking because everyone will have visibility of what you are trying to convey. Also, the timestamps are involved in such communications which can save you from the blame game.

• Low-priority things should be communicated over slack(or any other messaging platform) mostly.

• The things which are of the least importance can be communicated verbally also.

Learn English

In order to get a remote job in tech, you should also learn how to speak and write English. As it is the most used language in tech for verbal communication, you need not be excellent in English. The most important is that you should be able to communicate the points in an effective manner. If you can communicate in 50 words effectively, there is no use in writing 500 words for that.

Take notes

Do not try to memorize everything that has been communicated in the meeting. Do yourself a favor. Get a small notepad and write points on the notepad. Taking note of things is also a skill.

Team Work

Some developers feel that they should get things completed by themselves. They take responsibility for everything. This skill is also good if you are working in a small company with up to 5-10 employers. But, if you are working with a big team, then you should be more dedicated to the tasks assigned to you. If you have completed your tasks, you can ask for a new task or pick up the task pending. You should learn to work as a team member. Fulfill the responsibilities assigned. Complete the task assigned within the timeline assigned and you will be way ahead of 90% employees of your organization.

Focused work

Nowadays, most employers expect 40 hours of work from their employees. So, if you are able to do 5-6 hours of focused, distraction-free work, you can achieve 40 hours of work while working 30-35 hours every week. You also have the option of flexible working with some employers. You can distribute your working hours in two shifts of 4 hours instead of working 8 hours consecutively.

Technical Skills

Knowledge Of Internet

It is good how much knowledge you can acquire about how the internet works. But, basically, you should have a good understanding of client-server architecture. You also need to know how the client and server communicate with each other. This is the most basic knowledge you should have. Rest, you can gain more knowledge while working on projects. Knowledge of pseudo-code, and flowcharts are also good as some projects require you to analyze project details. Knowledge of various networking protocols such as HTTP, FTP

UML(Unified Modeling Language)

UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a widely used standardized modeling language for software design and documentation. It provides a visual representation of software systems, including their structure and design, using diagrams and symbols. The use of UML can help software developers to:

1. Communicate design: UML provides a common language for developers, stakeholders, and other team members to understand the design of the software system.

2. Reduce complexity: UML provides a high-level view of the software system, reducing the complexity of the system and making it easier to understand.

3. Improve quality: UML allows for the early identification of design issues, making it easier to detect and resolve problems before the software is implemented.

4. Facilitate team collaboration: UML enables developers to work together effectively, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings and improving the overall quality of the software system.

Therefore, UML is a valuable skill for software development, as it can help to improve the efficiency and quality of the software development process.

HTML

As a language model AI, I don't have personal opinions, but I can say that HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a required skill for software development for the following reasons:

• HTML is the foundation of all websites: All websites, regardless of their complexity, are built using HTML. It is the building block for the structure and content of a website.

• HTML forms the backbone of web applications: Many software applications are built on top of web technologies and require a strong understanding of HTML to develop the interface and user experience.

• HTML is used to create UI and UX: HTML is used to create the user interface and user experience of software applications. A good understanding of HTML helps developers create visually appealing and functional user interfaces.

• HTML is easy to learn: Compared to other programming languages, HTML is relatively simple and easy to learn, making it a valuable skill for software developers.

• HTML is essential for cross-platform compatibility: HTML is platform-independent and is supported by all modern browsers, making it essential for developing cross-platform applications.

In conclusion, HTML is an essential skill for software development because it is the foundation of all websites and web applications and helps create the user interface and user experience of software applications.

CSS

CSS(Cascading Style Sheets) is used to web pages more beautiful. You can use it to design the web page, forms, inputs, tables, etc. At the current time, you should be able to create a web page that has a good User interface/ User experience and CSS is there to help you. Learning CSS will allow you to create responsive web pages which are the most required by all website owners. Whether you working on a SAAS solution or you are working for any clients, you must make the website responsive and adaptive for various screen resolutions.

Apart from learning CSS, you should also try learning Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS frameworks as they are the most in-demand CSS and you can negotiate for a good salary if you are an expert with these technologies.

JAVASCRIPT

Javascript which was mostly used as the Client-side language which was mostly used in the front end has been the most popular and most in-demand technology. Now, Javascript can be used anywhere. It can be used to modify a DOM of a web page, Machine learning, Front end, Back end, AI, desktop apps, etc.

Some of the famous frameworks:

• Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence: TensorFlow

• Frontend framework(In-demand): ReactJs, Vuejs, Angularjs(Organisations use this framework.)

• Backend: Express.js

PHP

PHP(Hypertext Pre-Processor) is mainly used as the server-side or back-end language. All the flow and functionality which is executed on the server side are built using PHP. If you are starting with web development, you should start with this language. Most of the websites have been built upon PHP only.

Some of the most in-demand frameworks of PHP:

• Laravel

• Symfony

• WordPress(CMS)

• Magento(E-commerce framework) Adobe Inc.

I would prefer you to go with Laravel as it is the most in-demand PHP framework and you will have plenty of opportunities for remote jobs. Also, you will more probably have an onsite offer, if you are willing to relocate and have more than 5 years of experience.

Proof Of Skills

You need to showcase your skills to various organisations. You can increase visibility of your skills, your work. You can take following steps:

• Create your profile on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can get plenty of remote jobs.

• Maintain your profile and update the project with the work that you have done from time to time.

• Create a Github profile and if possible, contribute to open source. Many people have got a good offer from companies just by contributing to open source. Update the link of your github profile on LinkedIn and Twitter.

• Start your own blog. Make use of Hashnode, Substack and Medium to start blogging and post the links of your blog on LinkedIn and Twitter. Do not start creating a new project for blogs.

Where can you apply

• LinkedIn

• Twitter

• angel.co

• remoteok .io

• remote.co

• remotive.io

• flexjobs .com

• upwork .com (For freelancing)

• justremote.co

Well, this is the guide that will help you get your first high-paying remote job. If you loved this article, do follow me for updates.