If you want a remote tech job, consider getting into software development or data science: yet again, these jobs dominate the top slots of CompTIA’s monthly breakdown of the remote tech positions with the most job postings.
System analysts, IT support specialists, and cybersecurity analysts and engineers also ranked highly on the list. CompTIA bases its data off Lightcast, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country. Here’s the full breakdown:
Several years ago, it would have been more difficult for many of these specialists to work from home, given the intense processor demands associated with processes such as data science and analysis. However, the rise of the cloud and serious advances in hardware means that all kinds of tech professionals can perform resource-intensive functions from their couch or porch.
But even if the technical aspects of remote work are firmly in place, many organizations are reconsidering their cultural stance on allowing tech professionals to work from home. As the worst of the pandemic seemed to wind down, companies breezily announced that employees would be able to work from home forever; over the past year or so, though, many executives have modified that view, and are pushing for employees to come back to the office for at least a few days per week.
“Teams tend to be better connected to one another when they see each other in person more frequently,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a February memo to employees. “There is something about being face-to-face with somebody, looking them in the eye, and seeing they’re fully immersed in whatever you’re discussing that bonds people together.” Other prominent tech CEOs, including Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, have likewise cited the supposed benefits of in-person work.
But given the notably low tech unemployment rate, paired with strong demand for key tech specialists, tech professionals also have some leverage to negotiate for the schedules and remote work opportunities they want. When entering any kind of negotiation over remote work, the key is to show your manager that you can do your job and achieve the company’s goals from pretty much anywhere. Address your manager’s concerns over being able to hit deadlines and respond quickly to queries and crises. If you can show that remote work is a mutually beneficial proposition, you have a better chance of landing it as a benefit.