This Is How I Transitioned From Being an Office-Based To a Fully Remote Employee Traveling the World
Without being a software engineer, data scientist or having any particular hard skill
In 2021, I was working at a prestigious intergovernmental organization first as a trainee and then on an interim capacity, and I was on the verge of becoming a full-time employee.
To secure permanent employment in public sector organizations, individuals who are already working within the organization, often selected as trainees from a large pool of candidates, are typically required to undergo an additional challenging test (which is by invitation only) and mandatory interviews.
Like many of my young, ambitious colleagues, I too thought that getting that permanent, coveted position was the direction I was aspiring to.
This commitment meant that for over a year:
- I (anxiously) networked in the hope of being considered among the candidates invited to take the test;
- I struggled with social comparison anxiety whenever one of my young colleagues received an invitation to take the test while I did not;
- When my turn finally came, I dedicated myself to rigorous study in order to successfully pass the test.
Great! Everything was finally more or less in place, and I was about to take the final step (the interview) toward securing the position. I was about to sign up for years of work in an enviable, stable job in a shiny skyscraper, complete with Christmas parties and a closet full of elegant office attire.
After all, ‘that was my goal, right?’ I questioned myself, thinking about the destination I had worked hard to reach for over a year.
On a deeper look though, there was a catch:
- I thought my job was dead-boring;
- I couldn’t envision myself living in Poland (my place of assignment of the time) for years to come;
- I daydreamed about traveling the world with my partner, who was location-independent for most of the year.
Being True to Myself and Taking the Decision To Quit Was The Most Difficult Thing I Had To Undergo Up Until That Moment
When you have barely one year of experience after grad school and you come from Southern Europe, where youth unemployment levels hover around 24%, the societal pressure to find a job and keep it, with tears and sweat, is enormous.
If it’s a public sector job? Then you are literally living the dream of half of your country.
That being said, I was slowly realizing that the social status of my job was not enough to keep me going when I was disliking almost everything else.
While the fancy semi-corporate lifestyle had been a fascinating experience, I was craving more location freedom and the ability to visit places beyond my PTO allowance.
What I Was Left To Do Was Roll-Up My Sleeves (Again) And Work Toward a New Goal: Securing a Fully-Remote Job
The odds against me were considerable:
After breaking the news to my superior, serving my notice period, and booking my first flight of freedom, I had to act swiftly in securing a new position. My savings were limited, given my relatively few years of work experience up to that point.
The situation looked more than complex:
- I needed to find a fully-remote job that allowed me to travel the world for at least a few months each year, with no geographical restrictions (no limitations on APAC, EMEA, and similar regions);
- I had to achieve this without relying on many years of expertise or a solid career history, as I had graduated only two years prior, one of which was “lost” due to a world pandemic;
- I had no background in any of the most sought-after fields, such as software engineering, data science, or software development. I was simply someone who had worked in HR for most of her brief career;
In the weeks leading up to my resignation and after, I went into a focused application mode.
If this topic is interesting to you, stay tuned for part 2 on this How I Transitioned From Being an Office-Based To a Fully Remote Employee series for tips on how to find a remote job, the mindset to adopt in such transitions, and the challenges people rarely tell you about.
Also, if working and traveling full-time is what you’re dreaming of, then join my newsletter Freedom Focus. Twice a month, you will receive insights on how I managed to travel and work full-time for the past two years, reflection prompts, and actionable items to start doing the same. Join here.