Whether you’re wrapping up your studies or looking for a way to offset your student loan while you’re in college, remote work has become a lifesaver for many students over the years, especially during the pandemic. The health crisis alone has pushed and inspired many young professionals to start pursuing a new career path or to supplement their income until the crisis subsides. Working remotely for international companies can come with its challenges, however, so it’s vital that you’re prepared and that you understand what to look for.

Since the competition among employers is fierce and many are looking to hire the best talent and find those rising stars, you’ll most likely be flooded with offers as soon as you gain some experience. It will become even more important for you to learn how to pick the best company and the best colleagues to advance as an aspiring professional. From adapting your resume, all the way to refining your search for specific companies, understanding the remote work model without borders is pivotal for your success. Nowadays, some businesses also prefer using a white-label job board for creating a website and sharing jobs for vacancies. Here are a few essential tips to keep in mind.

Look for transparency to manage expectations

When you’re looking into job ads online and you’re applying for certain positions, you’ll notice that some companies use a template, without really providing any valuable information specific to your job. Some of those jobs might sound perfectly suited for your desired career and skills, but you should still be very careful when applying. In fact, it’s best to contact the employer and research them on review platforms to read about previous employee experiences, too.

The more transparent companies won’t limit themselves to empty statements such as “we’re a dynamic team of problem-solvers”, but they’ll actually list the specificities of your job. This helps set the expectations early so that you know if they are indeed a good match for you. Always aim for that kind of transparency when looking for remote work internationally.

Be mindful of the time zone difference

Sometimes the most trivial truths might be deal-breakers or set you on the right professional course. For example, if you live and study in the US, but want to work for international organizations without a local presence, you might need to brace yourself for working in a completely different time zone. 

That might interfere with your class schedule, studies, or even your sleep – which is not always worth it, considering that you’re investing in your future by educating yourself. Make sure that you check the time zone for each job you want to apply for. Sometimes, “remote” means that you can work flexibly, whenever you can complete your tasks most comfortably, but at other times, it means working in line with the time zone of the employer.

Get to know the employer properly

Working for international companies remotely is exciting, but you also need to make sure the business is trustworthy and prepared to do its due diligence in terms of hiring you properly. First off, even before you apply for a job, do some research about the business to see how they handle hiring remotely and internationally from a legal perspective. 

Check if they have an Employer of Record with a strong GEO Employer of Record structure to ensure compliance with the local laws when hiring you. GEO stands for Global Employment Outsourcing, and companies today often rely on such services to make sure they can hire remote, international workers and align their business with location-specific regulations. If they have their Employer of Record structure settled, they are a good, safe choice for working with them remotely, no matter where the headquarters might be.

Learn about the remote collaboration logistics

Clarity and structure should go beyond the legal intricacies of hiring international workers. You also need to know if they have a clearly defined workflow that you can fit into easily, no matter where you are, when you choose to work, and the like.

For example, do they use a project management tool where you can communicate with other team members in real-time, or are you expected to keep track of all work via email only? Do they have a time monitoring system that tracks your active hours to pay you accordingly, or do they have a fixed rate for their remote staff? Get to know the logistics before you sign the contract, so that you know what kind of obligations you’ll have. An excellent option for remote working is the Microsoft teams phone system, which works as a unified communications solution enabling voice and video calls amongst other features.

Be prepared to set your own boundaries early on

Finally, working remotely means that you’re entirely responsible for your time and performance. There’s nobody around to remind you of an upcoming meeting, a class, or even if you’ve forgotten to take your lunch break. Working for an international company is a great way to launch your career, but you also need to take work-life balance into account. 

Even if your hours are flexible, create a routine, a schedule you’ll follow to complete your daily tasks, but also to stay healthy. If you need to prepare for your PMP examination, set a time to attend PMP in Atlanta that will best suit your needs. Setting boundaries in terms of how available you are and how much “extra” time you put into your work will define how successful you end up being in your training, too.

Since you’re now looking into the international market, you should be aware that you’ll come into contact with all kinds of cultures and work habits around the world. No matter the differences, the consistency that you’re able to maintain and project in your habits and performance will help you stay on track with your studies and your work obligations alike.

Be sure to ask for help whenever you need it – you’re a professional in the making, and nobody expects you to know the ropes on your own. The international scene is thriving, and you have the opportunity to thrive with it. As long as you keep these core principles of remote work in mind, your career is bound to take off.