Next week, it will be 2 years since I took the Remote Work Certificate Course. It was not until I took this class that I realized that I have been working in a REMOTE job for more than 20 years now…meaning that I work from a remote site away from my employer’s headquarter. As a specialist working for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, I am house in a county office and serve multiple regions, coming to the ISU campus only three or four times a year. We had been ZOOMing long before COVID hit, working, meeting, teach and hosting educational programs statewide and beyond.
It turns out that more than half of all U.S. job are remote work. I was surprised to learn that there are more workers over the age of 40 than under 40 working remotely…I thought remote work would mostly appeal to the younger generation. In reality, 86% of the US workforce WANTS to work from home. The bad news is…currently only 3% of NEW job posts are transparently advertised as remote work. It is for this reason that Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers the Remote Work Certificate Course. At the end of the month-long course, participants can schedule time with a career coach for assistance in creating goals, identifying jobs, working through a checklist, creating an online presence, and identifying networking opportunities.
There are plenty of reason why someone would want to work from home:
- Employees can save more than $7000 per year in employment related expenses. With the rising cost of gas, I predict that number to rise even more.
- The opportunity for career advancement. Women make up 42% of the leadership in remote companies.
- Professionals with experience working remotely are 63% more likely to earn $100,000/year than those that have never worked remotely…making it worth your time to learn the skills needed to work remotely.
- 96% of U.S. employees NEED some flex in their current job because of aging parents or the needs of small children.
For more information about the Remote Work Certificate Course, visit our website. The next class begins the first Monday of next month and registration ends soon, so register now.
~Brenda
