These people usually find me on social media and then they learn from through different resources I share and offer.

Some had never worked remotely before. Some had been applying for months with no luck. Some thought they had no remote skills. Some aren’t U.S. citizen and thought they wouldn’t get a remote job that pays well.

And over the years, I’ve noticed the same things coming up again & again.

The people who eventually get remote jobs usually aren’t doing anything crazy or have super fancy advanced skills. They just have a plan and stop making mistakes.

Like Christina here who participated in one of my challenges…

And look at David here…

So I decided to put as many of those things that helped as I could think of into one post.

Bookmark this one because one of these could be exactly the aha moment you were looking for!

First: figure out what you’re actually looking for

1. Stop looking for “anything remote.”

This is probably one of the biggest mistakes I see. “I’ll just randomly search for anything that’s remote.”

In reality, it makes your search 10x harder, because your search terms are way too broad. Then you end up finding scams or random jobs that don’t pay well.

Or you get discouraged because you’re applying to things that aren’t relevant to you at all.

2. Search for jobs based on what you can do, not just what sounds fun or looks cool.

I need you to start with your actual experience.

First of all: What have people paid you to do before?

And then start thinking outside of the box.

What problems have you solved? (Even if they were problems your friends came up to you for)

Any personal projects where you’ve used remote skills?

What do you do on a daily basis that could be considered remote?

That’s usually a much better starting point than randomly applying for remote jobs that look cool or interesting.

3. Your current job can literally become your remote job title.

Look at your skills & responsibilities. Then, you can figure out how to do the same thing you do in person but online. No need to waste time learning a new skill that’s totally out of your wheelhouse.

If you’re an Office Manager right, you might be able to get remote jobs like:

• Remote Project Management

• Virtual Assistant

• Online Customer Service Specialist

• Virtual Support Agent

Your current skills could translate into skills that are needed in remote jobs.

4. Open 10 remote job postings you’d actually want (or would qualify for).

Then look for patterns in the job descriptions.

What skills keep appearing?

What tools are listed as requirements?

What are the personality traits of their ideal candidate?

Job descriptions will literally tell you what employers are looking for, and a lot of the times you’ll see you already have some of the skills— especially the entry-level ones (to get the first one).

5. No need to create an entire career plan before you start.

You don’t need to know what you’re going to be doing remotely 5 years from now. You’ll get there later.

It’ll come to you. Opportunities will come up. Your newly gained experience might push you in a different direction. You never know.

You don’t need the perfect first remote job either. You just need the first one, so focus on that.

With the skills you learn and the experience you gain, you’ll be able to apply to better remote jobs later, and that’s how you grow.

You probably already have more remote skills than you think

6. You do NOT need previous remote employment to have remote skills.

This is something I repeat constantly.

• Have you worked independently?

• Managed your own time?

• Communicated through email?

• Used Google Drive?

• Joined Zoom meetings?

• Managed projects digitally?

• Collaborated with people who weren’t sitting next to you?

Boom! You’ve already have skills that matter in remote work.

7. Start identifying your own skills before learning something new.

I love making sure people know this, so yes… I sometimes repeat it over and over again. Why? Well, because people LOVE skipping this part.

They immediately think:

I need a certification.

I need to learn coding.

I need another course.

No, you don’t!

First, you need to figure out what you already know, and believe me… most of the times, you have more skills than you even realize.

This is a message I literally screenshotted yesterday from the group chat of the participants in my 30-day challenge.

8. Remote employers care a lot about soft skills.

Especially things like:

• Communication

• Time management

• Organization

• Self-motivation

• Accountability

• Proactivity

• Problem-solving

• Adaptability

• Collaboration

• Independence

Do you see something in those? They’re not skills that require training. They’re literally just personality traits or how you work or how you are as an employee.

Some companies will train you if you already have those kinds of skills!

So, I have 42 more lessons to share with you…

And you’ll get them all as a paid subscriber because these are things I usually only share with my course members or participants of my challenges.

That’s not all you’ll get as a paid subscriber though!

If you want a remote job, this Substack publication is the ultimate library of resources to help you in the process. From THIS week-by-week 3-month plan to get a remote job to all kinds of handbooks and guides that will speed up your process to Go Remote.

Unlock all the resources you need to get a remote job today and have access to everything I’ve shared.

Read more

So, I wanted to put everything in one place… especially the stuff that can actually help you move forward with your remote job search (so you have it handy).

First, hola👋🏽

If you’re newer here, I’m Andrea Valeria.

I’ve been working remotely since 2015. I started helping people find remote jobs since 2019, and thanks to that, I’ve been featured all over.

Over the years, I have been posting content about remote work on pretty much every social media platform.

I’ve also created courses, challenges, resume resources, remote job search guides, newsletters & a lot of content around how to actually find legit remote jobs without wasting your time.

A lot of what I teach comes from seeing the same questions come up over and over again.

So, I’ve tried to build this Substack into a library you can actually use.

You can also read some of the feedback and testimonials from people I’ve helped HERE btw.

Inside my Substack as it is today (I’m always adding new resources & guides), you will find quite a few FREE articles, guides & hacks in my Substack articles.

But, if you’re a paid subscriber you truly have EVERYTHING you need to go remote — so let me organize in one place all the articles you should definitely not miss.

Start here:

Your 3-month remote job plan

If you’re not sure what you should be doing first, start here.

I created a simple 3-month plan to help you organize your remote job search.

It gives you a much clearer idea of what to focus on, what order to do things in & how to actually make progress.

How to find legit remote jobs?

Use this article to learn how to find legit remote job that are flexible and pay well. Plus, inside this article there’s a handbook with a job tracker for your applications!

Learn how to identify the best companies to work for

Reading this article where I break down what makes a company great in the remote work world — the ones that really value their employees and offer the best benefits and perks.

Get a list of even more companies hiring remote workers

Because the ones above are just some of the options you have. These companies usually have positions open and I’m giving you link straight to their career pages, so you can see everything they have available.

Have you been applying and not seeing results?

I break down the different reasons why you might not be getting those interviews. Read about the most common mistakes and see if that’s why you’re not getting callbacks.

Need to keep track of everything you’re doing?

And also, learn what you SHOULD be doing to actually get those remote jobs you’ve been eyeing? As a paid subscriber, you also get this checklist!

Interested in other ways to make money online?

I’m sharing with you all my insights and lessons from 10+ years of making money online, too.

I also have 3 articles showing you how I’ve been building my Substack account…

If you’re interested in writing and monetizing that talent of yours, definitely take advantages of those guides, too.

Figure out what to write about to monetize

How I grew to $1,100/month writing articles

What I did to grow to $1500/month

And if you’re a ‘I’m a VIP’ member…

You also get access to extra resources & templates that make the whole process easier.

Remotify Your Resume template

After years working in Human Resources hiring candidates remotely, I knew exactly what made people stand out and get hired. So I created the ‘Remotify Your Resume’ formula.

As a VIP member, you get the template of the resumes I create for my own clients.

Need a cover letter too?

Here’s the best template to use for your applications!

You also get special discount codes to all my programs

Get the codes in this article below.

(Scroll all the way down)

HERE

Not a paid subscriber yet?

If you’re currently on the free plan, you can upgrade here and get access to the full library.

Subscribe now

Already a paid subscriber?

Then go use the stuff you’re paying for! 😂

Seriously. Pick one resource that matches where you are right now and start there.

That’s what it’s here for, and I know it’ll help you reach your remote goals — but only if you put in the work.

If there’s anything else you need help me, let me know in the comments, and I’ll be happy to point you to one of my resources that could help you!

💜

Andrea Valeria

Because if you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to seriously start looking for a remote job...

September will be a good time to actually do it.

Let me tell you why. After 7+ years of helping people with this, I can tell you that I wouldn’t start by applying to 50 random jobs (like some of you do). Or hope I’ll get an offer after applying to 5 remote jobs in 30 days (that’s just not enough!)

I wouldn’t spend the month learning random skills either.

And I definitely wouldn’t just type “remote jobs” into LinkedIn every morning and hope something good appears.

I’d spend the next 30 days building the right remote job search foundation & then actually applying.

In this order:

1. Figure out what you already have to offer.

Before searching for jobs, I’d identify the skills I already have.

You can’t figure out what remote jobs you’re qualified for if you haven’t figured out what you’re bringing to the table.

2. Figure out how your existing experience translates remotely.

No remote experience?

That doesn’t mean you have to start from zero!

I’d look through everything I’ve already done and identify the experience that proves I can work independently & communicate digitally (like you would in a remote job).

3. Remotify my resume.

Not just update it. Remotify it.

I’d make sure my resume is actually made for remote jobs specifically. It needs to include the information a remote employer cares about.

4. Create a strong base cover letter.

Not so I can copy/paste the exact same letter 50 times.

So I have a strong foundation that I can quickly customize for each opportunity. There are people who send cover letters that scare the employer away.

Don’t mess up your chances of getting interviews with your first impression!

5. Learn how to find ACTUAL remote jobs.

I’d stop searching exclusively for “remote jobs.”

I’d learn the keywords that uncover the best companies, the remote jobs that pay well, the opportunities that offer perks.

I’d find companies that are actually built to operate remotely and value their employees.

Most importantly, I’d learn how to avoid online scams, because no one wants to waste time with those (or even worse: get scammed!)

6. Build a list of opportunities that actually make sense for me.

Not 100 random Easy Apply listings.

I’d find 10 jobs I’m genuinely qualified for and interested in.

7. Start applying.

This is where I’d stop telling myself I’ll start next week or get to it later.

And submit the darn applications once and for all. Let’s get real.

My initial goal would be to apply for 5 remote jobs.

Then, I’d amp it up to applying to 10 remote jobs per week, and stay consistent with it.

Feel like you can’t do this all on your own?

I got you... this is exactly what we’re doing starting tomorrow.

Everything I just explained is what we’re getting into in my new Go Remote: 30-Day Challenge.

After 7 years of teaching people how to get remote jobs, I’ve realized that most people don’t need another 47 hours of information.

They need someone to tell them what to do next, and then make sure they actually do it.

So I built the Challenge around 11 checkpoints that you will complete over 30 days.

You watch a short training (10-20 minutes). You complete the assignment. You move to the next checkpoint.

And throughout the entire month, I’m there checking in with you inside our private WhatsApp group.

We’re working through:

→ Your Remote Job Skills Inventory
→ Overcoming Lack of Remote Experience
→ Positioning Your Remote Experience
→ How to Remotify Your Resume
→ Writing Your Cover Letter
→ Finding Legit Remote Jobs
→ Starting to Apply
→ My 10-3-1 Rule
+ the templates, resources & assignments I’ve created to help you actually do all of it

And we start TOMORROW: September 1st.

So don’t be like “I’ll bookmark this article and start eventually.”

I’m giving you the solution with the most support I’ve ever offered.

If you’ve been saying you want a remote job this year, you have two options for September:

You can try to do everything I just outlined by yourself (doable and still possible).

Or you can come do it with me for the next 30 days.

JOIN THE GO REMOTE: 30-DAY CHALLENGE

By the end, the goal is for you to have your remote-job-search strategy, your Remotified Resume, your cover letter & your first 5 applications submitted.

No, I cannot promise you’ll have a remote job in 30 days.

Nobody legitimately can.

But I CAN make sure you stop wondering what you’re supposed to be doing to get one, and I’ll help you along the way answering questions every day.

By the way, as I write this, I’m currently adding all the videos I created especially for this 30-day challenge to the platform.

I can’t wait for your to see it all, learn and implement with my support along the way...

We start tomorrow. If you want in, this is it.

JOIN HERE

And if you’re not sure whether the Challenge makes sense for you? Have questions?

Comment below. I’ll answer ASAP.

💜
Andrea Valeria

P.S. If you’re a paid subscriber, you have access to a special coupon. You can go to this article, scroll all the way down & get it there.

If that’s you… you’re in the right place.

That’s exactly what I help people do… even if you don’t have remote experience, even if you’ve only worked locally, even if you’re starting from scratch.

⭐

BTW- The 30-day challenge starts this Tuesday, Sept. 1st. If you haven’t saved your spot yet, get in now HERE.

Don’t forget to use the coupon code for paid subscribers to save $50. Scroll all the down to get it.

Since 2015, I’ve been working remotely. My first remote job was a full-time HR remote job.

For 4 years, I did that while traveling. I was a full-time digital nomad constantly moving to different cities.

In 2019, I created a remote job directory so people like you could stop falling for scammy listings and finally see some real opportunities.

It’s still live, it’s still free. Here you go: wantremotejobs.com

Browsing through these jobs I post is only one piece of the puzzle though!

If you’re serious about landing one, you need to know how to get better at searching. You need to be able to find legit remote jobs yourself. (I can definitely teach you how it’s done!)

Here’s what I’ll show in this article:

✨ 10 super specific tips on how to find legit remote jobs that let you work from anywhere, including…

1. How to tell if a job is actually remote

2. The exact keywords to use (you can’t only be using “remote”

3. Where to find legit remote jobs (stop wasting time)

4. What green flags to look for in a remote job description

5. How to tell if a company actually has a remote culture (or if they’re pretending to get more candidates applying)

6. If it’s possible to find roles that don’t require experience (or a college degree)

7. The red flags that mean a listing might be a sca

8. Tips for applying to remote jobs hiring worldwide (yes, you can be hired no matter where you’re from)

9. How to use job boards (& which ones to avoid)

10. My go-to job directories that only post remote opportunities

Oh, and that’s not it!

Paid subscribers will also get The Ultimate Notion Handbook​ to Organize Your Search.

I created that so you can organize your search (includes a job tracker!) and also have access to a list of 45 remote first companies hiring worldwide and more remote job boards.

The cool thing about becoming a paid subscriber here is that you get tons of guides to help you in the remote job search. I could be selling ONE of these guides for the monthly price of the yearly subscription…

But, around here, you get ALL the resources you need to get a remote job in one subscription.

Plus, you also get discount codes for my full programs & services if you need even more help… like $50 OFF for the 30-Day Challenge that starts THIS Tuesday, September 1st.

Okayyyy, so ready to stop scrolling and actually start landing the kind of job that changes your lifestyle?

1. Important: Don’t just search “remote job”

Try these keywords instead:

Most remote job seekers type in “remote” or “work from home,” and that’s it.

But, if we want less competition and to find even better opportunities, we need to expand those search parameters. Plus, ‘work from home’ might not always show the best results. Those are definitely not going to be as flexible… because they’ll only allow you to work from home (as the name itself implies)!

Here are some other ones we want to search and try to look for in both career pages and in the job description itself:

Read more

Make a list of every online tool you already know how to use.

By tools, I mean software, programs, apps…

Include every single one on that list.

Google Docs? Write it down.

Zoom? Write it down.

Slack? Canva? Microsoft Teams?

Write. It. Down.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when trying to get their first remote job is focusing entirely on their skills and forgetting about their tools.

And they’re two different things.

Think about it this way...

A skill is something you know how to do.

A tool is something you know how to use to get it done.

And when you’re trying to get your first remote job, showing employers that you already know how to use online tools can make it seem like you’ve already worked remotely before (even if you haven’t).

It tells them: “Okay, this person might not have remote work experience... but they already know how to operate in an online environment.”

That matters because now they’ll know they won’t have to train you from scratch.

I actually did this with my mom. She got her first remote job at 62.

When my mom decided she wanted to get a remote job, she had a few things working against her.

She had been out of the workforce for years. (She was actually retired!)

She had definitely never worked remotely.

And I would NOT describe herself as tech-savvy. 😂

So before we even got her remote job search going, I had her start getting comfortable with tools commonly used by remote teams. She watched tutorials, played around with them and learned the basics pretty quickly.

She didn’t go learn an entirely new profession or fancy/advanced new skills. That’s not necessary.

She learned how to use online tools to do things she already knew how to do.

And two months after we started her search?

She got her first remote job.

She now works part-time as a Virtual Assistant, earning in USD from home while living in LATAM, and she’s been doing it for more than two years.

So...

Here’s what I want you to do today:

(Yuppp, you got homework!)

• Open your Notes app and make a list called: “Tools I Know How to Use”

• Start writing all of them down.

Think about tools you’ve used at previous jobs, school, freelance projects, volunteering, your own business, or even in your personal life.

You might be surprised by how much remote-job-friendly experience you already have.

And if your list is looking a little... empty? 😅

Well, that’s useful information too. That’s a sign that you have a bit more work to do.

How to figure out which tools to learn

Pick a few remote jobs you’d actually want and look at the tools mentioned in their job descriptions.

If you keep seeing the same ones over and over again, there’s your clue.

Those are the ones worth getting familiar with.

You do NOT need to get a new degree or enroll in a coding bootcap yourself before you can get a remote job.

My course members don’t do that. My mom didn’t.

Speaking of my mom...

Exactly what I taught her to get her first remote job is what I’m teach inside my program ‘Land Your First Remote Job’

This is my course that I designed specifically to help you understand the search. From identifying the skills you already have to how to overcome a lack of experience. You will also learn how to find legit remote jobs, avoid scams and how to make your resume specifically for remote jobs (with video guidance and templates). Basically everything you need to go remote — no matter your experience, age or background.

If you want to learn if that’s the right next step for you, watch this free video training — it’s an intro to the remote job search & also to what I’ll teach you inside the full course.

Watch the free intro training

This course is the foundation. Doing this will save you time, and you will land a remote job faster than people who are out there doing without guidance.

On average, it takes people around 3 months to get a remote job when they follow the steps inside the course.

And remember...

You don’t need previous remote experience to get your first remote job. You don’t need fancy skills either. You just need a plan.

My mom is quite literally proof of that.

💜

Andrea Valeria

P.P.S. Are you one of my paid Substack ‘Go Remote’ subscribers? You get a discount if you decide to join the course. Grab your subscriber discount code here. Scroll down in that article to see it.

One was getting a remote job back in 2015. Thanks to that decision, I became location independent, had more time for my hobbies, and was able to live in like 10 different cities — including moving to places with a lower cost of living so my money could stretch further.

While doing all of that, I made the second decision that would also change my life…

I started creating content

Consistently creating content for over 10 years has allowed me to quit my job, spend more time doing what I love (which is basically creating even MORE content, LOL), and get so many cool opportunities along the way.

For the past 3 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be an Adobe Express Brand Ambassador… and btw, they’re sponsoring this article, which means I get to share it with all of you for free. Yay!

And in the past 15 months, since starting a completely new entertainment platform from scratch, I’ve gotten media accreditation from FIFA to cover the World Cup AND landed a 1-year partnership with a major airline.

All of this is quite literally thanks to the content I post DAILY.

So, yes, I publish over 100 pieces of content every week — across my 2 different brands and 5 different platforms. I do it all myself. There’s no team here. It’s all me creating my content because I love doing it. If you don’t enjoy it, you could always delegate.

Without a doubt, the tool I use the most is Adobe Express, both on desktop and on the mobile app.

As I break down my exact workflow for creating this much content, I’ll also show you all the different ways I use Adobe Express every day to make the whole thing possible.

So whether you want to start creating content or you’re already creating and want to seriously increase your output, get ready to take notes, because I’m breaking down exactly how I publish 100+ pieces of content every single week.

Let’s get into it!

First, let me explain what “100 pieces of content” looks like for ME.

Before you picture me waking up every morning and trying to brainstorm 15 brand-new ideas before breakfast… absolutely not. 😂

When I say I publish 100+ pieces of content every week, I’m talking about everything that goes up across my 2 brands and all the different platforms I use.

For my educational/remote work brand, a typical week looks something like this:

• 7 TikToks

• At least 3 Instagram Reels

• 1 Instagram carousel

• At least 7 Instagram Trial Reels

• 2 YouTube videos

• 28 Threads

• 28 Substack Notes

• At least 1 long-form Substack article (like this one)

• 1 newsletter

Then there’s my entertainment brand, where I publish:

• At least 7 TikToks

• At least 7 Instagram Reels

• Around 1 carousel

• 2 YouTube videos

Btw, here are my 2 different brands.

andreavalpop is entertainment and it’s in Spanish. Started this one 15 months ago.

itsatravelod is educational/information and it’s in English. This Substack here is part of that brand, and I started that one back in 2015.

Sometimes I’ll also create extra Trial Reels in my ‘downtime’ or turn clips from my longer videos into TikToks or Reels. So yes… it’s a lot, and this isn’t going to be one of those ‘how I do it all in 2 hours’ because nope, that doesn’t happen around here.

Now, here’s the most important part:

100 published pieces of content does NOT mean 100 original ideas.

That’s important because that’s why and how I’m able to do all of this without burning out.

The majority of what I publish is either:

• something I cross-posted

• a piece I repurposed

• an idea I expanded on

• content i summarized

• something reformatted

Not everything has to be created from scratch.

My goal is to get more mileage out of the GOOD ideas.

And that brings me to my actual workflow as of August 2026.

My content creation workflow

In summary:

I test ideas → find winners → expand → repurpose → distribute

And then the whole thing starts again. It’s a loop.

Basically, I pay attention to what my audience liked and then I package it in a different way.

SYSTEM 1: I start small and TEST ideas

I see so many creators spending hours creating something before they even know if anybody will care about that topic.

What I do instead? Test and see what the reaction is.

For my remote work/educational brand, one of my favorite places to do that is Threads.

I publish around 4 times a day there, and these posts can be incredibly simple. Sometimes it’s a paragraph. Sometimes it’s literally one sentence.

And then I watch what happens. If one of those posts suddenly gets significantly more views, comments, likes or shares than usual, that tells me something:

People care about this (or how I worded it).

And just like this, now I have a proven content idea.

So, what else could this become?

SYSTEM 2: A winning text post becomes a VIDEO

So that Threads post did well. I can take the same core idea and turn it into a TikTok or Instagram Reel.

But there’s an important distinction here.

Repurposing does NOT mean copying and pasting.

I’m not screenshotting my Threads post and throwing the screenshot onto Instagram.

I take the idea and adapt it to the format that other platform likes to see.

So maybe the opening sentence from my Threads post becomes the hook of my TikTok.

Then, I add more context, tell the full story or the deep dive… whatever makes sense for that topic.

Look at this. Same concept of the post on Threads is now a video for TikTok/Reels.

Now the same idea has already created multiple pieces of content without me having to sit down and ask myself:

Okay… what should I talk about today?

And there’s another reason I love doing this. If the TikTok ALSO performs well?

Wellllllll… now we have even more evidence that people want this information.

SYSTEM 3: A winning short-form video becomes a YouTube video

If I make a quick talking-head TikTok about something and people are asking questions, leaving comments or clearly wanting more information, I’ll often take that topic to YouTube.

Again, I’m not reposting the TikTok directly on YouTube. I’m expanding the idea.

Maybe the TikTok was 60–90 seconds.

The YouTube version might be 15-20 minutes. That give me time to explain more, give examples/details and actually do a deep dive on the idea.

This is one of the biggest things I’ve learned after 14 years of creating content.

Remember, you can talk about the exact same thing on every platform. You just need to present it differently (in the format preferred by the platform).

For example, horizontal videos on YouTube and vertical on TikTok.

Here’s how that same idea became a YouTube video.

SYSTEM 4: I batch higher-effort content

And by “higher-effort,” I mean content that requires more of my time and energy to create.

If I have to look decent, set up my camera, light and microphone and get myself into I am filming a YouTube video mode…

I am NOT doing all of that for just one video. 😂

I batch content.

What does batching mean?

It means that when I sit down to film a YouTube video, I’ll usually record one video for my remote work brand and another for my entertainment brand. While everything is already set up, I’ll turn my phone vertically and record a few TikToks too.

That one setup session produces several pieces of original content.

You want to become more efficient with your time and reduce friction.

If something takes 30 minutes to prepare for, I want to get as much content out of that setup as possible. Here’s my simple video-shooting setup btw.

SYSTEM 5: I don’t make new my visuals every week

We need to simplify content creation.

One things you can’t be doing is choosing your fonts, colors and overall aesthetic from scratch every single time you post.

That’s not efficient… plus, it can make your brand seem less cohesive.

For things like my Instagram Reel covers, I use Adobe Express to keep everything cohesive. I have my brand colors, fonts, graphics and other visual elements saved so I can reuse them.

I create this template once, and now I use it every time.

I just replace the image and change the text and it’s good to go.

And because I have two VERY different brands, I can keep their visual identities separate.

I’m still the person creating both, but they definitely don’t look the same.

Look at the image below. On Adobe Express, I have separate Brands saved. Each one has its own logos, colors and fonts. So whenever I’m creating something new, I can select the brand I’m working on and apply the right branding to the content.

SYSTEM 6: YouTube becomes long-form written content

If a YouTube video performs well or I notice that people have more questions about the topic… that idea can become something even more detailed:

A Substack article.

And you are currently reading a perfect example of this. 😂

This article is based on this YouTube video, but I’m not just pasting the transcript here.

In an article like this, I can explain things differently, add screenshots and show different kinds of examples. I can show you specific examples.

Someone who watched the video and wants more… can come to Substack to get the same info in writing.

To break the article up visually, I will add images. I sometimes edit or update these with Adobe Express. For example, I have a lot of photos of when I didn’t have bangs. I use the Insert Object tool to add bangs by selecting the area I want to edit and giving it a prompt, like this.

SYSTEM 7: The Substack article becomes an Instagram carousel

So with the article, we have all this information. And what we’re not going to do, is publish it and stop there.

I can pull out the most important ideas, kinda’ turn them into bullet points and create an Instagram carousel. So that’s how a Substack article becomes the source for an Instagram carousel.

I use templates I’ve created in Adobe Express, swap out the text/images. That’s how I use my existing branding for new content. See how I’m never redesigning every graphic from scratch? It’s also a time-saver!

Then I include a CTA (call to action) on the last slide of my carousel, so it can say something like:

“Want the full plan? Comment PLAN and I’ll send you the article”

Their comment would prompt a ManyChat automation that sends them a link to the full article. So they get more in-depth information, while I accomplish one very important goal:

Keeping the distribution going for the original Substack article.

That’s why I keep referring to my workflow as a loop.

SYSTEM 8: I use a different carousel system for my entertainment brand

My entertainment brand has a completely different vibe, so the content needs to match.

Those carousels are much more visual — think concert photos, travel, lifestyle. But sometimes a normal photo dump feels a little… basic IMO.

So I use Adobe Express to create hand-drawn-looking text and graphics that I can overlay onto the photos.

Except they’re not just a font I pick (although Adobe Express does have SO many fonts to pick from).

I literally draw them. 😂

I use the Draw Shape tool, doodle what I want, play around with different colors and then export everything as a PNG with a transparent background.

Then, while creating my carousel on Instagram, I use their ‘overlay’ option to add the image I created (the hand-drawn text). It’s easier to show you a video of the process… which btw, I do on the Adobe Express mobile app so I can draw with my finger.

SYSTEM 9: Long-form video becomes short-form again

And now our little content loop starts going backwards in a way. A YouTube video doesn’t have to live only on YouTube.

Adobe Express has a Clip Maker that lets me upload a long-form video and it turns sections of it into short-form clips.

I upload the long video and Clip Maker finds moments I could turn into shorter clips, creates them and also adds the captions for me. I take the ones I like and use them for TikTok or Reels.

So, let’s recap. An idea can go:

Threads → TikTok → YouTube → Substack → Instagram carousel

While the YouTube video can also do this:

TikToks → Reels → Shorts

By the way, in my number of “100 posts” per week, I’m not even including these short videos created with Clip Maker.

SYSTEM 10: I also make ridiculously simple content AKA my “low-production content”

If you’re reading this whole workflow thinking this all still sounds like a lot of work…

It is. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I create a lot of content.

But not every piece of content deserves the same amount of effort.

Some of my Instagram Trial Reels are literally seven seconds long.

For those, I take B-roll that is already in my camera roll, add a sentence of text (from a thread post that performed well) and some music, and post it. I do this directly on the native Instagram or TikTok editor.

So for these kinds of short videos, I don’t film anything new. I don’t spend 45 minutes editing it (I spend like 5 minutes on each). I also don’t need it to perfectly match the aesthetic of my feed.

Trial Reels are particularly useful to me because I use them more for discovery. Those are intended for people who don’t follow me. I often get lots of follows from a trial reel that performed well, so it’s a great ROI to spend some time posting some of those every day. For me, it’s been one of the best ways to grow on Instagram lately.

Here’s a trial reel I created with existing b-roll in less than 5 minutes.

Some of these will flop and some will take off, but that’s okay because they’re my low-effort experiments that took like 5 minutes to make.

Remember: Every single post doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. These trial reels are an example of a low-effort, high-ROI type of content.

By the way, your current followers don’t see these and they’re not visible on your feed. So, it does NOT matter what they look like or if you’re worried about them possibly flopping. They’re just TRIALS.

SYSTEM 11: My newsletter content comes from other content that performed well

Since 2019, I’ve been sharing a weekly newsletter with my email subscribers. It includes a list of remote jobs.

That’s the part I do need to sit down and do every week. I research legitimate remote opportunities and those obviously need to be current.

But, the rest of the email doesn’t need another completely new idea. I don’t write it from scratch.

I take something my audience responded really well to on YouTube or Substack, for example, summarize the most useful information and share it with my email list along with the jobs.

So, this Substack article got summarized….

and became the text of this newsletter:

People are never going to be ‘mad’ at you for resharing the same kind of information. First of all, your Substack subscribers aren’t necessarily subscribed to your regular email list.

Second of all, content might sound repetitive to you… but, for people consuming your content, a reminder might be just what they need to finally implement. Or they might not even notice to be honest!

So… THIS is how I publish 100+ times every week

IDEA → TEST → WINNER → EXPAND → REPURPOSE → DISTRIBUTE → REPEAT

That is kinda’ how I'd summarize my whole workflow.

Repurpose the IDEA. Adapt to the platform’s FORMAT.

What I DON’T do

• I don’t create content from scratch for every platform

• I don’t brainstorm content ideas all time

• I don’t use every idea on every platform

• I don’t repurpose everything (only the ideas that worked)

• I don’t assume my audience has already seen something because I posted about it somewhere else

If something flops, maybe the hook was wrong. Maybe I need to restructure the idea. Or maybe my audience simply isn’t interested in that particular topic. And that’s okay.

Now, please don’t start by trying to publish 100 times a week

If you’re newer at content creation, I do NOT want you to read this and immediately open 17 accounts across every platform and then blame me when you’re burnt out a week from now.

100+ pieces of content per week is a lot of work.

Keep in mind… I love creating content. This was literally my hobby before I started monetizing everything and I still create content for fun. That’s why I created a separate lifestyle/entertainment brand!

I’ve also been doing this for more than a decade, and I’ve built the systems that I use now.

I didn’t just start posting everywhere, all at once.

So, I got comfortable with Instagram. Then I added TikTok to my workflow. Then Threads. Then YouTube. And most recently, Substack.

If you’re starting from scratch, you’re better off picking one platform, creating consistently there and then slowly adding other platforms to the mix.

Maybe your first goal is 10 pieces a week on 1 platform. Be realistic about what you can do at first, and then gradually increase your output.

What you’ll eventually do is build a system that works for you, your biz, the platforms your prefer, your target audience or clients, your lifestyle and the amount of time you actually want to spend creating content.

The goal for everyone is NOT to publish 100 times.

The goal is to never waste a good idea and to find ways to reuse them.

THAT is the biggest reason I’ve been able to create this much content consistently without feeling burnt out.

Now go put my workflow into practice!

And go try some of my favorite Adobe Express tools & features! You might find a few that make your own process way easier.

Try Adobe Express

What was your favorite takeaway from reading my content workflow?

💜

Andrea Valeria

#AdobeAmbassadors #Ad

I did some digging for you, so you don’t have to.

Here is my brand new list of 100 fully remote companies you can add to your job search, with direct links to their career pages. That way you can check their current openings & keep coming back to them in the future.

Some you’ll probably recognize. A LOT of them you probably won’t. I discovered some new ones myself while researching to come up with this new list!

In case you’re new here…

I am Andrea Valeria and I got my first full-time remote job in 2015, long before remote work became mainstream. Back then, I was recruiting and interviewing candidates online using Skype. (Yupp… ‘cause Zoom wasn’t even popular then. 😂)

Since 2019, I’ve helped thousands of people land their first remote jobs, and if I were starting my job search from scratch today, I’d be applying to jobs in companies like the ones I’m sharing here. o

Almost all of them have open positions right now. If they don’t, but you like the company— come back later to see what they have available.

Before we get into the full list…

Considering becoming a paid subscriber to read the rest of this article? I don’t want you to think you’re paying just to unlock this one post. Nopeee.

You’d be unlocking my entire paid archive, the full library of resources to help you get remote jobs.

That means you can read all the guides, resources and deeper articles I’ve already published about getting remote jobs, making money online & building different income streams.

You’ll also get access to everything I publish for paid subscribers going forward.

PLUS, I share discounts for my programs for paid subscribers only.

So yeah, you can join because you want to get this list of 100 companies hiring remotely… but once you’re in, go check everything out because there’s a lot already waiting for ya’.

Here’s the list of 100 companies that hire for fully remote companies…

Read more

• Go deeper into topics I regularly talk about in my short-form content (Threads, Reels & TikToks)

• Add an additional source of income I could earn completely online (I already had 6 before Substack)

Both of those goals: accomplished. 🎉

I especially love that Substack has become like a library of resources/guides for people who want remote jobs or are figuring out different ways to make money online. It’s different from some of my other resources, ideal for people who prefer reading or who want more DIY solutions… and at a much more affordable price point than my more hands-on programs.

But if you’re here because you’re curious about how you can make money on Substack, let’s talk about it…

Because there are 2 ways in which Substack is helping me make more money, one is with the paid subscribers which I’ll tell you all about. But, there’s also another one that doesn’t get talked about often.

1. The first money-making advantage of being on Substack is that it will generate sales for your existing business.

If you provide any kind of service or sell products, you can make more sales by being on Substack.

You’re on here writing and showcasing your expertise, and you might naturally mention what you offer, so Substack basically becomes a new entry point to your funnel. Someone who wasn’t aware of your services might discover them through one of your articles, while someone who was already interested might read your work and realize you’re the perfect person to help them.

So, if you’re a professional, coach, business owner or product seller, write about what you know. Any article you make public (available to everyone) can also appear in search results (Google, for example), which means people can find your work even outside of Substack.

And I’ve seen this happen in my own business…

Since this last article about my Substack earnings, when I was making $1,120/month from paid subscriptions, I’ve also made all these sales directly from Substack. These new clients reported discovering my course, Land Your First Remote Job, through my articles here.

I’ve also had other sales in different services (Remotify Your Resume service) and challenge sales coming from Substack.

2. The obvious way of making money on Substack… people can literally subscribe & pay to read your articles

I already showed you everything I did to get to $1120/month within 9 months of joining the platform.

The cool thing about being on here is that growth can compound, so you can keep gaining subscribers (free & paid) and making more money as you continue to post.

So, what exactly am I going to show you here?

I wanna’ break down everything I’ve done to grow my Substack in the past 2 months— so specifically the 2-month growth from $1120 to $1,530/month including:

• How often I’ve been publish

• What I write about & how I decide what should be free vs. paid

• How much I charge for my subscriptions

• Where my subscribers are actually coming from

• How I grow within Substack without relying on my audience outside of the platform

• What I do outside of Substack to bring people here (I’ve doubled down on this)

• What I’m doing now to keep growing toward my new goal of $2,000/month

And I’ll show you some of my actual stats and screenshots, because I know that’s more useful than just telling you to post consistently or something generic. 😂

Before we get into my full strategy… what do you actually get as a paid subscriber inside my Substack?

Considering becoming a paid subscriber to read the rest of this article? I don’t want you to think you’re paying just to unlock this one post. Nopeee.

You’d be unlocking my entire paid archive, the full library of resources.

That means you can read all the guides, resources and deeper articles I’ve already published about getting remote jobs, making money online, building different income streams & everything I’m learning and testing along the way.

You’ll also get access to everything I publish for paid subscribers going forward.

PLUS, I share discounts for my programs for paid subscribers only.

So yeah, you can join because you want to read exactly how I grew this Substack to $1,530/month… but once you’re in, go check everything out because there’s a lot already waiting for ya’.

Read more

But, aside from being a writer on here, I also love reading what other people are publishing, and I become a paid subscriber when I’m eager to see more. Or sometimes the info is so valuable or entertaining and I just know I’ll enjoy every article they publish. In other cases, the writer is so likable, I just want to pull out my card to support their work.

So that brings me to the psychology of…

“Why do people pay for your content when they could get it for free somewhere else?”

“What are the topics that would help you gain PAID subscribers?”

You can always write about literally whatever interests YOU. Substack can be your journal and you might not care about making money from this, and that’s cool.

But, what if you do want to make money here?

Now, let’s talk about different things that you could write about… and I’m going to break it down in 3 main categories.

Category 1: Unique Experiences

A. Illnesses, Tough Times & Life-Altering Experiences

Think about when YOU go through something difficult in your life. You don’t know many people who have gone through it in your immediate circle, so you turn to the internet. You’re desperately looking through forums, YouTube videos, blogs from people who have experienced exactly what you’re going through at the moment.

The exact symptoms, the ups and downs, how they handled a situation, what gave them hope, what worked, what didn’t…

Whether you’ve had a bout with cancer or lost a sibling, you can find it healing to write about it. Writing about it can be cathartic for you, and someone going through it might relate to it, want to read more and also support your work.

B. Hyper-Specific Life Experiences

Are you a mom of 7? Are you a lawyer who also creates content about your family life? Are you a coffee lover who has now discovered you’re allergic to coffee? Are you 50 years old and have never been in a relationship?

Those are things that are quite specific, which might make you think you’ll have a narrower market to appeal to. But, that’s a good thing! Those people don’t usually find many people like them talking about their experiences, so they’ll relate to the little things only you, as a member of that particular group, experience..

Plus, you’ll have tons to write about because it’s just about taking a look at what you experience every day and putting it out there.

C. Behind-the-Scenes Experiences

What about your life (not necessarily work-related) makes people come up to you and ask you questions? What are they curious about?

People like to feel like insiders, so think about what you could write about that would make them want to know more because it’s something they’re either interested in doing or they just want insider access to your life.

So, if it’s work-related, we could do things like:

“What’s it like to work on a cruise ship?”: From the gossip about the relationships and situations going on in everyone’s personal life to where you sleep and how much free time you have. A person who wants to work on a cruise ship would pay to read more.

“The life of a bikini waxer”: This one could have a comedic angle on what you see every day, how some people react to pain and why people tell you they’re getting the wax. I’m sure they have crazy stories to tell. Plus, aside from becoming a paid subscriber, they could fall in love with your content/personality and want to book your services if they’re in your area.

If it’s NOT work-related, you could do:

“What’s it like to be the sister of a famous rapper?” This applies to any kind of famous or interesting person around you. Of course, don’t go violating their privacy, and you might want to be anonymous for this one too so you can get into the really juicy stuff. It’s also fun because people will try to guess who it is, which will generate lots of comments (yay, engagement!) and even content outside the platform.

“The sad life of a wife who knows her husband is cheating” Gosh, I got dramatic with this one, sorry… but if someone is going through the same thing, you bet they’ll want to read. Plus, there might be people just in it for the gossip, and of course, you could make this an anonymous Substack... or not, the husband is cheating anyway! If they can sneak around, you can too. LOL.

Category 2: Your Secret Sauce

A. Recipes People Can’t Get Anywhere Else

Does everyone love everything your grandma makes? Why would you gatekeep that if it could literally generate money? I mean, it’s cute to keep it a family secret, but who cares if someone across the world also makes your grandma’s sancocho? Sell it! (Ask grams for permission, though. Don’t wanna piss her off.)

And to take it even a step further, if you have a restaurant, you could also share the recipes. The biggest thing stopping you might be the competition stealing your secret sauce and getting your customers, I guess? But that would be really weird of them—to copy the recipe you’re most known for.

On the other hand, if a restaurant in another country or even city copies your recipe, that’s fine… they weren’t competition anyway. Plus, they’re not “stealing” it, they’re literally paying you to get all your recipes. Why not monetize from the stuff you know?

B. How You Help People Do Something

For example, how you help people get remote jobs. Haha. If you’ve ever read my Substack—this one right here—you know that’s mostly what it’s about. So, I’d like to use myself as an example.

I figured out how to work remotely (I’ve been working remotely since 2015), and my first remote job was in HR, which means I know about getting remote positions both as an employee and as an employer.

Then, I started helping people get remote jobs. The first person I ever helped was my brother. I’ve helped tons of friends and my mom, who is 62. I also create content (tons of videos) and resources (like courses and challenges) to help people get remote jobs. I already have all that content, so why not also write about it, right?

In your case, what do you help people do? Even if they don’t pay you for it, you’re clearly good at it, so that could be your Substack’s main niche!

Maybe you help people organize their fridge, find good sales on clothing online, figure out what career they should go into, follow the curly hair routine… whatever it is. Start writing about it because people will want to pay for step-by-step guidance, plans, ideas and insights… just like I do here.

C. Your Personal Accomplishments and Routines

Let’s go a bit deeper for this one… because people are also interested in achieving things in their personal lives, and they might not know who to talk to or go to for advice, so that’s where you come in.

I know people love consuming this type of content because I have another entertainment brand where I talk about things like this, and people are inspired and love hearing about it.

So, here I share things like:

“How I started doing everything alone”

“Why I have so many hobbies”

You’d be surprised how many people want to change that aspect of their life and look up to others who have already done it. People want to read more about others who have accomplished things they want to do, so what’s something you’ve managed to do in your personal life? Write about that. It doesn’t need to be life-changing or help them make money.

Category 3: Your Taste, Opinions & Recommendations

A. The Reviews & Recommendations You Already Give Your Friends

This is SO doable for many of you. Again, think about what people come to you for a lot. What do you enjoy and know a lot about that people around you would be able to confirm?

Could be anything, literally. Books. Makeup. Hotels. Restaurants. Apps. Concerts. TV shows. Coffee shops. Clothes. Fitness classes. Grocery products. Travel destinations. Online courses. Baby products. Skincare. Video games. Whatever!

Now, how do we make people pay for this when this information is already readily available on places like Yelp or Letterboxd? Because you’re going to write so much about the same topic that you’ll essentially become an expert in the niche. No market is saturated when you can make it your own and bring your personality, expertise or writing style.

So again, it’s about getting specific about something you’re particularly good at. You could write about the best taquerias in Mexico City where locals actually go, books actually worth reading if you hate self-help books, or every hotel you’ve stayed at as a solo female traveler that made you feel safe.

You don’t need a culinary degree to know where you and your family like to go eat tacos, you know what I mean?

B. Your Controversial Takes & Unpopular Opinions

I know you’ll be like, “But why would they want to hear what I, a woman from St. Peters, Missouri, have to say about why Hollywood weddings are tacky?”

One thing we’re going to do around here is stop it with your impostor syndrome, okay?

Remember, it’s not what you talk about, it’s how you do it. And you might have a take that’s so interesting or an angle that’s so funny that people might crave every article you post and pay you for your brilliance.

Why do people pay to go see comedians? Because they say what we think about but aren’t brave enough to say, AND they say it in a way that makes you think and laugh. Well, you can do the same here.

Pop culture commentary. Controversial thoughts on parenting. Opinions about modern work culture. Fashion commentary they won’t find in a traditional magazine. Dating observations from your own experience. Sports hot takes. Anything, as long as it’s uniquely YOU.

C. Curation: Finding the Good Stuff

You probably already do some version of this without even realizing it.

Maybe you’re the friend who always knows how to get points, deals and miles by using the right credit card. Or you’re constantly finding cheap flights. You somehow always discover cool small purse brands from local artists around the world. Or you find the best sales on Amazon (this is cool because you could get paid by your subscribers AND through the links you share on Amazon).

Other entertainment angles for this could be: You know which Netflix shows are worth watching for people who are into crime documentaries. You know every new indie rock album coming out. You find interesting articles every week from independent writers here on Substack.

Everyone has something they’re good at finding online, and your recommendations might be exactly what someone is looking for. Make it available to them, but charge for it because you deserve to get paid for the hours you spend researching!

See how this starts becoming more doable for everyone?

So, many people say, “Why would someone pay little old ME for info they can find online?”

Just because you’re good at finding that kind of information doesn’t mean that everyone is. You could essentially save people time and point them to cool things they wouldn’t have found otherwise!

And with the more personal stories, I remember when I got a terrible allergic reaction on my nails from getting gel nail polish. I searched all over to see what I could do while I was experiencing symptoms, and then after the fact, I kept searching to see how long it took for other people’s nails to recover. After that, I KEPT looking to see what products they used that wouldn’t spark another allergic reaction.

If I was that invested in a relatively short-lived condition, can you imagine how much more people are searching for and looking to connect with someone going through a life-altering illness? There’s a reason why there are so many books by cancer survivors or women who have gone through specific traumatic experiences.

People want to relate to others! Be that person for someone!

Think of it like this (if you have impostor syndrome)… you don’t have to claim, “I am the biggest fashionista in the world and the utmost expert when it comes to finding affordable dresses.”

Nope. We don’t have to do all that.

You’re just saying, “Hey, so I’m already spending way too much time looking for these things. I might as well share the good ones with you so YOU don’t have to spend hours looking and not finding them.”

That’s how you get people to pay you for your writing!

I got tired of the Substack topic recommendations I kept seeing, because it’s NOT limited to just:

How to invest, How to start a business, How to be more productive, How to improve your finances, How to use AI, How to advance your career….

It’s about knowing what you’re uniquely good at and writing about what you know and, most importantly, about what you enjoy.

Now how do you actually make money from it?

Hopefully, by now I’ve convinced you that you probably have WAY more to write about than you thought.

Figuring out what to write about is only one part of it, and I just covered that here.

But then comes the part everyone actually wants to know…

How do you get people to PAY for it?

I started my Substack 10.5 months ago, and today it generates around $1,500 per month. When I first wrote about my strategy in June, I was making $1,120 per month, so I broke down exactly what I was doing to get there in an article.

In that article, I’m telling you:

• How I decided what to charge and when to start charging

• How often I actually publish

• How fast my monthly revenue grew (how long it took me to make money)

• How I grow within Substack itself, without needing a big audience somewhere else

Because writing cool articles is the first step, but you eventually need to learn a bit about how the platform works to actually monetize it.

I broke down the whole strategy here:

Btw… the funny part is that I’m already making closer to $1,500/month now (about 2 months later)… so apparently the strategy is still working. 😂

I published a new article about what I did those 2 months to bring that monthly revenue up. You can read it here.

Now, based on the topic ideas I shared here, what do you think you could write about? Would love to know if you got some clarity from this article!

💜

Andrea Valeria

Unfortunately, those people are going to waste a lot of time & I don’t want that to be you, okay?

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I literally spend hours every week finding remote jobs to share with you. I have a free remote job directory since 2019, I send out a weekly newsletter with opportunities, and I’ve created an entire challenge about finding legitimate remote jobs...

So no, I’m definitely not saying looking for remote jobs is a bad thing.

I’m saying it’s a mistake to make that the very first thing you do.

In fact, I think it’s one of the biggest reasons people tell me they’ve been trying to get a remote job for 6 months... 8 months... sometimes even a year without results. No interviews, no callbacks. No wonder they get frustrated.

So let me remind you:

If you aren’t getting callbacks and interviews it it not because you aren’t qualified, or because the remote job market “is saturated.”

It’s because they’re spending all your energy on the wrong part of the process or you’re not starting with the right step.

Think about this:

Let’s say I handed you a list of 500 amazing remote jobs today. Real companies. Great salaries. Incredible benefits. The ultimate list.

Are you actually ready to apply to them?

I don’t mean could you click the “Apply” button.

I mean:

• Would you genuinely feel confident sending your resume?

• Would your resume actually show a remote employer why you’re a great fit?

• Would your cover letter make sense for a remote company?

• Do you even know which of those 500 jobs you should be applying for... and which ones are a complete waste of your time?

Because if the answer to those questions is “not really” “not sure” “lemme think about it.”

Then finding more remote jobs and applying to the best of your ability isn’t getting you closer to getting a remote job.

It’s just giving you more places to send an application that probably isn’t ready yet. You’re literally wasting time.

And I know that might sound a little harsh. My bad.

But I’d much rather tell you that now than let you spend the next 8 months applying over and over again wondering why nobody’s calling you back.

Here’s the good news though...

This is actually super fixable.

I know that if you spend the first 30 days of your remote job search building the right foundation, the next couple of months become so much easier.

Not like easy and overnight. Just... easier and more manageable. I’m always going to keep it real with you.

That’s because instead of guessing what to work on every week, you’ll actually have a plan. Instead of opening LinkedIn and applying to random jobs with that terrible Instant Apply feature just because they happen to say “remote,” you’ll actually start coming across like the kind of candidate remote companies want to hire.

So if I had a friend sitting across from me right now saying,

“I want a remote job. Where do I start, Andrea?”

And btw, I’ve helped many friends and family members, and this is exactly what I tell them to focus on during those first 30 days.

That’s how I helped my mom get a remote job in 2 months.

And my bff also made it happen in 2 months.

I’ve shared their stories here in Substack articles.

So, the fact that they’re getting remote jobs within like 2 months is proof that if you follow the right plan… it should never take 6 months or more.

Why most people accidentally waste the first 30 days

Most people who want remote jobs are all excited and motivated at the beginning. They open their laptop, Google “remote jobs” and start applying right away.

Which sounds perfectly productive, right?

They might send out a few applications, search a couple of the popular job boards, tell they’re friends they want a remote job… they’re putting it out in the universe and to them, it feels like they’re moving in the right direction.

The problem is that they’re skipping the part that will actually help their application stand out.

So, they get ghosted again and again & start blaming the job market or saying something like “remote jobs aren’t real”. LOL.

Imagine you decided tomorrow that you wanted to run a marathon.

You probably wouldn’t wake up tomorrow, put on your running shoes and try to run 42kms with zero training. You’d spend a few weeks researching, starting a training plan, building some endurance, trying some shorter runs, figuring out what sneakers you need… right?

Nobody would look at all that and think, “Nahh, that’s a waste of time. Imma’ just run. Forrest Gump style. Zero planning.”

All of that is part of the preparation needed to succeed in the marathon. But for some reason, when it comes to getting a remote job… we think preparation is optional and we’d rather skip it? Don’t do that.

Some people who come to me think the answer is just to apply more, send as many applications as possible, find opportunities in all the job boards, more LinkedIn scrolling, more Instant Applying… boom boom boom…

Hoping and manifesting that one company will magically say yes.

And yeah, the remote job search is definitely a numbers game. Eventually you do have to apply. Quite a lot, actually. But applying before you have a solid foundation is kind of like trying to bake a cake before checking if you have flour. If you do it like that, chances are you’re going to end up frustrated wondering why everyone else seems to get remote jobs faster than you.

And then one of the biggest misconceptions I see is that people think they need to learn ten new skills before they even deserve to apply for a remote job.

I hear it all the time:

• “I’m deciding if I want to learn coding or backend engineering.”

• “I think I need another certification.”

• “I’m waiting until I learn Adobe Photoshop before I apply to my first remote job.”

• “I’m thinking about enrolling in an online coding bootcamp.”

And look... I’m all for learning new things. I love learning. I’ve joined all sorts of online courses, challenges, coaching — all of it.

But I also think a lot of people use learning as a form of procrastination instead of just doing the work or implementing what they already know. Or they’re just focused on learning stuff that’s not needed at the point where they’re at.

Most of the times they could be applying for remote jobs with the skills they ALREADY have instead of joining a new online course to learn a new skill.

Remember: You can always get your first remote job and get paid while learning and gaining experience. Much better use of your time, and yupp… totally doable.

Here’s what we’re going to tackle together in this article...

If I only had 30 days to help someone get their first remote job, these are things we’d focus in that timeframe… before sending a single application:

💜 Step 1: Figure out the skills you already have (most of the times you already have quite a few).

💜 Step 2: Build a resume that’s actually made for remote jobs

💜 Step 3: Learn how to find legit remote jobs, read job descriptions & find the best remote companies to work for

💜 Step 4: Start applying with a clear plan & a system that keeps you consistent.

Ready?

Let me break down each step for you so you have a roadmap for your first 30 days…

Read more

“Andrea... how long does it actually take to get a remote job?”

A month? Six months? A year?

This is important because whenever someone tells me...

“I’ve been applying for over a year.”

...I immediately know one thing.

I’ve been working remotely since 2015. My first ever remote job was in HR and I’ve been helping people get remote jobs since 2019. When it comes to the remote jobs search, I’ve seen it all at this point.

So when I hear that, I know you must stop your search ASAP.

Why? Well, something is clearly off with your foundation of your remote job search.

Not with you. Not with your skillset. With how you’re addressing the remote job search.

And, you know what? That’s much better than YOU being the problem. LOL. You’re not the problem. Its just how you’re doing stuff, and that’s a much quicker fix.

Getting a remote job isn’t usually about working harder… and it never has to take one year.

“Oh but the job market…”

“Companies aren’t hiring anymore.”

“There aren’t remote jobs for people like me.”

“I don’t think I have the skills to get a remote.”

Nope, nope. Let me stop you right there.

What should you be focusing on instead?

The first steps of the remote job search are about making sure you’re working on the right things.

Think about it like going to the gym.

If you’ve never worked out before and you spend six months doing random exercises you found on TikTok...

You’ll probably make some progress. Probably not. What I definitely know is that you’ll also waste a lot of time.

Because, let’s compare that to someone who has a coach/trainer.

Someone who gives them a routine. Shows them proper form/technique. How not to get injured. What to not waste time on. What to focus on. The coach tells them what to do each week. Actually knowing what to do with the gym equipment. No guessing.

Who’s going to see results faster?

Exactly. When you have guidance and support, you’ll see more progress… whether you’re trying to get fit or get a remote job.

That’s the best way I can explain it… because a lot of things in life, including the remote job search is less overwhelming when you have a plan.

The biggest mistake I see is that people jump straight into applying.

They Google “remote jobs.”

Click the first job board that pops up (which might be some random sponsored job board with fake listings or that makes you pay to see open positions).

Apply to a few jobs.

Get ghosted.

Repeat.

Six months later they decide the remote job market is impossible. “No good opportunities.” “Full of scams!” “Remote jobs don’t pay well.” “Too much competition.”

But why do they think that? Because jumping into applying is never the first step.

Your foundation comes first.

Before you send a single application... there are 4 things I think you should have figured out.

The first one is actually super simple.

1. Do you actually know the skills you already have?

Notice I didn’t ask whether you have the skills or if they’re advanced and in-demand. I asked whether you know what skills you already have.

So many people tell me they aren’t qualified for remote work.

They tell me things like this as soon as we start the remote job search process together:

This person who wrote this when they first started working with me got a remote job within 2 MONTHS!

That means that they had the skills all along. They just didn’t know what those skills actually were and they were just generally overwhelmed.

When they till me things like this, we sit down and start talking about what they’ve done over the years...

And suddenly they’ve managed projects. Worked with customers virtually. Used digital tools. Communicated with teams in different places. Solved problems on their own using the internet or AI. Organized virtual events. Trained people via Zoom.

So, they already had valuable skills. They just never thought about them through the lens of remote work.

Once you know what those skills are everything else becomes easier. We start to know which jobs actually make sense for you. What to highlight on your resume and what to focus on in your cover letter.

Without this very first step, you’re basically guessing, and that’s not a good strategy.

2. Is your resume actually made for remote jobs?

The second thing I see all the time is people using the exact same resume they use for in-office, in-person jobs.

If you’re applying for remote jobs...

Your resume should actually look like it’s meant for remote jobs.

Remote companies want people who can communicate well virtually, work independently, collaborate online and feel comfortable using digital tools.

If your resume never mentions any of that...

How is a recruiter or employer supposed to know you’d be a good candidate?

Even if you’ve never officially worked remotely before, you’ve probably done personal projects using skills that are valuable for remote work, organized something virtually, studied online or used tools that remote teams use every day.

That belongs on your resume, and that’s why I always talk about the importance of why you should ‘Remotify Your Resume.’

3. You are messing up your chances with your cover letter

Let’s talk about cover letters when you apply for remote jobs. I know a lot of you don’t like to write those… but, they’re a requirement in most applications.

So, whether you like it or not, you need to have a good cover letter.

And this always makes me laugh a little.

I’ve seen people write things like...

“I want a remote job because I want to travel.”

“I want to stay home with my kids.”

And look...

Those might be your reasons. Totally valid reasons.

But, they’re just not the reasons a company hires someone. And I’m not saying lie or don’t tell the employer your true intentions and what you desire.

However, we can’t do that in the cover letter… that’s your very first impression and it isn’t there to convince the employer why remote work would improve your life.

It’s there to explain how hiring you will improve their business, what you bring to the table and how it benefits THEM.

4. You are not looking in the right places.

See how this is the last step of the remote job search foundation? Because without the previous steps, there’s no use in knowing where to look.

But, once you do have the previous steps figured out, yes… you need to know where you’re actually looking.

If you’re just typing “remote jobs” into Google every day... and then you’re wondering why you don’t see the good opportunities, don’t be surprised.

Some of the biggest job boards are full of outdated listings, hybrid jobs labeled as remote or even worse… scams.

Knowing where to look is part of the strategy too.

Here’s why all of this matters.

Let’s say you skip every single thing I just talked about.

You don’t identify your skills. Your resume isn’t built for remote jobs. Your cover letter focuses on the wrong things. You’re applying on websites full of junk.

Then you spend six months applying.

Is the problem really the remote job market?

Or did you build your entire job search on a shaky foundation?

That’s why I always say the first month of your remote job search needs to be super intentional… otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time and discouraged thinking remote work isn’t for you.

So, I’d spend that first month getting the foundation right.

After that...

It’s time to apply.

And yuppp, you’re probably going to have to apply to more than five jobs.

I’m always a bit concerned when someone tells me how crazy it is that they haven’t gotten any callbacks or interviews telling me...

“I applied to five remote jobs.”

Five, señorita?

Five isn’t a remote job search. It’s only the start. And we are very realistic around here. You’re going to have to do a lot more than that.

The remote job search is a numbers game.

Once your foundation is solid, your job becomes staying consistent with your applications.

You’ll have to keep applying for weeks. And that’s how you keep improving. You get a little better at finding legit remote jobs and faster at sending that application.

That’s when people start getting interview invitations, and your might not nail it on the first interview. Maybe you were nervous. So, again, it’s not YOU… it’s just that you need a bit more practice.

So, that’s why I genuinely believe that for most people...

Three months is a realistic goal.

Because once you stop wasting time improvising the remote job search, and actually fixing the foundation...

You can finally start seeing results!

Want my help getting the foundation of your remote job search right?

That’s exactly why I created ‘Land Your First Remote Job’

This is my course that I designed specifically to help you understand the search. From identifying the skills you already have to how to overcome a lack of experience. You will also learn how to find legit remote jobs, avoid scams and how to make your resume specifically for remote jobs (with video guidance and templates). Basically everything you need to go remote — no matter your experience, age or background.

If you want to learn if that’s the right next step for you, watch this free video training — it’s an intro to the remote job search & also to what I’ll teach you inside the full course.

Watch the free intro training

This course is the foundation. Doing this will save you time, and you will land a remote job faster than people who are out there doing without guidance.

On average, it takes people around 3 months to get a remote job when they follow the steps inside the course.

I’ve been helping people get remote jobs since 2019, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that getting a remote job isn’t about getting lucky.

It’s about having the right strategy, avoiding the common mistakes & staying consistent. I’d love to help you do exactly that.

💜

Andrea Valeria

Look at Camila making it happen in only 1 month because she followed my plan inside the course.

Would you prefer a written plan to tackle your first 30 days?

This is different from the course. It’s a written article explaining what you should do the first 30 days. This roadmap is a better option for you if you prefer reading articles, or if you prefer working on your own.

The one on my personal IG account one looks like this. 😂

Some outfits, workouts, a bit of celeb gossip, recipes & Jude Bellingham😂

Nothing wrong with that… BUT, I’ll show you below what to do if yours looks kinda’ like this & is not helping you with your career goals.

Because here’s something most people never think about...

Your algorithm is constantly learning what you care about.

And if all you interact with is entertainment, the platforms assume that’s all you want to see at all times.

But what if you trained your algorithm to become part of your remote job search?

That’s why I want to show you how to completely change what shows up on your social feeds.

Inside this article:

1. Why your social media feed is secretly working against your remote job search

2. How to train Instagram, TikTok, Threads & YouTube to help with your goals

3. The exact keywords to make it happen

4. What accounts to follow

5. My favorite 5-minute “career session” trick

6. The bonus tip I bet you hadn’t thought of 😉

7. BONUS: For the first time ever on Substack, I’m sharing with you a curated list of remote jobs you could be applying for

   They’re hiring worldwide, offering benefits, perks & competitive salaries

So, let’s get into it…

Read more

Open your resume really quick, because here are 3 things I want you to check for.

If any of them are there... we are going to delete them ASAP, cool?

1. Your full home address

Years ago (& especially before remote jobs), it was common to include your complete address on your resume.

Why do you have your street name, zipo code & literal house number on there for remote jobs though? Everything.

Today? There’s def no need… especially if you’re applying for remote jobs hiring worldwide. Plus, why would they need this info so early on in the process?

You don’t even need to include your city or country. In application forms, they sometimes might ask for that, and that’s where you can include it. Not in the resume, OK?

Not only does deleting this keep your resume more to-the-point, but it also helps protect your privacy

2. Personal information like your religion, marital status, hobbies or nationality

These details don’t make you a stronger candidate, so they should not be in your resume.

Companies are hiring you because of your skills and experience—not because you’re married, single, religious or like a particular sports team.

Your resume should focus on what you can do (related to the job), not personal details that have nothing to do with the job.

❌ Don’t do this

This was at the bottom of a resume I once received when I used to hire candidates remotely.

3. A second page

Unless you have decades of highly relevant experience for the specific remote job you’re applying for... you probably don’t need a second page.

Recruiters spend very little time on an initial resume review. I know, I used to be one.

A 1-page resume is almost always more effective than two pages full of fluff they’ll never read.

Instead of trying to include everything you’ve ever done...

Highlight the experience and skills that’s actually relevant for the role you’re applying for. Sounds good?

I’m Andrea Valeria, a Remote Work Specialist, and I wanted to share these quick resume tips before you apply for your next remote job.

A lot of people think getting a remote job is just about finding the right openings (and yes, that’s a big part of it).

But your resume is often what determines whether you get a callback or never hear back at all, so this is our chance to make a good first impression.

A few small changes (like removing this info from your resume) can make a much bigger difference than most people realize.

Plus, it’ll make your resume less outdated. An outdated resume that looks like it was written in 2012 is a huge indication that the candidate might not be up to date with current tools and skills used in the remote work world. So, you’ll quickly get disqualified.

Speaking of resumes...

If you’re newer here, you might not know that my main goal is to help more people get remote jobs. That’s why I’m always sharing tips and resources to help you make it happen.

I’ve been working remotely since 2015, and helping people go remote since 2019.

There are 3 ways in which I can help you Remotify Your Resume

1. I can write your remotified resume & cover letter.

   This is the ‘Remotify Your Resume’ service. Fill out a form, send me your current resume & I can write a resume that specifically made for your remote job applications.

   ---

2. You can learn about the Remotify Your Resume formula here

Available for paid subscribers

3. You can get my Remotified Resume template (& template for the cover letter, too)

   As a VIP paid subscriber here, you can get the templates. I’ll link to both right here.

Let’s make this the year you finally go remote. You ready?

💜

Andrea Valeria

You gotta’ stop searching only “remote jobs.”

Deal?

It’s one of the biggest mistakes I see people make.

Most people type remote jobs into Google or LinkedIn and hope for the best.

Instead, I want you to start using terms like:

• Work from Anywhere

• Hiring Worldwide

• Distributed

• Remote First

• Global

• 100% Remote

• Async

We gotta’ think outside the box here to get the opportunities that aren’t popping up for everyone.

Those keywords often lead you to companies that were actually built to operate remotely… not companies that simply allow a few employees to work from home on Fridays.

It’s a small shift, but it can completely change the kinds of opportunities you find.

Try it & let me know if you start seeing different opportunities. Okay?

And here’s something else I want you to remember...

If you’ve never had a remote job before, that doesn’t mean you can’t get one.

I think that’s one of the biggest misconceptions about remote work.

I’ve helped people with career gaps, people changing careers, people outside the U.S., and even my own mom at 62… who hadn’t worked in years and wasn’t super tech-savvy get their remote jobs.

The people who succeed usually aren’t the ones with the fanciest or most advanced skills.

They’re the ones who have a plan, stop making common mistakes, Remotify their resumes, and stay positive throughout the process.

Speaking of that...

If you’re newer here, you might not know that my main goal is to help more people get remote jobs.

Introducing Go Remote: 30-Day Challenge

A brand-new 30-day program designed to help you stop make real progress to get the remote job you want. Instead of figuring everything out on your own, you'll follow a plan together with a private community, daily accountability & support from me… as you complete your resume, cover letter & submit your first remote job applications.

Save your spot in the challenge

Would you prefer a 3-month plan to get a remote job?

This is different from the course. It’s a written article explaining what you should do week by week, and it’s a better option for you if you prefer reading articles.

Whether you prefer watching videos to learn or following a written plan, you can get my help to get a remote job.

Take advantage of any of the 2 & keep me posted on when you get your remote job.

💜

Andrea Valeria

How do you actually grow?

Can you really make money writing?

Do you need a huge audience before you start?

So I decided to sit down and share everything I’ve learned after my first nine months on the platform.

Today, my Substack brings in $1,120 per month in recurring revenue with 155 paid subscribers—and one of the most surprising parts of the journey is that almost 70% of my subscribers discovered me through Substack itself.

If you’d rather watch or listen while you’re driving, walking, or doing chores, I’ve also recorded a YouTube video where I walk through the entire journey.

👇 Watch the full video below.

If you enjoy the video and want the complete breakdown, I also wrote a much more detailed article. Inside, I share:

• how I priced my subscriptions

• why I started charging from day one

• my strategy that brings in most of my new subscribers

• how much time I actually spend on Substack every week

• my monthly revenue growth

• screenshots of my analytics

• what I’d do differently if I were starting today

• and why I think Substack is one of the most approachable online income streams you can build.

👇Read the full article here:

Whether you’re thinking about starting a newsletter, looking for another stream of online income, or you’re simply curious about how Substack works, I hope my experience helps you skip some of the trial and error.

Maybe this won’t become your main business, but it might become your next income stream.

Perfect for you if you like to write!

💜

Andrea Valeria

If I know exactly what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for... why am I keeping that information to myself?

For years, I was on the hiring side (hiring for remote opportunities, and doing it remotely, as well).

I spent my days reviewing resumes, interviewing remote candidates and trying to figure out who would be the best fit for the company. I saw what made someone stand out, what made a recruiter stop scrolling and what made someone get invited to an interview instead of being overlooked.

And after doing that hundreds and hundreds of times, I realized something that completely changed the direction of my career.

Most people don’t get rejected for remote jobs they want because they aren’t qualified.

They get rejected because they don’t know how to communicate that they are.

A lot of you have the skills, the experience, and some of you have even worked remotely before.

But none of that is obvious from the way you are presenting themselves when applying for remote jobs.

That’s when I started thinking...

“If I’ve spent years learning how this whole process works, maybe my job isn’t just to hire people anymore.”

Maybe my job is to teach people how to get hired.

That thought eventually became my entire content strategy on socials, and later… my whole business.

It’s the reason I started sharing remote jobs back in 2019 on Instagram stories at first. It’s the reason I built my remote job directory. It’s the reason I created workshops, templates, guides, this Substack, my YouTube channel and even a full course that breaks down exactly how to do it.

Because I know what one remote job can do. It completely changed my life.

And after helping hundreds of people land remote jobs over the last few years, I’ve seen it change theirs too.

So today I want to tell you the story of how I went from being the person hiring remote employees... to becoming the person helping people land those jobs instead. I don’t think I’ve ever shared the full story from beginning to end, and I have a feeling it’ll make a lot of things click if you’ve ever wondered why I’m so obsessed with teaching remote work.

A little about me, in case you’re new here

Hi! I’m Andrea Valeria, and I’ve been working remotely since 2015.

Before I started teaching people how to find remote jobs, I was actually the person doing the hiring.

I spent a few years working in Human Resources, and eventually I became the hiring manager for a company with employees across multiple states in the US. Then, back in 2015, I became that company’s very first remote employee. I continued doing the same recruiting, interviewing and hiring I had been doing in the office... just remotely.

I didn’t know it at the time, but those years completely shaped everything I do today.

After reviewing hundreds of resumes and interviewing candidate after candidate, I started noticing the same patterns over and over again. So many people had the skills to get hired, but they weren’t communicating those skills in a way that recruiters could actually see. They were getting overlooked not because they weren’t capable, but because they didn’t know how to present themselves for remote jobs.

That realization stuck with me.

And when I started sharing my own remote work journey on social media, people naturally began asking me how they could find remote jobs too. One question turned into another, and before I knew it, helping people go remote had become my full-time mission.

That’s because I genuinely believe that your first remote job can change your life.

I’ve seen it happen in my own life, and over the years, I’ve had the privilege of watching it happen for hundreds of other people too. That’s why I keep showing up and sharing everything I’ve learned. I don’t believe in gatekeeping information that can help someone build a better life. If I know something that can make your remote job search easier, I’d much rather put it out into the world than keep it to myself.

When I first started working in Human Resources, I had no idea it would eventually lead me here.

Like a lot of careers, mine evolved naturally. I didn’t get hired specifically to recruit people. Little by little, I started taking on more responsibilities until interviewing candidates, reviewing resumes and hiring employees became the main part of my job.

Eventually, I became the hiring manager for a company with employees across multiple states in the US, and every day I found myself doing what recruiters everywhere do: trying to figure out who would be the best fit for the company.

Then, in 2015, something happened that completely changed the trajectory of my own career.

I became the company’s very first remote employee.

Nowadays, that probably doesn’t sound like a big deal. Remote work is something we’re all familiar with. Back then, though, it felt completely different. This was years before the pandemic, before Zoom became part of everyone’s daily vocabulary and before most people even knew someone who worked remotely.

What’s funny is that my job didn’t actually change all that much.

I was still recruiting. Still interviewing candidates. Still reviewing resumes. Still hiring people. The only real difference was that I was now doing everything online instead of from an office.

That experience taught me one of the biggest lessons I still share with people today btw.

One of the most common misconceptions I hear is that if you want a remote job, you have to completely reinvent yourself. People tell me all the time that they think they need to learn coding, become a graphic designer, work in social media or somehow switch industries before they’ll have a chance of getting hired remotely.

But that’s almost never true.

I didn’t become a different professional when I started working remotely. I simply learned the tools that allowed me to do the exact same job I’d already been doing. Instead of interviewing someone across a desk, I interviewed them over Skype (I didn’t know of Zoom back then). Instead of collaborating in person, I collaborated through digital tools. Instead of handling everything face-to-face, I learned how to do it online.

That was it. The work stayed the same. The tools changed.

I think that’s something people don’t realize about fully remote companies. They don’t just hire software engineers or designers. They need HR professionals, accountants, customer support representatives, recruiters, lawyers, marketers, project managers... every department that exists in a traditional company also exists in a remote company. The opportunity isn’t limited to one industry. It’s simply a different way of doing the same work.

Once I understood that myself, I started seeing remote work very differently. But the biggest lesson wasn’t about my own career.

It came from the people I was hiring.

There were so many people who were genuinely qualified... but you never would’ve known it from reading their resume.

Sometimes I’d read someone’s application, think they weren’t quite what we were looking for, and then click over to their LinkedIn profile out of curiosity. Suddenly I’d discover projects, experience or skills that completely changed my perception of them—things that should have been front and center on their resume but weren’t mentioned at all.

Other times, I’d realize someone had actually worked remotely before. Now, I see that with people who worked remotely during the pandemic, but don’t mention it on their resume. Some candidates have spent months or even years collaborating with virtual teams, attending online meetings, managing projects digitally and communicating through remote work tools, yet none of that appeared in the document that is supposed to convince someone to hire them for a remote job.

It was like they were hiding their best qualifications for remote work.

If someone truly isn’t qualified for a role, that’s one challenge.

But if someone already has what it takes and simply doesn’t know how to present themselves? That’s a problem you can solve (that’s the good news!)

Every day (back then), I walked away feeling like there was this huge gap between what recruiters knew and what job seekers knew. I understood exactly what employers were looking for because I was sitting on that side of the hiring process. Meanwhile, so many talented people were applying without realizing they were making small, fixable mistakes that were costing them interviews.

I started thinking, If I know what recruiters are looking for... why am I keeping that information inside the recruiting department?

I could continue helping companies hire great people, or I could take everything I’d learned from years of recruiting and use it to help those great people get hired instead.

That second option felt a lot more meaningful.

So little by little, that’s exactly what I started doing.

Back in 2016, I began sharing bits and pieces of my own remote work journey online. At first, people were mostly interested in the lifestyle. They wanted to know what it was like to work while traveling, how I managed to stay productive from different places, and whether remote work was really as flexible as it looked.

But over time, the questions changed.

People stopped asking me where I was traveling and started asking me where I had found my remote job. They wanted to know if they could do the same thing, whether companies actually hired people outside the United States, and how someone with their background could get started.

That’s when I realized people didn’t just want inspiration… they wanted direction because they wanted to do the same (rightfully so!).

So I started creating the kinds of resources I knew they needed at the beginning of their remote job searches.

I built this remote job directory to help people find legitimate companies instead of wasting hours scrolling through scams. I started sending a weekly newsletter with remote jobs. You can subscribe here.

I created workshops, YouTube videos, guides, templates and eventually my course, Land Your First Remote Job, because I wanted to have one place where I could teach everything I’d learned over the years. Watch intro training to remote job and my course HERE.

So, from the start I knew I wanted to build a library of resources that would help people get remote jobs.. which is something that I have also done now in this Substack.

The funny part is that I get to see the impact of those resources all the time.

Sometimes someone emails me to tell me they got the job. Sometimes they send me an IG message months later. And sometimes I don’t hear anything... until years later.

A few weeks ago, I was in Toronto for the World Cup when someone stopped me.

He looked at me for a second and said, “You’re the remote work girl, right?”

Then he smiled and said something I’ll probably never forget.

“I got my remote job because of you.”

Of course, my first question was, “Did you ever tell me?”

He said no. This was the first time he had an actual interaction with me — online or in person. That conversation stayed with me for the rest of the day.

It reminded me that there are probably so many people I’ll never hear from.

People who found a job through my remote job directory. People who watched one YouTube video. People who stumbled across a newsletter, a Substack article or a free video training at exactly the right time. People who quietly changed their lives and simply moved on.

I think about that a lot. It reminds me that this work is so much bigger than numbers on social media.

When I first started talking about remote work, people thought I was talking about working from beaches and coffee shops.

Those things are fun, don’t get me wrong. I still love the freedom that remote work gives me, and I still occasionally do those things even though I’m not a digital nomad anymore. More on that HERE.

But after watching so many people land their first remote jobs, I’ve realized that’s not what remote work is really about.

• It’s about getting your evenings back because you’re no longer spending two hours a day commuting.

• It’s about finally being able to have breakfast with your family instead of rushing out the door.

• It’s about taking your kids to school.

• It’s about moving to a city you actually want to live in.

• It’s about having enough flexibility to go to a doctor’s appointment without having to fill out a form.

• It’s about not having to commute to work every day, and having more time for hobbies or working out or sleeping in.

• It’s about better salary opportunities — that aren’t limited to where you live.

• It’s about having an income while taking care of a sick loved one.

• It’s about seeing an improvement in your mental health.

And so many other reasons, but I couldn’t possibly list them all here.

That’s why I’m so passionate about helping people get their first remote job though. You feel me?

Not because I think everyone should become a digital nomad. Def not.

Not because I think remote work is perfect and your first remote job will be a dream job. Nah, I’m realistic.

But because I’ve seen what one opportunity can do, and how it can start showing you all the possibilities and options you have. Making money online can start with a remote job, and eventually you’re out there also making money from affiliate marketing or writing articles on Substack like I’m doing here. By the way, here’s this article on the 32 ways I’ve made money online since I started working remotely back in 2015.

It certainly changed my life. I started seeing cool stuff happen from day 1 literally. I talk about that HERE.

And over the last few years, I’ve had the privilege of watching it change hundreds of other lives too.

If you’ve made it this far and you’re serious about finding your own remote job, I want to encourage you to keep going. Don’t convince yourself that you need another degree, a completely different career or years of additional experience before you can even try.

Start with what you already have.

I’m so sure you have more transferable skills than you think.

If you’re not sure where to begin, the next thing I’d recommend reading is The 3-Month Plan to Get a Remote Job.

It’s one of the most comprehensive guides I’ve written, and it walks you through exactly what I would do if I were starting from scratch today. Instead of guessing what to focus on each week, you’ll have a clear roadmap that takes you from identifying your skills to applying strategically and landing interviews.

Because the hardest part isn’t getting a remote job.

It’s knowing where to start, and how you can avoid the common mistakes that delay actually getting that remote job.

Oh, and hopefully, after reading this article, you’re one step closer than you were before. That’s my goal. Thanks for being here!

💜

Andrea Valeria

They’re definitely not.

A company that kinda’ reluctantly allows employees to work from home 2 days a week is very different from a company that was intentionally built to operate remotely. They love the fully remote lifestyle and they encourage it.

That difference can affect everything: where you’re allowed to live, whether you can travel, how flexible your schedule is, how much the company trusts you, what benefits you receive and even how your coworkers communicate with each other.

And if you’re looking for a remote job from outside the U.S., understanding this can completely change the way you search, too.

Because yuppp… there are legitimate companies hiring people around the world. There are companies with systems in place to hire international employees legally, pay them directly into their bank accounts and, in some cases, provide competitive salaries and benefits.

You just need to know what kinds of companies to look for!

A little about me, in case you’re new here

Hola! I’m Andrea Valeria, and I’ve been working remotely since 2015.

When I first started sharing my remote work journey online, most people were interested in the fun part. They saw me traveling, working from different places and building a life that wasn’t tied to an office.

But I quickly realized that showing people the lifestyle wasn’t enough. I wanted to explain how I was actually doing it and, more importantly, how other people could do it too.

Since then, I’ve spent years helping people understand the remote job search. I also come from an HR and recruiting background, so I’ve been on the other side of the hiring process too.

I’ve seen people who were convinced there were no opportunities available to them land their first remote jobs.

One example is David, one of my students from Mexico. He didn’t think there would be opportunities for him, but after learning how to approach the remote job search, he landed a remote job and started building the remote work life he had wanted.

Here are 50+ people I’ve helped get remote jobs.

That is why I spend so much time talking about something that sounds simple but makes a massive difference: where you look for remote jobs matters.

Here’s what we’re getting into

1. Why finding legitimate companies should be the first step in your remote job search

2. What a remote-first company actually is

3. How remote-first companies are different from remote-friendly companies

4. Why these companies can be especially interesting if you live outside the US

5. The salaries, benefits and unusual perks some remote companies offer

6. What asynchronous work means—and why it can give you more flexibility

7. Examples of companies that have built their businesses around remote work

8. A simple 10-minute exercise to start building your own list of companies to watch

The first step is finding the right companies

I teach the remote job search as a process, and this part is crucial. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time or even worse… getting scammed!

Read more

Over the last 10 years, I’ve experimented with everything from full-time remote jobs and freelancing to digital products, consulting, and a bunch of random side gigs that eventually turned into income.

In this video, I walk you through all 32 ways I’ve personally made money online since 2015.

If you’re more of a visual learner—or you’re looking for something to listen to while you’re driving, walking the dog, doing the dishes, or folding laundry—this version might be perfect for you.

👇 Watch the full video below.

f you enjoyed the video and want the complete written version with all the details, I also have more in-depth article.

Inside, I break down every income stream, including:

• what it was

• what I actually did

• how I found the opportunity

• how I got paid

• who I think it’s a great fit for

• and, whenever possible, how much I charged or earned

👇 Read the full article here

Whether you decide to watch it or read it, my hope is that you walk away with at least one new idea you hadn’t considered before.

Because building an online income rarely happens through one big opportunity.

More often than not, it’s the result of trying different things, keeping what works, and slowly building multiple streams of income over time.

That’s what I’ve done, and I highly recommend it… because like should never revolve around going to an office.

💜

Andrea Valeria

Today, it’s generating $1,129 per month in recurring revenue.

That’s an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of $13,559, with 156 paid subscribers plus 10,808 free subscribers.

And before you think...

“Well... that’s because you already had a huge audience.”

Let me stop you right there, because sure… I do have a big audience on social media. At the time I’m writing this, I have around 385,000 followers on TikTok, a little over 40,000 on Instagram, and around 70,000 on Threads.

But here’s the part I think is much more interesting…

Almost 70% of my new subscribers are actually coming from inside Substack itself.

Not Instagram. Not TikTok. Not Threads. Literally from Substack itself.

That means people are discovering my content through Notes on Substack, recommendations, reposts, and the Substack ecosystem—not because they were already following me somewhere else.

Another thing people always assume is that I imported a giant email list when I started, but nope… I didn’t.

I actually have an email list with over 10,000 subscribers outside of Substack. I’ve never imported it. My current Substack subscribers definitely do not come from me importing that list over, as you can see here:

I wanted to grow this publication organically and separate from what I’ve already built outside… so I could understand how the platform actually works. And I’m really glad I did!

So now I can confidently tell you what has worked, what hasn’t, what I would do differently, and what I think is actually worth your time if you’re thinking about starting your own Substack.

I’m definitely not the biggest creator on this platform. You’ll find people making five or even six figures a month here. This isn’t one of those stories.

This is the story of someone who started from zero nine months ago and built something that’s already generating over a thousand dollars every single month.

To me, that’s exciting… not because $1,129 per month will make you retire. But because it’s proof that recurring income compounds.

It’s one more income stream that didn’t exist nine months ago, and that’s exactly how I like building my business. Slowly, sustainably and comfortably — perfect for work-life balance. It’s my kind of vibe!

⭐ July 15th Update: My monthly revenue from Substack grew to $1500 per month now, so clearly everything here keeps working. Here’s more on that growth & what I did differently the past 2 months!

Here’s what you’ll learn in this article

We’ll go through everything I’ve learned after publishing 42 articles over the past nine months, including:

• Why I decided to charge from day one instead of trying to build a free audience first.

• How I priced my subscriptions (and why I eventually raised my prices).

• The content strategy that’s made Substack sustainable instead of overwhelming.

• What I think is the single biggest growth opportunity on the platform.

• Where almost 70% of my subscribers actually come from.

• The biggest mistakes I see people making when they start a Substack.

• How much time I actually spend on it each week.

• My monthly revenue growth so you can set realistic expectations instead of expecting overnight success.

• The biggest lessons I’d share if I had to start over tomorrow.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a newsletter—or you already have one that’s not growing—I hope this article saves you months of trial and error.

Before we get into my full strategy… what do you actually get as a paid subscriber inside my Substack?

Considering becoming a paid subscriber to read the rest of this article? I don’t want you to think you’re paying just to unlock this one post. Nopeee.

You’d be unlocking my entire paid archive, the full library of resources.

That means you can read all the guides, resources and deeper articles I’ve already published about getting remote jobs, making money online, building different income streams & everything I’m learning and testing along the way… including my new Substack strategy the past 2 months.

You’ll also get access to everything I publish for paid subscribers going forward.

PLUS, I share discounts for my programs for paid subscribers only.

So yeah, you can join because you want to read exactly how I grew this Substack from 0 to $1,1120/month… but once you’re in, go check everything out because there’s a lot already waiting for ya’.

Now, let me start showing you how to make money on Substack…

Read more

I get everything from “I don’t have a degree” to “I’m not American.” Or questions that are basically limiting beliefs like “I’ve never worked remotely before” or “I’m too old to get a remote job”

And you know what? Most of the time, they’re talking themselves out of opportunities that actually exist.

After working remotely for over 10 years and helping thousands of people land their first remote jobs, I’ve realized something:

People usually aren’t being held back by their experience.

They’re being held back by misconceptions.

So I thought I’d answer some of the questions I hear the most. If you’ve ever wondered whether remote work is actually possible for you, chances are you’ll find your answer somewhere below.

Here’s what I’m answering here…

• Do you need a degree to work remotely?

• Can I work remotely if I’m not a U.S. citizen?

• Are remote jobs only for creatives?

• Can I land a remote job without previous experience?

• Do I need to be active on social media?

• Do I need a home office?

• Do I need to make a big investment to get started?

• What if I don’t want to work while traveling?

• Am I too old to work remotely?

• Do remote jobs actually pay well?

1. Do you need a degree to work remotely?

This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions I hear. The short answer? Def no.

What most remote companies care about is whether you can actually do the job. In many cases, your skills are far more important than your degree.

I’ve seen plenty of remote job descriptions that don’t even mention a college degree as a requirement.

In fact, not too long ago I shared this exact topic on Instagram, and one of the Remote-First Companies I always recommend actually replied to my story saying something along the lines of:

“As long as you have the skills, we don’t care whether you have a degree or not.”

I absolutely loved that response because it’s becoming more and more common.

Think about it. If you’re a graphic designer, your portfolio is usually more valuable than your diploma. If you’re a writer, employers want to read your writing. If you’re a video editor, they want to see your edits. Your work speaks louder than a piece of paper.

And remember... college isn’t the only place you can learn. Nowadays you can become incredibly good at something through online courses, certifications, tutorials, personal projects, and lots of practice.

One of my favorite examples is actually my brother’s girlfriend. She landed her first remote job while she was still in college. She didn’t even have the degree yet.

So if you’re still studying… or you never got a degree in the first place—that doesn’t automatically disqualify you.

2. Can I work remotely if I’m not a U.S. citizen?

Yes. And I feel very strongly about this one because... neither am I. I’m Panamanian, and I’ve been working remotely since 2015.

My brother also works remotely, and we’re proof that you absolutely do not have to be American to land a remote job.

The key is knowing where to look. There are thousands of companies hiring worldwide. They already have systems in place to hire people legally across different countries and pay them directly in their local bank accounts.

That’s why I always encourage people to pay attention to keywords like:

• Hiring Worldwide

• Global

• Work From Anywhere

• Distributed

Those are usually the companies you should focus on. If you spend all your time applying to jobs that say “U.S. applicants only,” you’re making your search much harder than it needs to be.

This is actually one of the reasons I created my Remote Job Directory—to make it easier to identify companies that hire internationally.

And inside my course, I’ve helped people from the every single continent land their first remote jobs.

So no... being born outside the U.S. is not what will stop you.

Here’s how to find remote jobs hiring worldwide.

3. Are remote jobs only for creatives?

Not at all. I think social media has accidentally convinced people that remote workers are all influencers, YouTubers, designers, or content creators.

That’s not th reality. If a company is fully remote...

The accounting department is remote. HR is remote. Customer Support is remote. Sales is remote. Legal is remote. Operations is remote. Marketing is remote.

Every department works remotely.

So unless you’re planning on changing careers anyway, you probably don’t need to.

The same skills you use in an office can often be used from home.

4. Can I land a remote job without previous experience?

It depends on what kind of experience you’re talking about.

If you mean you’ve never had a job before, then you’ll probably start with entry-level opportunities while building your skills through personal projects, volunteering, or online learning.

If you mean you’ve never worked remotely before... that’s fine too.

What you’ll focus on is identifying the transferable skills you already have and learning the digital tools that companies use remotely. Things like Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack, and project management tools.

That’s exactly why my course is called Land Your First Remote Job. Because everyone has a first one, and that’s exactly what I help people with.

5. Do I need to be active on social media?

Only if you’re applying for social media jobs.

If you want to become a Social Media Manager, Community Manager, or Content Creator, then yes—it helps to have examples of your work.

But if you’re applying for Customer Support, HR, Recruiting, Operations, Accounting, Project Management, or similar roles... Nobody cares if you have 10 followers or 100,000.

That being said... Google yourself.

When I worked as a recruiter, one of the first things I did before interviewing someone was type their name into Google. If the first thing that came up was a Twitter account where they spent every day arguing with strangers... or ranting about different things… or just being an overall negative person.

That definitely won’t help.

You don’t need a personal brand, but you want to make sure your online presence doesn’t raise unnecessary red flags.

6. Do I need a home office?

No. This is one of those things social media has convinced people they need before they can even start applying for remote jobs.

People ask me all the time if they need to buy an ergonomic chair, a standing desk, multiple monitors, or have a beautiful office with plants and perfect lighting before they can work remotely.

But, don’t worry. You don’t need all that.

When job descriptions mention that you need a “dedicated workspace” or a “quiet place to work,” they’re not asking you to build a Pinterest-worthy home office. They simply want to know that if you need to jump on a video call with a client or attend a team meeting, you’ll be in an environment without constant distractions.

For years, I worked remotely without having a home office at all. I worked from my couch, hotel rooms, Airbnbs, coworking spaces, and wherever I happened to be while traveling.

In fact, I didn’t have a proper home office until I’d already been working remotely for about six years. So don’t let the lack of a fancy setup stop you from applying.

As long as you have a reliable laptop, a decent internet connection, and a quiet place to work when needed, you’re ready to start.

7. Do I need to make a big investment to get started?

Definitely not. One of the biggest misconceptions about remote work is that you need to spend thousands of dollars before you can even apply.

You don’t. If your laptop works and you have internet access, you’re already equipped for many entry-level remote jobs.

Of course, there are exceptions. If you’re applying for highly specialized roles like software engineering, video production, or 3D design, you may eventually need more powerful equipment. But for many remote jobs in customer service, recruiting, HR, operations, administration, marketing, or sales, your current computer is probably more than enough.

Another question I get all the time is, “This company wants me to pay an upfront fee before I start. Is that normal?”

No. That is one of the biggest red flags I can think of!

A legitimate employer will never ask you to pay them to get hired.

They shouldn’t charge you for training, ask you to buy equipment through them, or request any kind of upfront payment before you start working.

If anything, many companies will provide the equipment you need or reimburse you for it.

So before you spend money trying to create the “perfect” remote setup, focus on landing the job first. You can always upgrade later.

8. What if I don’t want to work while traveling?

Then... don’t. 😂

I think social media has made people believe that working remotely automatically means becoming a digital nomad.

You know the type. Answering emails from a beach in Bali. Working from a hammock. Moving to a different country every month.

And while that lifestyle can be amazing for some people (I did it for 4 years), it’s definitely not necessary, I talk more about that lifestyle in this article.

One of the biggest benefits of remote work is having options. Some people love traveling while they work. Others simply want to stay home, spend more time with their family, avoid commuting, or finally have a better work-life balance.

Both are equally valid.

You don’t have to leave your city, sell all your belongings, or live out of a suitcase to enjoy the benefits of working remotely.

If your dream is simply working from your kitchen table while your kids are at school or avoiding two hours of commuting every day, that’s just as much a remote lifestyle as working from another country.

Remote work isn’t about constantly traveling. It’s about having the freedom to decide what works best for you.

9. Am I too old to work remotely?

Absolutely not. People often associate remote work with Gen Z or younger Millennials because they tend to be very comfortable with technology.

But age isn’t what determines whether you’ll succeed in a remote job. Your willingness to learn is.

Do you know how to use a computer? Can you learn new software quickly? Are you open to using tools like Zoom, Google Drive, Slack, or Microsoft Teams?

If the answer is yes, you’re already much closer than you probably think.

Inside my course, I’ve worked with people of all ages. My youngest student was around 19 years old.

One of my oldest students was a 53-year-old woman from Colombia who landed her first remote customer service job.

Then I also helped my mom get a remote job at age 62, and she has now been working remotely for 2.5 years. She didn’t consider herself particularly tech-savvy, but she was willing to learn.

That’s what makes the difference, befcause technology can be learned.

A positive attitude and willingness to adapt will take you much further than worrying about the number on your birthday cake.

10. Do remote jobs actually pay well?

100%. One of the biggest fears people have before making the switch is whether they’ll have to sacrifice their income.

The good news is that many remote companies offer competitive salaries, health insurance, paid time off, retirement benefits, equipment stipends, and other perks that are very similar to traditional office jobs.

Remote work doesn’t automatically mean taking a pay cut.

In many cases, you can actually earn more than you were making before.

But here’s something else I’ve noticed after working remotely for over ten years. Once people get comfortable making money online, they often realize they don’t have to rely on just one source of income anymore.

Maybe they start freelancing on the side. Maybe they launch a digital product. Maybe they become an affiliate for a tool they love. Maybe they start consulting online. That’s exactly what happened to me.

Working remotely opened the door to opportunities I never would have considered if I’d stayed in a traditional office job.

So yes, remote jobs can absolutely pay well.

And for many people, they become the first step toward building even more financial freedom in the future.

Here are 32 ways in which I’ve made money since I started working remotely.

Had you ever asked yourself any of these questions?

Hopefully this article cleared up a few of the doubts that might have been holding you back. Remember… most people don’t need another certification or another year of waiting before they start applying.

They just need to stop believing things that aren’t true.

If you’re ready to take the next step, I’d recommend starting with these two resources.

Watch my free video training: How to Land a Remote Job in Less Than 6 Months

Read: The 3-Month Plan to Get a Remote Job

One will help you understand the whole remote job search in video format. The other will give you a practical, week-by-week written roadmap to follow. Both great ways to learn about how to find remote jobs — depending on how you prefer learning.

And hopefully, the next time you ask yourself, “Can I really work remotely?”...

You’ll already know the answer.

💜

Andrea Valeria