How do I get a full time work from home job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Find a job that is telecommuting friendly, even if you are technically attached to an office location. Arrange for telecommuting 2-3 days a week for a year. Show your skills, reliability, network within the company. At your one year review, let them know you'd really like to move to full time remote and give them a list of things to expect from you. You're basically negotiating going remote at your annual review.

For me, I did everything through the first year, but just sent my boss an email saying "hey, I'd like to go full-time remote this year" and his response was just "I approve." I don't think that would have worked without giving the FaceTime and building a reputation within the company first.

How do you know if the company is truly telecommuting friendly? Just based on what they say on their employment page?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Find a job that is telecommuting friendly, even if you are technically attached to an office location. Arrange for telecommuting 2-3 days a week for a year. Show your skills, reliability, network within the company. At your one year review, let them know you'd really like to move to full time remote and give them a list of things to expect from you. You're basically negotiating going remote at your annual review.

For me, I did everything through the first year, but just sent my boss an email saying "hey, I'd like to go full-time remote this year" and his response was just "I approve." I don't think that would have worked without giving the FaceTime and building a reputation within the company first.

How do you know if the company is truly telecommuting friendly? Just based on what they say on their employment page?

You ask. When I did my third interview, I spoke with someone in a similar role. She was still relatively new, so I asked her about her experience with on boarding and how she's found the work/life balance. She mentioned that she telecommutes 2 days a week. My first week I found out that many more people telecommute even more and that the majority of my team is fully remote and located around the country. When we were negotiating my contract, I asked to telecommute 2 days a week. It ended up being more like 3-4 days a week between months 6-12, but I was still close enough to the office that I could come in spur of the moment for meetings. When I asked to go fully remote, there were no concerns because of that history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Find a job that is telecommuting friendly, even if you are technically attached to an office location. Arrange for telecommuting 2-3 days a week for a year. Show your skills, reliability, network within the company. At your one year review, let them know you'd really like to move to full time remote and give them a list of things to expect from you. You're basically negotiating going remote at your annual review.

For me, I did everything through the first year, but just sent my boss an email saying "hey, I'd like to go full-time remote this year" and his response was just "I approve." I don't think that would have worked without giving the FaceTime and building a reputation within the company first.

This is good advice. My experience has been that many non-profits are very telecommute friendly. I WFH 4 days a week at mine. It's basically how they keep talented people despite the low salaries.
It will likely take some time to build up to mostly remote status, but if you look for jobs at companies where many people telecommute, you can start working toward that. As PPs have said though, the key is demonstrating your value and dependency (for example, I am 100% available on my telecommute days and respond to skype or email within minutes of receiving it). If you read company reviews on Glassdoor, you should be able to find references to telecommute policies and family-friendliness or flex schedules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pipe dream to get your regular job to let you WFH 24/7. Even full-time telecommute jobs aren't bountiful but you can find them. It just depends on your field.

Not at all. I did this (a move was involved). It was easy. I also work for a nonprofit.

OP -- I would say it can cut both ways depending on field. If you do want to convert your existing job, make yourself indispensable and have a credible threat that if you can't WFH full time, you'll quit.