Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Remote work job boards are everywhere. Since the pandemic, there are more of them now than ever. And, honestly, that’s both a good thing and a bad thing.
It’s good because it shows remote work is here to stay. But, brand new job boards don’t yet have a reputation, so it’s hard to tell whether their job leads are the real deal, fake, or scams.
That’s why I only recommend a select group of remote work job boards. The ones on this list are trustworthy, have checks and balances in place, and supply a steady stream of job leads. So steady, in fact, you can find just about any type of remote job with just these three core sites. When I say steady, I mean steady. In fact, I find thousands (yes, thousands) of remote jobs on these sites on a daily basis. If you can’t find what you’re looking for using them, it’s time to head back to Square One and determine your remote work type.
As a career coach, I recommend these job boards as a starting point for all types of remote jobs in As a career coach that specializes in all things remote work, I have used and recommended these remote work job boards to my clients. I know you will find them helpful too.
What are remote work job boards?
Before we dive in to the list, I want to quickly touch on remote work job boards. These are sites that specifically share remote-friendly job leads. These include 100% remote work, hybrid remote work, remote work with location requirements, freelance gigs, and contract positions.
Always read the job description carefully when browsing these sites. The job descriptions will tell you what type of remote job it is (freelance, contract, employee) and if there are any geographic requirements (select US states, worldwide, etc.).
FlexJobs
- Who It’s For: New remote job seekers.
- Why It’s Worth Searching: All job leads are vetted and guaranteed to be 100% authentic.
- Types of Remote Jobs Listed: A mixture of 100% remote and hybrid-remote jobs. Also some freelance, contract, and temporary positions listed too. Job leads come from all types of companies. Mostly, I notice large corporations and staffing agencies regularly posting.
Number One on my list is FlexJobs. This job search site has been around since 2007. Its searchable leads include:
- 100% Remote Work
- Remote During Pandemic
- Hybrid Remote Work
- Option for Remote Work
Plus, options for employee, freelance, part-time, and temporary remote jobs.
Your searches are easily filtered so you can narrow down results to your ideal remote job. Job seekers can find leads from entry level to experienced, freelance to full time, select US states to worldwide — and everything in between.
Plus, FlexJobs offers amazing support and resources for its members like career coaching, webinars, virtual job fairs, job search guides, and more.
Take a Quick Tour of FlexJobs: One of My Favorite Remote Work Job Boards
FlexJobs Membership Perks
Keep in mind, FlexJobs is a membership site. To access the job board and most resources, you have to sign up for a paid plan. Membership options include:
- Free 5-job Trial
- 1-month subscription
- 3-month subscription
- Annual subscription
Prices (starting as low as a few bucks a month) are pretty affordable for what you get in return. Your paid membership includes:
- Full access to hand-screened jobs (nearly 30,000 at this very moment!)
- Job search checklist
- Webinars
- Soft Skills Quiz
- Member Perks
- Ability to get recruited
- Skills Tests
- Courses
- Weekly Career Coach Q&As
- Virtual Job Fairs
Try FlexJobs for Yourself for Free
Ready to take your remote job search to scam-free status? Sign up for a FlexJob membership today and use promo code SAVE30 at checkout to save up to 30% on your paid plan. There’s also an option to check out 5 FlexJobs listings for free.
Remember, FlexJobs is a highly-rated BBB-approved company with more than 14 years in business. They stand behind their services with a no-questions asked 30-day money-back guarantee. You can request (and receive) a refund for any reason at any time during your first 30 days.
Remotive.io
- Who It’s For: Remote job seekers interested in startups and tech companies
- Why It’s Worth Searching: Leads are hand screened and you can find remote job listings at companies you might not have heard of before.
- Types of Remote Jobs Listed: Mostly startups and tech companies here with a mix of freelance and employee positions. There are more “work from anywhere” positions here than what I’ve found at other remote work job boards
Remotive is one of the remote work job boards to visit for startup and tech industry enthusiasts. In fact, Remotive is on a mission to help remote job seeker find job satisfaction at startups.
So, what is a startup? According to Investopedia,
A startup is a company in the first stages of operations.
Generally, a startup is less than five years old and is founded by one or more entrepreneurs who want to “disrupt an industry.”
Startup Examples You (Probably) Know
You probably don’t realize it, but a lot of your favorite companies were once startups. Examples of successful startups include:
- AirBnB
- Uber
- Square
- Pandora
- Wayfair
Crazy, right? At one point these were all small companies built from big ideas and grown into successful brands we all recognize today.
Why Work Remotely for a Startup?
Today, many startups and tech companies build remote work directly into their company’s culture. Some have entirely distributed workforces with no physical headquarters. Others have a combination of in-office and virtual workers on their team.
Either way, startups are often fast-paced places to work with a lot of change. Plus, many startups offer amazing perks to attract top talent from around the world.
Some noteworthy benefits I’ve seen offered by startups include:
- Unlimited vacation days (yep, as many as you want)
- Flexible scheduling (work when its best for you)
- Free tech
- Monthly allowances for everything from office supplies to gym memberships
- Paid tuition for continued education classes
- 100% covered health care costs
- Stock options
And that’s just a short list!
Some Minor Warnings
Since startups are newish, many rely on investors or venture capitalists to fund initial operating costs until the company becomes profitable. I mention this because some startups fail. In fact, about 90% of startups fail within 10 years.
Research from the Small Business Administration (SBA) found 21.5% fail in their first year, 30% in the second year, 50% in the fifth year, and 70% within 10 years.
I don’t want to scare you away from startups. After all, they are often remote-friendly, have noteworthy cultures, and provide great benefits and plenty of career opportunities. However, I want you to be well-informed before you make a major career change.
Remote Work Job Boards: What Remotive Offers
Like FlexJobs, Remotive hand screens every single remote job it posts. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 leads posted with more added all the time. To date, more than 1,000 companies have used Remotive to find and hire talent from around the world.
I love that international job seekers can “hide US-only” jobs to find employment options around the world. There are also some unique resources Remotive offers that you can’t find anywhere else.
Remotive Resources & Webinar
It’s free to search for and apply to jobs on Remotive. There are even in-depth guides and an amazing free webinar you can attend. The webinar is titled, “3 Mistakes to Avoid When Looking for A Remote Startup Job (And What To Do Instead). It’s a must-watch for anyone who is serious about working remotely for a startup and is committed to finding a remote job.
Remotive Slack Community
Want to network with current remote workers at amazing startups and tech companies? You can join Remotive’s Slack Community for just $75. This price gives you lifetime membership with no recurring fees. The perks of joining the community include remote job leads shared exclusively within the community, direct access to people who hire remote workers, and constructive feedback from members.
Quick Remotive Tour
Remote Work Job Boards: Freelance Sites
Today, tons of remote workers want total control over how they work and when. That’s why so many people choose remote self-employment as a freelancer instead of working remotely as an employee for a company. (And, yes, you absolutely are self-employed when you freelance).
In fact, a whopping 59 million Americans freelanced in 2020 according to Statista. This is roughly 36% of the entire workforce!
The Perks of Freelancing
Why are so many people forgoing traditional employee positions in favor of freelancing? For many, it’s the total autonomy that draws them in.
I’ve been freelancing as a self-employed entrepreneur for more than a decade. The fact I schedule my work days around personal commitments is better than any benefit a company could provide.
Additional perks of freelancing include:
- Ability to sell services you enjoy doing
- Set your rates
- Work on projects that interest you
- Pick and choose clients that align with your personal values
- Flexibility to work when and where you want or can
- Can grow your “business” as you see fit
The Cons of Freelancing
Of course, freelancing isn’t always easy. It’s especially difficult when just starting out. And, there are definite “cons” to keep in mind before going full freelance.
- You are in charge of everything (billing, invoicing, completing work, finding clients, etc.)
- Have to find your own clients
- No paid time off — you don’t work, you don’t get paid
- Health insurance and taxes are your responsibility
- Need to keep track of all business transactions including expenses and payments
Again, I share the cons to give you a big picture of a remote work type. I don’t want to scare you away from anything. However, it is important to have a complete understanding before making a huge decision, like making a career move!
So, where can new freelancers find work immediately before they build up a network of clients? The short answer: Freelance marketplaces.
Freelance Marketplace Sites
Love ’em or hate ’em, freelance marketplace sites bring clients and freelancers together. Typically, clients post a project they need help with and freelancers “pitch” their services or make an offer for that particular project. The pitch includes your rates and why you’re the best person for the job.
From there, the client picks a freelancer and they enter into a contract. The marketplace site acts as the middleman and helps with invoicing and collecting payments. These sites can also step in if there is a dispute.
The Fees of Freelance Sites
Since they are facilitating the freelance-client relationship, these remote work job boards charge fees. Each site has different fee structures. Common fees associated with freelance marketplace sites include:
- Transaction fees
- Bidding fees
- Monthly membership dues
- Percentage of earnings
For example, Upwork, one of the largest freelance marketplace sites, takes a percentage of freelancer earnings. On projects $500 an under, they take a 20% cut. For projects between $500 – $10,000 it drops to a 10% cut, and anything over $10,000 is a 5% cut.
Fees suck. There’s no other way to put it. The fees and constant bidding for jobs (often undervaluing your worth) is why a lot of freelancers have a strong dislike for marketplace sites.
Keep in mind, it’s easy to criticize these sites once you’re established. But, these same freelancers often used the very sites they hate on today to get started:
Use Freelance Remote Work Job Boards with Caution
I launched my freelance writing career years ago using Upwork. The fees sucked and the constant pitching wasn’t my favorite, but it was a good learning experience. And that’s exactly how you should approach these sites — as a learning experience.
You can learn a lot while earning a little and get to practice pitching and working with paying clients. Eventually, take these experiences with you to strike out on your own.
After a bit, you can rely less on marketplace sites as you build your network, do good work, earn referrals, and have leads coming your way. But until then, feel free to use sites, like Upwork, to get started.
However, don’t get trapped using them. Give yourself a SMART goal that includes a specific stopping point where you will walk away from these sites for good. Otherwise, it becomes too easy to get stuck using them over and over again. This keeps you in an endless cycle of pitching and working for low rates instead of growing your business of one.
Turn to LinkedIn to Get Started
As a freelancer, you need to be on LinkedIn. It’s a great place to connect with other freelancers and network. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find all your clients and referrals via LinkedIn!
A nice feature about LinkedIn is the newly launched Services Marketplace. It’s the perfect platform to turn your existing LinkedIn Profile into a client-generating, money-making Services Page.
Remote Work Job Boards for Tons of Variety Without The Scams
Remote work job boards offer a streamlined way to find real remote jobs. When I say real, I mean no direct sales, pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing or scams.
Sure, you could scour big-name job sites, like Indeed or Monster, but you have to filter through thousands of non-remote jobs first. That takes a lot of time, energy, and effort.
Plus, you can’t guarantee you won’t stumble on a scam listing.
That’s why I highly recommend remote work job boards like FlexJobs or Remotive. For aspiring freelancers, marketplace sites provide support and help you get paid if a client won’t pony up.
In the end, these remote work job boards are the quickest and easiest way to discover thousands of job leads in a matter of minutes.
Happy Job Searching,
Ashlee
P.S. This post contains affiliate links for FlexJobs. These links can earn me a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking them. Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost you a thing! I use them to keep this site free of ads and annoying popups. You can check out my disclosure statement to learn more.
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