3 Steps Leila Took to Land a Remote Career Opportunity (and Double Her Salary)

Leila didn’t just want a new job. She wanted a remote job. One that aligned with her values, paid her well, and gave her room to grow.

By following a clear 3-step strategy—Clarity → Branding → Job Search—she landed a remote career opportunity that doubled her income.

Here’s exactly how she did it.

3 Steps Leila Took to Land a Remote Career Opportunity (and Double Her Salary)

You’ve seen the recruiter messages.
You’ve skimmed the job boards.
You want a remote job, but not just any job. You want one that aligns with your values, pays you what you deserve, and lets you thrive long-term.

That’s what Leila wanted too. She followed a 3-step strategy and landed a remote job that doubled her salary.

This post walks you through her process, plus key trends, tools, and companies hiring for remote roles in 2026.

Why Remote Work Continues to Dominate the Job Market

The numbers don't lie. 57% of job seekers now list remote work as their top priority. That's not a trend, that's a shift.

Remote jobs attract 2 to 3 times more applications than on-site roles. High-growth companies are shifting toward flexible, distributed teams. And fully remote jobs are no longer just in tech, they exist across healthcare, education, marketing, and more.

I've watched this change firsthand with my clients. Five years ago, asking for remote work felt like asking for the moon. Now? Companies offering remote jobs are the ones winning the talent race. They're filling positions faster and keeping people longer.

The question isn't whether remote work is here to stay. It's whether you know how to position yourself for it.

The Evolution of Remote Work Since 2020

Remember when we had to try and figure out what remote work even was? It seemed like a temporary fix. That was then. The pandemic made remote work mainstream, but 2025 made it expected.

What Does Remote Work Mean Now?

The old definition of remote work was simply not working in an office. Now, it means work that can be done from any location, using online communication and collaboration tools. The definition of remote work has expanded beyond "not in an office" to include how teams operate, how productivity is measured, and how careers are built without physical proximity.

The remote worker meaning has changed too. It's not about working from your couch in pajamas. It's about professionals who can deliver results, manage their time, and communicate clearly across time zones.

My client Leila learned this fast. She thought remote work just meant location freedom. What she found was that the best remote roles required even stronger communication skills and clearer boundaries than her old office job. Once she understood that, she knew exactly how to position herself.

Remote Work Statistics and Trends for 2025

Let's talk about what's actually happening out there. 35% of all U.S. employees now work remotely full-time. That's more than one in three workers.

Companies offering remote jobs have higher retention rates and faster hiring cycles. They're not dealing with geographic limits, so they find better fits. They're also not losing people to commutes and rigid schedules.

The top industries hiring remote workers in 2026? Tech, education, healthcare, and customer success. But I've also seen remote positions pop up in finance, legal, operations, and even roles you'd think had to be in-person.

Sources like FlexJobs, LinkedIn Workforce Insights, and Buffer's State of Remote Work all confirm the same thing: remote jobs worldwide are growing, not shrinking.

What This Means for Job Seekers

If you're looking for remote job opportunities, you're not chasing a fantasy. You're aligning with where the market is already going. But that also means competition is real. You can't just slap "open to remote" on your LinkedIn and wait for offers

How to Land Your Dream Remote Job in 2026

Here's where most people mess up: they treat applying to remote jobs like throwing darts in the dark. They send out 100 applications and wonder why nothing sticks.

It's not just about applying, it's about positioning. 

You don't need 100 applications. You need the right 10.

Remote job boards, outreach strategy, and personal branding all matter. But they only work if you know what you're looking for first.

That's where the remote work guide I use with clients starts: clarity, then branding, then search. In that order.

Step 1: Get Clear on What You Actually Want

Leila started with career clarity. She got brutally honest about what wasn't working in her current role and what she needed instead.

She wanted remote flexibility. She wanted a mission-driven culture. She wanted more leadership and impact. And she wanted pay that matched her value.

Using my Career Clarity Framework, she defined her non-negotiables and target direction. Without clarity, she would've kept applying to the wrong roles and staying stuck.

How to Get Clear Fast

You don't need months of soul-searching. You need a framework. Start by listing what you hate about your current role. Then flip it. What would the opposite look like?

For Leila, that meant writing down things like "micromanaged" and flipping it to "trusted to lead." She wrote "underpaid" and flipped it to "compensated at market rate or above."

Once you know what you're moving toward, you can filter out 90% of job postings immediately. That's not being picky. That's being smart.

Step 2: Build a Brand That Reflects Your Value

Next, Leila revamped her personal brand, especially her LinkedIn profile and resume.

We focused on showcasing her transferable skills, not just titles. We positioned her as someone already operating in the space she wanted to move into. We highlighted her values, not just her experience.

Within days of updating her profile, she started getting messages from recruiters, including the one that would become her dream role.

What "Personal Branding" Actually Means

I know that phrase sounds like marketing fluff. But here's what it really is: making sure people understand what you bring to the table.

Your LinkedIn profile isn't a resume dump. It's a signal. It tells recruiters and hiring managers what you do, how you think, and who you help.

Leila's old profile listed job duties. Her new one told a story: I help teams scale operations. I build systems that reduce friction. I care about creating work environments where people thrive.

Same experience. Totally different message.

Step 3: Apply With Intention, Not Desperation

Once her brand was aligned, she didn’t mass-apply.

Instead, she used my Impact-Driven Job Seeker’s Guide to:
✅ Identify aligned companies hiring for remote roles
✅ Filter out jobs that didn’t meet her values
✅ Send targeted, compelling applications that positioned her as the solution

The result? She landed a remote job offer and doubled her salary.

The Difference Between Applying and Positioning

Most applications sound like this: "I have X years of experience in Y field." That's fine. It's not wrong. But it's not memorable.

Leila's applications sounded like this: "I noticed your company is scaling customer success. I've built onboarding systems that reduced churn by 22% and increased NPS scores by 15 points. I'd love to bring that same approach to your team."

See the difference? She wasn't asking for a shot. She was offering a solution.

That's what gets remote jobs. Not desperation. Positioning.

Top Remote Career Opportunities in 2025

Here are the most in-demand categories for remote roles in 2025. If you're looking for fully remote job opportunities, these are the spaces hiring fast.

Tech & Engineering

Full-stack developers, AI/ML specialists, and cybersecurity professionals are in high demand. If you can build, code, or secure systems, companies want you. Many of these roles offer six-figure salaries and full remote flexibility.

 👉 Find tech jobs →

Marketing & Sales

Content marketers, sales development reps, and growth strategists are needed across industries. Remote work systems depend on strong communication, so if you can write, sell, or strategize, you've got options.

 👉 Explore roles →

Customer Success & Support

Onboarding specialists, support teams, and retention managers keep customers happy. These roles often require empathy, problem-solving, and patience. They're also some of the most common entry points for people asking how do I find a remote job without traditional tech skills.

 👉 See support jobs →

Design & Product

UX/UI designers, visual storytellers, and product managers shape how users experience digital tools. If you can design with intention, you're valuable. Remote design roles often come with creative freedom and strong compensation.

 👉 Browse creative →

Ops, Finance & Legal

Project managers, analysts, and compliance officers keep companies running. These jobs that offer remote positions are growing fast, especially at scaling startups and distributed teams.

If you want to see which of these aligns with your strengths, I created an industry alignment guide that breaks down the skills, pay ranges, and entry paths for each.

Get the  Industry Alignment Guide

FAQs About Remote Career Opportunities in 2026

Are remote jobs going away?

No. Demand is growing, especially in digital-first industries. Companies that tried to force people back to the office are losing talent to competitors offering fully remote work.

What are the pros and cons of remote jobs?

Pros: Flexibility, freedom, no commute, better work-life balance, access to global opportunities.

Cons: Potential isolation, self-management required, time zone challenges, need for strong communication skills.

What does “remote work” mean?

Remote work means work that can be done from any location using online communication and collaboration tools. It's not tied to a specific office or city.

How do I find remote jobs without a degree or experience?

Focus on transferable skills, build a strong personal brand, and target high-trust companies. Many remote roles care more about results than credentials. Use the Impact-Driven Job Seeker’s Guide to shortcut the process. and access companies hiring based on values and skills, not just degrees.

About Career Coach & Author

Theresa White, Career Clarity Expert, 5x Certified Career Coach, and the Founder of Career Bloom, is known for her expertise in guiding people to get unstuck and find the direction they need to move forward in their careers—fast. In a time when so many people are re-evaluating their work, Theresa offers actionable insights that empower clients to identify their true strengths and pursue work that genuinely aligns with their goals. 

Theresa’s clients often call her sessions “epiphanies” and “transformational.” She brings immediate clarity to career goals, helping people unlock a deep understanding of what makes work fulfilling for them. Past participants consistently describe her approach as “spot on” and an “answer to questions they’d been asking for weeks.”

Theresa’s approach is empathetic yet practical, and she’s known for empowering clients with a clear direction in as little as 30 days, guaranteeing results. 

Connect with Theresa on LinkedIn, listen to the Career Clarity Unlocked Podcast, or schedule your free 30-minute career clarity consultation.

Remote Career Opportunities Are Real, If You Have the Right Strategy

Leila’s win didn’t come from luck. It came from strategy:

1. Clarity about her values and goals
   
2. Branding that reflected her voice and strengths
   
3. Job Search moves that were smart, focused, and aligned
   

Want to follow her path?
Start with the guide that gave her access to 35+ progressive, values-aligned companies:

👉 The Impact-Driven Job Seeker’s Guide