Today, I want to introduce you to my friend, Camille Attell. Camille travels and works full-time in an RV with her husband and cat! She also runs a website called More Than A Wheelin’ dedicated to RV Life, Travel, and Remote Work.
Camille worked in corporate America for 20 years, and her husband, Bryce, spent 20 years working in finance. These two traded in their corporate jobs and traditional lifestyle for RV life when they found themselves facing the question: “Why are we doing this?”
Since choosing RV life in 2016, Camille and her husband have traveled over 20,000 miles in their RV, have visited 27 states, and 32 national parks and monuments. While on the road, she has worked as a Pinterest virtual assistant, course creator, blogger, project manager, and more.
Knowing that there are many others out there choosing this non-traditional lifestyle, Camille wanted to help others find success and happiness as they live and work on the road.
Motivated by her own success and a desire to help others, she created her course Remote Work 101, which will help you build a plan to reach your dreams.
It covers everything you need to know about working remotely, from:
Finding jobs and companies that allow you to work remotely.
How to build a resume.
How to talk to potential employers.
Dealing with internet as you travel.
Offsetting the costs of travel to make you more effective and earning more.
And more!
Camille’s course is great for anyone who wants a life and flexibility. While we don’t live in an RV anymore, I’m so glad we did it, and now I’m working remotely from a sailboat. I love it so much, and I don’t know if I’ll ever live in a “normal” house ever again.
In the her interview, you’ll learn:
What remote jobs are.
How to make money working remotely.
What remote jobs pay.
The benefits and challenges of working remotely.
How to avoid work-from-home scams.
Check out the interview below for more information and be sure to check out Camille’s course Remote Work 101 to learn further about how to work, live, and travel where you want.
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1. Please give us a background on yourself and this topic. What makes you the expert?
I’m kind of an odd duck who struggled in school, yet always knew that I could do almost any job I wanted. Other than being a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist, I had a lot of grit to go after a lot of jobs. And I did just that all through high school and college. I started working at 14 and haven’t stopped. I’ve been everything from a fast food server, nanny, and corporate trainer to a consultant.
I barely made it through college but did eventually graduate. My first professional job was coaching people how to get off welfare and back into the workforce. I focused on resume writing, interviewing, and how to be a valued employee. Later, I went back to school and got my Master’s Degree in counseling psychology. Pause there—I was a terrible student who managed to get a Master’s Degree. Can I get a woot woot?!
I became a corporate trainer in five different industries, and trained employees on everything from systems and sales to career development. I helped companies develop employee empowerment programs, job descriptions, and self-assessment tools. I have always been an advocate who fights for workers’ rights.
Now, I travel and work full-time in an RV with my husband, Bryce, and cat, Parker. We run a website called More Than A Wheelin’ dedicated to RV Life, Travel, and Remote Work. I also run a school called Remote Work School, where I draw on on all of my career and nomadic experiences to teach people how to work remotely and travel or have more freedom.
2. What is a remote job?
In short, a remote job is one that you can do from anywhere. You can work from home, on the road, a different country, on a yacht (if you’re lucky), or the beach (nobody really does that).
The point is that a remote job is one that is “location independent.” You are not bound by a desk or maybe even the hours you work, depending on the type of job you have.
There are more remote jobs than ever thanks to improved technology and employers creating more remote opportunities.
3. Can you actually make money while traveling or from home?
You can absolutely make money while traveling or from home. I do it, and I know many other people who do it, too.
If you’re used to going to the same place every day or being location dependent, it’s hard to imagine that working remotely is a real thing. It probably sounds like a prank, “Oh sure you can travel and make real money? Ha!”
When I worked at my last company, I went to the same desk for years, and it seemed impossible that there could be remote work opportunities that would pay me as well. Over two years later, I can see how I was trapped by my own limited thinking.
Now, I make money in all kinds of ways. I have done freelance writing, created training content for companies, made money from our blog and affiliate marketing (by taking Michelle’s affiliate marketing course), being a Pinterest virtual assistant, and coaching and consulting others. The list goes on. If I can do it, anyone can!
What I’m surprised by most, is just how many remote work opportunities there are that people don’t even know about.
4. What types of remote jobs are there?
Seriously, there are a million and one types of jobs. OK, maybe not that many but there are so many different jobs you can do. There’s everything from writing, computer coding, social media management, teaching online, and blogging, to doing voice-over work—heck, I even acted once on the road. I cover a number of remote jobs for RVers in this article: Top Remote Jobs for RVers.
Even though it’s written for RVers, these jobs can be done anywhere, including from home.
Finding the right job boils down to three things:
What skills and interests do you have?
How much money do you need to make?
Do you know how to find and land a job?
It’s that simple. And it’s also not that simple, because as wonderful as the internet is, it can also be really overwhelming to just dive in and start searching. There is a better way– I promise to tell you later in the article.
5. Can you give me some examples of what a remote job pays?
The pay for a remote job really depends on what you do. I like to break remote jobs down into three categories:
Working for others (e.g. being employed)
Working for yourself (e.g. freelancing)
Owning a business
The pay can increase at each level. I say, can increase because it’s not a guarantee. I know plenty of people who are employed with a company and make six-figures. They may work in information technology or sales and make the same salary they’d make in a traditional job.
I also know people who get paid $15 an hour working for others performing jobs like customer service or data entry.
Freelancing can be more lucrative because you set your own prices based on the skills you possess. I know several people who earn between $10,000-30,000 a month freelancing. Often they’re freelancing for large companies who have bigger budgets. Freelancing can also offer you more flexibility because you can often set your own hours. Popular freelance jobs include: web design, social media management, creating content for others, video editing, copywriting, project management and more!
Owning a business is one of the more lucrative options. Owning your own business can be challenging– and not always profitable– especially when you are first starting. But it has the potential to be very profitable and scalable, meaning it has the chance to grow unlike working for someone else for a paycheck. I know one person who generates over $100,000 a month from her successful blog. I bet you can guess who it is. (Hint: you’re on it right now.)
6. What are the benefits of a remote job?
The benefits of a remote job will be different for everybody. Some people really value the freedom and not having a boss look over their shoulder. You don’t have to commute to work, which saves money and time. I often work in my pajamas. Now, some would argue I should change my clothes so that I am “work-ready” but I assure you I work pretty darn hard no matter what I’m wearing.
Setting your own hours is a perk, too, if you have that flexibility with your remote job. For parents, they like the ability to pick their kids up after school, or go to a mid-day game or recital. Again, different things will appeal to different people, but there is no shortage of benefits to working remotely.
One really awesome benefit of remote work is that you can work from almost anywhere. It’s great for people who want to travel and not be tied to one location.
It’s worth noting that remote workers are also hugely beneficial to employers. According to a 2017 Gallup Report:
“Remote Workers are more engaged– to a point. Engagement climbs when employees spend some time working remotely and some time working in a location with their coworkers. The optimal engagement boost occurs when employees spend 60% to 80% of their time– or three to four days in a five-day workweek– working off-site. This pattern emphasizes that remote working has the greatest returns on engagement when employees maintain some degree of balance: working remotely most of the time but still getting face time with managers and coworkers.”
7. What are the biggest challenges of having a remote job?
Much like the benefits can appeal differently to people, so too can the challenges. For example, I love the freedom of my days. I don’t have a set structure, but I work hard and am self-motivated, so I don’t need the structure. For other people, this is a big challenge. If you worked in an environment where your day was set for you, e.g. hours worked, and 15-minute and lunch-time breaks, then not having that structure can be challenging.
Additionally, while I love not having a boss breathing down my neck, some people need that level of accountability. It may also be that they miss working with a team or having face-to-face interaction with their co-workers.
I always tell people to experiment with working remotely before going all in. That way you can see what works for you. All of the challenges can be overcome though, with good habits, systems, and processes.
8. How can a person connect to the internet for a remote job?
If you are at home, just hard wire in or use your wifi. Depending on who you work for, or what kind of work you do, like network security, your employer may want you to have an additional layer of security. This is easily accomplished through what’s called a “virtual private network.”
If you travel, then your internet options can vary. Many people use their cellular providers, like Verizon or AT&T, and hotspot from their phone or device. I use both providers because one sometimes works better than the other in certain areas. I also run an online business and need access at all times.
If the signal is really hard to get, you can use a cell signal booster, such as a WeBoost. If all else fails, you can tap into public networks at coffee shops and libraries. Starbucks is a popular internet destination for remote workers.
9. How can a person find a remote job?
There are so many ways to find a remote job– too many ways actually– which is why I developed an online course and guided experience called Remote Work 101:Work, Live, and Travel Where You Want, to help people find the right remote job faster.
There are at least 40 or more platforms where you can find remote jobs. But just going to them and searching is overwhelming for a lot of people. It helps to narrow it down. For example, LinkedIn rated the top five remote job websites as:
Despite the sheer volume of sites, I always tell people that the best way to find a remote job (or any job) is word of mouth and networking. Tell people what you do, what you’re good at, and how you can help them. Ask for jobs, too. I have found the majority of my jobs by being helpful to people and asking for opportunities.
10. Can a person make their current position a remote job?
A person can often make their current job remote. In fact, in my course, I talk about how to approach that with your company or boss.
If you like the job you have or company you work for, there’s a chance they will let you work remotely. Start by taking baby steps towards this by planting seeds about working remotely. Then request to work remotely a few times a month, then increase it to a couple times a week, and so on. The goal is to prove that your work will not suffer, and instead that you are more productive and a better employee when working remotely.
For more ideas on how to approach your employer, check out this series: How to Talk to Your Employer About Working Remotely.
11. Can you list out the steps to finding and obtaining a remote job?
The steps for finding a remote job can look different depending on what path you take. My course, Remote Work 101: Work, Live and Travel Where You Want, breaks this down into specific action steps.
At a high level, a remote job search could look like this:
Step #1 – Get clear and write out exactly what kind of remote job works for you. For example, how much do you want to get paid, how many hours do you want to work, do you want to be employed by someone else or work for yourself?
Step #2 – If you have a job you currently like, explore if you can make it remote.
Step #3 – If you want to seek a new remote job, first get clear on your budget.
Step #4 – Complete a skills and interest inventory.
Step #5 – Refresh your resume specifically for a remote role. There’s a way to do this with the right keywords and phrases.
Step #6 – Start networking and telling people what kind of work you are looking for.
Step #7 – Get on Linkedin and job boards. Set up your profile to get job alerts that fit your requirements.
Step #8 – Apply to remote jobs you like.
Step #9 – Practice interviewing remotely for a remote job.
Step #10 – And finally, once you are working remotely, work hard. Be a dependable remote employee.
One thing that makes employers nervous about hiring remote workers are concerns about whether they will be productive and reliable. Are they working or surfing the internet? Prove yourself to be a valuable asset. This will help increase the value of the remote workforce and create more employment opportunities for everyone.
12. How do you avoid scams when looking for a remote job?
There are plenty of scams in the remote work world. Generally speaking, job sites like FlexJobs weed those out to increase legitimate remote jobs. That’s why they charge a fee.
On other sites, like Craigslist– which is a great place to find remote jobs that people don’t think about– there are more scams because it’s not monitored.
Follow these tips to avoid getting scammed:
Legitimate jobs should have contact information, company information, and often a website or email. If they want you to submit something to some unknown place, that’s a red flag.
Search companies on websites like Glassdoor, where former employees rate the employer.
Never give out your personal or financial information like a social security number or credit card number.
Don’t buy equipment or make a large investment up front. If an employer you barely know asks you to buy a new computer, that’s a red flag.
Do a gut check. Does it feel right? Look right? If it feels off, it’s possibly a scam. Do not proceed without doing research first.
13. Lastly, are there any other tips that you have for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Yes, I always tell people that if they want to work remotely, travel, or even change their lifestyle, they need to pick a date. It can be 6 months, 1 year, 5 years. Whatever it is, pick it, write it on a calendar and start making a plan.
There are great tools these days for planning something like that. For example, my husband and I used a good old-fashioned whiteboard and sticky notes to plan our transition to traveling and working remotely. Tools like Trello or Asana are great project management tools to help you with planning.
Lastly, just go for it! Remote work is on the rise and every day employers are adding or creating more remote opportunities. Working remotely isn’t like some mysterious unicorn that you never see. Look around, stay aware of the marketplace, and take steps toward finding the right remote work opportunities for you.
Please click here to check out Remote Work 101: Work, Live, and Travel Where You Want.
Are you interested in remote work?
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