
Ask HN: How do you move up in professional status as a remote worker? - ccajas
How do you move into senior positions, and then lead positions as a remote developer? Is it even possible? As a remote software engineer I have low visibility and do not work with a team of on-site developers so I feel stuck in a holding pattern. Not to mention half the time my roles are temp roles. How do I cement myself as a bigger team player while staying remote, and gradually take on more leadership?
======
rinchik
You change jobs. That's it. Even though you might think it's a simple
approach, no, it's not. It takes guts. And on the positive side, you also get
a chance to show off, demonstrate your true abilities.

It's a gig economy. Mobility is one of the features. You can spend your life
proving your "worthiness" at one company when other will see it right away.

------
renegadesensei
It's very difficult unless the entire company is remote. It's a very simple
human bias. We feel greater connection and trust with people physically
present, which naturally makes remote workers less likely to seem like a good
choice for a promotion or leadership role. If it's something you really want
you need to explicitly start working for it. Talk to management, explain your
career goals, determine what it is they are looking for in a higher level
position, and then become it. Make it obvious that you can do that job and
keep revisiting the issue.

Even if you do this you may find that they still just prefer promote someone
on site. It happened to me after 2 years with a small startup. It wasn't
personal; they just preferred someone who could be there for social outings,
in-person standups with other managers, and other obligations at the office.
You have to be ready for that outcome and plan your career accordingly.

------
k__
I work for remote for 4 years now, one in employment and three as a
freelancer.

I have the feeling most of business stuff is gut feeling and story telling.

People aren't interested in what you can do for them, but in what they think
you can do for them.

The will gladly promote someone over you just because they sit in the same
office or at the same floor as them. Often it's enough that they both believe
in the next hype or both play tennis.

What I have learned in the last years, is, you need to create visibility. Put
yourself out there. Create articles, podcasts, videos, whatever. The more
people get a feeling for "you" in it, the better.

When I didn't write articles, people would simply ignore me, mostly because
they didn't know I existed.

When I started blogging, people one day contacted me for collaboration, but
only like 5 or so.

When I did a podcast, people suddendly took me as a human being they could
potentially like. I didn't tell them new stuff, I wrote about it for years, so
I don't think they considered my skills. A voice simply made me more
approachable. Suddenly more important people wanted to contact me.

What I want to say is, put yourself out there, try to make youself seen as
someone skillful others can relate to. It certainly helped me.

~~~
ScottFree
> When I did a podcast

Have you tried video? I wonder if being able to see as well as hear you makes
a difference.

~~~
k__
Yes, and it works even better.

Disclaimer: I'm a white dude in my mid thirties, so I'm obviously biased.

------
ravinizme
As a person leading a remote first company.

I believe that it is first depends on the company and leadership culture.

If they look at you as an "outside" help, they will less trust you with
important roles and responsibilities.

I have two suggestions:

1\. From my experience even a week on site can make a huge difference. Is it a
possibility for you to reach to the office?

2\. Try to understand more about the bigger picture /context and do the extra
step of bringing areas you feel strong vs other team members. It will show the
leadership that you are able to lead.

~~~
ccajas
Hi, I work for a small-medium business and while the whole business isn't
remote first, but the particular project I'm on is. Should I plan my Skype
meetings more carefully, and rehearse some important things to say? Right now
I'm a contractor and the first step that I want to achieve is becoming a full-
time worker. They only have me on for 100 hours or so, no retainer. I'm still
at the first third of those 100 hours.

~~~
ravinizme
I understand. IMHO, it's a different situation than a remote worker that want
to lead and take more responsibilities.

It is more similar to an hourly worker that want to move to a full time role.

I think you should do two things:

1\. Share with your direct contact that you see your future in the company and
want to have a full time remote position with the company. Being
clear/communicative is very important.

2\. Give them more value in the first 100 hours than they paid for. It will
show a higher margin on value for cost for you. Something that will be harder
to check later on when you're a full time employee. Try to understand what did
they want to gain from the bank of 100 hours, and over achieve it.

------
willvarfar
Work on something alone, and become the subject matter expert. Then petition
for a helper, and build a team that did not previously exist.

If you don’t get assigned to an area where you can do this, look around and
spot the subject you are going to master and the team you are going to build
and petition a manager to get you to solve that new problem for the company.

(15 years in the last 20 remote)

------
anon_lead_dev
Fully remote worker (from another country) on a leadership position here.

Hard work and exceptional availability and communication skills. I was the guy
who would work weekends, be the first the show up online etc. Never
procrastinate. Keep track of other people's work and make your efforts in
moving things forward crystal clear to your boss. Deliver.

People are not going to bet on a remote worker for displaying exceptional
commitment or leadership skills. You have to actively display them yourself,
but not in a pushy manner. Just be the absolute most useful and reliable
person you can be. Soon enough you'll have enough responsibilities and
involvement in projects that a leadership role will emerge naturally.

~~~
thih9
> I was the guy who would work weekends

Even in this context this doesn’t seem a good idea; it might as well lead to
burnout or similar.

~~~
PopeDotNinja
Another way to look at that you can choose to work weekends until you don't
have to. I've certainly done that in the past. I don't know if I recommend it,
as even if you don't burn out, it's not much of a life unless you love the
work.

~~~
anon_lead_dev
Yeah, I didn't say work _hard_ on weekends, but rather, work smarter, take 2-3
hours to review things, advance things etc. Of course if you're the guy who
can "save the demo" by working 18h straight on a weekend it helps too.

And of course, never work for free. Even those extra weekend hours, make sure
you get paid for them. This is a huge part on getting and maintaining respect
from your employer.

------
gremlinsinc
This is my game plan. I freelance my rates have been edging up.. started at
$30/hr now at $50. Hoping to get them to $90 by next year.

I'm in the same boat sort my game plan is:

1\. Schedule bots to post on reddit in all the forhire subreddits w/
alternating message templates. This gets me new leads and sometimes people
find me from stuff I posted a few months ago.

2\. Write 2-3 blog posts per week on medium, w/ a blurb about who I am and how
to hire me. These should be VERY technical and thorough. Some of these posts
have made me a could hundred $$ just from media partner program so it's
definitely not wasted time.

3\. Write a book. This is something I'm wanting to do when I get the time,
haven't yet. Something targeting your target market (for me that's just SaaS
entrepreneurs, so I might do a book on building and scaling a SaaS business
eventually.)

4\. Keep your resume and public github active and maintained. The better your
online presence the more likely you are to get hired.

5\. Eventually word of mouth should be your #1 source of new gigs if
freelancing, so build the warm market as you can.

I also feel stuck quite often, and I don't always meet my goals for self-
marketing. But I have seen things grow a bit, and am hoping it continues. I
think the key is just consistency.

Some other things be sure to post to all the HN who's hiring/looking-for-
work/freelancer-seeking-freelancer.

If you want a remote gig there are plenty out there, and if you can land one
with a big company like gitlab then name recognition could lift you up.

Also places like toptal can get you decent pay but I'm reluctant to go through
their lengthy on-boarding so haven't tested them myself.

------
sys_64738
You can't. A remote software developer in a primarily geo located site is
doomed to fail. Source: personal experience.

~~~
zaat
With all due respect, the fact that you have doesn't remotly imply that any
remote developer is doomed to fail.

------
alexellisuk
If you have enough experience, try to change teams or companies and apply for
a more senior role. Try bringing this concern up in your next 1:1, see what
your manage thinks about it - he or she is probably well positioned to give
you a game-plan.

------
rb808
You might get some answers here but for your company the main way is to talk
to the boss who makes the decisions about who does what and ask them for the
job, or if not what you have to do to achieve that. I'd think spending some
face-time in the office to know the team would be a requirement.

------
sedeki
Definitiely much harder as a remote worker. Perhaps try a remote-first firm
instead?

------
CameronBarre
You have to take accountability for your own path. Choose to evolve your role,
and if there is resistance, find someone to work with who you're more
compatible with.

------
dyeje
Work for a remote first company, make your desire for leadership opportunities
known during the interview process, and follow up on that goal in 1 on 1s.

------
dlphn___xyz
its impossible - remote workers are seen as outside contractors. you're hired
to do a specific job/ task not run the business

------
sharma_pradeep
By writing and speaking

