Last Winter, I spend my mornings pressed into a sweaty subway car, my thick winter coat I put on the brave the snowy, wind-swept streets, instead of a protector from the cold, becomes a warm prison.

When I left the subway, damp with a layer of sweat that would soon cause me to shiver, I still had a twenty-minute walk to the office. By 9am I had spent the best part of an hour commuting to work.

That was an hour of lost time. I wasn’t earning. It was time that slipped through my fingers and ended up in a sweaty puddle on the floor.

This year, however, my mornings are different. I work remotely. My front room is my office. I can wake up at 8.30, eat, shower, and get to work, all in the warmth and comfort of my home. My cat is my co-worker and at 5pm, I close my laptop and I can relax instantaneously.

Here are four tips for finding suitable work from home opportunities so you can transform your workday too.

Talk to Your Employer

Before you decide to quit your job and begin the search for remote work opportunities, talk to your employer. Often, rather than let a good employee leave, they may be willing to let you work from home for part or all of the week.

Speak to your employer to see if they are open to negotiation. Let them know that this is something that is important to you and if you can’t you will be forced to look for work elsewhere.

Start Your Search Locally

Companies are often more willing to hire someone to work remotely if they know that they can physically meet them face to face if absolutely necessary. This means you will likely have the most success in your local market.

Use a job listing site specifically dedicated to remote work and filter the search options by location. This should show you the companies in your area who are actively seeking remote workers. This would be a good place to begin the search.

Update Your Resume

The resume that landed you your office-based job may not be the best one to land you a remote working opportunity. One of the first steps should be to revamp your resume with your most recent positions and skills.

You can find free resume templates here: https://www.hloom.com/resumes/

If you feel like your resume is looking a little sparse, taking an online course in your professional field while you are looking for remote opportunities could be a way of staying productive and enhancing your resume while you look for work.

Be Flexible

The key to earning a living from remote work is being flexible. It may mean taking a couple of different part-time remote jobs to make ends meet or working freelance for a while before you find a full-time contract.

It takes time to find the right position for you. Not everybody lands their dream remote job immediately but with enough patience and determination, it is possible to do. Take the time to do your research and find the best opportunities, then send in a strong and thorough application and keep your fingers crossed!