Jordan A. Brown

When speaking to an individual who has had experience with both traditional work and remote work, flexibility is often cited as one of the main benefits of remote work. This is a perk that Jordan A. Brown, who recently made the switch from the former to the latter, feels has been a game-changer for her post Rural & Remote certification.

Brown, who completed the program in March of 2022, was tired of feeling the crunch of having to take time off work, stemming from having little flexibility. “I have a one year old son, and I was working a traditional 8-5 job in the next town over. I was missing work for doctor appointments and sickness. I was running out of PTO fast, and needed something more flexible,” she explained.

Enter the R&R program, and Brown now gets to experience that flexibility she once desired. Thanks to the program, Brown was able to develop a strong LinkedIn profile, which led to her current employment Herrmann International as the Accounts Payable Specialist.

Herrmann International is a great company for Brown to work for as it provides her the freedom to set her own schedule, which takes away a lot of the stress of missed time at work. “I can have my son home with me if I want, and I do not have to be available 8-5 M-F. I can also get things done at home, or run errands, without messing with anyone else’s work. As long as I get my work done, my company does not care when I work,” she stated.

Brown enjoyed a positive experience with the R&R program, citing the helpful support she received from program coordinator Gretchin Staples as well as the useful information she learned. Brown calls the R&R program the “best program if you have never worked remotely before” and explained that she learned about programs like Slack, Asana, and Last Pass, which she uses daily in her new remote job.

While the flexibility has been a major upside for Brown, she is also pleased to be earning a competitive salary with her new lifestyle. “I am making a big city salary while living in the middle of nowhere. I love that I still have that small town feel, but my income doesn’t suffer.”

Brown recommends being sure that a reliable Internet connection is in place before entering the world of remote work, and to be sure there is a home office set-up in place that works for the family.

“Make sure you have reliable internet and an office set up- you can have it wherever you want that works for you and your family, but definitely need something of the sort. We live outside of town, so the biggest struggle was making sure we had reliable internet. Other than that, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Brown said.

Brown also recommends setting up a plan for each day to avoid distractions and to help stay focused. “I make a schedule of the day and add in time where I can do some chores, or get groceries, or do whatever I need to do in the day,” she explained.

Additionally, she insists that you stay patient, as finding a remote work job is not all that easy. However, she says the support she received from Gretchin Staples helped her to stay positive and stay the course.

“Gretchin still reaches out to me and makes sure I have support. She has helped me since Day 1 and made sure I had all of the right tools to get a remote job that worked for me! I had lost faith after applying to what had seemed like 50 jobs, and I got zero responses from those companies. Gretchin would meet with me weekly and made sure I had my resume up to speed and that I was getting myself out there to employers.”

Brown explained that getting a remote job is just as difficult as getting a traditional job, but the flexibility on the other side is worth it. “There are usually hundreds if not thousands of people applying to the same job as you. It can be discouraging, but I always reached out to Gretchin when I was feeling discouraged. Gretchin helped me through everything with my job search and I am so thankful for her.”

Lindsay Rut

Making an income and making a difference at the same time sounded appealing to Lindsay Rut. 

Additionally, traveling and serving others are passions of Rut, and thanks to the Rural & Remote program, she is able to fulfill both those passions simultaneously.

Rut, who earned her Remote Work Certification in April of 2022, has many positive words to say about the program. “My experience with the Rural & Remote program was great! It was easy to get enrolled and the program was formatted in a very user friendly way. It was not difficult to accomplish the work required each week even with a full time job and family life. Gretchin was extremely helpful and was always so prompt answering questions that I had,” said Rut.

Furthermore, Rut felt that course content was relevant and enriching. “The training I received was targeted towards learning the language, culture and technology necessary to get started working remotely,” she explained. This knowledge and training helped Rut to quickly find employment post-certification.

Rut, who has already landed a position with Belay Contractor Solutions as a virtual assistant, is currently in the matching process with Belay. This means that Belay is busy matching her personality and skills with a client, and Rut is excitedly awaiting that first client.

Rut heard about the R&R program via word of mouth from a friend who had completed the program and was feeling very enthusiastic about her own new remote lifestyle. “I had been looking for an opportunity outside of the medical field to make some extra income to use towards traveling and needed a position that was flexible with my current schedule. I had actually recently applied to multiple places to work as a travel agent but never got a call back. After completing the program I was surprised at how fast I landed my first remote job. Not only that… part of my job will include travel planning for my clients. I love that I will be able to do this from my home.”

Feeling excited about her experience with R&R and hopeful for the future, Rut says she would highly recommend the Rural & Remote program to others. “In fact, I have been pushing friends and family towards completing it,” she said. “Remote work is the way of the future and everyone could benefit from the training you receive through the program. It is wonderful to be able to stay close to my roots in Northern Kansas but be able to serve clients from all over the country. I look forward to seeing where my training takes me in the future!”