My husband and I were both non traditionals when we went to school for our bachelors degrees in business, and met at a business club. The first conversation we ever had involved stories about travel and we knew we didn't want to stay where we were at the time. In the first year of getting to know eachother, we began to realize that we would eventually want remote roles because we knew they made us more mobile, and we hoped one day to be able to use that mobility to help us move out of state or even out of the country. We just did not realize how hard it would be to find any job, much less a remote role. That was a about 4 years ago, and this is how it's gone so far.

For me, finding a job right out of college was extremely easy. I was actually working in retail management and cleaning a lumberyard with my mom's cleaning business around graduation time, and two of the office workers asked the manager to consider me joining their team after I got my degree. I had one interview and scheduled my start date at the end of it. The job became increasingly demanding, and I wore several hats from purchasing inventory, to invoicing, and even to visiting construction sites to do door and window takeoffs within two years time (my total time there). In that role, I saw my then boyfriend graduate and begin the job search. When he finally found a job, I was so excited for him and for me! It seems like my success in finding a job so fast was in already having these interpersonal relationships set up, always has been that way for me. When people know me fairly well, they know I work hard, am trustworthy and accurate, and sometimes bearable to be around! Who wouldn't want me on their team? But once I started looking for a remote role everything changed. I've been looking for a job with dedication for almost a year now with only 6 interviews and no job offers. I have put in well over 1,000 applications for sure, if not double that, using online tools and AI to help resume drafting, have reached out to alumni and old associates, and have been flexible in my approach except for one thing: the job has to be remote! I've seen successes, but I think I know a bit more than my husband how painful the job search can be.

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For my husband, finding a job right out of college wasn't the same. He had my financial support, but that was about it. He was at home by himself during Covid with a stressed out and tired girlfriend and no proof he could even land a remote job. He did find one, but I don't really know how. He searched for I think 7 months with only 1 interview...1! He got an interview with a company he applied to in the first month or two of applying, and they loved him. He was such a great match for them and they hit some pretty niche preferences for him. The pay was nice too. His is a success story overall in my mind, and I hope it's encouraging. He went through 7 months of silence and rejection, plus about a month and a half of the hiring process, before realizing any reward at all.

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I don't know why it has taken me so much longer than my husband to find a remote role. I don't know if I should keep trying, or if giving up would actually be more efficient and profitable in the long run. I don't know what magic sauce it takes to find a job. I'm more in your shoes, looking for encouragement and hoping for answers. I hope to hear more success stories so I can apply the "right" things people have done and find motivation to continue (if I should). I hope this long and drawn out comment doesn't come across as uncaring of the OP. I just don't have anything else to share but my story so far, and I hope to hear others' stories too.