As remote work becomes adopted by big companies and not just startups, we have to begin to consider how this will affect our careers. Even in the event that you don’t see yourself working remotely if you had the ability to choose, that doesn’t mean that you aren’t in direct competition with other remote workers.
When working in small or mid-sized teams, remote work contractors are a viable solution to solving problems and executing small projects. These remote work contractors can sometimes find themselves in the position where they can work with a team indefinitely, due to their demonstrable ability to execute on tasks and because of where they may be placed globally—their salaries may be lower than the average full-time employee.
Taking this into consideration, your position may be up for grabs if you could be replaced by 2-3 other people who represent half the cost of wage. If replacing you can be justified, you will be replaced. To stay competitive, especially in digital marketing, we have to consider the full-stack approach. Instead of remaining a specialist, or aiming to become one, perhaps it is better to focus on becoming a generalist first.
What new skills are you learning to stay ahead of the curve? What new skills are you learning to remain flexible and pivot if your services are no longer needed? These are questions we need to ask ourselves now, in preparation for more a competitive future.
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