The Remote Hive Podcast
By Darren Cronian
The Remote Hive PodcastOct 16, 2020
A Message to my Listeners
Today, I woke up and needed to record this podcast episode. If you're subscribed to my podcast on any channel, please listen. It's an important message and only 2 minutes long. I hope this episode motivates and inspires you to live your best life.
Are you Lazy or an Action Taker?
This is a very short, off-the-cuff episode of the Remote Hive podcast. As a remote work coach, I ask a few questions before spending any time working with a client, and the response determines if I work with them or not. You can tell a lot about a person by a few thought-provoking questions, and it's easy enough to see if they're an action taker or not.
What kind of remote job seeker are you?
As mentioned in this episode, I have a free quick guide available to my email subscribers. It teaches you the essential tasks before applying for a remote job, and is meant as a compliment to your application process.
All you have to do is subscribe to my free newsletter for remote job seekers, and once you confirm your email address, you'll be sent to download this and other free guides.
Stuck In Your Remote Job Search? Listen for Free Coaching
Sorry to hear you’re stuck in your remote job search. It can be frustrating when your efforts don’t yield the expected results. Do not give up, though; learning and improving each application you submit is vital.
Job hunting can be long, especially when looking for something specific, like a remote role. It’s important not to lose heart. Keep applying and learning from any feedback you receive.
Read this full guide if you are stuck in your remote job search - it goes into more detail and offers more strategies and ideas.
Remote Job Application Hacks: How to Stand Out in a Competitive Market
Remote Job Application Hacks: How to Stand Out in a Competitive Market
Standing out is crucial when applying for a remote job due to the sheer volume of applicants competing for each position. As remote work has grown in popularity, it has attracted a diverse and highly skilled workforce worldwide, making the competition even more intense. By distinguishing yourself from other candidates, you increase your chances of getting noticed by potential employers, leading to more interviews and, ultimately, better job offers.
- Check out the Ultimate Remote Job Checklist and get a 50% discount.
- Read this episode's podcast notes and learn more.
How to Decide Which Role to Focus on When Applying for a Remote Job
Throughout your career, you might have experience in two or more roles, and when applying for remote jobs in these roles, you save time by sending the same resume. You then find yourself getting frustrated because of the rejection emails or no response at all.
This is an issue I have experienced myself because my career started off working in payroll to then progressed toward more technical roles.
When I started searching for remote jobs, I used the same resume for every application, no matter what role I was applying for. Now, this is not an intelligent move. Firstly, applying for different roles adds complexity and time to the application process because you must tailor your resume to each job. I learned quickly that I needed to choose one role and focus on that for 3-6 months.
It was easy; I chose Quality Assurance because it had a mix of skills I had experienced within previous roles.
For many, though, the decision is more of a challenge.
In this episode, I talk about how to decide which role to focus on when applying for a remote job.
Check out the Remote Hive podcast show notes, as mentioned in the episode.
Why Can't I Get a Remote Job? The Struggle is Real!
In this episode, we answer why I can't get a remote job? As well as delving into the common pitfalls many applicants face. Darren shares valuable insights and personal experiences to help you easily navigate the remote job market. Learn about remote job seekers' top mistakes and get actionable tips to set yourself apart from the competition. Tune in as he demystifies remote job applications and equips you with the tools to land your dream remote position. Don't miss this essential episode to nailing the remote job application process and jumpstarting your remote career!
Ask a question, and I will answer in a future episode.
Read my remote job guides to help you succeed.
The Remote Hive Podcast is Back!
Every Monday, the Remote Hive Podcast will be entering your ears! It's been a while since my last episode, and I am excited to be back and bringing you more great content. In this episode, I'll be answering a listener's question about remote job boards. Finding remote jobs can be challenging, especially if you're unsure where to look. From my experience working with remote job seekers, most focus their time on the big job boards and LinkedIn, but there are specific sites for remote jobs and even specific roles. Within the episode, I mentioned a few resources:
Ask a question that I will answer in a future episode.
https://theremotehive.com/ask/
Unveiling the Top Remote Job Boards to Land Your Next Work-From-Home Job in 2023 and Beyond
Subscribe to my free weekly email called the Hive
https://theremotehive.com/subscribe/
My goal with this podcast is to offer experienced advice and strategies to help you land a remote job. Every Monday, I will create a new episode that will be for 10-15 minutes long. It's a solo show, but I will add interviews once a month in the near future.
Pros and Cons of Being a Digital Nomad
You must do this one task to secure a remote job
Why can’t I get a remote job?
What I Learned from 7 years of Applying for Remote Jobs
Here’s what I learned from 7 years of applying for remote jobs.
Make your Cover Letter Stand Out when Applying for Remote Jobs in 2022!
Ep.35 - How to Make Difficult Decisions
In this episode, Darren shares advice on how to make difficult decisions, based on his own experiences. Aged 38, he decided to quit his job and employer of 24 years to work remotely and travel. It was the biggest decision he has made in his life so far, and the tasks covered in the episode helped him make this decision. You can listen to more episodes at the Remote Hive podcast here.
Ep.34 - How Can I Get Over My Fear of Failure in Remote Job Interviews?
In this episode of the Remote Hive podcast, Darren shares his experiences with dealing with the fear of failure both in life and on remote job interviews. Sit down, and listen to his stories and coaching a listener who is struggling in interviews. Visualise any negative outcomes from the interview and write them down. When you read your fears down, it helps to tackle them head on.
Ep.33 - How to Keep Motivated When Working from Home
Millions of people are working from home for the very first time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to keep yourself motivated and productive while working from home. There are many distractions that will stop you from working and when you are working in isolation it can be difficult to focus on the work and instead procrastinate. Within the show notes for the Remote Hive Podcast, you will find all of the links mentioned in this show.
Ep.32 - Pros & Cons of Remote Contracting Jobs Vs Freelancing
In this episode of the Remote Hive podcast, I share the Pros & Cons of Remote Contracting Jobs Vs Freelancing. You might be surprised to learn that when I quit my job and employer of 24 years, the thought of contracting was not in my plans. Initially, I thought I would just freelance for different companies and do this while travelling. It wasn’t until a friend reached out to me about an opportunity with a US company that I discovered how common this was.
Ep.31 - 10 Questions About Remote Working Answered
In this episode of the Remote Hive Podcast, Darren answers 10 common remote working questions that are asked by coaching clients and readers. Transitioning from working in the office to remote work runs smoother when you are informed. Often the biggest challenge is knowing how to get started and these are common questions asked. Whether you are looking to continue as an employee, but work from home, or, your focus is on working with freelance clients, these questions will help you get started and become a successful remote worker.
Ep.30 - Why You Are Not Getting a Remote Job Interview
Having applied for numerous remote jobs and also coaching clients, these are the more common reasons why you are not getting a remote job. These are the mistakes that many people make. The fact is most applicants do the bear minimum to apply for a job and you need to put more effort in and stand out to increase your chances of being successful. The show notes for this episode can be found on the Remote Hive podcast page
Ep.29 - What You Need to Know About Health and Money as a Digital Nomad
In this episode, Darren shares his experiences dealing with health and money as a digital nomad. He shares what you need to know and think about before quitting your job to work remotely and travel. Darren also answers the popular question about tax and healthcare while travelling around the world. You can find links to all of the resources in the episode on the Remote Work show notes on the website.
Ep.28 - Must Do Tasks Before Starting an Online Business
Before you think about business names, creating a website, or, how you are going to make money, these are 3 must do tasks. Don’t do these tasks and your business will fail. Why? Your audience should be in the front of your mind whenever you make any decisions on your business. All of these tasks will help you get started creating your business plan and thinking about how you are going to attract an audience. In this episode of the Remote Hive Podcast, Darren shares his three must do tasks to complete before starting an online business.
Ep.27 - How to Get Remote Work: Interview
In this episode, Darren is interviewed for a virtual event on how to get remote work. The host, Lotte, asks a series of questions about his experiences when looking to land a remote job and some of the mistakes made. It's important to be creative and stand out to be successful and in the episode, some ideas on how this can be done are revealed. You can find out more about the virtual event at https://howtogetremotework.com
Ep.26 - Working from Home For the First Time - 10 Remote Work Tips Due to Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Millions of people from around the world will soon be working from home for the first time, due to the spread of Covid-19 (also known as CoronaVirus). Having worked from home and remotely for over five years, it was important for me to share some of the challenges and tasks that you might want to address. Working remotely isn’t as simple as taking a laptop home and connecting to the internet.
There’s a huge mindset change that needs to happen.
Hopefully, your employer will have a work from home policy or a process to help employees transition into remote workers. It’s also hoped that employers are flexible, trusting and embrace this style of working. In this episode of the Remote Hive podcast, you will learn my 10 tips to working from home due to Covid 19 (CoronaVirus). Links to resources in this podcast can be found at https://hivevine.com/podcast
Ep25 - 3 Productivity Hacks to Supercharge Your Workday
Ep24 - Essential Travel Safety Tips for Digital Nomads
With the Coronavirus in the news, the topic of this week's post was chosen. In the episode, I share the precautions that I'll be taking when heading to Thailand which is one of the countries impacted with the virus. I also share 7 essential travel safety tips for Digital Nomads. Travel creates memories that last a lifetime, and while these are mostly positive experiences, they can also be negative. Most of the time it is common sense but these tips need to remind people of the dangers. Show notes can be found at hivevine.com/podcast/
Ep23 - How to Find Your First Freelance Client
Ep22 - Lessons Learned from 5 Years of Working Remotely while Travelling the World
Ep21 - 4 Hacks to Find a Remote Job in 2020
In this episode, Darren shares his experiences and offers 4 hacks to find a remote job in 2020. What many people don't realise is that the competition is fierce for remote jobs and you could be up against hundreds of people across the world. It's incredibly important to stand out and be creative when it comes to applying for roles. Lots of advice to help you land a remote job. Check out the show notes at hivevine.com/21
Invest in Yourself in 2020 - Personal Development is Important
Things I Learned from Getting Sued for Libel - Episode 20
The TRUTH about Making Money Online - Episode 19
In this episode, Darren talks about the final steps in his 12-step exit strategy that resulted in him successfully quitting his 9-5 job of 24 years to work and travel the world. Talking about the type of remote work you can do while travelling, building your side hustle and networking. We also delve into the truth about making money online and how difficult it is.
The FIRST TASK YOU MUST DO Before Starting an Online Business
In this episode, I talk about the first task you must do before starting an online business. It's important that you move forward and be an action taker, rather than spending months creating a business plan and all the subsequent plans you have to create. Instead follow my solution, get to know your business, audience and move forward. This is a bonus episode with audio taken from my soon to launch YouTube channel.
4 Must Take Steps Before Quitting Your 9-to-5 Job to Work and Travel - Episode 17
Should I Quit my Job to Work and Travel Without a Plan? Episode 16
In this episode, I answer the question should I quit my job to work and travel without a Plan and delve into the initial steps of my exit strategy that was used to transition from my 9-to-5 job of 24 years to work remotely and travel. The first stage is realising if remote working is right for you and I talk through the tasks that you need to go through to help you make the decision. This lifestyle is not for everyone and you could impact your life financially and emotionally if you quit a well paid job with a good pension to live a life that you do not like. To download my FREE GUIDE, 12-Steps to Quitting Your Job to Work and Travel subscribe to the Hive, my monthly email.
Common Fears of Quitting a Job to Work and Travel - Episode 15
In this weeks episode of The Remote Hive, Darren shares some of the common fears of quitting a job to work and travel based on discussions with coaching clients. You will have to overcome a lack of confidence, self doubt and mindset issues to transition into a remote worker who travels. It's important that you have a plan and the exit strategy so that you can overcome the fears and shift your mindset into a more positive outlook.
4 Signs It's Time to Quit Your 9-to-5 Job [S1/E14]
In this bonus episode, I talk through 4 signs it's time to quit your 9-to-5 Job. It's important that you make an informed decision when quitting your job and plan the transition into a remote worker who travels. My main reason for creating this episode is that I still find it bewildering that I spent 24 years working 9-5 and not once realising that changed needed to be made to my life. If you are seeing these same signs then it's time to wake up from the slumber and start to plan your future goals and aspirations. Check out hivevine.com, a learning community to help people transition from the 9-5 to working remotely and travelling. Free advice and coaching packages available.
How to Live With a Lack of Job Security When you Quit Your 9-5 Job [S1/E13]
In this episode, I offer some ideas and tips on how to live with a lack of job security when you quit your 9-5 job. It's a fear that many face when making the decision to quit their job. It's a mindset shift and there are some tasks which will make you worry less about how insecure it can be when you are relying on clients hiring you and paying promptly, or, customers buying your products. This fear should not stop you from working towards your goal though of quitting your 9-5 job to work and travel. Let's be honest, you do not want to have to spend all of your time worrying about this otherwise you will ruin the experience and end up leaving this lifestyle behind. Today's episode is sponsored by Hivevine.com, which is a learning community to help you transition from the 9-5 job to working remotely.
Real Talk: The Struggles Running an Online Business [S1/E12]
In today's episode, it's time for some real talk, and I talk about the struggles of running an online business. Focusing more on the challenges and first impressions after what is only two months. Working 9-5 in an office for a company or, even a remote job, is much less stressful than running an online business but the potential is huge to change people's lives and also your own. Why build someone else's empire when you can build your own. As a new small business owner you have to realise that content, and networking is huge, when you have no marketing budget, and even if you do have a budget, you need to know what you are doing or you could waste thousands of pounds on non performing ads. This episode of the podcast was sponsored by Hivevine.com and a lot of new content has been added, so go check out my tips for remote working because we've started to create lots of written articles.
How I Saved £10,000 in 12 Months - Money Saving Tips [S1/E11]
Here are four money saving tips and my story of how I saved £10,000 in 12 months using these techniques. You have to make sacrifices to save money and transition from working the 9-5 to become a remote worker, either to work from home or while travelling. Not having enough money is the reason why many people continue to live life in the comfort zone and not the life that they want. SUBSCRIBE TO THE VINE - a FREE monthly email that offers exclusive content on remote working, freelancing and building an online business. Sign up today and keep a look out in your inbox.
10 Side Hustle Ideas to Make Money Online While Working Full Time [S1/E10]
In this episode, we take a look at 10 side hustle ideas to make money online. Creating a side hustle will help you save money so you can eventually quit your job to become a remote worker, or, give you the opportunity to learn a new skill that will make you more employable. What is a side hustle? Basically, it's a job you do on top of your 9-5, corporate job, in the evening, weekend or whenever you have any spare time. We go into detail what the best ideas are and why you might be able to take advantage of them.
The 3 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid when Searching for Remote Jobs [S1/E9]
In this week's episode of This Remote Life, I share what are the 3 biggest mistakes to avoid when finding remote jobs. It's important to realise that you have a global audience applying for remote jobs, compared when you apply for a local job, only people who live within the city will apply. Take time to show case your skills, network with people who can help you find a remote job and be pro-active when it comes to the search. If you would like to receive my FREE guide on how to find a remote job,, please subscribe to The Vine, a free monthly email to help people transition from the 9-5 and corporate life to becoming a remote worker. Send your questions for future episodes to hello [at] hivevine.com to get them answered.
The Importance of a Daily Routine as a Remote Worker [S1/E8]
After a week break, I am back with a new episode, and today the topic is the importance of a daily routine. Being productive and having a work-life balance is important as a remote worker so you can be productive in work but also have the time to enjoy your passions and interests in life. In the episode, I discuss about why it's important and also what experiences I've had transitioning after quitting my job and employer of 24 years to a remote worker who travels around the world. Also in the episode, I also three really important questions, so please listen to the end.
This episode is sponsored by Hivevine.com, a learning community that helps people transition to remote working.
Why Remote Working is so Hard [S1/E7]
In today's episode, we go through why remote working is so hard and take a look at the solutions to some of the issues that remote workers face. The reason for focusing on the negative aspect of remote work is so you are forewarned and can plan for these events as they are mistakes that many people make when they are starting out either as a freelancer, contractor or building their online business. Please take a moment to check out my new learning community, called Hivevine which helps people transition from the 9-5 life to becoming a remote worker.
Quitting My Job Saved My Life [S1/E6]
Five Benefits of Working From Home [S1/E5]
If you are struggling to make the decision to quit your job to become a remote worker, in today's episode I talk about five benefits of working from home. Also in this episode, I talk about the general cost of living for Hong Kong, one of the world's most expensive cities. Finally, I answer two questions from listeners which are worth listening to the end for.
How to Make the decision to Quit a Job [S1/E4]
In this episode, I take offer some tips on how to make the decision to quit a job based on my own experiences doing exactly this. It'll be one of the biggest decisions that you will make in your life and it's important that you make the right decision for you. The last thing you want to do is quit a job, become a remote worker, travel and realise that you hate it. It's not a decision that you should take lightly and it needs thought and planning.
Risks You Must Prepare For Prior to Quitting Your 9-5 Job (or Risk Losing Everything) [S1/E3]
Is Working Remotely the Right Move For You? [S1/E2]
In this episode we take a look at the traits needed to help you decide is working remotely the right move for you. Even if you are lacking in some of these traits don't worry, because you can change. Prior to working remotely, I hated routine and would fight against it wherever possible, but after a few weeks of travelling it became apparent that having routine was going to be the solution for the perfect work-life balance.
Remote Working: My Journey So Far.. [S1/E1]
In this episode, of This Remote Life, I tell the story of my journey so far - transitioning from the 9-5 Office Life to remote working while travelling. I felt it was important to share where I have come from and how the last 4 years have progressed. It's important to me that these episodes are thought provoking and offer actionable tasks that you can implement into your life.