Remote work is truly the future of work. In fact, more future of work visionaries are even taking it a step further to focus on flexible work arrangements, where individuals not only get to work from anywhere, but also determine their working hours, and engage in nonlinear days among others.

Now all this is well and good, but for Ghanaian, West African or African no-code techies like me, the focus has to still be on some fundamentals. That is, getting into the remote workspace in the first place. In this month’s newsletter, I want us to explore some truth bombs about the world of remote working. And some tips to navigate these waters.

Truth bomb 1: The job search is harder when you are a no-code techie

For every job board for a tech company that you see, it is highly likely that there will be a higher percentage of engineering roles to non-technical roles. Especially for companies who are either in series A, B or C stages. This usually is a function of needing that manpower to be able to meet product promises that have been made to investors.

Whatever the reason is though, it remains true that as non-coders, we need to be more prolific in our job search because we are going to have to sort through a lot to get what we want. Coming into the world of tech after my post-grad studies, it took me 4+ months of full-time job search to land a remote product marketing role.

Truth bomb 2: Not all REMOTE is created equally

This second truth bomb is very related to the previous one in many ways. There is no mistaking the fact that remote work and working in the technology industry favors technical/coding professionals such as engineers.

A while ago my good friend Joel made a remark on Twitter about how some employers need to be honest enough to specify on job ads that when they say EMEA remote, they mean the first E (Europe) only. This is sadly the truth of our experiences and one more blocker to our access to opportunity as no-code techies.

There are numerous roles in the tech universe for marketing, sales, customer success, legal experts, project avengers, etc. However, one of the most heartbreaking things is realizing you fit the job description and then reading “remote US only”. Sometimes it’s not even written, and you apply or start engaging the organization, only to be told we are not considering international applicants.

Truth bomb 3: The learning curve

Let’s face it, tech roles are only recently getting opened to regions outside the typical hubs (US, Europe, and parts of Asia). This means that before breaking into tech, most no-coders start their career in traditional workplaces and even public service.

I started my career in a commercial role with Colgate Palmolive. This made me lucky because being a multinational, that meant I was well-versed in some of the tools that the tech industry uses. But this is not the norm everywhere. And so for many of us, there will be a learning curve. We have to learn to use Slack, Discord, Google Workspace, Asana, Jira, Monday.com, Linear, Fellow, Kona, etc.

There is also the learning curve for the actual job skills if you are making a transition into a new role. And then there is the learning and unlearning of workplace culture. In most remote workplaces, a culture of documentation and transparency is upheld, as well as a culture of open feedback and various other cultural tenets. There is also the fact that remote global organisations are made up of multiple countries and hence cultures and beliefs.

Navigating the remote work world as an African No-code Techie

Everything we want usually lies on the other side of some challenge or the other. In the remote work world, this may be some or all the challenges I have discussed above. So let’s talk about how to navigate these spaces, shall we?

Tip 1: Remote job boards

April Dunford is a reputable Product marketer whom I really admire. When asked what was the best way to break into product marketing by Jennifer Chin, another PMM I admire, she said “by getting the job”. This is true in many ways, and the best way for our remote work dreams to come through is to get the job. But how do we find the job? Your best bet is remote job boards. I recently compiled some remote job boards on my Twitter — and we routinely update this database!

Tip 2: Professional communities and Networks

When I was breaking into Product marketing, I joined the Product Marketing Alliance community on Slack, where I met senior PMMs who gave me a chance to learn from them and helped me with search and even applications. Such communities exist for many other roles — find the one for the specific field you want to break into and start learning and building networks. Also, these communities usually have a job board that can be an extra help in your search.

Finally, use LinkedIn and social media. Follow people in the field you are trying to enter, learn and engage in material relevant (such as this newsletter) to the roles or industry, and make connections. You never know where the opportunity of a lifetime might come from.

Tip 3: Start learning the tech stack on your own

Most jobs put their tools in the job description either as a must-have or a nice-to-have. It usually includes Google Workspace, some task management tools like Asana, an async text tool like Slack, an async video tool like Loom, and a documentation tool like Notion. The best part is, these tools all have free versions that you can start using on your own while applying. This way, you can put them on your CV and your employer can be more confident in hiring you.

Remote work provides previously inaccessible opportunities to no-code techies all over the world — especially Africa. I hope you have been educated about the challenges that come with it and you can utilize the tips here to win!

I’m rooting for you.

This article was originally published in my monthly newsletter on LinkedIn for NoCode Techies. I write about remote work, product marketing and excelling as a no-code tech professional.