Guidance on Remote Work/Virtual Assistant Opportunities

I’ve spent all my money!

Ok, not ALL of it, but —over $100,000 US—on acquiring property, a small tractor, a 4x4 with a trailer, and basic tools to get started. Now it’s time to design and build infrastructure, and create a more complex food-producing ecosystem. To make this work more quickly, I could use more funding.

Although I live in Poland, my primary language is English, so I’ve recently started exploring remote work opportunities. My interest was sparked by the Virtual Assistant opening here on Permies:

permies.com/p/2026371

…which I applied for enthusiastically but didn’t receive a response. I think I understand why, though. I don’t yet have the experience or reputation to be seriously considered—at least, that’s my assumption.

While I’m capable of doing many things decently, I don’t yet excel at any one thing. Computer type work is far from one of my strong points, but I am willing to go through necessary certifications, trainings, and repetitions in order to get up to par. My strongest skills thus far have been more hands-on, physical labor—though that’s sometimes not related to permaculture, or doesn’t offer a substantial return for the effort, especially locally.

For example, for the past few months I’ve been working one day a week at an “organic” farm. After eight hours of work, which takes about 10 hours total (including travel time), I earn 200 Polish zl, or the equivalent of about $50 US. I was making more than that per hour when I lived in Hawaii! I mainly took the job because the farm provides most of our food, which i get a discount on, while I work on developing our own yields with more of a focus on polyculture, low mechanization, and reducing plastic dependency.

I know I can do better than $5 per hour, and I’d much rather be doing something aligned more closely with permaculture, ideally with a team focused on positive “building-a-better-world” type change—something like GAMCOD or another impactful initiative, even if it doesn't end up being with permies.

That leads me to this post: I’m seeking guidance from this community on how to build the skills needed for remote work. I’d love to find and acquire skills that could not only provide income, but also help build a business, or even contribute to the Permies team one day if that opportunities opens up. To become a more valuable asset to any team or organization.

What skills are in high demand and could be valuable in a remote work context, such as with permies?

At the moment i’m particularly attracted towards building skills in project management, sales, content creation, social media management, storytelling, instructional design, gamifying knowledge, SEO, and AI specialization—skills that seem future-proof and foundational for computer-based ventures. From what I have gathered so far there seem to be a lot of these types of opportunities available worldwide, and some organizations even offer training, or require only basic certifications to get started, and they pay a hell of a lot better than $5/hr!

Where can somebody look to find these reputable "Remote Work" and "Virtual Assistant" type opportunities, while aligning with these skill building interests?

What are some other foundational skills worth looking into that I am not mentioning here?

If any of you have potential opportunities or positions available I would be happy to open a discussion in private messages, and see how we might be able to help each other.  

Thanks in advance for your guidance and support!

What is the big question: Do You want to spend your time on the computer/phone or do you want to garden?

Here are two websites with remote jobs:

https://www.flexjobs.com/remote-jobs/t1

https://remote.co

Although they are not all "build-a-better-world" type jobs, they could still assist in your goals to increase remote working skills and experience while adding capital for your project there.

In my view, the best way to become more hirable as a remote candidate is to simply get started. I started as an Executive Assistant. I paid close attention to details, was always early and dependable, triple checked my work for errors, maintained a pleasant remote work team disposition, and advanced through a series of raises to a meaningful position.

There are more people applying for remote jobs these days, so I'd recommend applying to as many positions as your time and energy will allow.

Life has a way of aligning us with the right opportunities to assist our growth (...even if this is only a platitude we tell ourselves to make sense of things).    

Congrats on the property!

Anne Miller wrote:What is the big question: Do You want to spend your time on the computer/phone or do you want to garden?

Oh gosh, I would much rather spend time in the garden!  Absolutely.  This is what brings quality of life, joy, good health…holistic nourishment  Computer work is just painful for me, and I could give you dozens of reasons why I really dislike it.  

At the same time this isn’t all about me.  It is about something bigger, and I am willing to put myself through some pain and discomfort in order to be able to leverage greater developments more quickly. It is about the bigger picture.  

Plus, more income means more ability to support other permie people, and projects, using the all mighty coin.

Melissa James wrote:Here are two websites with remote jobs:

https://www.flexjobs.com/remote-jobs/t1

https://remote.co

Although they are not all "build-a-better-world" type jobs, they could still assist in your goals to increase remote working skills and experience while adding capital for your project there.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your advice, Melissa!  

I’ve looked at the sites, and it appears that there are fees associated with gaining access towards the opportunities.  Ill be researching this more, and if it feels right ill bite the bullet and move towards what resonates.

It is encouraging to see that you have personal experience and have successfully gone through the process yourself.

I do feel that i have the right attitude, and even if Im slower at learning than some people, I know I can at least get the right foundations in place, one brick at a time, towards the bigger vision.

There is a channel that I have found helpful, which gets into the details of remote work opportunities and realistic requirements.  It appears that getting a few certificates can really help land the entry level positions to help get started. Maybe this will help guide other who are on a similar journey as well.  






Some of these are great certifications for those looking to develop their own business ventures as well.  

Any larger scale collaborative permaculture projects would probably be enhanced by having people involved investing in themselves in this way.  

Collectively I think we need more permaculture opportunities.  Maybe my place will eventually be to create more of them by helping to support local regenerative initiatives through funneling in more coin, even if it means working for somebody else, rather than with them.  

Of course the preference is to feel like we are working with others, rather than for them.  

Navigating the path is the challenge for now.  Thanks for helping to offer some clues on the possible directions to commit to, and ….get started.  

Hi everyone, I am new here. I can share my present experience and thoughts, maybe something will be useful to you. I live in the USA. I would like to be able to work from home, and make at least what I make now. There is an initiative FastForward that funds 2/3 of your training if you live, and plan to stay in this state. I am thinking about training as a Medical Coder and Biller. The concern is that some people say, it is hard to find a job without experience but I`m pretty sure, if we are persiatent, something will eventually come up. Learning anatomy and medical terminology would help me to later take a training as a medical interpreter (English/Russian) as a side extra income.
I used to work as a translator. Maybe you could also work on your Polish? There probably could be opportunities for phone interpreting, medical or court interpreting, if you`re interested. Tutoring, language teaching. I know that I can do many things but I need things to fit and be comfortable for me mentally, and emotionally.
Maybe you could grow microgreens and sell them.
Good luck!

arthur, it could be difficult to get, but you could try to get others to help, so you don't need (as much) money. you could use permies, WWOOF, workaway, etc. to recruit people who may like to help you in that. easier when/if we work together, right

"Life has a way of aligning us with the right opportunities to assist our growth (...even if this is only a platitude we tell ourselves to make sense of things)." - Melissa James, from THIS thread

Going-To-Seed is hiring for remote work!!!  

Its only 5 hours/week, but what an amazing opportunity to work with a permies compatible community.  

Ive put in my resume and cover letter, even though I don't technically have all the experience.  Its worth a try, isn't it?

Here is the link for anybody interested: https://goingtoseed.org/pages/were-hiring

Im also looking for meaningful remote work, and for folx to join me in this food forest and help make it more sustainable and profitable, so seeing this thread and the responses has been uplifting to read.
Thank You for the links and inspiration!

After I posted this, I see that sustainable means barely not dead as I hover my pointer over the word, so I'll clarify that I want this place to become a space for multiple people to survive and thrive, to whatever extent thats possible with whats happening in the world