I've been working remote since before it was cool, 10+ years now. Landing a full-time remote job has always been hard, but if you can keep a steady pipeline of small-to-mid gigs going, you can still earn well while working fewer hours.
Not gonna sugarcoat it though: the market is rough. A year and a half ago I'd see roughly 1 response per 35-50 applications. Now, from what I'm seeing, it's more like 1 in 150. So yeah, roughly 3x harder. Is sustainable remote income still possible in this market? My answer is yes. Response rates dropped, but they didn't hit zero. Here's what I actually use:
1) Email your resume directly to recruiters in your field
Someone shared a similar method here 2 years ago and it still works: The only problem is that list is outdated. I built my own updated tech recruiter list about 10 months ago, so here you go:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p10y44QMgs39CZmPZ9z0AzwMYarqJR2tjVPoppRg_9g/edit?usp=sharing
- If you're in the US with work authorization, use the US tab
- If you're outside the US, use the International tab (companies that hire globally)
Heads up: it's tech recruiters only. If you're in a different field, build your own list. The post above explains how. Takes 2-3 days of grunt work, pays off for months.
Manage your expectations: this is not a fast method. The whole point is getting your resume in front of a ton of recruiters and talent networks so you're visible long-term. You send once, and responses trickle in over time. I average 2-3 interviews every 6-8 months from this list, without actively applying to anything.
2) Automated mass applications
On top of the list, I used an resume distribution tool (paid) to send out 300+ applications. One thing I'd recommend to everyone: I set up a separate email just for this, so I know exactly which channel each response comes from. Otherwise you'll never know what's actually working. This channel got me 2-4 interviews per 6-8 months.
If you're going to pay for a resume tool anyway, it makes sense to get one that also auto-applies: you drop in a job URL and it tailors your resume to the posting, writes the cover letter, and adds it to a job tracker. I'm not actively applying these days so I don't use it anymore, but if you're in the trenches right now, it does the job.
3) Fiverr / Upwork
Had accounts on both for years. It's not what it used to be and rates have dropped, I won't pretend otherwise. But as long as I stay active, I land at least 1 small project every ~6 months.
Concrete example: I picked up a basic QA testing gig at $50/hr. Did 3 jobs like that with the same client, and eventually they offered me a monthly contract off-platform. Ended up working 4 months at $700-800/month for about 1-2 hours a day (wrapped up last month).
I'm a software engineer, but I take QA gigs too. In this market I don't think I have the luxury of being picky, so I take whatever I can do well.
Bonus: everyone you work with over the years becomes part of your network. I've had clients from years ago come back with new projects out of nowhere. Don't sleep on small gigs.
4) Job boards
I don't use it much since I'm not actively applying, but if you're browsing listings, check out secretremote.com. It scans thousands of company career pages and pulls in real remote jobs, filtering out the spam, duplicates, and ghost listings. Free, no signup, and honestly cleaner results than most paid boards.
TL;DR: Market's ~3x harder but the game isn't over. (1) Drop your resume with an updated recruiter list (shared mine above), (2) automate mass applications from a separate email so you can track what works, (3) don't sleep on small Fiverr/Upwork gigs, they turn into long-term clients, (4) secretremote.com for listings. No affiliation with anything I mentioned, most of it's free anyway.