S2 Ep 3. Is Remote Work Over? Tips for Teachers Transitioning to UX in a Hybrid World

Is the era of remote work really over? Are we officially seeing the end of remote work? Is all hope lost for transitioning teachers who want to work from home? Tune in as we unpack the latest buzz around major companies like Amazon, Boeing, UPS, and Disney, calling their employees back to the office. We’ll explore whether remote corporate roles, especially in UX, are still a viable option for teachers making a career transition. You’ll gain a clear understanding of how hybrid work models are shaping the new landscape and which industries continue to embrace remote work.

*Listen to Episode 19: The Pros and Cons of Remote Work here.

Resources:

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Transcript

Coach Zee: 0:00

Hello teacher friends. Coach Z here. If you're new, welcome to the show, and if you're one of my faithful listeners, welcome back. We've been learning so much this season with our first two interviews of former teachers who are thriving in UX roles, so I hope you're soaking it all in. So, before I hit you with another interview, I wanted to pop in and talk about something that has been buzzing in the news and on social media for the past few weeks.

Coach Zee: 0:26

Have you been following all the headlines about companies calling people back into the office? Folks are really wondering if the remote work era is coming to an end. Well, if you haven't heard, some of the high-profile companies like Amazon, Boeing, UPS and Disney have actually called their employees back to office, either full-time, five days a week or hybrid. Amazon actually called their employees back five days a week. All of this sparking a debate about the end of remote work. Folks are saying, hey, the big companies are doing it, so the other companies are going to follow suit. So the question for today is is remote work over? Is it still worth it for teachers to explore remote corporate opportunities in this current climate? And if so, what do they keep in mind? Let's get into it.

Narrator: 1:18

Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the ultimate destination for educators who aspire to break into the field of user experience and product design. Your host, z Arnold, a 15 year teacher turned UX researcher, is here to guide, coach and mentor you through every twist and turn as you make your career transition into tech. If you're ready for a more satisfying career and lifestyle and you want the balance to unleash your creativity, this podcast is for you. Now for the show.

Coach Zee: 2:02

So, as you know, remote work basically exploded during the pandemic and a lot of us got a taste of the flexibility that it offers, including myself. So we had no choice but to shift our classrooms to virtual learning and right after COVID we saw a lot of teachers actually pivot into remote roles, especially in ed tech, to kind of assist with teaching teachers how to use technology and doing so many different remote roles. But now, post-pandemic, we're seeing companies start to call folks back into the office little by little and some transitioning teachers who are looking for remote work, partly to gain a better work-life balance, are getting worried. So here's the deal Remote work isn't necessarily coming to an end, but we are absolutely seeing a shift in how companies are approaching it. First of all, hybrid models are becoming more common. Some companies are pushing for full-time office work, but a lot of companies are switching to hybrid models where employees work some days in the office and some days remotely, so maybe two or three days in the office and the rest of the time at home. Now remote work is still a thing, but you have to look at specific industries and companies that maybe don't have a local office space. In industries like tech, design, marketing and customer service. Remote work is still very popular, ux included. A lot of smaller companies, startups and freelance-based industries continue to welcome full-time remote work because it enhances their talent pool and also saves them money on overhead and things like that. Also, depending on where in the world you're working, the trends are different. Remote work is thriving more in countries and areas with strong digital infrastructure, like the US, canada and parts of the world. They're still seeing a steady demand for remote jobs, and I wanted to say that because I know I have listeners who are all over the world, including Africa, south America and Asia, so there's definitely still remote work out there.

Coach Zee: 3:59

Now that we got that out of the way, I wanted to give you three tips for communicating with employers as you continue on your job search, and this is for those who are looking for remote roles or hybrid roles. So the first tip is to be honest from the start. If the job posting doesn't specify whether the job is remote or hybrid, don't wait until the final stages of the interview to find out about this. During your first conversation or interview, ask if they're open to remote or hybrid work so you can say something like I've noticed that a lot of roles in UX are shifting toward remote work. I'd love to hear about your team's approach to flexible working options. Remember that employee preferences matter, but you need to speak up to make your preferences heard. A lot of workers are actually saying, no, I don't want to return to the office full-time because remote work is flexible and it works for my life right now, and companies are under pressure to kind of accommodate these preferences to retain great talent. So companies don't want to lose top talent if they can compromise on working conditions. So if your resume shows that you're a great fit for the role, put all your cards on the table and negotiate for the flexibility that you want and deserve.

Coach Zee: 5:14

Tip number two is to emphasize how flexible you are. Even if you prefer 100% remote work, it's a good idea to show employers that you can adapt if needed, just like you can adapt in teaching. You can express whether you're willing to come into the office for quarterly meetings or workshops. Employers might have concerns about remote workers missing out on collaboration or company culture, so it's important for you to address those concerns. So if you are willing to work in the office occasionally but do prefer remote work, you can offer to do a trial period, and this shows that you're flexible while still allowing both you and your employer to see how the arrangement could work long term.

Coach Zee: 5:53

The last tip is to highlight how remote work will make you more productive. So we all know that you can work better when you're in your own comfortable space with your own setup, and you can focus better and you can set yourself up to have less distractions. So you can highlight how working remotely gives you more flexibility to focus on deep work, which is critical in UX research or design. Or you can mention how the remote nature of the job will allow you to participate in the industry events and keep learning and growing, which will ultimately benefit the company right, because if they're not having to send you to events in person and you can attend virtual events, that's even better for them. So you could say something like remote work allows me to maximize focus during critical project phases, but I'm also open to coming in for key milestones. I believe this balance helps me contribute most effectively to the team. So make sure you emphasize how you're just as productive when working remotely as you are when in person. You can also mention specific tools that you're comfortable with, like Figma, mural and Slack that make remote collaboration easier, and also talk about how you've used remote tools like Zoom while communicating with colleagues during remote teaching. If that applies, by the way, this should be in the technical proficiencies section of your resume.

Coach Zee: 7:10

So, to wrap this all up, can teachers still transition into remote roles? Absolutely. You just need to target the right companies, check remote job boards and communicate clearly with employers about your flexibility. So my message for you today is don't let the return to office headlines scare you. Check remote job boards and communicate clearly with employers about your flexibility. So my message for you today is don't let the return to office headlines scare you. Instead, make yourself more flexible so you can be prepared for anything.

Coach Zee: 7:32

Remote work is not disappearing, but it is evolving. Some companies have decided to go fully in-person, some are staying fully remote and others are opting for hybrid models. Flexibility, which is one of your transferable skills as a teacher, is still a huge priority for many companies. So keep applying and don't give up on your remote job search. Also, you can still find balance, even if it's in a hybrid role. By the way, if you haven't listened to episode 19, where I talked about the pros and cons of remote work, make sure you check that one out as well. If you need a career mentor or any help with your search for your new role, please reach out to us on socials or on the website. Take care.

Narrator: 8:18

Hey, thanks so much for tuning in. If you like this podcast, hit, follow and scroll down to leave a five-star rating. Then share it with a friend. If you're looking for resources to help you on your tech transition journey, head over to uxteacherprepcom. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram at uxteacherprep for daily tips and motivation. Have a topic you'd like to hear addressed on the show? Send us a DM on Instagram. If you're listening on YouTube, like, subscribe and share. Until next time, be well.