10 Top Telecommuting Jobs to Live Abroad十大跨国远程办公职位

文/克里斯蒂娜·库奇 译/郭晶晶 贺莺

By Christina Couch

10 Top Telecommuting Jobs to Live Abroad十大跨国远程办公职位

文/克里斯蒂娜·库奇 译/郭晶晶 贺莺

ByChristina Couch

Telecommuting jobs abroad

As technology makes it increasingly easy to punch the clock1punch the clock打卡。in a virtual office, employees once tied to a desk may now have the ability to work from home or even abroad. In fact, studies from Global Workplace Analytics, a research and consultancy firm headquartered in Carlsbad2卡尔斯巴德市位于加利福尼亚州，是全美收入最高的地方之一。, Calif., show that approximately 3 million U.S. workers that aren’t selfemployed work from home full time while an estimated 52 million workers have telecommute-compatible jobs. For those who’d rather converse in foreign languages than by the company water cooler, here are 10 of the best gigs for telecommuting while abroad.

IT professionals

The industry is booming as are telework opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for computer and information systems management professionals is $115,780 per year while the sector is projected to grow 18 percent between now and 2020. Norbert Kubilus, president of the Association of Information Technology Professionals, says that certain jobs within the field lend themselves more naturally to teleworking.

跨国远程办公职位

随着科技日益发展，在虚拟办公室打卡上班变得越来越简单。从前被捆绑在办公桌前的雇员如今可以在家、甚至在国外远程工作。“全球职场分析”（GWA）是一家总部位于加州卡尔斯巴德的研究咨询公司。该公司的研究显示，美国约有300万非自由职业者全职在家工作，约有5200万人从事远程办公可以完成的工作。对于那些宁愿用外语交谈也不愿守在公司饮水机旁的人而言，以下列出的10项是最为理想的跨国远程办公职位。

IT专业人员

信息技术产业与远程办公一样方兴未艾。美国劳工统计局的数据显示，计算机及信息系统管理人员的平均年薪达115,780美元，从现在起到2020年预计将增长18个百分点。信息技术专业人员协会主席诺伯特·库比鲁斯指出，该领域的某些工作使员工更倾向于选择远程办公。

“Analysts, programmers, web developers, help desk staff can work remotely,” he says. “If people are responsible for the maintenance of a server, that can be done remotely, but you also have to have people who are handson to take care of installation and so on.”

Kubilus adds that IT pros are most likely to find telecommute opportunities in small- and medium-size companies and that those eyeing remote working opportunities should seek out positions that advertise the possibility for telecommuting.

“Most times, you’re not going to go to a company, interview for a job and mention, ‘Oh, I want to telecommute,’”he says. “That’s not going to fly.”

Translation and interpretation

This job might actually reward you for moving abroad. Workers with fluency in a foreign language and sharp communication skills can land jobs in verbal and written translation regardless of where they live, says Carla Itzkowich, executive director of International Contact, a multilanguage communication company that produces marketing materials in 100 languages.

“分析师、程序员、网站开发人员、运维人员都可以远程工作，”他说，“如果是负责服务器维护，也可以远程工作。当然还是得有人实地动手完成安装等工作。”

库比鲁斯补充道，IT专业人员在中小企业最有可能找到远程办公的机会，关注远程工作岗位的人应该在那些宣扬可以实现远程办公的职位中挖掘机会。

他建议：“一般情况下，不要在去公司应聘的时候就提出‘我想远程办公’。那么做行不通。”

笔译和口译

这份工作可能真会给你带来出国的回报。国际联络（International Contact） 是 一家多语言传播公司，可制作100种语言的营销资料。该公司执行董事卡拉·伊茨科维奇说，外语流利、沟通能力强的人可以找到口头或书面翻译工作，不受地域限制。

“(Translators) need to invest between$600 to $2,000 in tools of the trade, but once you’re set up, you pretty much can work your own hours, your own time,your own home,” she says.

Startup costs include a foreign language dictionary, a computer, a fast Internet connection that can support audio or video interpretation sessions and translation management software that prevents workers from using the same verbiage over and over again.Itzkowich adds that certification from an organization such as the American Translators Association can help someone break into the field but may not be absolutely necessary. Pay is typically by the word, so speed and accuracy count. Those who speak a less common language or who can specialize in an area such as finance or medical translation can charge more, says Itzkowich.

Sales personnel and consultants

“Sales people are most conducive to remote offices because (many) don’t have an office location in a traditional office. They are located in their homes or customer locations,” says Jay Mulki, a Northeastern University associate professor of marketing who has conducted extensive research in the remote working field.

她说：“（译员）需要投资600至2000美元购买行业工具，不过一旦装备好了，就完全可以自主决定工作时间，时间是自己的，在自己家工作。”

起步投资包括一本外语词典，一台电脑，网速得快，可以支持音频、视频口译，支持防止译员反复使用同一词汇的翻译管理软件。伊茨科维奇补充说道，获得美国翻译协会等机构的认证有助于打入翻译圈，但也不是绝对必要。报酬通常按字数结算，不过速度和准确度也影响价格。伊茨科维奇说，非通用语种翻译或金融、医疗等专业领域翻译收费更高。

销售人员和咨询顾问

美国东北大学市场营销专业副教授杰伊·穆尔基对远程办公做了广泛研究。他指出：“销售人员最适合远程办公，因为（很多人）在传统的办公室里没有工位。不是在家就是在客户那里。”

根据远程工作研究网（Telework Research Network）的调查，销售人员是居家工作的主力军。该研究团队2011年发表的一篇论文显示，有七成居家工作人员从事的是管理、专业技术、销售以及办公室工作。

According to the Telework Research Network, sales jobs dominate the work-at-home workforce. A 2011 paper published by the group shows that 70 percent of those working from home hold positions in management,professional, sales and office jobs.

Sales leaders looking to work abroad should seek out companies that have a broad consumer base in the employee’s country of choice, says Mulki. They, and all other remote workers, should create a separation between work and home life.

“When you work at home, work never goes away,” he says.

穆尔基称，那些希望在国外工作的销售主管应该选择在目标国家有广泛客户基础的公司。他们及所有其他远程工作人员均应注意将工作和家庭生活区别开来。

他说：“一旦居家工作，工作就和生活分不开了。”

公关经理，营销专家

PR managers, marketing specialists

According to the Council on Public Relations Firms, a trade organization of more than 100 PR companies,approximately half of its member PR firms experienced double-digit growth during 2011.

Since much of the job revolves around communication, PR workers must be able to draft anything from speeches to press releases and should be able to create and control their clients’public images.

The upside is that much of that work can be done remotely. While public relations work lends itself to telecommuting both domestically and abroad, the Bureau of Labor Statistics

公关公司协会（Council on Public Relations Firms）是一个行业协会，成员包括上百家公关公司。2011年，这些成员公司中约有半数实现了两位数的增长。

公关工作大部分是围绕传播展开的，因此公关人员必须具备拟定演讲稿、新闻稿等各种文案的能力，应能塑造和管理客户的公众形象。

该行业的优点是不少工作可以远程完成，在国内、国外都可以进行。劳工统计局的报告称，该行业员工拥有良好的职业前景，但缺点是工作时间长。2010年，近三分之一的该行业员工每周工作超过40小时。目前该行业的平均年薪徘徊在57,550美元左右，到2020年，预计将增长21%。reports that employees can expect good job prospects, but long hours—in 2010,nearly one-third of workers in this field clocked in more than 40 hours per week. The field is projected to increase 21 percent between now and 2020 while the median annual wage currently hovers around $57,550.

Software developers

Someone has to develop applications,build computer games and create the next wave of can’t-live-without-’em digital tools. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median salary for software developers is currently$90,530, while the job market will grow much faster than average—by 30 percent between now and 2020.

Barry Frangipane, co-author of the bookThe Venice Experiment, a memoir of his experience working as a software developer for a U.S. company while living in Italy, says that telecommuters working abroad should make sure that they can still interact with their U.S.-based coworkers. To do that,Frangipane’s company set up a webcam so that he could participate in weekly company meetings from Italy.

“I could see people at the office at the meetings and they could see me,”he says. “We felt like we were really connected.”

软件开发人员

这一群体负责开发应用程序，编写电脑游戏，创造下一代生活中不可或缺的数字工具。劳工统计局报告显示，目前软件开发人员的平均年薪为90,530美元，不过就业市场的增速将远远高于平均水平——从现在起到2020年将增长30%。

巴里·弗朗吉佩恩与人合作撰写了《威尼斯实验》一书，讲述了他在意大利一家美国公司担任软件开发员的经历。他提道，在国外远程工作的人员应确保与美国同事仍有互动。为了实现这一点，弗朗吉佩恩所在的公司架设了一个网络摄像头。这样一来，他在意大利也可以参与每周的公司例会。

他说：“我能看到办公室开会的同事，他们也能看到我。感觉就像我们真的在一起。”

Developers working abroad should also have access to technological upgrades the company makes. To ensure that his work stayed up-to-date, Frangipane kept one laptop in his U.S.-based workplace, one with him in Italy and linked the two using remote access software.

Customer service representatives

In the ever-expanding world of telecommuting, call center and helpline personnel lead the charge, says Kate Lister, president of the Telework Research Network and co-author of the bookUndress for Success: The Naked Truth About Making Money at Home.While wages in this sector usually lean on the low side—the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that customer service reps earn a median salary of $30,460 per year—opportunities abound in companies that range from medical helplines to fast-food chains.

“When you order a pizza, sometimes the dispatcher is sitting at home dispatching it from somewhere else in the country,” she says. “Even the IRS helpline folks are (sometimes) working from home.”

Telecommuting in this field comes with its own set of challenges, adds Lister. Finding jobs can be difficult with the wealth of work-from-home scams on the Web, and employees must have a quiet space where they work.

公司还应为身在国外的开发人员提供公司内部的技术升级。为了确保自己的工作与时俱进，弗朗吉佩恩在美国的办公室放了一台笔记本电脑，另一台自己带着在意大利使用，两台电脑用远程访问软件连接在一起。

客户服务代表

凯特·利斯特是远程工作研究网的负责人，曾与人合作撰写《为成功而脱衣：在家赚钱的赤裸真相》一书。她说，在远程办公日益广泛的风潮中，呼叫中心以及服务热线的工作人员成为首先选择这种办公方式的群体。虽然该行业的工资普遍偏低（据劳工统计局统计，客服代表平均年薪为30,460美元），但工作机会很多，从医疗服务热线到快餐连锁店都有诸多机会。

她说：“下单订购比萨饼后，有时派发员可能是坐在家里，异地调配。甚至国税局热线接线员（有时候）也是在家工作。”

利斯特补充说道，该行业的远程办公也存在自身的问题。涉及居家工作的网络诈骗数量过多，以至于给找工作造成了困难，同时雇员必须有一个安静的工作环境。

“There’s a zero-tolerance policy for background noise,” she says. Babies crying, dogs barking or doors slamming can mean losing the job.

Health care

Fall ill at a hospital in the U.S. and a transcriptionist in Australia might write up your doc’s notes, a specialist in South America could examine your test results,and a top surgeon in Europe could lead the operation by video chat. That’s why health care is one of the top fields for telecommuting, says Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of Flexjobs.com, a job search site that specializes in telecommute,part-time jobs and positions with flexible schedules.

“The (health care) subcategories that we see the most (telecommuting jobs)in are nursing, pharmaceutical, case management, therapy, medical coding,nutrition and psychiatry,” she says. “So much of medicine now is digital. ... You don’t have to be in a room looking at an X-ray anymore.”

Fell says that telecommuting positions in this field range from data analysts and health care project managers to neurosurgeons who work remotely.Despite the increase in medical telecommute jobs, many positions still require workers to be physically present. To ensure that working from abroad is possible, employees should seek out telecommuting positions and clarify the parameters of telecommuting with their boss upfront.

她说：“对于背景噪音我们采取零容忍的政策。”婴儿哭闹声、狗吠声或者摔门声都会造成失业。

医疗卫生

你在美国医院住院，转录员可在澳大利亚记录医嘱，专科医生可在南美查看化验结果，顶级的外科医生可在欧洲通过视频对话指导手术。萨拉·萨顿·费尔是求职网站Flexjobs.com的创始人、首席执行官，他指出这就是医疗保健成为远程办公主要领域之一的原因。该求职网站主要关注远程办公、兼职以及提供弹性工作时间的职位。

她说：“（医疗保健中）最常见的（远程办公的）子领域包括护理、制药、病例管理、治疗、医学编码、营养学和精神病学。现在的医疗很多是数字化的。……看X光片不一定非在房间里了。”

费尔提到该领域的远程办公职位可以是数据分析师、医疗保健项目经理，也可以是神经外科医生。不过尽管远程医疗工作岗位有所增加，许多职位仍然需要员工到单位办公。要想保证得到跨国远程工作的机会，雇员们应该搜寻远程办公的职位并与老板预先明确远程办公的具体规范。

Graphic design

Workers can create logos, websites,publicity materials and marketing products from any corner of the globe and get paid decently to do so. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 29 percent of graphic designers are selfemployed, meaning that many can make their own schedules, and the median pay is $43,500 per year.

Despite the independent nature of the job, many designers work in teams or on collaborative projects. To stay in sync with stateside team members, Jay Mulki says that employees working abroad should focus on communicating clearly, taking active steps to stay in contact with key team members and fulfilling every promise they make in a reasonable time frame.

“You need to come across as a person who is self-disciplined, who can control their work in terms of doing the work and initiating the work ... and be able to access people within the organization,” he says.

平面设计

该行业员工可以在全球任何地方设计徽标和网站、制作宣传材料、营销产品，并获得体面的收入。劳工统计局报告称，29%的平面设计师是自由职业者，这意味着他们可以自由支配时间，平均年薪达43,500美元。

尽管这个职业具有独立性，但是不少设计师的工作都是以团队或者项目合作的形式完成。为了与美国本土的员工保持一致，杰伊·穆尔基指出，在国外工作的员工应该注重沟通，积极与团队主要成员保持联系，并在合理时间范围内履行每一项承诺。

他说：“你要给人留下这样的印象——有自我约束力，可以控制好自己的工作，包括启动任务和执行任务……还能与机构内的员工取得联系。”

Education

教育

Training specialists, online instructors,curriculum writers ... the list of telecommuting positions in the education field is extensive. Sara Sutton Fell of Flexjobs.com says that telework education

培训专家、在线教师、课程编写者……在教育领域，适合远程办公的职位范围非常宽广。Flexjobs.com的萨拉·萨顿·费尔说，远程教育工作者jobs range from language instructors who conduct lessons by phone or video chat to those who work behind the scenes creating and perfecting online teaching tools. The majority of teleworking jobs are available at the college and university levels, she says, “but there’s a surprising amount at lower levels or in administrative on the education side.”可以是使用电话或视频聊天上课的语言教师，也可以是在幕后创建和完善在线教学工具的人。她说，大多数远程工作职位都在高等院校，“但是令人吃惊的是，中小学或教育行政提供的职位也不少”。

The trick to landing a telework position is seeing through the scams. To help eliminate ads designed to sap your time and money, Fell recommends using search terms such as “telecommute”and “telecommuting” over “work from home” or “work at home”, and carefully investigate companies that post listings for telecommuting jobs.

Administrative managers, support

According to Flexjobs.com, there are currently more telecommute and flexible job positions in administrative work than any other field except medical and health care. Admin jobs may offer the ability to work from anywhere, but salaries are usually low. Workers holding positions such as office managers, financial clerks, bookkeepers, material recording personnel and administrative assistants have median salaries that range from$24,100 for bank tellers to $36,610 for desktop publishers, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Frangipane says that workers in any

要想获得远程办公职位，需要有识破骗局的慧眼。为了过滤掉那些蓄意耗费时间和金钱的广告，费尔建议在检索时使用telecommute或telecommuting等关键词，而不是work from home和work at home，同时认真调查提供远程办公岗位的公司。

行政经理，后勤

据Flexjobs.com显示，目前，除了医疗和保健，行政工作领域所提供的远程和灵活办公职位比其他任何行业都多。行政管理工作可以在任何地方进行，但通常工资较低。据劳工统计局报告显示，办公室经理、财务人员、簿记员、材料记录人员和行政助理等岗位的平均年薪从24,100美元（银行出纳）到36,610美元（排版员）不等。

弗朗吉佩恩说，不论在哪个领域，都可以通过协商让目前不允许远程办公的职位慢慢具有远程办公的可能。弗朗吉field who have a job that doesn’t allow telecommuting may be able to slowly negotiate a telework option. Frangipane himself started working from home one day per week, then ramped it up to five days over time.

“Once they could see that I had high productivity working from home, then I said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about moving my home,’” he recounts. “Regardless of where you are in the world, if you work the same hours as your office normally expects, then it really doesn’t seem to matter much when you move your home a little farther away, like 4,500 miles.” 佩恩自己起初每周只能在家工作一天，后来随着时间的推移逐渐增加到了五天。

他回忆说：“一旦他们明白我在家远程工作的效率很高，我就会说：‘嘿，我在考虑搬家了！’无论你在什么地方，如果能保证工作时长达到办公室通常的要求，那么即使把家搬得远一点，比如搬到距离公司4500英里的地方，似乎也没什么关系。”

（译者单位：西安外国语大学）

Tools to Help Employees Stay Productive and Motivated

Sqwiggle

Sqwiggle is a cloud-based office that recreates that tap on the shoulder experience from anywhere. Everyone is just one click away from having a video conversation with each other.Sqwiggle is designed to offer a fun way for telecommuters to be with their team all day, while making video conversations instant and frictionless.