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.

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Episode Transcript

Coach Zee (00:00):
Hello teacher friends .
Coach Z here.
If you're new, welcome to theshow, and if you're one of my
faithful listeners, welcome back.
We've been learning so muchthis season with our first two
interviews of former teacherswho are thriving in UX roles, so
I hope you're soaking it all in.
So, before I hit you withanother interview, I wanted to
pop in and talk about somethingthat has been buzzing in the

(00:22):
news and on social media for thepast few weeks.
Have you been following all theheadlines about companies
calling people back into theoffice?
Folks are really wondering ifthe 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

(00:43):
called their employees back tooffice, either full-time, five
days a week or hybrid.
Amazon actually called theiremployees back five days a week.
All of this sparking a debateabout the end of remote work.
Folks are saying, hey, the bigcompanies are doing it, so the
other companies are going tofollow suit.
So the question for today is isremote work over?

(01:05):
Is it still worth it forteachers to explore remote
corporate opportunities in thiscurrent climate?
And if so, what do they keep inmind?
Let's get into it.

Narrator (01:18):
Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the
ultimate destination foreducators who aspire to break
into the field of userexperience and product design.
Your host, z Arnold, a 15 yearteacher turned UX researcher, is
here to guide, coach and mentoryou through every twist and
turn as you make your careertransition into tech.
If you're ready for a moresatisfying career and lifestyle

(01:41):
and you want the balance tounleash your creativity, this
podcast is for you.
Now for the show.

Coach Zee (02:02):
So, as you know, remote work basically exploded
during the pandemic and a lot ofus got a taste of the
flexibility that it offers,including myself.
So we had no choice but toshift our classrooms to virtual
learning and right after COVIDwe saw a lot of teachers
actually pivot into remote roles, especially in ed tech, to kind
of assist with teachingteachers how to use technology

(02:24):
and doing so many differentremote roles.
But now, post-pandemic, we'reseeing companies start to call
folks back into the officelittle by little and some
transitioning teachers who arelooking for remote work, partly
to gain a better work-lifebalance, are getting worried.
So here's the deal Remote workisn't necessarily coming to an
end, but we are absolutelyseeing a shift in how companies

(02:47):
are approaching it.
First of all, hybrid models arebecoming more common.
Some companies are pushing forfull-time office work, but a lot
of companies are switching tohybrid models where employees
work some days in the office andsome days remotely, so maybe
two or three days in the officeand the rest of the time at home
.
Now remote work is still athing, but you have to look at

(03:09):
specific industries andcompanies that maybe don't have
a local office space.
In industries like tech, design, marketing and customer service
.
Remote work is still verypopular, ux included.
A lot of smaller companies,startups and freelance-based
industries continue to welcomefull-time remote work because it
enhances their talent pool andalso saves them money on

(03:31):
overhead and things like that.
Also, depending on where in theworld you're working, the
trends are different.
Remote work is thriving more incountries and areas with strong
digital infrastructure, likethe US, canada and parts of the
world.
They're still seeing a steadydemand for remote jobs, and I
wanted to say that because Iknow I have listeners who are

(03:51):
all over the world, includingAfrica, south America and Asia,
so there's definitely stillremote work out there.
Now that we got that out of theway, I wanted to give you three
tips for communicating withemployers as you continue on
your job search, and this is forthose who are looking for
remote roles or hybrid roles.
So the first tip is to behonest from the start.

(04:12):
If the job posting doesn'tspecify whether the job is
remote or hybrid, don't waituntil the final stages of the
interview to find out about this.
During your first conversationor interview, ask if they're
open to remote or hybrid work soyou can say something like I've
noticed that a lot of roles inUX are shifting toward remote
work.
I'd love to hear about yourteam's approach to flexible

(04:40):
working options.
Remember that employeepreferences matter, but you need
to speak up to make yourpreferences heard.
A lot of workers are actuallysaying, no, I don't want to
return to the office full-timebecause remote work is flexible
and it works for my life rightnow, and companies are under
pressure to kind of accommodatethese preferences to retain
great talent.
So companies don't want to losetop talent if they can

(05:02):
compromise on working conditions.
So if your resume shows thatyou're a great fit for the role,
put all your cards on the tableand negotiate for the
flexibility that you want anddeserve.
Tip number two is to emphasizehow flexible you are.
Even if you prefer 100% remotework, it's a good idea to show
employers that you can adapt ifneeded, just like you can adapt

(05:24):
in teaching.
You can express whether you'rewilling to come into the office
for quarterly meetings orworkshops.
Employers might have concernsabout remote workers missing out
on collaboration or companyculture, so it's important for
you to address those concerns.
So if you are willing to workin the office occasionally but
do prefer remote work, you canoffer to do a trial period, and

(05:45):
this shows that you're flexiblewhile still allowing both you
and your employer to see how thearrangement could work long
term.
The last tip is to highlight howremote work will make you more
productive.
So we all know that you canwork better when you're in your
own comfortable space with yourown setup, and you can focus
better and you can set yourselfup to have less distractions.
So you can highlight howworking remotely gives you more

(06:08):
flexibility to focus on deepwork, which is critical in UX
research or design.
Or you can mention how theremote nature of the job will
allow you to participate in theindustry events and keep
learning and growing, which willultimately benefit the company
right, because if they're nothaving to send you to events in
person and you can attendvirtual events, that's even

(06:29):
better for them.
So you could say something likeremote work allows me to
maximize focus during criticalproject phases, but I'm also
open to coming in for keymilestones.
I believe this balance helps mecontribute most effectively to
the team.
So make sure you emphasize howyou're just as productive when
working remotely as you are whenin person.
You can also mention specifictools that you're comfortable

(06:51):
with, like Figma, mural andSlack that make remote
collaboration easier, and alsotalk about how you've used
remote tools like Zoom whilecommunicating with colleagues
during remote teaching.
If that applies, by the way,this should be in the technical
proficiencies section of yourresume.
So, to wrap this all up, canteachers still transition into

(07:13):
remote roles?
Absolutely.
You just need to target theright companies, check remote
job boards and communicateclearly with employers about
your flexibility.
So my message for you today isdon't let the return to office
headlines scare you.
Check remote job boards andcommunicate clearly with
employers about your flexibility.
So my message for you today isdon't let the return to office
headlines scare you.
Instead, make yourself moreflexible so you can be prepared
for anything.
Remote work is not disappearing,but it is evolving.

(07:35):
Some companies have decided togo fully in-person, some are
staying fully remote and othersare opting for hybrid models.
Flexibility, which is one ofyour transferable skills as a
teacher, is still a hugepriority for many companies.
So keep applying and don't giveup on your remote job search.
Also, you can still findbalance, even if it's in a

(07:56):
hybrid role.
By the way, if you haven'tlistened to episode 19, where I
talked about the pros and consof remote work, make sure you
check that one out as well.
If you need a career mentor orany help with your search for
your new role, please reach outto us on socials or on the
website.
Take care.

Narrator (08:18):
Hey, thanks so much for tuning in.
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If you're looking for resourcesto help you on your tech
transition journey, head over touxteacherprepcom.
Follow us on LinkedIn andInstagram at uxteacherprep for
daily tips and motivation.

(08:38):
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Until next time, be well.