Navigating Remote Work and World Travels w/ Juliana Rabbi

Episode 69

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Navigating Remote Work and World Travels

Imagine exploring 56 countries and counting, all while working remotely and building a career. Meet Juliana Rabbi, a remote work coach and digital nomad currently traversing South Africa. In this captivating conversation, Juliana shares her journey from rarely traveling in her youth to embracing the remote work lifestyle and becoming a thriving entrepreneur, as well as her experiences of dealing with unexpected hurdles like rolling blackouts.

In this episode, we discuss the challenges that remote job seekers face and the rapid growth of the remote work industry. Juliana shares valuable insights about transitioning from a traditional job to remote work, and how attending digital nomad events played a crucial role in expanding her mindset. We also dive into the pros and cons of hybrid work environments, and the mistakes that often turn recruiters off while searching for remote talent.

But that's not all – we also explore the world of comedy improv and how it intertwines with Juliana's travel experiences. She shares her thoughts on trusting yourself and your decisions and sticking to the lifestyle that makes sense to you, regardless of what others may think.

Topics of Discussion

• Remote Work and Travel in Africa
• Remote Work and Entrepreneurship for Travel
• Digital Nomad Coaching Support
• Remote Work
• Remote Work and Job-Seeking Advice
• Comedy Improv and Finding Your Path

Juliana’s Resources

Website
LinkedIn
YouTube
Instagram

About The Show

Thoughts of a Random (Citizen Remote Podcast) is a podcast oriented around open ideas, entrepreneurship, travel, investing, politics, philosophy, and an odd take on history. Together with Toarc United & Citizen Remote we talk with thought leaders from all around the world to stir the innovative mind. This podcast specifically talks about the importance of having an international perspective, the ins and outs of the business world, the entrepreneurial life, the digital nomad life, investing and ways to enjoy life in the new age.

Businesses worldwide have very quickly oriented themselves around freelancing, digital nomads, remote workers, and diluting borders. If you'd like to find out how you can benefit on an individual or entrepreneurial level from that change, this podcast is for you & Citizen Remote can help.

If you’re a startup, needing to find useful tools, wanting to build custom software or generally struggling with the next steps you should be taking to optimize your companies bottom line Toarc United can help.

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Disclaimer: None of what is mentioned on Thoughts of a Random

Transcript

Tim: 0:19

So I am joined today by Juliana Rabbi. She is a remote work coach and recruiter but now turned remote work coach for the last 15 years. You are a full on digital nomad, traveling to, i think, 55 plus countries. Right now you're in South Africa and I'm definitely going to dive into a bit of that. Juliana, welcome to the show.

Juliana: 0:40

Thank you, thank you. Tim, i'm happy to be here, yeah.

Tim: 0:44

So can we fill in everybody really quickly on what we were just talking about in South Africa, Because this was news to me and I've been wanting to go to South Africa for quite some time, but now you've got me a bit hesitant. I know that it's probably a bad thing, but can you just kind of walk us through briefly just a little bit of your experience in South Africa and what we were talking about right before this?

Juliana: 1:03

Yeah, so South Africa is actually my country 56. So I'm happy to be here. I arrived like 10 days ago, 11 days ago, and I came here to attend a digital nomad event that is happening next week. So there will be more than 250, all the digital nomads and remote workers attending these events. I'm really excited about it. It's just really beautiful, stunning. You have the sea, very cold water, but it's still friendly people, very good food, prices are affordable. So I'm really happy overall, we've been here.

Juliana: 1:36

But then there is this one thing that is kind of surprising to me. There is low shedding or lack of electricity, every day pretty much, and I was told it doesn't happen during the whole year, but during some periods of the year. This time it looks like it has been happening for six months already now on the stop. So there is even an app on the phone that everybody downloads that. So you see, in your region, i think it is divided by city or by state and not really sure, but there are like eight regions and they tell you every day when your region is going to be out of electricity And then that's it like it's out of electricity. The option, like the way to deal with that is that some apartment buildings they do have their own generator. So where I'm staying right now they have solar panel. So when the electricity stops in, like four to six minutes I was checking that four to six minutes then it's back. So you have fiber optical for internet, for computer, for calls and all of that, you have everything operating. But there is this four to six minutes that you have no electricity at all In some buildings, some apartment, some shops.

Juliana: 2:46

They don't have that, so they just stay without the electricity. So, for example, went to a shopping mall the biggest one here to buy a SIM card. Right, classical thing that all digital moments and remote workers they do when they arrive in a new country. They need data on their phones, so they buy a SIM card. So I went there and the shopping mall had electricity, like all the shops were open, you know the corridors, everything was like operating normally. But when it was my turn in the phone shop the guy said oh, i cannot sell you a SIM card because the system is not operating. So there are generators for some things but not for everything. So yeah, this part has been a bit challenging, wow, I will say. But apart from that I'm happy to be here really enjoying the experience in South Africa.

Tim: 3:33

It's always nice getting used to a new place and seeing what ripples they have, because every place has their own little ripple. But I'm curious do you know if it is like a blackout issue or a cost issue? Is it well known why they're having these kind of ruling blackouts?

Juliana: 3:49

Every local. I asked about it because I was actually curious. I was like I don't really understand that. They said it's because of corruption. The government is corrupt. That's the explanation everybody gave, but I didn't get more details about it, So I still don't really know what is the real story. Okay, Yeah.

Tim: 4:06

All right. Well then, i guess, before diving into that rabbit hole, we'll bounce out of there. Do you have plans? I know you said you're on country 56 and that's really cool. I haven't even gotten remotely close to that. But do you have plans to hit all the countries, or is it just a slow and steady thing? Is there a goal for you, an end goal, i guess?

Juliana: 4:25

It's not a goal to visit all the countries, although it does sound interesting, but it's not an ending goal. It just feel like it makes sense to me to count the countries that I visit. Like some girls, they count how many pair of shoes they have or how many bags. I like to count How many countries I have been. So, yeah, i want to keep traveling. I also go back to countries that I have been, that I enjoyed, that I have friends, that I had a good experience, a good time there, that I was productive at work. So it's not only about quantity for me, it's also about quality. So, yeah, i counted, but I'm not aiming yet to visit all the countries.

Tim: 5:04

Okay, nice. So we're kind of diving into what started travel for you, because not everyone wakes up and says you know, i want to go visit 56 countries. What was the initial moment for you that you realized? Because I assume you haven't been doing this since a child, or have you been traveling your whole life?

Juliana: 5:23

Not really. No, no, i start traveling more often. When I was I don't know like 34, 35, maybe seven, eight years ago, i mean, i was born in Brazil, right, and from Brazil, so the lifestyle I had there was not directly related to traveling. So I come from a traditional family and the education I got was like okay, you study, you go to the university, you learn a stable job and then you're going to have one month vacation per year and then you can travel to eat his mom. So that's pretty much what I was raised to do with my life. I did the supposed to be stable job and then one month vacation. Then you can eventually travel. But also the distances in Brazil are very big, so traveling even within the country is expensive. I mean, now there are low cost options, but before it was really expensive because the distance are big. So I didn't grow up traveling that much.

Juliana: 6:18

It was only when I moved to Europe there was in 2006, when I moved to Spain that traveling became something more affordable because also the distances are shorter. I was like, yeah, i want to explore that more. Then I start meeting people that were traveling quite often and then I met people who were traveling, since they were kids and I was like, wow, that's so different But at the same time, exciting for me. So I started prioritizing traveling more. And then one thing led to the other right until 2004,. I started working remotely, so I had the option to travel more, but I still had a work contract in Spain. So I was still based in Spain at that time And I landed a job in a cruise company as a recruiter. So I was traveling to different countries and continents to actually interview the future crew members. So there was like a time that I really experienced traveling and I was enjoying it.

Tim: 7:14

That's going to be the coolest Yeah.

Juliana: 7:17

Well, it wasn't to a certain point, because at the beginning I was very excited about it, but at some point I was like I remember this image I was in Mauritius Island, which I have been four or five times, and it was sunny outside, a beautiful day outside, and I was inside a hotel room interviewing candidates. That's what I went there to do. So I was interviewing an average of 40 candidates per day And I remember seeing the window a small window from the hotel room, and I saw the sea and I saw the sun And I was like, wow, that's not how I want to be in Mauritius Island inside a hotel room interviewing people. Life is happening outside.

Juliana: 7:51

So in that moment, something clicked on me And I was like, ok, it was good to have this experience of traveling because of work, but I want to be in charge of my travels and where I go, how long I stay and what I do there. So, as I said, there were states in my life. So I went from barely traveling as a child and a teenager to start traveling here and there, then start traveling massively because of work, until I realized that, yes, i want to keep traveling. I like that, i want this to be part of my life, but I want to travel more than just because of work or just on holidays and just on all weekends. So I wanted to be more in charge of how I travel, to where, how long and in which ways.

Tim: 8:37

Yeah, absolutely, and I always say something over and over again that it's pretty much once you start traveling you'll figure out one of two things that you either love it and you never want to go back, or that you're not so much of a fan and you really appreciate your home country. So it's beneficial either way.

Juliana: 8:53

Yeah.

Tim: 8:53

So one thing that you said that kind of stuck out to me was that your mindset growing up was always get a job to have stability. Can you speak a little bit on how today, with remote jobs, there is stability while traveling around the world? I mean, that's something that you've created and what you do now, is it not?

Juliana: 9:11

Yeah, i mean right now I have my own business, so I moved away from the stability.

Tim: 9:17

Okay, Yeah, I guess that's true. I mean the entrepreneur journey.

Juliana: 9:20

So, but yeah, the remote job is definitely a way that you can have more flexibility and stability. And what I mean by stability is that you have a salary that you're going to get paid every two weeks or every month, so you can plan around that right. You know how much you're going to get. Sometimes you have even bonus and other benefits, so it can be even more than the standard salary, but at least you know your monthly income. And there was a choice I made some years ago. There is a choice that a lot of my clients make, and I think it's fascinating because you pretty much have the best of the two worlds right. You have the flexibility, your morning charge of your hours, your schedule, where you are physically. You also have, like, a team supporting you. You're part of a team, part of a company, a culture, so you don't need to figure it out all alone. Probably there will be on-boarding program, people will train you, you're going to have all the departments working with you, so you also have the team support, which is great, and you have the financial stability.

Juliana: 10:19

So, yeah, working remotely has a lot of perks. And even for me, like now, i have my own business right, but for many years I was working remotely And at some point I start combining my remote job with freelancer gigs that I was doing And at the same time, i was combining that with start in my business. So I experienced like different states on the remote work. So, from being my only income and the thing that I was my professional thing that I was doing up to this is one of the income resources that I have Up to. Yeah, i don't work as a remote work employee anymore, but now I help people to work like that. So, yeah, my life is pretty much all around remote work, for many years actually.

Tim: 11:03

And so I kind of want to talk a bit about that entrepreneurial journey and how you've transitioned from I believe you had a degree in psychology and then now you're an entrepreneur traveling the world. Can you kind of walk us through that process of going from where you were at to realizing, hey, i can be my own entrepreneur, i can create my own business. Can you just explain what that is and then a little bit about your business?

Juliana: 11:26

Yeah, there was never a moment like that. Hey, i can be my own boss, i can start. There was never a moment like that. Okay, let's keep things real here. So, as I said, the way I was raised was not at all related to being an entrepreneur and taking risks and having your own business. So, like, both of my parents are doctors all the close family or they work for the government or they have been in the same job for many years. So I was not raising an entrepreneurial environment at all. This was not an option for me. I didn't know it existed until later on in my journey.

Juliana: 12:02

Then I was working remotely, and the funny thing about working remotely is that I didn't choose that at the very beginning. So there were some internal chains in the cruise company that I was working for And they said well, pretty much you have two options Or you're going to need to let you go, or you're going to need to start working from home. It was not even remote work at the time. We're still calling it in 2004, like working from home, because your contract is going to be with another company within the group, so you cannot come to this physical office anymore. So I was like, well. Okay, before I get laid off, i will accept that. So that's how it started in 2004. But then, very soon, i enjoyed that. I was like I really like this thing about working from home. I can be productive, i'm in charge of my schedule, i play with my dogs I had dogs at the time So for so many reasons, i was really enjoying that. But it was still like working as an employee for a company.

Juliana: 12:56

And there was all this traveling thing that I mentioned before. I started traveling more with my job. I started loving it, but I started getting tired of being traveling too fast and traveling for places that I didn't choose and being there too fast. So at some point, i realized I want to travel more. But in all my own terms, this was the aha moment for me. This was what actually changed everything. So when I realized I want to travel more, i start narrowing down to the options. How can I do that? I did not want to take a sabbatical year. I didn't want to travel as a back-backer, like using all my savings. I was like I like my career, i like what I do, but I want to travel more. I don't want to have to be in one place. So that was 2018, to be more specific.

Juliana: 13:43

And then one of the first things I did was asking for help, because it was very overwhelming just thinking about that And like I don't know what to do here, so I hired a coach. That was extremely important for me. That process should get clarity, to narrow down the options, to explore the options about what to do next. How can I make money, how can I keep going with my career and still travel. So it was like a almost two years coaching process, like coming and going in different states. So first I was checking the options, then I start doing the freelancer gigs that I mentioned, then I start having my own clients And then I stopped some freelancer gigs that were not aligned anymore before I wanted.

Juliana: 14:23

I started growing my business. So pretty much I had three things going on at the time. I was working like 11 hours minimum per day, so it was like crazy times. I remember that I was just working because I still had my full time job, eight hours per day, right, that I still had to deliver good results And on the top of that, i start my business and do the freelancer gigs. But that was the choice I made because for me, the financial part was always a big thing, so I didn't want to touch my savings And I know that every person has a different situation. But luckily I had savings And I decided not to touch them. So I was like I will leave out of the incomes I am generating. So I only removed my full time remote job of the equation Once I'm making enough money from other sources of income that I can remove my full time remote job. And that's why I took those two years, one year, eight months, something around that. And then I still had the coach helping me in the process.

Juliana: 15:27

And another thing that I did that helped me a lot with the mindset was attending digital nomad events. I wanted to be surrounded by people who were already living the lifestyle that I wanted to live. I wanted to bring that reality closer to me. I want to be one of them. I mean, i was not yet, but I want my mindset to be there because I was working so hard to get there. I was like I already want to be, with them being the same event. So I start using all my holidays time to attend those events And then I present the whole one week before the event to the city, country, whatever it was happening.

Juliana: 16:05

So, working from there, that we kind of tasting already how it was going to be when I was a remote work in digital nomad And then attending the event. So I did with several events. So, yeah, all those steps together combined they helped me to create this entrepreneur mindset, which was never the first thing. The first thing was always traveling more. But then I was like, ok, i think if I have my own business is a way that I can travel more and be more in charge of my time. So yeah, here I am.

Tim: 16:36

Yeah, it's kind of inevitable that if you really want that freedom to do what you want when you want, you just have to create your own something, whatever that might be.

Tim: 16:44

So yeah eventually everyone gets there. So that's great that you did So. I know that you talked a lot about hiring this coach and that's what you do. Now Can you kind of talk us through what that looks like in the eyes of someone such as yourself that they have this stable job at home? they hear these people traveling, but I have friends back home as well And they're like I don't know how you do what you do. Can you talk through the benefits of having someone and what that did for you? and then I guess now what you do for other people of being able to see and have that coach walk you through all the benefits, I guess, or the struggles or the pain points and what that does for you.

Juliana: 17:22

Yeah, i mean, not everybody needs a coach, right? this is not something for everyone and you don't need a coach forever. So it can be something punctual for a specific Need or disturb that you have, and then the rest of your life you might never need a call or you might need a different kind of coach. So the way I approach it is like external support Speed up the results that you want to achieve last time and in a more pleasant way. So normally my career coaching clients they are just like I was years ago struggling with something. So there is like a big pain, something that is not really working out well for them, and normally they have already tried everything that they know to solve the problem and it's not working. So very few people say, hey, i have done nothing, i just want to hire coach.

Juliana: 18:10

From the beginning I also had those kids. But normally You try, right, whatever you know, whatever you can, you search and Google. You talk to people who are whatever you want to be. So in my case specifically, you search and Google how to land a remote job. You try to update your resume, you apply for 20 jobs and you get ghosted and you're like, oh, maybe there is something wrong here why companies are not contacting me back. Then you start following on instagram people who work remote. So you do some steps right to make those steps and at some point you realize it's not working or it's taking longer.

Juliana: 18:43

Then I thought what? you start feeling frustrated. It's like damn it, i thought you know it was gonna be easier. I feel lost about the whole thing, so maybe this is not for me. Start kind of doubting yourself.

Juliana: 18:54

So these are some of the symptoms that people normally have Before they decide hire a professional. So probably tried everything they knew, but they didn't get the results they wanted. Or do you feel lost in general? how do I Actually start that? which kind of remote job can I consider for my profile, for my skills, for my career or for the lifestyle that I want to have? is it even possible? They probably spent already too much time and money like a hired one professional didn't help me. I hired another one, i bought this online course. Nothing's helping and Some of them are really on the edge of giving up, which is very sad.

Juliana: 19:34

It's like no, no, don't give up before you try everything, because maybe you're just following the wrong Path. So that's something that I always say don't give up before you have tried everything. But there is a limit Of the things that you know. Because you know what you know. You know the job that you're trying to do, the area that you have always been working, the thing you studied right, that's what you know. So Landing a job, searching for a job, writing it resume, performing well and a job interviews a totally different set of skills. So there is probably nothing wrong with you as a professional If you cannot land the remote job, because land every more job is the thing on itself. You require skills. It requires knowledge about the market, about what remote companies are looking for. So, yeah, people tend to mix up and say I'm a bad professional, it will never happen to me. No, maybe just need the right guidance to get there.

Tim: 20:26

Yeah, and then so on that, because you do have to kind of have a different set of skills for this remote lifestyle. is that skill set expanding as we see remote work expanding? are you able to do more things now than you were you know five years ago, where it's pretty much? Are you a developer and can you create software? yes, no, well then you can't work remotely. is that broadening, i guess, the industry of remote work in the skills that you can potentially utilize remotely?

Juliana: 20:55

No, totally. People not asking what is the thing that you do? how come do you work from home? is this like a real job? so, like nine years ago when I started, even my parents were like but how come you, if you're gonna get a promotion, if your boss doesn't see the office every day? so I had to spend a lot of time in my life explaining to people how come I was able to work from home. So this is Luckily some conversation that I don't need to have anymore, so it's already a big thing. But also the options to work remote. Of course, they are broader now that more and more people are not only talking about it, believe in this reality. So, yeah, some years ago it was only for it.

Juliana: 21:35

People, right, the nerd developer with lack of social skills, right, you know, like working behind the computer. That was pretty much the only thing to stay with stereotypes and just plain a bit with that. But right now, anything from marketers, teachers, designers, h R accountant, lawyers, like that so many areas, actually, it's more like which areas can't be done remotely, right? I think this is the question like, okay, are you sure you're not gonna be done remotely? that's what I always ask. My plan. I haven't found jobs in my area. Okay, let's see how you search for them, because every imagine a developer company. Okay, so they do have the Developers that are coding and programming. All of that.

Juliana: 22:20

I think that I was still a very hot area in remote working general. But think about it every company Has a market in the apartment, even an IT company, right, so they need people in market. Every company has an accountant department. They need to pay people, so they also have a payroll Department. They have the HR people who recruit, who trained them. They probably have a CEO, vp. In different departments. They will probably have someone Lawyer, so there are all the departments that you can think about. In any company you do have the same departments, or most of them. Sometimes some of those departments are outsourced, but overall it is a business that works remotely, so you do have the same departments in areas. So I think that's an easy way to expand our perception about which kind of jobs I can Remote lead nowadays. Pretty much any of them.

Tim: 23:16

Yeah, unless you're literally have a physical location like a business entity storefront, or you're building roads or construction of some sort, you can pretty much do it.

Juliana: 23:26

Well, if you are the owner of the company, you can still manage that remotely right.

Tim: 23:30

The other, you go the road worker.

Juliana: 23:32

Right, yeah, he will be there on the road. But if you are doing the sales for, like, getting new clients, if you are the lawyer, if you are the one who pays them, if you are the owner of that company still, but they have very few jobs and professions you need to be There, which is also good, which is because some people they like to work in person. They miss going to the office or this, you know, day to day interaction with course. So it's amazing. So let those people do what they like doing and we can keep doing the remote work stuff so that options to everybody.

Tim: 24:07

Yeah, and I always hear I don't know if you do the future is remote, and I just hear that. I feel like that's a tagline that's everywhere. Is it really remote or do you think it's more hybrid?

Juliana: 24:17

I think the present is remote. Every time I hear this, the future is remote, so it's like, no, it's the present already. Then I need to remember that it's not the present for everybody. Yes, right, i have been even this reality for nine years, so for me it's like even part of my past to read it, so it's so attached to me. But it's true that for a lot of people they kind of open your eyes for this option, doing the pandemic right two thousand twenty. So for most of people it's actually a very recent reality and some people are still struggling to get there.

Juliana: 24:46

So If the future of work is remote or hybrid, i think you're gonna have both options, right, some companies I don't have a crystal ball, i cannot predict exactly, but I know some people feel more comfortable with a hybrid work environment, which is also amazing if it works for Dan And as far as companies are clear about it, not creating false expectations like a apply to this remote job, and then you go for an interview and say, by the way, you need to come to the office twice the week, but it's remote. Now the name of that is hybrid. Let's just name things properly because it makes it easy for everybody. I think it's going to be a mix of both. Some companies will keep working towards being fully remote, which is my personal preference, but other companies will be hybrid and some people are really happy with that. So I think both options are actually possible to combine.

Tim: 25:39

Yeah, i think hybrids are really cool model. I mean, we're fully remote at citizen remote. But I'm also curious how many people may have been potentially like tainted their perception of fully remote during the pandemic. Because if you're fully remote during a pandemic where you're not even allowed to go outside, maybe that's not the best atmosphere for you and maybe you didn't like remote at first. But I think that hopefully people don't aren't tainted I guess forever because it's there's so many benefits that come with again creating your own schedule and doing work on your own time.

Juliana: 26:11

Yeah, this is a very common question confusion. I had people say I don't like working remotely because I didn't enjoy doing the pandemic. So, first of all, well, we had doing the pandemic was not working remotely, was forced to work from home without previous noted, without that in being a choice, without the infrastructure from some companies and without a proper workspace at home. So kids, dogs, husband, so suddenly everybody was in a tiny apartment. They had to work from home. So that is like Really far away from the real remote work experience and possibilities and we are all living fear was like a situation, global situation that we had no previous reference about it. So there was so much fear, there was so much lack of planning and so there was not working remotely. There was like a tiny taste of that, but on a very limited scale, and that was working from home.

Juliana: 27:10

Because when you work remotely you can work from home. Of course it's one of the options, but it can work from A coffee shop. You can work from another city where you are visiting or leaving. You can work from a friend's house and spending time there. You can work even from a different country, different city. So May depend on the requirements of the job right, not all remote work. We will allow you to work from a different country city, but potentially yes. So it's definitely much more than working from home doing a pandemic context.

Tim: 27:41

Yeah, i think that that differentiation is really important to, because I think soon we're even gonna see that when you have to live in a certain city for example, on the outside Barcelona, alona, a lot of the jobs here are remote jobs, but they are all right. You have to stay in the Barcelona area. Well, that should be work from home, because you're not really allowed to transition across borders or even to a different area in your own country. I really love that you kind of drew that distinction there between work from home and working remotely, because there is a huge difference. Yeah, so, going back to your expertise being a recruiter and what you do now with your business and helping people find these remote jobs, you obviously have interviewed thousands of people. What was one thing that always turned you off like this is not the candidate that we're looking for. Is that inside that you you're willing to share, because I feel such a beneficial thing to know. Like this is something you should not do when trying to apply, especially in such a competitive space like remote work.

Juliana: 28:43

It's actually a basic thing, but all my previous life as a recruiter it was always a thing and it's still. I'm talking to people when I talk to other people to. So when you Introduce someone and you notice that the person doesn't really care at all about the job, the person is just there because of the money, and you can see that in different ways. So the person didn't bother getting to know anything about the company or the position. Or the person doesn't seem to be motivated for the job, or the person doesn't really engage, like demonstrate that, yes, i'm really happy to be here. Does this job that I've been looking for because of this, this and that, or this company aligns with me because of this, this and that? so when you see the person is kind of It's like yeah, you pretty much just to get paid and do that, which is pretty much like the mindset when you work for the government yeah right, you're there every day and you know, sign up at a certain time, you sign off and that's it like a minimal level.

Juliana: 29:39

This is something that turns the two days off and I understand that it's still not your business. Like you're not the owner. When you apply for a job, you're still an employee. So your commitment level is not as if you are the owner of that business. But Companies want you to take ownership of that. They want you to dream together more than just hire you to just do a certain set of tasks. Company, when I say, like it's worth it to invest on you because you're going to grow with us, you're going to help us to grow, you are going to commit and go one step ahead. So this is good to see and I always tell my clients, like, even if you're applying for 20 jobs at the same time which probably is the reality of job seekers, right, i mean, that's what people do. They are searching for jobs, so they are applying for different job.

Juliana: 30:24

When you go for a job interview, do your homework and First get to know about the company and the position to see if you're excited about it, because you might figure it out once you Dig more than just the job title and reading the job description briefly that they're not really that interested. It's like I don't like that product They sell. I don't like the values. I read the website and felt so often me. I had a client say everybody was so young In the company. I don't want to be the oldest one, the one with more experience or even stuff like that, or the other way around. It seems so traditional, right, i don't want to be in such a traditional environment when I'm more creative. Once when you dig In the company you can check if you are really excited about it, if you are happy about it, and then you should go for that job because it's gonna show The interview.

Tim: 31:13

But if you realize that I'm not really into that job, then maybe you can still stop before going for an interview, because we put this will probably notice that And if you have an impact on the way they see you as a candidate yeah, that's such a good point, and I think one of the biggest things that stood out and advice for me when Looking for a job interview was that it depends on the position in which you're in, because if you're really needing a job, then you're not really able to say this, but if you come out of the mindset of This is just as much a job interview for them as it is for me, it really takes off a lot of that stress, and that was one of the big things back in the days when I was going through job interviews myself Was is this company one that I actually want to work for? I get that I'm the candidate who is being interviewed and I have to land this job, but do I even want this job? is that really something that I really want? so that's such a good point to kind of what you say and finding that. So we talked a bit about what jobs are available and then I guess, once you find that skill to then, you know, acquire that remote job, what are some of the things that would make you? I know obviously you do this all in your course and I want you to kind of elaborate on what you do in your course to help people prepare, so then they can reach out and obviously find you if they're looking for a remote job.

Tim: 32:29

But what is some of those things that would be required in a cover letter or what applications? just really simple, one oh one. What to do to stand out, because it's really difficult in this day and age to stand out When you have an inbox of 45 different applicants and you're just text on a screen. Is there something that you would do or advise people to do to make any kind of difference?

Juliana: 32:54

I would need like eight hours to answer to that. We have this time. Okay, that's what I do with my three months coaching program. You know two months coaching program. So I go deep into all those things. I don't have only courses, actually also have coaching programs, mentoring and all of that. So different formats to work with people.

Juliana: 33:14

But in a very superficial way I can say try to match as much as possible your application documents with the job requirements. So instead of having a generic resume that you use to apply to all the jobs, have a master one, like a generic one, but then you tailor it to make small adjustments before you apply for every job, because that will increase the chance that we do to see you as a good candidate, that you provide a stand out when the robots behind websites behind Behind job boards are screening the 500 applicants for their job and they come up with 50 that actually a human will check. So aligning that, adjusting your generic resume to the requirements of the application, will help you to stand out. Also. This is like before applying for the job but actually before doing that, check if it really makes sense to you to go for that company for that job because recruitment process. They are taking longer, way longer than I saw this change happening during the pandemic, right, i think people just had more time and they were like, okay, you hear from another department, you come here, talk to this country, or you too, i want to hear feedback so that more people involved The recruitment process in general and because they want interviews are done online. I think people still don't trust it too much. It's like let me send an assignment, let me ask for a business case, so that there are more steps to see if the person is really the right choice for the job. So recruitment process can be quite long.

Juliana: 34:47

So before you commit to it and just Spray and pray your resume or around like applied to 10 jobs per day and then wait for companies to contact you, be more careful and more intentional with finding the jobs and the companies that Make sense to you, that are aligned with not only what you want to do as a job that's also important but also Which remote companies will allow you to have the lifestyle that you want to have right. So, as we mentioned before, some companies will allow you to work from home and have flexibility in your schedule, which can be amazing If you, for example, have young kids and you want to be able to pick up them from school or stay with them if they feel sick one day, or have lunch with the kids. That's amazing. But if you want to be able to travel and work at the same time, you need to not kind of remote company that legally allow you to do that.

Juliana: 35:42

Right, some people, they hate meetings and they like to work during the night time, for example. So Working from a different country but from nine to six New York Times doesn't suit them. So they should go for an asynchronized Company that you allow you to work anytime of the day, as far as you meet your requirements. There will be no meetings, are very few meetings. So there are so many different kinds of remote jobs and flexibility level That you can have. So, instead of just start applying, do your homework and get familiar with all those options to see what do you really make sense considering the lifestyle That you want to be.

Tim: 36:24

First off, you said that like eight hours to three months. can you walk people through in a bit of detail what it is that you do in the benefit you provide with your company in your coaching?

Juliana: 36:35

So pretty much I use the knowledge I got working fifteen years as a recruiter, so I know what companies are looking for. I know what a good resume looks like. I know how to stand out in a job interview. I know the job seekers struggle, so I know this part Because of my background in recruitment.

Juliana: 36:51

I know also how is working, because I have been doing that for nine years, and I know how to guide people In the process. I combine all of that and I have different programs and courses to help people to land a remote job faster. So, from online courses to intensive mentoring that we work, for example, for four to six hours together, one on one, one in a group format, to the most extensive and exclusive program that I have, which is a three months coaching program that we are together for three months and I help you in all the steps That need to land a remote job and I am with you in the process. So, yeah, i have different ways to help people to land remote jobs. Definitely. I also have my YouTube channel, which is a free option. I have right now more than 88 videos about remote jobs, job interviews, how to use LinkedIn, career change and all of that, so it's also very good resource for people get to know me a bit better.

Tim: 37:52

Yeah, amazing, and will definitely include all of those things in the show notes for anyone interested. Alright, so to wrap up, i always ask a few questions. I wanted to touch on comedy improv, so I'll let you kind of decide. Like I know, that's one thing that you said that you enjoyed, but then I'll let you decide. Do you want to talk about comedy improv or favorite places that you revisit, because you said that there are a few places you always went back to revisit.

Juliana: 38:16

I love both topics. I don't know I can give a short version. So comedy improv I started like seven or eight years ago. I mean, i've been doing theater amateur theater and improv theater for 12 years in total, so it was a way that I chose to.

Juliana: 38:32

I was living in Spain already then I noticed that my English level was getting bit rusty. Then I moved to Ireland for a while to improve my English level. So when I went back to Spain I was like, okay, now I want to do things that it's not going to be a good thing, that expose me to speak in English on a daily basis, because you know where. That in Spain is not very common, so you need to put yourself in situation like that. And that's when I found amateur theater In English. And then I start also a job that I was using English every day, so I just loved theater. I think it was always on me. I'm very extrovert and I like to be honest. So it was just like a natural man, just like come, i didn't do this before.

Juliana: 39:09

And then when I moved to Barcelona, i found improv comedy, like improvisation theater, which is another side of the story, and it's so much fun. I made great friends that will improv. I learned about being on a stage get answers fast, even when you don't know what is happening. You can't read all the people's mind but still you work as a team, like voice projection, stage presence and all of that which is so helpful for life in general because you still need to figure it out, what are you gonna do and do something, and you cannot read people's mind, but you know, need to embrace the situation and keep going. So it's like actually very resourceful for life in general and very fun. I love it.

Tim: 39:51

Yeah, i was gonna say you can see it paid off. I didn't know about your background, but at the conference that you did in Bosnia Herzegovina you did an amazing job and very engaging, so I can see that you definitely have that stage presence.

Tim: 40:04

So I do all right yeah so, okay, and to kind of wrap it up, i always ask one question to see what people think. I typically stumped people, so I'm excited to see, hopefully, hopefully doesn't stump you. But if you can take all of your life experiences, turn around and give one piece of advice on those experiences, what would that piece of advice be?

Juliana: 40:26

My piece of advice would be do the things that make sense to you, even if it doesn't make sense for people around you.

Juliana: 40:35

So what I mean by that is when I was living in Brazil, was raised in Brazil, right, i never really fit completely Into the society, into the priorities, into this thing about you go to the university, you graduate to buy an apartment, you have a mortgage, you get married to have kids and have a stable job until you retire.

Juliana: 40:54

It never really made much sense to me and other things of mine with that. So I was kind of the black ship and I was not fitting in and people are not understanding my needs. So when I start traveling, when I moved to Spain and was exposed to other things, i was like, wow, there are other people Think like me, this is possible. So I start trusting more what I have always felt and making career and life decisions that would allow me to live like that. So yeah, connect with what makes sense to you, the lifestyle and how you want to spend your time, and stick to it, because most likely there is a way to live like that. You just need to, you know, ignore some people's feedback and be friends or learn from other people who have a different approach in life.

Tim: 41:41

Yeah, absolutely. It's kind of this kind of falls into that same thing of find your strengths in excel in your strengths as opposed to trying to excel in your weaknesses. Yeah, amazing advice. Yeah, cool. Well, juliana, this has been amazing. I know people will have enjoyed and gotten a lot from this. You mentioned your YouTube channel. Where else can people find you if they want to reach out?

Juliana: 42:03

You can find me on LinkedIn, juliana Rabi R-A-B-B-B-I, on my website on Instagram, so I can share all the links, but I always go with my real name, juliana Rabi R-A-B-B-B-I, so it's easy to find me online.

Tim: 42:19

All right, juliana, thank you so much for your time and we'll have to have you back.

Juliana: 42:23

Yes, thanks for the invitation.

Tim: 42:25

Cheers. And that wraps up another episode of Thoughts of a Random Citizen. Thank you everyone so much for tuning back in. For those who are new listeners welcome And I appreciate you joining. I hope you enjoyed the podcast and our guests today.

Tim: 43:00

If you are new and you're doing anything remote, be sure to check out Citizen Remote. It is fantastic. If you're already traveling the world, it's a great app to join a very quickly growing community. It's a great tool for those who are just about to begin traveling and figuring out how to navigate that, especially if you work remotely. It's a fantastic platform and we continue to build more and more tools for you guys, weekend and week out. Otherwise, if you're an entrepreneur and you're looking for tools or assistance with the next steps of what you need to do with your startup, or if you're looking for software development, network connections, reach out to the community. Network connections, reach out to us at Torque United. Otherwise, if you're just tuning in for the conversations, thank you.

Tim: 43:42

That's why I love doing what I'm doing. Keep tuning in and actually keep a lookout for the not-for-profit that we're about to open up. You know its main focus is going to be on international collaboration and helping build a borderless world, because it's something that I'm very passionate about. That's why I'm not only doing Torque United, but Citizen Remote as well. Really exciting stuff on that horizon. Please keep up to date with all of that stuff the not-for-profit and entrepreneurial side of things at Torque United. But again, if you're traveling the world, check out Citizen Remote. If you're wanting to travel the world, if you're a remote worker, check out Citizen Remote. Check out the app we've built for you guys. Check out the platform we've built. It's only growing every single week, so hopefully you guys will take part in that with us. Otherwise, i will speak with everyone in a fortnight. Until then, cheers.