Accidentally Remote

I know that my story goes a little differently than those of many others who turned freelance or remote after the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t think that’s because my experience is particularly unique, but more because we really like to share tales of success, and less often tales of things-going-a-little-differently-than-expected.

Met by a surprise or two

I’m from Trinidad and Tobago. I am a designer and artist with a BA in Graphic Design and Psychology, and I love crafting brands. My focus lies on typography, website design, and branding.

In 2019, after getting my degree in the US, I got a work visa as well, sponsored by a local company I was super excited to join as a graphic designer. Problem was, said company was facing massive restructuring, about three months into my time there. As it usually happens, as one of the last to arrive, I was one of the first to go.‍

This was annoying. More importantly, it was something I just hadn’t planned for. I’m not even sure whether it is something you can plan for.‍

Luckily, I soon got hold of another opportunity as a part-time designer. However, my visa application process was all messed up, so my employer suggested I work remotely from Trinidad and Tobago while I took a second shot at it. It was a super kind offer, and I gladly took it.

COVID happened just as I arrived back home. I don’t know how you would plan for that, either.

The borders closed, the visa application process was messed up for good. I was allowed to stay with my new employer from abroad (in fact, I’m still with them today), but based on my experiences since, I don’t think I would’ve cinched my spot had they not initially expected me to come back to the US. I’ve been living and working in Trinidad and Tobago since.

During this time, I learned two things: one, that it is difficult to convey the need for graphic designers locally, and that the opportunities for in-house designers are slim to none. Two, despite remote work being common nowadays, it is incredibly difficult to find a permanent position with a company abroad.

Anybody looking for a designer?

Trinidad and Tobago is far less digitized than the US. Because of this, I found that explaining the need for an in-house designer was near impossible — I literally only see singular local job ads for designers once every few weeks, and essentially none if we’re talking permanent positions.

I had to regear. That was difficult because I had to take a step back from what I initially thought my design career would look like. I knew there were opportunities floating around, but I couldn’t get to them as directly as I would’ve liked to.

Though the web hasn’t arrived at the center of life in Trinidad and Tobago, there is a noticeable transformation. Specifically, businesses are becoming aware of the opportunities connected to having a website.

I spotted my chance and based my profile on being able to help establish an online presence. If you’re new to it, there are a lot of questions about having a website, and I am able to answer them — even more so because a lot of the businesses in question are e-commerce sites, and common services like PayPal don’t work over here.

Today, most of my design work is born out of an upsell after helping businesses set up their website. Again, it’s not how I thought this would be going for me, but I’m glad I could make it work.

Facing a common bias

I would still prefer a permanent in-house position, but that is where I came across my second challenge: Hiring managers abroad seem extremely reluctant to employ talent from outside the US, or maybe specifically from where I live.

Often, I’ll run through an entire application process to be told “no” at the final minute. That’s usually around the time that abstract administrative concerns get brought up, which, if they were real, I feel could’ve been mentioned a lot earlier.

The truth is, I suspect that between hiring an American in the US, and a foreigner abroad, the American will always seem the safer bet — somehow.‍

I think that hiring locally is an instinctive bias, and I feel like nobody can or wants to put a finger on why they feel that way. Because of this, I also try not to take it personally, but it’s annoying nonetheless.‍

Other times, I’m offered the job, but at a much lower rate than the local candidates. The kicker is that I’m never offered a rate that seems appropriate to the cost of life difference between here and the US. In fact, I’m usually offered pay rates that are so extraordinarily low, that it would be impossible for me to live off them, whether in Trinidad and Tobago or not.

I’ve racked my head about this a few times. In the end, I’ve decided I just don’t get it.

Looking ahead

As you can tell, I have mixed feelings. For one, I am very grateful for the opportunity I was able to retain throughout COVID and since. I’m also happy that I’ve found a way to establish my career back home, along with a small handful of other talented designers here.

On the other hand, it feels like things are more complicated than they ought to be. Why is it so hard to find a position as an in-house designer in a country where qualified in-house designers are so desperately needed? I wish there was an easy answer.

I have a few hopes for the future: If it really is an administrative issue — which I don’t entirely believe, or rather think is much smaller than people make it out to be — I hope that it’s something that we can bridge soon enough. In such a digital environment, it shouldn’t be much harder to onboard someone from their home office in San Francisco than from their home office in Trinidad and Tobago.

If it is an issue of prejudice or unwarranted concern, I hope that the current shift to remote work educates more hiring managers. Not only would I like to see a growing awareness for this passive stereotyping, but also for the fantastic opportunities that companies are missing out on because of it.

The world is literally chock full of incredible talent. Why not make use of it?