USU Extension to offer free professional tech sales training in partnership with MarketStar

Utah State University Extension recently received a $500,000 grant to fund a two-year program that trains rural Utah residents as technology sales professionals who can work remotely for MarketStar, a Utah-based leader in the outsourced business-to-business inside sales industry. “These are well-paying positions with upward mobility that will allow employees to work from home,” said Paul Hill, USU Extension professor. “We know from our research that remote jobs bring higher incomes and a greater quality of life for individuals and families in our rural communities, which in turn stimulates economic growth and diversity.” Training will begin in January 2023 with a goal of 200 program participants over the two-year project.

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Student of the month: David Keith

"My name is David Keith, I am a cattle rancher in Utah. I chose to take the Rural Online Initiative class for the Remote Work Professional certificate to learn more about the option to work remotely. Living as rurally as we do, there are no real options for off-ranch income. This remote work course has taught me a great deal about how to go about gaining employment and working professionally from home. My remote employment will help my family to be able to stay on the ranch and afford to sustain four generations of our family during this time of inflation."

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Remote Tea: Helping your remote team (and yourself) avoid burnout and isolation

Join us for Remote Tea, a discussion forum for leaders and managers who want to sharpen their skills for leading remote and hybrid teams.

Next session: Thursday, Oct. 20, 12 p.m. MT

Topic: Burnout, its signs, and how to avoid it

Remote work has become a norm over the past couple of years. It turns out that remote workers are oftentimes more productive and more focused when they’re working remotely. However, they also tend to work longer hours as well, which can lead to burnout. And remote managers are not immune to burnout either. There is also the possibility of feelings of isolation from your team when you’re remote. Join us for Remote Tea, a webinar series for remote leaders, where we will discuss the various aspects of remote work and their effect on leadership styles in today’s workplace. This week, burnout and isolation.

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Virtual Info Meeting on remote work

When: Wednesday, October 26th, at 6:00 PM MT

What: Learn how to:

Successfully find and succeed in a remote work job
Learn effective tools and communication as a remote worker
Understand how USU Extension helps you find remote opportunities

Who: 17+ years old (must have prior work experience)

Where: Zoom - Register to get Zoom link

ROI Partner of the Month

This month we've selected Rebecca Dilg as the ROI Partner of the Month. Rebecca has been a cheerleader and advocate for our program since its inception. She is the director of the Utah Broadband Center, part of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. Rebecca is working with us as we find new students for our Certified Remote Work Professional course to promote the federally funded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The purpose of the ACP can provide monthly subsidy for households struggling to pay for internet service. It can help connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and more. Find your local participating internet service provider at acp.utah.gov.

Remote Jobs

Business Analyst - State of Utah

Customer Service Rep - Marriott

Multimedia Designer - Slack

The top 3 skills you need to land a work-from-anywhere job in 2022

Google searches for "remote jobs" have reached an all-time high since the Covid-19 pandemic first hit in early 2020, with 32% of people affirming that they prefer an exclusively remote work arrangement, according to a June 2022 Gallup survey of 8,090 U.S. employees. If you're hoping to land a remote job that will let you work from home, adding these skills to your resume can help you stand out from the crowd in your search. Spoiler alert: we teach these skills (and more) in our Certified Remote Work Professional course.

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Uber asks employees to return to office twice a week

This is part of the trend we see towards organized hybrid-remote work. Uber had let employees choose their hybrid-remote days, but now wants to coordinate office days so employees are in together. They picked Tue and Thurs anchor days, which is the most common option.

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Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution and is committed to a learning and working environment free from discrimination. For USU’s non-discrimination notice, see equity.usu.edu/non-discrimination.