How I Work Remotely: Juste Semetaite

Introduction:

Hey 👋 My name is Juste Semetaite; I’m the Marketing Lead at Toggl Hire, the smart candidate screening and skills testing platform. I’ve been in marketing for 10+ years, although I never set out to be a marketer. I’m only slightly obsessed with life-long learning and always have at least one skill that I’m trying to master.

Remote work comes naturally to me, so I’m fortunate to work at a fully distributed company that understands such a setup's nuances! Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, traveling, good docu-series, and unraveling the mysteries of detective stories.

Current Gig?

I’ve recently joined Toggl Hire as their Marketing Lead. We’re a small but growing team with huge ambitions ☺️

Current Location?

I’m currently based in Vilnius, Lithuania 🇱🇹 But I often travel back to London where my family lives, so remote work is a gift!

Where can we follow you on the Internet?

Facebook, LinkedIn

Describe how you work in 10 words or less?

I work in bursts of creation, batching & scheduling all tasks.

Tell us a little bit about your background & how did you got started with remote work?

I have always been fascinated by the idea of running my own small business, which eventually led me to freelancing and starting a boutique content agency – which is very similar to working remotely! 🤩 You own your schedule and your results – if work doesn’t get done, you can only blame yourself. I then somehow went from freelance-based to in-house with one of my clients… 😄

When we relocated to Vilnius from London with our new baby, I continued working remotely with the same company. Then Covid hit, and suddenly remote work became the new normal! It is, however, the first time I’m experiencing a true remote asynchronous work culture, as this is how things are done at Toggl Hire – and it’s pretty amazing. I struggle to understand why companies still force people into the office full-time 🤷

What job responsibilities do you have?

I own marketing results at Toggl Hire, which entails a lot of things, as most marketers would attest. My team’s mission is to help more companies discover a skills-based hiring process through the power of marketing and accelerate the shift to modern-day recruitment practices. 🤘 And we do that through a rich arsenal of tactics – from SEO to PR. It never gets boring!

Take us through your typical weekday?

That’s a tricky question! My days vary a lot based on what projects we’re working on and what batches of work I have planned for myself 🗓️

I would typically start my day with a glance over the key metrics and dashboards 📊, checking who signed up and what roles they’ve opened – this helps me build up the internal catalog of ideas, recognize patterns, and stay on top of the general trendline.

Then I’d go through our social media channels and all the unread Slack messages that arrived since I logged off. Then a quick coffee break ☕ and onto the task batches! We have very few meetings besides team-wide updates and 1to1’s, so it’s easy to plan work.

I work from a co-working space, and we tend to go out for lunch together – it’s like having another team to discuss, ideate and share cool stuff ☺️

What's your workspace setup like?

I’m thrilled to be working from a co-working space! We have standing desks and proper lighting. When I work from home, I tend to do it from our dining table… Definitely not a role model here. The only positive thing I would say about my workspace setup is that I keep it clean and tidy! 😄

Workstation

What apps, gadgets, or tools can't you live without?

I use Slack, Notion, Toggl Plan, LinkedIn, WordPress, and Grammarly for work. Outside of work, I’m a heavy user of Spotify for podcasts, Audiobooks, Strava, and Revolut.

Aside: Find out more about common remote tools and gears used by remote workers in 2021.

How do you keep track of what you need to prioritize?

We use the magic mix of Toggl Plan + Notion for planning all projects. The Kanban board is a simple but effective way to stay on top of priorities. But I always have a pen and notebook handy to write down the essential things – old-fashioned like that 😊

How do you recharge or take a break?

I love early-morning runs while listening to my favorite podcasts or audiobooks. It’s usually the time when I come up with my best ideas! But, of course, I also spend a lot of time with my son in playgrounds, which takes my mind off many things.

I just finished "David and Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell and started "Why we sleep?" by Matthew Walker.

For non-fiction readers, I would recommend sinking their teeth into "Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou; "Good to Great" by Jim Collins; "Catch & Kill" by Ronan Farrow; "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight; "Optionality: How to Survive and Thrive in a Volatile World" by Richard Meadows. My all-time favorite fiction book is the Canon of Sherlock Holmes 🕵️‍♀️

Advice for someone who is looking to switch to a remote job?

Choose a company with an established remote-first culture and processes to enjoy the true benefits of remote work! Companies that hire remotely are not necessarily distributed companies (big difference!), so be sure to ask some tough questions about their remote-work rules and best practices.

Aside: Learn how to find a remote job?

Top-drawer communication skills; discipline and ownership; commitment to excellence.

What, according to you, are the pros and cons of remote work?

Remote work begins with trust, and that’s already something. But, of course, the most significant benefits are flexibility and freedom, the opportunity to design your work around your life and not the other way around.

You save so much time on the commute and choose your workspace based on how you feel that day – which is all in favor of being happier, more productive, and in tune with your best self.

From the employer’s side, you’re not locked in with local talent only, and that’s a serious game-changer!

Some people struggle with remote work because they need in-person interaction to stay 'in the loop' with projects. Extroverted people may also get lonely if they work from home a lot… But this is really a personal choice and something to be considered before one decides to go remote!

Want to work remotely like Juste? We recommend going over the list of top remote companies allowing work from home. Facing issues searching for a remote job and don't know where to look? We has the latest remote jobs posted in various categories to help you. Learn how to write the perfect resume and cover letter for a remote job and connect with like-minded remote job seekers in our LinkedIn and Facebook community.