How to Find Remote Jobs in Lakeview (Chicago, IL)

How to Find Remote Jobs in Lakeview (Chicago, IL)

💼 Introduction

Lakeview is one of Chicago’s most recognizable neighborhoods—home to Wrigley Field, tree-lined residential streets, and bustling commercial corridors along Clark, Belmont, and Southport. It’s also a fantastic base for remote workers: you’ll find dependable transit, plenty of work-friendly cafés, coworking spaces, and a deep pool of employers in the greater Chicago metro who hire fully remote or hybrid talent. This guide shows you how to find remote jobs while living in Lakeview: which job titles to target (with pay ranges), which platforms to use, local places to work and network, and proven tactics to get noticed and hired faster.

🏙️ Why Lakeview Is Great for Remote Work

Lakeview balances residential calm with big-city access. The Red, Brown, and Purple Lines connect you to the Loop and North Side tech corridors within minutes. That means even if your role is fully remote, you can easily attend the occasional client meeting, meetup, or interview in person. The neighborhood’s mix of apartments, condos, and vintage flats often includes workable nooks or spare rooms that convert into home offices without much effort.

Chicago’s economy spans finance, logistics, healthcare, media, manufacturing, and a rapidly expanding tech scene. Many companies headquartered in the Loop, West Loop, River North, and Fulton Market now hire remote talent across Illinois and the U.S. Living in Lakeview lets you tap into that job market while enjoying local amenities—lakefront paths for midday resets, parks for quick breaks, and an ever-growing lineup of coffee shops that support a few hours of focused work.

💻 Common Remote Job Titles & Pay

Pay varies by company, seniority, and specialization. Use the ranges below to benchmark offers (figures reflect broad U.S. ranges with many Chicago-area roles falling within them):

  • Software Engineer (Frontend/Backend/Full-Stack): $100,000–$165,000
  • Data Analyst / BI Analyst: $70,000–$115,000
  • Data Scientist / ML Engineer: $115,000–$180,000
  • Product Manager (Tech/SaaS): $110,000–$165,000
  • Project Manager (IT/Operations): $80,000–$125,000
  • DevOps / Cloud Engineer: $115,000–$175,000
  • Cybersecurity Analyst: $95,000–$155,000
  • UX/UI Designer: $80,000–$130,000
  • Graphic / Brand Designer: $55,000–$95,000
  • Digital Marketing Manager: $80,000–$125,000
  • SEO/Content Strategist: $60,000–$105,000
  • Copywriter / Content Writer: $50,000–$90,000
  • Social Media Manager: $55,000–$95,000
  • Customer Success / Account Manager (SaaS): $65,000–$115,000 (OTE can be higher)
  • Sales Development Rep / BDR: $55,000–$100,000 OTE
  • Customer Support Specialist: $40,000–$65,000
  • Staff Accountant / Bookkeeper: $55,000–$85,000
  • HR Generalist / Technical Recruiter: $60,000–$105,000
  • Instructional Designer / eLearning Developer: $70,000–$115,000
  • Healthcare Coder / Medical Biller: $48,000–$78,000
  • Paralegal (Remote/Contract): $55,000–$95,000
  • QA Tester / SDET: $85,000–$135,000
  • Business Analyst (Tech/Operations): $75,000–$120,000
  • Virtual Assistant / Operations Coordinator: $40,000–$65,000

Tip: Evaluate total compensation—bonus, equity, benefits, and WFH stipends. Some employers use location-based bands; if salary is fixed, negotiate on learning budgets, home office stipends, and an earlier comp review.

🔎 Where to Find Remote Jobs Online

Use a mix of large boards, remote-first sites, company pages, and professional associations. Create alerts so roles come to you.

  • LinkedIn Jobs: Filter for “Remote.” Follow Chicago-area employers and engage with hiring managers’ posts. Optimize your headline with keywords (e.g., “Remote Data Analyst | SQL • Tableau • Python”).
  • Indeed: Pair “remote” with your title. Use Boolean strings to refine results (e.g., (remote AND “product manager”) NOT internship).
  • ZipRecruiter: High volume and quick apply features; set niche alerts.
  • FlexJobs: Curated remote and flexible roles—great for non-tech and mid-career professionals.
  • Remote-first boards: We Work Remotely, Remote OK, Remotive—especially strong for dev, design, and product.
  • Company career pages: West Loop/Fulton Market tech firms, media companies, healthcare networks—many list “Remote in U.S.” roles.
  • Freelance platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal (for vetted dev/design). Build a niche profile and collect reviews.
  • Associations: AMA (marketing), SHRM (HR), ACHE (healthcare), AICPA (accounting) often list remote/hybrid openings.

Pro move: Set up 5–7 precise alerts by role and seniority (e.g., “Remote UX Designer” + “Fintech”). Apply within 24 hours of posting for the best response rate.

☕ Coworking & Work-Friendly Spots in and near Lakeview

Variety helps productivity. Use cafĂŠs for creative work, coworking for calls and collaboration, and your home office for deep focus:

  • Neighborhood coworking: Look for spaces along Belmont, Lincoln, or nearby North Center/Roscoe Village; check for day passes, phone booths, and meeting rooms.
  • WeWork / Industrious (nearby areas): Larger hubs toward the Loop, River North, and Fulton Market—useful for client meetings.
  • Local cafĂŠs: Independent coffee shops on Southport, Clark, and Broadway often welcome laptops—go during slower hours and support with purchases.
  • Chicago Public Library branches: Quiet tables and reliable Wi-Fi for heads-down reading or writing.
  • Lakefront & parks (weather permitting): Great for walking calls and mid-day resets to boost energy.

Tip: Timebox sessions—90-minute sprints with 10–15 minute breaks. Batch calls on coworking days; reserve deep work for home.

🧭 Neighborhood Logistics that Help Remote Pros

Transit: Red/Brown/Purple Line access plus bus routes make it easy to pop downtown or to tech clusters. Biking the lakefront trail is a fast, scenic option when weather cooperates.

Home office space: Many Lakeview units offer flex rooms or alcoves perfect for a desk and ring light. If space is tight, a folding desk and a collapsible backdrop can transform a corner into a professional setting.

Internet: Aim for 300–600 Mbps down and 20–35 Mbps up or higher for video-heavy roles. If you present often, consider gigabit and a wired Ethernet connection.

🛠️ Home Office & Tech Setup

Your setup influences productivity and how you’re perceived on calls.

  • Ergonomics: Chair with lumbar support, external keyboard/mouse, and a monitor arm to position screens at eye level.
  • Audio & lighting: USB mic or quality headset to reduce echo; key light at 45° for clear video.
  • Power & backup: A small UPS to keep modem/router up during brief outages; tether to phone as a fallback.
  • Security: MFA on all accounts, password manager, encrypted drive, and routine OS updates.
  • Privacy: Neutral background with a plant or bookshelf; avoid backlighting from windows.

🤝 Networking in Chicago’s Ecosystem

Chicago is rich with meetups, professional groups, and alumni networks. Even as a remote worker, local connections unlock referrals and unposted roles.

  • Meetups & user groups: Tech, data, design, and marketing events concentrate in River North, West Loop, and the Loop—easy to reach from Lakeview.
  • Coworking events: Lunch-and-learns, pitch nights, and office hours create warm intros to founders and hiring managers.
  • Alumni & associations: Join local chapters (AMA, SHRM, PMI, AIGA) for early access to openings and mentorship.
  • Volunteer sprints: Offer a small project to a nonprofit or startup—great portfolio material and fast-tracked relationships.

Always follow up within 24 hours after events with a short note and a link to your portfolio or LinkedIn. Consistent, light-touch follow-ups compound.

📝 Resume, Portfolio & Profile Optimization

Signal “remote-ready” in seconds. Hiring teams skim fast, so clarity wins.

  • Headline: “Remote Senior Product Manager | B2B SaaS | PLG, Analytics” — role + niche + outcomes.
  • Impact bullets: Lead with metrics (“Reduced churn 11%,” “Cut cycle time 28%,” “$2.1M pipeline influenced”).
  • Tools & stack: Collaboration (Slack, Zoom, Jira/Asana, Notion) + role-specific platforms.
  • Portfolio: 3–5 case studies with problem, approach, and measured results; link it in resume and LinkedIn.
  • LinkedIn: Open to Work, custom URL, recommendations, featured work samples.

🎯 Applying Strategically (Speed + Relevance)

A simple daily system from Lakeview can multiply results:

  • Template kit: One master resume + 3 tailored versions (tech, ops, creative). Two cover letter variants to customize.
  • Daily cadence: 30–45 minutes scanning alerts; apply to 3–5 high-fit roles; engage with 2–3 hiring-manager posts.
  • Referrals first: Before cold-applying, check second-degree connections for intros.
  • Pipeline tracking: Spreadsheet or Airtable with role, source, date, status, contact, and follow-up.
  • Follow up: 5–7 days post-application with a short, value-forward note and a relevant sample.

🗣️ Acing Remote Interviews

Show communication chops, autonomy, and collaboration skills.

  • Test your setup: Quiet room, stable internet, and a quick tech check 15 minutes before.
  • STAR stories: Prepare 6–8 examples that highlight measurable outcomes in distributed teams.
  • Live collaboration: Be ready to screen-share a doc, design, or analysis and narrate decisions.
  • Ask smart questions: “How does your team handle async communication?” “What are core hours across time zones?”
  • Close strong: Thank-you email with one actionable idea related to the role.

💰 Salary, Benefits & Negotiation

Negotiate with data and flexibility.

  • Research: Cross-reference ranges from multiple sources; define your target and your floor.
  • Total comp: Clarify bonus, equity, 401(k) match, healthcare, WFH stipends, and learning budgets.
  • Frame your value: Tie compensation to the outcomes you’ll deliver in the first 90 days.
  • If base is capped: Ask for a sign-on, earlier review, variable comp, or increased stipends.

🏡 Work–Life Fit in Lakeview

Design routines that leverage the neighborhood’s strengths.

  • Deep work mornings: Home office with notifications off; quick walk for a midday reset.
  • Meetings mid-day: Book a coworking room or cafĂŠ corner for better on-camera energy.
  • Movement: Lakefront trail, local gyms, or yoga studios to keep energy high.
  • Community: Attend one professional event per week to “keep the luck surface area” large.
  • Boundaries: A shutdown ritual (review tasks, plan tomorrow’s top three) to prevent overwork.

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Generic applications: Tailor to the job and mirror the language in the posting.
  • Slow to apply: Great remote roles fill fast—alerts and a daily apply block help.
  • Weak audio/lighting: If they can’t hear or see you clearly, you’ll struggle to convey value.
  • No proof of work: Even non-design roles benefit from concise case studies.
  • Ignoring time zones: State your working hours and communication norms upfront.

✅ Your 7-Day Action Plan

Follow this focused sequence from Lakeview to build momentum quickly:

  • Day 1: Refresh LinkedIn (headline, About, keywords). Turn on “Open to Work.”
  • Day 2: Create a master resume + 2–3 tailored versions. Draft a short, customizable cover letter.
  • Day 3: Set targeted job alerts across 3–4 boards for your top two roles.
  • Day 4: Publish or update a portfolio/case study (can be a Notion or GitHub page).
  • Day 5: Attend a local meetup or virtual event; send 3 follow-up messages.
  • Day 6: Apply to 5 high-fit roles; request 1–2 referrals.
  • Day 7: Review metrics, refine keywords, and plan next week’s targets.

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