How would you like an insider to guide you through the Tulsa Remote application process? As a Tulsa Remote alum, I’ve got you. I know the idea of “applying” for anything can be a bit nerve racking so in this blog post I’m going to break down the application step by step. By the end of this post, you’ll be very clear on what it takes to apply for Tulsa Remote. You can also opt to watch my Youtube video breaking this down as well.
What is Tulsa Remote?
First of all, let’s break down what Tulsa Remote is. Tulsa Remote is a unique recruiting initiative aimed at recruiting remote workers to live, work, and grow in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As an incentive for remote workers to move to Tulsa, the program offers the following benefits:
- Three year membership to a coworking space
- Activities and events organized by the Tulsa Remote team
- Access to a community of people to connect and network with
- Health and wellness benefits
- $10,000 grant
The program started in 2018 and has welcomed over 3,000 remote workers to Tulsa since its inception.
How to Apply for the Program?
Applying for the program is pretty straight forward, the first step is to complete an application. You don’t need to prepare a video. You don’t need to upload anything. You don’t need a resume or cover letter. You just need to click on the application and fill it out.
I do have a special invitation link for you to complete the Tulsa Remote application. It will let them know I sent you 😉
The application takes about ten (10) minutes to complete so make sure you set aside a little bit of time to do so.
Also, you can complete the application on a mobile phone, tablet, or desktop.
The Tulsa Remote Application Broken Down
In this section, we are going to go step by step through the Tulsa Remote Application and discuss each section as well as what questions you can expect to be asked.
Eligibility
The first section of the Tulsa Remote application is related to eligibility. I really like that they ask these things up front and let you know immediately if you’re eligible to move forward with the process. This saves you the time of completing a full application only to find out you weren’t eligible in the first place.
Let’s go through the things you need to be eligible to participate in the program, shall we?
In order to be eligible to participate in the Tulsa Remote program, you must meet the following requirements:
- At least 18 years of age
- Currently have full-time remote employment as a Full-Time Employee, Business Owner, or Contractor
- Able to live and work in Tulsa for 1 year
- Must be authorized to work in the United States
- Not have been a resident of the state of Oklahoma for the past year
That’s it! Those are the eligibility requirements. Once you clear those requirements you’ll be taken into the full application.
Work and Basic Info
In this section of the Tulsa Remote application, they’re going to ask basic information about you. Here is the list of questions you will be asked:
- Can you provide your title and company name?
- If you’re an employee: Give us a brief overview of your role and responsibilities
- If you’re an entrepreneur: Give us a brief overview of what your company does
- What range best fits your estimated total annual income
- Do you manage other employees? If so, how many?
- Are you able to provide proof of income documents? (These documents will be provided after you’re approved)
- Could you commit to moving to Tulsa for a year and making Tulsa your primary residence?
- What is your current zip code?
- Have you ever lived in Tulsa?
- Do you have family or friends in Tulsa?
- What is your current address? When did you start living there?
- What is the highest level of education that you’ve completed?
- What industry do you work in?
- Are you on Linkedin? If yes, please share your link
That’s all of the questions about your current job and basic info about where you live or have lived.
Community
In the community section, you’ll be asked a few questions about your current community participation and what you hope to get out of the community in Tulsa. Here is a list of the questions you’ll be asked in this section:
- Describe your moving plans before hearing about Tulsa Remote
- In your current community do you regularly volunteer or are you a member of any community groups?
- What makes you a great fit for Tulsa Remote?
- How does diversity and inclusion align with your beliefs, passions, and motivations?
- What category best describes your race/ethnicity?
- What is your relationship status?
- What is your uniformed service status/history?
- Do you currently have any disabilities?
A few things I want to hit on about this section are the “essay” style questions and the identifying questions:
Essay Style Questions in the Tulsa Remote Application
I know the “tell me why you’re a great fit” question can often put pressure on you to “say the right things”. As an “insider” I have to tell you that I don’t believe there is any silver bullet or that there are any “key words” you MUST say to absolutely get selected for the program. This is not a job application. If it were, I would tell you to go through the job application and identify the key words that are mentioned the most and mentioned first and be sure to use those in your cover letter. In this case, I’m going to tell you to be authentic and genuinely share why YOU think you’d be a great addition to the Tulsa Remote community. Note, this is a community full of so many different types of people so they are not looking for one or two personas.
Identifying Questions in the Tulsa Remote Application
Anytime you’re filling out an application and they ask about race, gender, sexual orientation, or anything of the sort, there is always this thought in the back of our heads that we may be disqualified or overlooked based on our answers. In this case, these questions are for demographics. Tulsa Remote does an excellent job of collecting data on their applicants as well as their participants. It helps them tell the best story about the program and its impacts. It also helps them to be clear on the picture of who they are reaching and who is interested in the program. So don’t be shy about filling these questions out. They are for the purpose of gathering data and telling a complete story about Tulsa Remote.
This section is probably the longest section to complete. Once you get done with it, you’re ALMOST done.
Social
In the social section, the nice folks on the Tulsa Remote team just want to get to know you better socially and, before you get to Tulsa, the best way to do that is online. Here are the questions you’ll be asked in this section:
- Do you have a website or portfolio? If so, please share the URL
- Do you have any social media you’d like to share? If so, drop the links
- Tell us a little bit about yourself? Here you can talk about your interests, hobbies, lifestyle, etc.
- How did you hear about the Tulsa Remote Program?
and that’s it! You’ve complete the Tulsa Remote Application!!!
Next Steps
Once your application has been submitted, you’ll want to give the Tulsa Remote team up to four (4) weeks to respond. If you are not selected, you can apply again after 6 months. If you ARE selected, you’ll be invited to a Tulsa Remote interview.
Tulsa Remote Interview
I often get questions about what to say in the Tulsa Remote interview. Honestly, this interview is so much different than a job interview. That said, there is no specific thing you should absolutely say in order to get chosen for the program. The one thing you should absolutely do is be authentic and genuine. They are looking for people genuinely interested in the program. Folks who will truly benefit from the program and who will enhance the TR community, engage, and bring good vibes!
The TR interview is really an informal discussion and it’s not just for the Tulsa Remote team to determine if you’re a good fit for the program, it’s also for you to decide if the program is a good fit for you. Feel free to ask them questions about the program as well. Think through what would be important for you if you decided to pack up your life and move to a new state for an entire year.
Background Check and Income Verification
If you are invited into the Tulsa Remote program after your interview, you will complete a background check and income verification. The background check is pretty straight forward. You will receive a link to a 3rd party verifier. You’ll fill out your personal information, and the background check will be completed. The results will be sent to Tulsa Remote, and you will receive a notification about the progress of the background check.
For income verification, you will be asked to send or upload documentation verifying your income. You can provide the following documents to verify your income for the program:
- Income Tax Return
- Pay Stubs/Pay Statements
- Profit and Loss Statements
- Bank Statements
Visit Tulsa
Once you are approved for the Tulsa Remote program, you have one full year to move to Tulsa. So you don’t have to immediately pack your things, break your lease, hop in a Uhaul and get your butt to Tulsa. You’ve got time! Also, before you make the move, you can do a Tulsa Remote Hosted Visit in order to get to know Tulsa, finalize your decision to do the program and look for housing. There are two types of Tulsa Visits, self-guided or hosted.
If you do an individual, self-guided visit, that means you are planning to visit Tulsa on your own, you will be reimbursed up to $500 for your travel expenses. If you do a Hosted Visit, you will be able to participate in activities and events curated by the Tulsa Remote team and you’ll be visiting with a group of people who are also interested in moving to Tulsa
Orientation
The last step to complete to become an OFFICIAL Tulsa Remoter is to schedule your orientation. You can schedule your orientation before you move, but orientation is completed once you have moved to Tulsa.
Once you have moved to Tulsa, and completed your orientation, all of the benefits of the program are unlocked.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’RE NOW PART OF TULSA REMOTE!
Hopefully, this breakdown made you feel a lot more confident about the Tulsa Remote Application process and you’re ready to apply for the program.
If you’d like to learn more about the program, feel free to check out these helpful videos:
