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Remote working has become more common than ever after the pandemic left everyone with no other choice than to work from home. Though the offices have reopened now, understandably many of you want to continue working remotely. After all, the perks of remote working are undeniable. From enjoying greater flexibility at work to better work-life balance, a remote job promises it all.
So, the important thing for you to focus on now is to find a remote job that suits your needs. To help with your job search in 2022, here’s a complete guide that will show you the way. Read on!
1. Figure out whether a remote job will suit you
The first thing you need to do is to figure out whether a remote job is right for you. The fact that you can work from the comfort of your home and need to spend no money to travel anywhere is a lucrative perk.
But remote work also means working all alone at home every single day. The lack of any human interaction at work for days and months can feel depressive after a while.
Also, if you are sure that you want a remote job, you have to be an expert at time management. You might have chosen a remote job to balance family and work life but make sure that your family time is eating into your work hours and leading to a seemingly never-ending work day.
2. Understand the language they are using
There are loads of different terms used to denote remote job opportunities. Yes, not everyone calls it a ‘remote job’ or ‘work from the home job’ anymore. You need to know all these different terminologies because you might end up missing opportunities simply because you misinterpreted the job description.
So, instead of saying ‘remote job,’ your company could be saying –
- virtual or online job
- fully or completely distributed workforce
- work at home
- agile workforce
- work from anywhere
- telecommuting job
Though these are just a few common examples, other similar terms can also be used by the employer. When you know about these subtle differences, you can fine-tune your job search even better.
3. A fully or partially distributed remote team
There is a huge difference between a partially and fully distributed workforce, and you need to have a clear idea about which one you want to go for. A fully distributed workforce is where all the employees are working remotely. On the other hand, only some of the employees work remotely in a partially distributed workforce.
A major advantage of a fully distributed workforce is that they have a proper onboarding and management system for their employees. But such a dedicated process tends to be absent in the case of many partially distributed companies. If you work at a company where there are only two-three remote working employees and there is no onboarding process, it can be an issue.
Of course, this does not mean that none of the partially distributed companies have a proper onboarding process. It’s just that the chances of that happening are far more.
4. Know about the locational requirements
Now, you might be thinking why would remote work have locational requirements? Well, they do in some cases! You might be in a line of jobs where you need to meet clients now and then, even though you do not need to come to the office. For that reason, the company might want to be staying in a particular town or city.
Maybe you are in the kind of job where you need to take business trips frequently. The company might be looking for someone who stays close to the airport so that they can send you on such trips when necessary.
In fact, in some cases, the company wants their remote employees to stay in the same city even if they don’t have to come to the office every day.
5. Write your resume focusing on remote jobs
It is time to sit down and write an excellent resume that can attract and impress more employers. Since you are trying to land a remote job, your resume has to focus on skills that make you the most suitable candidate in that regard.
For instance, mention your expertise in using the popular remote working tools in your line of work. It helps the recruiters understand that you will not face any technological challenge in joining the company and working for them.
Pay attention to how you are communicating through your resume. Communication is a major area of focus for any remote employer. The last thing they would want is to fail due to a lack of proper communication with the employee.
6. Write a good cover letter for the remote job
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If you are preparing a cover letter as a part of your remote job search, ensure that your cover letter reflects that as well. Research about the company and the job role, and the recruiter will appreciate the effort you have put into that effect.
In case you have prior experience working remotely, do not forget to mention that in your cover letter. Employers will see that you are prepared to take up a remote job role, which will improve your chances of getting hired.
Also, mention the hard and soft skills that you have to be good at the job. Maybe you are great at time management or have cross-cultural understanding. You can have hard skills in terms of tools and tech used.
7. Start searching on different job portals
Nowadays, there are a host of job portals where you can find full-time, remote job opportunities. LinkedIn – the social network for professionals like you – is a good place to start. But do not limit your search only to LinkedIn.
Register yourself and open a profile in the top job portals to look for jobs. You can try using different filters to find the type of job that you are looking for. So, apart from using ‘remote’ as a filter, use other filters like the date on which the job was posted or the salary range.
In other words, the filters you use should mainly be the non-negotiable terms of your job, such as working from home or getting a particular salary.
8. Set up the tools necessary for the interview
After applying for a few jobs, expect to get calls from the recruiters. They might ask you to appear for a virtual interview at a specific date and time. Now that you know how to find remote jobs, you will have to prepare yourself for the interview.
On the day before the interview, check all the equipment you will need for that purpose. Make sure that your internet connection is stable enough and that your computer or laptop is working fine.
These are the things that you will need to work remotely. Therefore, a laptop that is slow or has an unstable internet connection does not leave a positive impression. So, get your equipment and the internet connection fixed before the interview if needed.
9. Ask the questions you have about the work
At a certain point in the interview, the interviewer will also give you the chance to ask about the company or your prospective job role. Use this opportunity to clarify any doubts or queries you have. Remember that this also shows that you are actively interested in the job and not treating it as just another company you are interviewing for.
Start by asking them about the onboarding process, as mentioned before. How do they manage their remote workforce? Is there any need to travel? Are regular team meetings held between all the remote workers? How are you expected to do your job when working remotely?
Answers to all these questions will give you a clear idea about what you might be getting into if you pass the interview.
10. Keep applying for similar jobs on job portals
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You can register for free on most of the job portals nowadays, and there are loads of postings for remote jobs. Thus, finding remote jobs that suit you should not be too difficult. Remember the idea is not to stop at applying for just one or two jobs. Keep applying to as many similar jobs as you can.
When the recruiters find your profile suitable and give you a call for an interview, appear for those interviews. Ultimately, you might get a job offer from more than one place, which means you will have more options to choose from. Then, you can evaluate all the options you have before you and go for the one that suits you the most in every possible way.
Parting note
Follow the ten easy tips mentioned above and you can land the perfect remote job for yourself. Get those job applications out and let the recruiters know that you are the right fit for the role. It would not take you too long to land a job.