How To Apply For A Remote Job: Everything You Need To Know – Forbes

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Remote work has become increasingly popular since the Covid-19 pandemic’s onset. In fact, when given the opportunity to work from home, 87% of U.S. workers take it.

You may be wondering how to find a remote job yourself. With more employers offering flexible work options—and a long list of benefits to remote working—many workers are taking the plunge. Here’s how to find remote jobs.

Optimize Your Resume for Remote Jobs

Whether you’re applying for an in-person job or a remote one, you’ll need to tailor your resume to match the job description. For remote jobs, this process takes a little extra fine-tuning.

Specify That You’re Looking for Remote Work

Be clear about your intentions on your resume. If your resume includes a summary or objective statement, use that section to state that you’re looking for remote work. Be specific: Mention if you’re open to hybrid or fully remote work environments, or both.

You might also consider writing “location independent” on your resume instead of offering up a physical address. That said, some remote jobs are location-specific (especially if they follow a hybrid work model). If that’s the case, include your proximity to that location.

Emphasize Remote-Relevant Skills

Remote employers seek employees who can thrive in a remote workplace. Showcase exactly how you’re the right fit by emphasizing remote-relevant skills, like time management and flexibility.

Moreover, remote organizations require solid communication capabilities and the ability to learn new technologies quickly. You’ll want to mention your knowledge of digital collaboration tools like Zoom, Google Drive and Microsoft Teams.

Highlight Any Previous Remote Work

Be sure to include any previous remote work experience. Underscore your wins and how you contributed to the remote work culture. (Were you an excellent communicator? Did you improve remote workflows and processes?)

If you haven’t had a remote job in the past, think about the times you’ve demonstrated remote-relevant skills in other positions. For example, perhaps you’ve worked flexibly with colleagues across time zones. Or maybe you’re a master self-starter with very little need for direct supervision. These experiences and characteristics are worth mentioning.

Learn the Remote Work Buzzwords

Not all remote jobs are created equal. You’ll be able to tell the difference by the words used in the job listings. Some key terms and phrases to look out for are:

  • Hybrid. A hybrid work environment involves working partly in a physical workplace and partly remotely, whether at home or from another workspace such as a coworking office.
  • Telecommuting. This is a pretty outdated term, but it still appears frequently on remote job postings. Telecommuting simply means working from home.
  • Distributed workforce. A distributed workforce indicates an all-remote organization. You and your coworkers all work from home.
  • Virtual or online job. Another term for a remote job. All the work is done online from home or a remote office.
  • Flexible job. By definition, anything that isn’t a typical 9-to-5 office job can be considered a flexible job. In the context of remote job-hunting, this could mean hybrid work or partial remote work.

Know Where to Look for Listings

Remote jobs are everywhere, but you need to know where to look to find them. Be aware that some job boards are geared toward in-person positions, while others are dedicated to fully remote jobs.

Traditional Job Boards

Keep in mind that while you’ll find remote jobs on traditional job boards, you’ll need to set your location to “remote” while searching.

Glassdoor. Glassdoor is more than just a job board—it’s also a great resource for discovering more about a prospective employer’s brand. Alongside job listings, Glassdoor provides authentic company ratings and reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions and benefits reviews.

Indeed. Upload your resume and let employers find you. Indeed gives job-seekers a platform to upload their resumes in minutes, along with plenty of job listings for remote and in-person jobs as well.

LinkedIn. There are lots of benefits to using LinkedIn. Beyond widening your professional network, LinkedIn allows you to tailor your searches to remote work. LinkedIn also allows you to personalize your profile and job-seeking status, so employers can see in real time if you’re available for work and looking for remote opportunities.

ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter makes job-hunting easy with a one-click application system, but it’s still best practice to customize your resume to each job before applying. The platform also notifies you of recruiters in your area who might be interested in your resume.

Remote-Specific Job Boards

Flexjobs. FlexJobs is an online platform that connects job-seekers to remote, work-from-home and flexible job opportunities. FlexJobs listings span over 50 career categories and include jobs around the globe. You can search for jobs under the “work from anywhere” category or search within a specific location. FlexJobs also offers career-coaching services, including one-on-one coaching services and webinars and events.

Jobspresso. Jobspresso connects job-hunters to positions in tech, marketing, customer support and other industries. Each job is hand-picked, manually reviewed and curated by the Jobspresso team. All you need to do is upload your resume and begin your search. You can also subscribe to Jobspresso’s notifications and get daily job updates on social media.

Remote.co. Remote.co offers a variety of resources for finding remote work. Browse the platform’s library of tips for hiring and working remotely, or read its FAQs for telecommuting best practices.

We Work Remotely. With an average of 1,000 new positions posted every month, there’s a vast selection of remote jobs available on We Work Remotely. Create an account and find opportunities tailored to your experience and desired field. You can also sign up for the We Work Remotely Learning Portal to join its Slack community and find resources for kickstarting your remote career.

Working Nomads. Tailored toward digital nomads, Working Nomads has a wide selection of remote jobs spanning finance, tech, marketing, management, development and more. Want to keep your finger on the pulse? Sign up to get job alerts straight to your inbox.

Interview Tips for Remote Jobs

Remote jobs require specialized skills. As a result, interviewers for remote positions often ask specific questions regarding candidates’ preparedness for remote work. Here are a few questions you might run into during an interview.

Have You Worked Remotely in the Past?

This is likely to be one of the first questions asked. If you’ve worked remotely before, be sure to highlight your wins and discuss why working remotely suits your work style.

If you’ve never worked remotely before, pinpoint your strengths and apply them to a remote context. Offer up any relevant anecdotes about times you’ve worked across time zones, managed a fluctuating schedule or had to act quickly in the face of change.

What Kind of Digital Collaboration Tools Have You Used?

A remote job requires you to stay on top of the latest collaboration tools. If you don’t already use these tools in your current position, consider brushing up on technologies like Slack and Zoom. It wouldn’t hurt to also check out popular project management platforms like Monday and Asana.

How Do You Stay Organized in a Digital Workplace?

This is your chance to show future employers that you’re a reliable and efficient worker, even in the absence of direct supervision. And if they haven’t already asked you about your knowledge of digital tools, this is a good time to bring it up (that is, if you use tools like Google Calendar or Outlook to help you stay organized).

Why Do You Want to Work From Home?

Don’t let the simplicity of this question fool you. Answer honestly, but make sure to present yourself as a reliable employee. You may want to point out that you feel more productive or motivated at home. Perhaps you believe the absence of geographical limitations enhances your creativity. Whatever the reason, tie it back to why you’ll be the best fit for the job.

How Would You Rate Your Communication Skills?

Your employers want to know if you can communicate effectively, no matter where you’re working. Be honest about your communication style and why you think it will be an asset to the organization.

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