20 Tips to Find a Work from Home Job you Love
As technology has continued to evolve, work-from-home jobs have increasingly popular as discussed over at runrex.com. Thanks to apps, tools, and platforms like Zoom, Slack, and Google Hangouts, among many others, many companies run successful businesses in which employees work from home. If you want to be one of them and are looking for such opportunities, here are 20 tips to help you find a work-from-home job you will love.
Use the right keywords in your search
As the gurus over at guttulus.com point out, you will need to be aware of the keywords to use when looking for remote jobs, which will be different from those you would normally use in a “normal” job search. When looking for work-from-home jobs, you should remember keywords like “remote”, “virtual”, “completely distributed”, or “100% distributed company”.
Use job search engines dedicated to work-from-home jobs
Even though you can always search the mainstream engines with the keywords “remote” or “work-from-home”, job search engines like FlexJobs are full of many remote opportunities, while also being vetted to ensure the quality and the legitimacy of the position as discussed over at runrex.com.
Tap into your local market
As the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com point out, there are cases when employers may be more willing to hire remote or work-from-home staff if they know that their employees are physically accessible if needed. This is particularly true with freelance or contract positions. Therefore, filter local listings with keywords such as “remote”, “flexible location”, or “work-from-home”.
Simply ask
On a related note to the previous point, if the listing doesn’t specify a location and the job sounds like to could be done remotely, you could always just ask if remote work is an option. However, keep in mind that this could jeopardize your chances of getting the job, so if you want the job badly regardless of whether or not work-from-home is allowed, it may be best to hold off on the question.
Search niche career sites
Searching niche sites that focus on specific fields is another tip that will help you find remote jobs you will love. On Idealist.org, a non-profit employment opportunity website, you can find multiple work-from-home, flexible location jobs, and you can filter specifically for these positions. Other sites to check out include MediaBistro.com, GoodFoodJobs.com, among many others.
Don’t forget to build and tap into your network
As explained over at runrex.com, networking and referrals are more important than ever when it comes to work-from-home job opportunities. This is because an employer has to have more trust established at the outset than they would if their employees were co-located and could be supervised at an office. Therefore, tap into your network and try to find out if you have any connections to companies that hire work-from-home or remote employees.
Be smart about how you use freelance sites
If you are looking for freelance work, it is very easy to find work-from-home, remote gigs. However, the downside is that these may not be continuous opportunities and may not pay well. While this depends on your field, since many of these jobs are easily outsourced, they do not offer great compensation. However, if you search specifically for ongoing or contract-based positions as recommended by guttulus.com, you will have better luck.
Consider your regular job as an opportunity for a work-from-home job
The lockdown has made many of us realize that a lot of jobs are compatible with remote working as outlined over at runrex.com. However, even if your current job is compatible with remote working, it doesn’t mean you will be allowed to work from home. Therefore, have a conversation with your boss about remote work and ask if it is a possibility to try it out once or twice a week. Prepare for this conversation and make sure you have facts that speak in your favor such as your ability to manage your own time.
Define your goals
If you are to find a work-from-home job that you will love, you need to first assess your ambitions and purpose and define your goals to ensure that you are looking for the right opportunities. Ask yourself questions like:
How will a work-from-home job benefit me?
How many hours can I put in each week and what would I like my work hours to be?
What is my desired salary scale?
Do I want this to be a permanent lifestyle or I’m I open to a hybrid working model? Among other questions.
Answering these questions will help you know what your goals are and then help you shortlist the right jobs for you to apply for.
Optimize your resume
Always remember that every resume you create should be customized for a specific job application. Each CV should only entail the information that is most relevant to the concerned job opening if you want to get the job.
Target startups
According to the gurus over at guttulus.com, if you want to find a work-from-home job fast, then you should target startups. They are easier to approach and it is usually the founders who take care of the hiring themselves, and if they like you, not only will they quickly offer you a package, they are also likely to accept your offer to work from home.
Watch out for scams
As is discussed over at runrex.com, there are plenty of scams out there when it comes to work-from-home jobs. This is because, while more job boards than ever before are posting remote jobs, most still don’t screen and verify that every remote job they post is legitimate and not a scam. Therefore, be careful before you actually apply for a job and make sure the post is legitimate and is being offered by a real company.
Make sure you have the required skills for the job
Make sure you review the posting’s skill requirements carefully and apply only for jobs you truly feel qualified for as per guttulus.com. Applying for jobs that are a great match for your skills and/or experience will increase your chances of getting an offer.
Integrate social media into your job search
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the three social networks where you can connect with old colleagues, friends, and classmates, while also increasing your reach by following companies you would like to work for by joining groups and meeting new people. These platforms can be a great resource when looking for work-from-home jobs.
Know who to follow
On a related note from the previous point, just being active on social media isn’t enough as you need to make sure you are following the correct accounts and pages if you are to get a work-from-home job that you like. If you are on Facebook, you should join the following groups for legit info on remote jobs:
Remote Job Leads
Earning at Home
Virtual Workers of America, among others
Check for work-from-home job leads daily
If your efforts are to bear fruit when looking for a work-from-home job that you will love, then you should make sure that you check for work from home job leads daily as discussed over at runrex.com. Make it your job to look for remote jobs that are the right fit for you until you find one.
Consider a FlexJobs subscription
Having already mentioned this search engine earlier on, the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com recommend that you consider paying for a FlexJobs subscription if you want to find a work-from-home job you will love. Not only are leads here scam-free as already mentioned, but the site also has excellent options for sorting to help you find exactly what you need and is very organized. It will be worth every penny you pay for the subscription.
Learn new things
Rather than having to dismiss some of the openings you come across because you don’t have certain skills, you should consider learning those skills. You don’t even have to always go back to school to learn new things as the internet is full of various resources for learning. Fill in the gaps you have in your skillset and you will finally land that work-from-home job you love but were unable to land before.
Be flexible and creative
Flexibility is key if you are to find a work-from-home job you love. If you are willing to consider freelance or contract employment or to combine a couple of part-time positions, you will have a greater chance of success in finding legitimate opportunities.
Get ready for a remote interview
Finally, if everything goes well, you will be shortlisted for the interview stage. If you are applying for a work-from-home job for a company that has a local office, you may be expected to interview in person. However, if you are working for a remote company, you may be interviewed via an online interview system, video, Zoom, or even email. There is a detailed write-up over at runrex.com on how to prepare and handle your remote interview, so check it out.
These are some of the tips to consider if you are to find a work-from-home job you love, with more on this topic to be found over at runrex.com and guttulus.com.