Finding a great remote job is the dream for many people. The ability to work anywhere brings an incredible slew of benefits including ultimate flexibility in how you use your time.
But how do you get one of these coveted jobs? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. While these jobs are more common than ever before, the competition for them can be fierce, particularly moving up the value chain.
With that said, experts and commentators have some ideas on how to get to the promised land. It requires quite a bit of work, but it is possible with the right approach according to these professionals.
Use Job Boards That Specialize In Remote Work
One option is to use job boards that specialize in remote work such as Flexjobs and Remote.co. These only list jobs that are partially or fully remote.
For job seekers, such platforms are extreme time-savers. Instead of having to trawl through hundreds of jobs to find the online or remote ones, these sites list all available work online, putting power back into the hands of individuals.
Leverage Cold Outreach
Those looking to achieve the remote work dream also rely on cold outreach. Proactively approaching companies can be effective for employees with significant experience.
However, people shouldn’t wade in without carefully considering their pitch first, according to Distinctive Career Services. The agency that offers resume writing services believes more tactful approaches are better.
“We work with all sorts of high-flying professionals looking to move up to the next rung of their careers. The thing we keep telling them is that they need to focus on the value their CV conveys. It’s not just about experience, but convincing future employers that they are the right people for the job,” the outfit says.
“Bearing this in mind is essential for anyone considering cold outreach. All firms need help with something. It’s just whether candidates can convince them they are offering the right things and that they can deliver.”
For this reason, Distinctive Career Services views CVs as a kind of sales pitch. It’s not just about providing a history of a person’s education or industry experience. It is also a showpiece that makes it clear they can perform tasks and fulfill objectives that will make them valuable.
Use Recruitment Agencies
Another approach is to use recruitment agencies. These organizations tend to have established relationships with existing firms, allowing them to place candidates in roles rapidly.
Recruitment agencies take care of a lot of the legwork for candidates. Many will review CVs and make job recommendations based on sophisticated profiling. Agencies can also arrange trial schemes where candidates work for employees for a few months before signing up full-time.
“Agencies are an excellent option for people looking to work remotely,” Distinctive Career Services claims. “Many firms hiring remote workers won’t go directly to the job market and instead rely on agencies to find them the people they need. It’s all about keeping costs low while finding the most appropriate person for the job.”
Keep Up To Date
Workers are also achieving the remote work dream by keeping up with current trends. As technology progresses, they are keeping abreast of developments in the labor market and jobs moving online.
“Obviously in our line of work, we see candidates applying for jobs in every industry imaginable,” says Distinctive Career Services. “The ones that have the most options are those that demonstrate expertise or education in the newest skills where there are shortages. Many of these workers can step into six-figure territory even if they only recently entered the labor market.”
Candidates stay up to date by setting up job role alerts and following trends in the market. Taking a job early before others have the skill to do it is a critical advantage.
Sign Up For Remote Job Alerts
It is also good practice to sign up for remote job alerts, according to those in the know. These quickly inform candidates of available jobs in sectors of their choice.
“With the global labor market being so fluid, you never know which roles are going to pop up,” Distinctive Career Services says. “Companies are pushing the envelope and advertising many jobs that simply didn’t exist in the past. The latest round of technological developments are pushing that trend into overdrive as companies scramble to get people with relevant skills wherever they can find them.”
Signing up for remote job alerts is possible via any of the platforms mentioned so far in this article. Getting on board is easy and something that anyone can do even if they don’t have developed technical skills.
Join Remote Work Communities
Joining remote work communities is another option for those looking to land their dream remote jobs. These are forums where workers share their experiences and help others in their search.
The most valuable aspect of these communities is the networking aspect. Jobseekers can find roles by making connections with individuals who already have roles in these companies working remotely. Getting the inside scoop makes it considerably more straightforward to know what a company is looking for in a prospective employee, allowing individuals to tailor their applications.
Update Your Resume
According to Distinctive Career Services, candidates wanting remote jobs should also update their resumes and demonstrate their ability to work independently.
“Executives are still skeptical of regular worker’s ability to work from home,” the agency says. “Remote work is still viewed unconsciously in a different way from regular in-office work. For prospective remote employees, that’s a problem, but not an insurmountable one. It all depends on how they choose to craft their CVs. if they can show that they have experience with autonomy and self-motivation but still achieved results, that’s good enough to convince most companies of their acumen.”
Updating resumes is more straightforward thanks to modern tools. “We actually have a bunch of templates we use,” Distinctive says, “and these are suitable for roles in practically any industry. Templates ensure workers don’t miss crucial bits of information from their CV that remote employers care about.”
Featured image provided by Surface; Pexels; Thanks!
Internal images provided by Jenny Ueberberg and Paige Cody; Pexels; Thanks!
