Many people are not knowledgeable about remote work, and traditional job search strategies do not always work in this setting. You must know what to look for to stand out as a top remote candidate.
Continue reading for ten tips on how to improve your remote job search in 2022 and land the job of your dreams.
Table of Contents
Proofread your remote work resume
To begin, make sure your resume is mobile-friendly. Incorporating remote keywords into your resume can demonstrate that you are comfortable working on a distributed team to recruiters and hiring managers.
Highlight your most relevant recent jobs after your skills and experiences section. Include a few of your accomplishments and, if possible, quantify them with factual data.
Don’t fret if you have little to no prior experience working remotely. You can always highlight skills that demonstrate your capability.
Make sure your resume is tailored to the job you’re applying for, especially in the language you use. Many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort through resumes. Before anyone sees the outlines, the ATS scans them and rejects some.
Try to incorporate essential language and phrases from the original job description to get past the initial ATS scan. It should indicate to the system that you’re a good match.
Use a remote job board to look for job openings
Whether you have had enough office life or are just starting your job search after graduation, you know being tied to one location isn’t for you. So, if you want to work from anywhere, look for job boards that specialize in telecommuting opportunities.
Traditional job boards may have some remote opportunities but not as many niche boards specifically for remote positions. Furthermore, their listings are not always up to date. Third, large job boards can make you feel like a faceless applicant among thousands.
Limiting your search to job boards that only have remote positions will help you find the right opportunity faster and show how many remote positions are available.
Improve your professional appearance
Because remote workers cannot make an excellent first impression in-person, their online presence must speak for themselves. Make sure your social media accounts and professional accounts on LinkedIn sites are up to date and polished.
It would help if you also consider developing a professional website or digital portfolio to showcase examples of your work.
Keep these keywords in mind and search for them: “remote,” “virtual,” “completely distributed,” or “100% distributed company”
If you Google “completely distributed” or “100% distributed,” you’ll come up with a list of companies that don’t even have a central office. Their employees are based in various locations all over the world.
Many of these companies are start-ups, but others are established medium and large businesses that offer remote work opportunities—check-in on their “Careers” pages regularly.
Network is the key
It is probably not the first time you’ve heard it. NETWORKING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN JOB SEARCHING.
When looking for work with global, remote companies, attending in-person job fairs, mixers, or other networking events is not always possible. Our advice is to harness the power of the internet.
For example, join industry Facebook groups or ask friends for an introductory email (or friends of friends). While sending random LinkedIn requests is still frowned upon, you might have luck if you craft a thoughtful message to someone you want to communicate with.
Expanding your network can help you find a job and keep you updated on what’s going on in your field.
Take online courses to improve your professional skills
There are numerous remote job opportunities available, ranging from programming to writing to teaching. However, if you’re new to the workforce or changing careers, you may need to first brush up on your skills.
Fortunately, there are many excellent resources for learning new skills available on the internet. Coursera and Udemy are two online education platforms that offer free or low-cost classes in any subject you want to know.
Knowing how to do SEO, content marketing, website design, or coding can help you stand out as a candidate for remote jobs. By the way, a coding boot camp could help you learn the ropes if you want to become a programmer.
Online courses can help you expand your professional toolbox no matter what field you are working in. Furthering your education may not only provide you with the knowledge to share during an interview, but it may also assist you in developing a portfolio to show to potential employers.
Create a portfolio of work to present to potential employers or clients
Building a solid portfolio of work to show future employers may be beneficial depending on your line of work. It’s challenging to get hired as a freelance writer, for example, if you don’t have any writing samples.
If you work in web design, you should also show examples of previous work. By providing examples of successful lesson plans, even online teachers can increase their chances of being noticed by a hiring manager.
If you work in a creative field, put together an online portfolio to show potential employers what you can do.
Create a website to advertise your abilities or services
You could also create a website to showcase your skills, experiences, and services in addition to optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Having your website can help you gain credibility with potential employers.
Your website could also serve as a showcase for your resume and portfolio of work. For example, if you are a writer, you could start your blog to showcase your work and areas of expertise.
READ MORE: 10 Best Remote Companies Hiring in 2022
Make sure you’re applying for the right jobs
If you have applied for remote jobs and haven’t received any responses, it’s possible that you are not applying to the right ones. Please list the types of jobs you want to use and the experience that qualifies you for them. Make sure your qualifications match at least 50% of the requirements when you see a job description.
Applying for jobs that are more closely aligned with your experience and desired career path will almost always result in more tremendous success than applying for every job you see.
Improve your interviewing abilities
Lastly, it is time to start preparing for your extensive job interview once you’ve got an employer’s attention. This interview may occur online if you’re applying to a remote company.
Please make sure you’re familiar with how the interview will be conducted before the big day, whether it’ll be via Skype, Zoom, or another app. Make sure you’re in a quiet area with good WiFi, and consider what will appear in your video feed as a background.
Try wearing something that makes you feel good about yourself even though you could probably get away with interviewing in your underwear without anyone noticing. Make sure to prepare for interview questions in addition to the logistics. Prepare to talk about your past experiences and your skills and qualifications.
Don’t think about what you want to get out of your job and what value you can bring to the company.
READ MORE: 10 Best Remote Job Websites to Find Remote Jobs in 2022
Takeaway
Even though the technology makes it easier for companies to collaborate remotely, finding remote work remains challenging. The number of people who want to switch to highly coveted remote jobs steadily increased. You must ensure that your application stands out from the crowd and persuade potential employers that no one else is better qualified for the job than you.
If you follow the advice given above, you will land some interviews and be one step closer to landing a good remote job.
