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The belt-tightening in response to the coronavirus outbreak is leading businesses to cut hundreds and sometimes thousands of employees. For many who are out of a job, remote work is a tempting solution, not only during social distancing but as a full-time long-term job.
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A special analysis done by FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics found that there has been a major upward trend in the amount of people working remotely in the U.S. But according to online remote job platform FlexJobs, finding a remote job comes with its own set of unique challengesю Today’s post is about how to land a remote job.
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Why do you want a remote job? There could be so many reasons; you may be specifically seeking a high-paying remote job in order to set aside money for the next few years for something big. It pays to really think about if working remotely is right for you, your career, your goals and your lifestyle.
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If you’re seeking a remote job, consider if being physically distant from colleagues is right for you: – Do you thrive on personal interaction? – Do you get motivated by being in a room of people working for the same organization? – Do you like the perks of an office, like the coffee machine, a big desk and in-person team meetings?
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There are at least 19 different ways to say “remote work.” Since no two companies use the same term, as you’re searching for a remote job, you should know all the different ways to say “remote work.” – Here are just a few of the common ones: – Distributed workforce: When you and everyone you work with work remotely
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– Work at home (or work from home): When you work at home – Virtual job: When all the work is done online or in a virtual office – Work from anywhere: A job without any geographical restrictions – Agile workforce: A flexible workforce
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Unfortunately, the “remote work” job category tends to attract scams. For every one legitimate work-from-home job, there are approximately 60 to 70 work-from-home job scams. In other words, less than 3% of all work-from-home job listings are for legitimate jobs. Some of the common scams include secret shopping, product testing or reshipping and rebate processing.
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Certain job boards focus on all types of jobs, but if you’re looking for a remote job, focus your search on job search platforms, like FlexJobs or Upwork, that specialize in remote and flexible work and whose research teams vet their job posts. You could also browse a company’s career page and be on the lookout for works like “work-life balance” or “flexibility.”
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While there are jobs that are 100% remote, some require you to be in the office a few days a week. You must read the job description carefully. Some fully remote jobs also have a location requirement. There are several reasons why remote jobs have this restriction, including:
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– Legal: Some licensing requirements or government regulations may restrict the company to and from specific locations. – Taxes: Companies may pay employment taxes only in certain states. – Travel: Some companies require you to take frequent business trips, which makes living near an airport a necessity.
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Remote interviews usually involve a phone or video call. If your interview requires the internet, make sure you have a reliable connection. Wi-Fi and cellular connections are OK, but a wired internet connection is usually a safer bet, says FlexJobs. Download (if necessary) and test your connection to be sure everything works.
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Also, think about where you will have your interview. Do you have a home office? If so, does it look professional? Make sure the area is tidy and clean. If you don’t have a home office, go into a room where you won’t be interrupted during the interview.
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An interview for a remote position will include the standard “Tell me about yourself” or “Why did you apply for this job?” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Prep and practice for these, but also keep in mind these remote-specific interview questions:
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– Where do you work when you’re remote? – Why do you want to work remotely? – How do you handle distractions?
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If you have any previous experience working remotely, make sure you mention them in your cover letter and resume. But if you haven’t worked remotely, you may have to do some digging to spotlight some experience that could be relevant to remote work.
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Start with your clients and co-workers. Are they located somewhere else? If so, have you coordinated a meeting across multiple time zones? Collaborated on a project? How did you accomplish these tasks? What software did you use? Talk about your successes in these areas.