These days, there are more and more work-from-home job opportunities than ever before, which is great news for people who want to have a home office to juggle family commitments, deal with injury or illness or gain access to national or even global work options. Helpfully, increasing numbers of business owners have become amenable to flexible working conditions and hours, and see the benefits which can be had for both parties.
However, there are also more people than ever searching for these kinds of careers, which means you have a lot of competition. As such, it’s important to look for waysto be proactive and land your dream job sooner rather than later. Read on for tips you can follow to help you shorten your work-from-home job search today.
Build Connections and Create a Personal Brand
It’s always wise to build connections with key employers and recruiters, so you might hear about job openings before other candidates. Developing relationships like this helps you to be considered more favorably in your applications as those in charge of making recruitment decisions will feel they have an idea of who you are already.
There are several ways to go about networking in this way. For example, attend regular industry events such as trade shows, conferences, dinners and the like where you’ll have the chance to meet the “who’s who” of people in your area of interest. Having a social media presence is also essential. This allows you to network with people all around the country and even the globe. Being on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram enables you to digitally meet people and to learn about key news and trends plus what types of people companies are looking for.
This avenue makes it possible for you to showcase your expertise in your field, to demonstrate your skill set and to talk about your experience. You can build a personal brand that attracts interest and is memorable, and from here you might even get recruiters and employers coming to you directly because they can see you have the traits and training they’re looking for.
Ensure Your Resume Grabs Attention for the Right Reasons
Once you apply for a role, you must have the kinds of documents on-hand that will ensure you get noticed for positive reasons. Your resume, in particular, is of vital importance. If this document doesn’t show recruiters and other readers you have what it takes to perform your tasks at home, they will put your document down and move on to the next.
To build an effective resume, start by using a professional, clear font, such as Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri, in a typical size. Your document should be up-to-date, so it includes all your latest jobs, training and responsibilities. It should also be laid out in a scannable way, with the information broken into chunks and bullet points, so readers can quickly see all the ways you’re suitable for the role. Hiring managers have hundreds of documents to look over, and therefore they can’t spend long on each one. You will give yourself a better chance of success if you show them with just a quick scan that you’re up to the task.
These days, most jobs require candidates to have completed certain qualifications or training programs. While you might think it’s enough to simply mention your education on your resume, keep in mind that recruiters also want to get an idea of how you would apply this learning to the role at hand — especially if you are working remotely.
For instance, if you have completed an online Master’s program in Ohio, or another state, mention some specific understanding or knowledge you learned from the course that you’d use if you got the job. Show how it prepared you for telecommuting or what it taught you about time management and self-motivation. In addition, if you achieved top grades during your studies, mention this, as it can be another way to stand out from the crowd.
Take Advantage of the Resources at Your Disposal
Tell all your friends, family members and colleagues, where appropriate, that you’re looking for a remote job. You never know whom they might know or whom they might refer you to. This can be a great way to learn about new openings before they become public knowledge. In fact, many positions are filled before they’re ever advertised because recommendations are so often made internally.
As well, think about other tools you could use to help yourself stand out from your competition. This could include testimonials from past clients, reference letters from past colleagues or employersor introductions through alumni networks.
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