How to get a remote job in 2023
Why do you want a remote job?
Asking yourself why you want a remote job in 2023 is the most important step before you start your journey into getting a remote job. You may be wanting a higher paying job, you may have personal reasons for wanting to work from home, or maybe you just want to hang out with your dog or cat all day when working. In all seriousness, you should ask yourself the following questions before looking into getting a remote job.
- Do you want to avoid commuting?
- Did you move to a place where jobs and offices are scarce, or really far away?
- Do you want to switch lines of work or industries?
- Are you losing interest in going into an office every day?
- Do you currently have colleagues you’d rather avoid, and not work in close proximity with?
There are a lot of reasons someone may choose to work from home. Some reasons you may need to work from home are that the company closed the physical office, or the office is moving to a different office and working remote is the best option for everyone over the transition period.
Another great reason to work from home is that it can save you money on a lot of little things you may not have even considered.
Now that you’ve pondered why you want or need a remote job, you may want to think about if you would do good working from home, away from the office setting and not having people around you every day. Here are a few important questions to think about:
- Do you thrive on personal interaction?
- Do you get motivated by being in a room of people who are working toward the same goal?
- Do you like the perks of an office, i.e., the coffee machine, a big desk, two monitors, and in-person team meetings?
Get your remote job application package ready for the remote jobs you want to apply for
As with any job you apply for, you need a resume that will stand out, a few good go-to responses for some questions on application forms, and several professional references whose names, phone numbers and E-mail addresses you can quickly provide at the end of your interview.
Before getting started with the actual remote job postings, you want to think about your experience and your skills.
Tailor your remote job application package to the job description
No one said that looking and applying for a job is easy. It is time-consuming and difficult – and can also be frustrating and daunting. One thing you will want to do is tailor your resume and job application to the job you want.
Here are some helpful ways to tailor your job application for the remote job description:
- Use similar keywords in your own resume that you see on the job description you want to apply for.
- Play down the less-relevant experience and play up the relevant experience (while still keeping your resume interesting)
- When in doubt, proofread; ask a friend or family member to proofread, and then do it again yourself.
If you’re not sure whether your resume meets modern standards for styling, formatting, and content, ask a professionals to take a look for you. Companies like Resume Writing Group offer free resume reviews.
Applying to a remote job with no experience working remotely
Most remote job applications will have questions asking things such as: “How many years or months of experience have you had working remotely in a similar field of work?”
Answering ‘none’ to the question may deter a recruiter, so think about a time that you have done some work remotely or did a project or job on the go. Anything you have taken home to work on for any reason, or a side hustle you may have done for a business you freelance for.
HELPFUL TIP
If you have not done any remote work, pick up an easy part time remote job, or a side hustle you can do in your free time. This will give you some experience and the recruiter will actually look at your application.
