Working remotely isn't for the few, it should be for everyone and we believe that in the future that's going to be the case more and more - just as the industrial revolution brought workers into the city, so the internet enables people to work exactly where they want to be.
However, finding your first remote position can be difficult so here are our thoughts on how to secure your first remote working job.
What is a remote position?
We define a remote position as any job that will allow you to complete your required tasks from any location that you choose.
A remote position in our opinion can be both fully and partially (2+ days per week) remote.
What remote working skills do you have?
The first thing to do when thinking about remote working is to assess you skillset.
Remote jobs in the majority of cases require digital skills, the reason for this being that you can complete digital tasks with just a laptop and frequently don't need to be in a specific location.
Some of the most popular remote skills are:
- Web Development
- App Development
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
- Customer Support
- Sales
- Digital Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
When you're first looking to work remotely ask yourself honestly whether you have any of the skills listed above. If you don't your next step becomes acquiring one of those skills (Check out our post on acquiring Developer and Designer skills!)
Remote job application best practices
Assuming you have the skills to get started what are some of the best practices you can employ to ensure your application is successful.
Show previous remote experience
If you have previous remote working experience then make sure to highlight it.
Highlighting previous remote experience is a form of social approval in that another company has already deemed you reliable enough to work remotely.
This experience doesn't need to be fully remote!
If your current employer allows you to work from home 2 days per week this is also something worth mentioning as it still reinforces your trustworthiness.
Be confident in your abilities
When a company is looking to make a hire they want to have belief that you're the person who can make all their business dreams come true.
Don't downplay your skills and experience - this is your ticket to a remote working job.
Highlight relevant skills
Similarly to being confident employers want to know that you have the skills they need to achieve their objectives.
It's important for this reason to highlight the skills you have that match those listed by the hirer in their job listing.
If you have lots of experience in a relevant skill then definitely make sure to mention it. If you are less confident in one skill but have worked a lot with a very similar skill then make sure to highlight this and perhaps demonstrate the similarities where appropriate.
Showcase industry experience
Where possible try to showcase your experience within the employers industry.
If you haven't worked in exactly the same industry then draw parallels between industries you have worked in and that of the hirer. Even if that means taking things into your own hands by starting a blog and writing about your experience in your field, having your own personal website can become a very powerful tool for showcasing your skills, highlighting projects you've worked on and demonstrating just how well you'll be able to perform in future remote jobs too.
This again is about building the hirer's overall confidence in your ability to complete the role at hand.
Nailing your Job Interview
Your application has gone well and you've reached the interview stage, Congratulations!
Assuming that your application is with a company that frequently hires remote workers then there is a very strong likelihood that this interview will be over a platform like Skype or Google Hangouts.
If that is the case then here are a few things to consider.
Quiet area
Make sure you're in a quiet area.
There is nothing worse on a Skype interview than not being able to hear the hirer or the hirer not being able to hear you.
If you are in a loud environment then it might suggest to the hirer that you're not taking their position seriously and ultimately this can lower their overall confidence in your ability to work remotely well.
Strong internet connection
Ensure your internet connection is up to the job!
If you have a rubbish connection then your entire interview could be jolty and this will severely undermine your ability to work in a remote role.
Headphones
Personally I would always use headphones with a built in microphone for a remote interview.
The reason for this is headphones ensure you can hear properly, the built in microphone normally suppresses white noise and other sounds from your surroundings and overall they improve the quality of the conversation.
People who work remotely frequently use headphones so you'll look more prepared if you use them 😉.
Remote Job Questions
Once your setup is all good you're next going to have to answer the dreaded interview questions.
Your goal with the interview questions is very similar to that of your application - you need to reassure the hirer that you're the right person for the job.
To best achieve this goal there are a few things to remember.
Firstly, remain calm. At all stages of the interview you want to be calm and composed. If a question comes that you aren't ready for then don't panic, explain that you don't know but that you're willing to learn and remember that it's okay not to know everything.
Secondly, it's important to remember that the interviewer would probably rather be doing something other than interviewing, they often have another role within the company and so in many ways they are really rooting for you to be the right person - you just need to show them that you are 😊.
Finally, be personable and amiable. People ultimately hire people and they want you to be the kind of person who is great to get along with and who they want to deal with on a daily basis.
Remote working is possible!
If you follow these steps, ensure you have the right skill set and are persistent about becoming a remote worker then you should have your first role in no time.
If you're ready to start your journey then check out the links below to view all the remote jobs currently available!
Best of luck!! 🙌
