The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people work. Millions of people began working from home instead of going into the office, and people realized they enjoy the freedom and extra free time that comes with working from home and not commuting.
With the vaccine rollout and the world opening up again, companies are bringing employees back to the office, and a lot of people don't want to return to the traditional office structure that existed pre-COVID.
In a recent survey, 65% of people said they wanted to continue working from home after the pandemic and 58% of people said they would definitely quit their job and find a new remote job if their company forced them back into the office.
In the past, it was difficult to find remote jobs, but now it is becoming easier and easier to find fully remote work. In fact, there has been a 76% increase in fully remote positions over the past year.
As long as you know where and how to look for a remote job, you should be able to find the perfect position that suits your career goals and your desire to work remotely.
Filter Your Search Criteria
Most job boards allow you to create filters for the criteria you want when you're searching for a job.
If you're looking for remote work, the first thing you should do is filter your search, so you only see job postings that allow you to work from home.
Target Companies that are Focused on Remote Work
A lot of companies have publicly announced they transitioned to a fully remote work environment or are allowing their employees to choose whether they work from home or from the office.
Companies like Facebook, Ford, and Nationwide Insurance all allow their employees to work from home if they choose. You can easily find lists of companies that allow their employees to work remotely.
Use those lists and apply for jobs at those companies. You know the company is dedicated to allowing their employees to work from home, so you don't have to worry about the policy switching once the pandemic is fully behind us.
Highlight Your Remote Experience
If you've had experience with remote work, highlight it in your resume and cover letter. Companies that have transitioned to a fully-remote environment need to hire employees they can trust to work as efficiently at home as they do in the office.
You should also include soft skills in your resume and cover letter that show you can work remotely. Highlighting your communication skills and technological skills can go a long way in convincing a company to hire you for a remote position.
Because you're applying for remote jobs, you should not only tailor your resume and cover letter to the industry you're applying for but also for remote work.
Examples of what you should include in your resume and cover letter are:
- Add the word "remote" in front of the job title where you worked remotely (e.g. remote sales representative manager)
- Include a description of your remote skills (e.g. managed a team of 5 sales representatives remotely and saw an increase in sales of 22%)
- Include information on your productivity at home and ability to work independently (e.g. finished weekly reporting task 10% faster working remotely compared to working in the office)
Negotiate with Your Current Employer
If you love your job and are only considering quitting because you don't want to return to working in the office, you should try negotiating a work from home or hybrid work solution with your employer.
Your employer may not want to offer remote jobs to the entire office, but if you're a valuable member of the team, they may prefer to negotiate a remote work solution with you rather than have you quit.
Before you try negotiating a remote working solution with your employer, you have to be prepared. You need to convince them that you are productive working from home and why you should be allowed to continue working remotely.
Here is a four-step process you should take when pitching a work from home or hybrid work option with your employer.
- Approach your manager and ask to schedule a meeting to discuss your work situation. Send them a polite and short email saying you would like to get a sense of the company's plans for long-term remote work and ask to schedule a virtual meeting.
- Prepare a proposal before your meeting. Your proposal should include the work schedule you prefer (fully remote or working in the office one or two times a week), your reason for wanting to work remotely (include both professional and personal reasons), the benefits of the proposed work schedule, and how you're prepared to continue working with your team remotely even if everybody else is working from the office.
- Practice your pitch until you feel confident. You should also figure out what questions your manager will likely ask in response to your pitch and come up with answers to those questions. Try to think of any concerns or pushback you may receive and decide how you're going to ease any hesitation or divert any pushback you receive.
- If you don't receive a yes to your proposal in the meeting, ask your manager about their concerns and address them. You can suggest a trial run where you work from home for the next quarter and show your manager how the arrangement would benefit both you and the company.
Conclusion
More and more companies are allowing their employees to work remotely full-time, and it is easier than ever to find full-time remote work.
If you're interested in finding a work from home career and your current employer doesn't accept your remote work proposal, the first step is to tailor your resume to highlight your remote work experience.
After that, it is a matter of finding the right company that embraces remote work and starting your dream career.
This original content is provided to you by Skill Sharp. Follow us at www.skill-sharp.com to get all the info you'll need to empower your career strategies and success!
