When I made the decision to work from home seven years ago, I thought it would be easy to find a job.
After all, I never had an issue finding an office job. I’d simply browse classified ads, search online career sites, ask around and, before you knew it, I had several interviews lined up.
Easy peasy lemony squeezy.
As it turns out, a remote job search is not so easy. And how you go about your job search can make or break your chances of actually finding a real remote job.
So, if you’re actively looking for a work from home job, but have yet to make progress in your job search, these may be the reasons you’re getting nowhere despite your best efforts.
1. Your Personal Brand Is Lacking
The Internet has changed the way we look for jobs.
But the widespread use of the internet has also changed the way jobs are filled. Today, recruiters, hiring managers, and HR pros scope out potential candidates online BEFORE they make interview decisions.
In fact, a whopping 80% of recruiters will google you.
What will someone find out about you through search engines?
If you’ve never thought about it before, now’s the time to start.
The way you ‘show up’ online is known as your personal brand. It’s often the first impression you make on someone, whether you realize it or not.
Needless to say, you want to make the best impression possible — especially when you’re looking for work.
If the results aren’t favorable or, worse yet, there’s nothing at all, you’ll likely run into issues finding remote work. A recruiter may decide to pass on contacting you or automatically place you in the ‘no’ pile just by what they find out about you online.
So, make sure your google game is strong.
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But, as a newbie, you’re probably wondering how you can skew search results in your favor.
Fear not! There are a number of tricks and insider’s tips you can use today to represent your personal brand in the best way possible.
Check out these personal branding tips you can use to strengthen (and polish) your online presence.
Remember, a well done personal brand can lead to job offers left and right. A non-existent or lacking personal brand can hold you back from even being considered for an interview.
2. You’re Not Being Proactive In Your Job Search
Are you waiting for a work-from-home job to land in your lap? Or are you actively seeking out remote opportunities on your own?
If you’re guilty of the former, you’re definitely going to have a hard time making progress in your job search.
I know looking for a new job is a full-time job. Looking for a remote job can be even more labor intensive. Not only do you have to track down leads, you need to make sure they’re legit. And then there’s figuring out whether or not you have the right tech at home, office setup, and skills to actually get the job done. Exhausting, I know.
As such, many remote job seekers don’t take the proactive approach and, instead, hope that they’ll happen upon a work-from-home job that’s right for them.
This is all wrong.
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Instead, actively searching on Indeed, every day. Scout sites like Remotive. Join FlexJobs if you have the extra cash.
Make looking for a remote job part of your everyday routine. I promise, you can make a lot more progress when you take your job search into your own hands instead of waiting for something to come to you.
Not sure exactly where you should be looking? No problem! These are the best FREE websites you can use to track down fresh leads daily.
3. Your Resume Isn’t Right
From the time we’re in high school, we’re told how important our resumes are when it comes to finding a job. These one-page documents are what makes or breaks our chances of getting hired, right?
Wrong.
The truth is, your resume just isn’t that important any more. Sure, it can help you get on the radar of recruiters and hiring managers in the remote world. But your resume alone won’t be enough to get you the job.
As a savvy work-from-home job seeker, you can create a resume that serves the right purpose: Gets your name in front of hiring managers.
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Remember, today’s recruiters increasingly rely on technology to help them fill open roles. And part of that includes using special software that helps weed through the hundreds (or even thousands) of resumes sent in for just a single opening. This means your resume needs to be crafted to get past software and onto a recruiter’s desk.
To do this, you need to use the right format and strategically put in keywords.
Without the right keywords, your resume will never even be found, let alone be used to land an interview.
But there’s a right way and a wrong way to keyword optimize your resume. Learn best practices for writing the perfect resume that gets past robots and impresses recruiters.
4. You Don’t Know What You’re Even Looking For
Many times, work from home job seekers consider a work from home job as a job in and of itself.
For example, I get tons of emails from readers who ask me to help them find a work from home job.
My standard response is, “What kind of work from home job are you looking for?”
Often, I never get a response. Other times, I get vague responses like, “I just want to work from home” or “Anything that pays at least $9.00/hour.”
But the truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to remote work. That is, there is no generic work-from-home job you can simply sign up for.
In order to make progress, you need to figure out what kind of work from home job is right for you.
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As soon as you decide to kick your cubicle to the curb, the very next thing you should do is figure out what type of work you’re looking for.
Sure, you want to work from home. But what else?
Are you looking for a flexible job? Do you prefer the stability or set hours with steady pay? Would you rather be your own boss?
Once you narrow the field a bit, you can start making progress. Ask yourself these very important questions before you jumpstart your job search.
5. You’re Not Using Or Building Your Network
Networking is a huge part of finding any job. In fact, an estimated half of all jobs are never, ever advertised.
Instead, hiring managers, employers, and recruiters rely on word of mouth and referrals to fill open positions.
That’s why having a network is super important. You never know who knows who and how they might help you find your next work-from-home job.
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If you’re not active on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to meet the right people who can help you find your next job.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site. It’s not enough to just have a LinkedIn account. You also need to be active, engaged, and — networking!
Remember, networking is not a spectator’s sport.
So, use these tried and true tips that help you craft a LinkedIn Profile that gets you noticed by recruiters.
After all, an impressive 90% of recruiters report using this popular platform to help them find talent!
You could be just one connection away from finding your next job from home.
6. You’re Going After Get-Rich-Quick Schemes & Less-Than-Legit Leads
It’s easy to get caught up in the all the work-from-home get-rich-quick schemes. These “jobs” promise high pay for minimal work. For example, $200 a day to post ads on Craigslist or $30 an hour for simple data entry.
Sounds too good to be true, right?
That’s because it is.
So are the many “programs” and “opportunities” out there that require an initial investment that you can turn into thousands every month. If you’ve ever expressed an interest in working from home, I bet you’ve come across Facebook posts like this one:
Or this one:
Or this gem:
Scam.
Scam.
And scam.
These so-called jobs, programs, and systems that require fees to get started are not the real deal.
But when you really, really want to work from home, you may very well try them out of desperation. In the end, you’ll lose your hard-earned money and be stuck at Square 1.
Frustrating, I know. But also totally avoidable.
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Time and time again, I receive emails from out-of-the-cubicle thinkers who state they want a work-from-home job with no upfront fees.
News flash: 99% of real, legit work-from-home jobs will never, ever require an initial investment.
Quit looking at jobs that require you to pay up before you’re signed up. Stop considering programs advertised on Facebook that require you to message the OP for “more info.”
Stick to reputable sites. Not sure which to trust and which to pass? Only browse through reputable blogs and many amazing work from home sites to help you filter through the ‘noise’ so you can actually find a real (no-fee) work-from-home job.
7. You’re Too Picky or Not Really Ready To Work
There are plenty of work-from-home jobs to go around. I promise.
But too often, work-from-home job seekers are a little picky in what they will and will not do.
For example, I often get asked what kind of job can I do that doesn’t require being on the phone, lets me set my own hours, and pays really well?
My answer?
Freelance.
And often, this is not the answer people want to hear because freelancing requires a good deal of preparation before you jump all in.
Other times, I get asked how to find an at-home job ASAP.
My answer?
Customer service! These jobs are readily available by dozens of companies that actively hire throughout the year.
But too many people aren’t interested in customer service jobs from home and so decline my advice.
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If you really want to work from home, don’t narrow your job search too much. Keep an open mind and explore different opportunities.
Often, it’s easier to find a new work-from-home job AFTER you’ve landed your first work-from-home job.
So, be receptive to all the many at-home opportunities available to you, and go after them.
You’ve got this! 💪🏻
And if you’re not sure what kind of work-from-home job makes sense for you, browse through these popular options:
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Make Progress In Your Remote Job Search
Be honest, are you committing any of these mistakes that are making it difficult for you to make progress in your work-from-home job search?
That’s okay. You can EASILY fix any of them, whenever you’re ready.
Go ahead and sign up for my newsletter below and grab your FREE copy of the work-from-home quickstart guide. It’s packed with actionable advice you can use today. Yes, today! Isn’t it about time you made progress in your job search?
Happily,
Ashlee
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