Since the pandemic, nearly 56% of US workers have a job that is remote-friendly. But, today, more and more workers are being called back into the office. If you’re one of them, you’re probably saying but, “I want to work from home!”

And, you’re not alone. Roughly 26% of workers now work remotely, and enjoy the many benefits that come with it.

Money Saved

Remote workers save money. The average worker spends a whopping $8,466 each year on common commuting costs or about 19% of take home pay, according to Bankrate. By working remotely, those costs are slashed if not entirely eliminated.

Time Saved

Remote workers save a ton of time by not commuting. The average commute in America is about 27.5 minutes one way for a total of 55 minutes spent commuting every work day. That comes out to 275 minutes per week or 13,750 minutes each year!

By working remotely full time, you can save nearly 230 hours annually.

What would you do with all that extra time? Sleep in? Relax? Help get your family out the door in the morning? Exercise?

The State of Remote Work

In Buffer’s Annual State of Remote Work Report, 98% of respondents would prefer to work from home (at least partially) for the rest of their careers! Since you’re here, we’re going to guess you too want to work from home.

Keep in mind, just because everyone wants to work from home doesn’t mean everyone should work from home.

If you’re ready to call your home your office and your office your home, there’s some important steps you should take to turn your work from home dreams into reality.

Question 1: What Kind of Work from Home Job Makes Sense for You?

I get a lot of emails and Facebook messages that say, near verbatim:

“I want to work from home, please help.”

And, if you’ve ever taken the time to email me, you know I always respond and give the best advice I can — if I don’t know the answer, I’ll point you in the right direction.

The problem with the general statement, “I want to work from home,” is it’s just too broad. Working from home is not a one-size-fits-all position. There are seemingly endless ways to make a living from home.

Know Your WFH Type

Once you know you’d like to work from home, the very next thing you need to do is decide which kind of work from home job is right for you:

• Do you need the stability and security of an employee position with benefits?
• Would you rather work part-time around your day job?
• Are you looking to start a scaleable side hustle?
• Have you been bitten by the freelancing bug?
• Do you just want to make a little extra money here and there?

Your answers to those questions will go a long way in helping you have a more successful remote job search. As a reminder, work from home jobs can usually be divided up into six main types:

1. Full-Time Employee

You’re hired on as an employee who just happens to work remotely. Most times, this entitles you to benefits and stable pay. Taxes are taken out of your paycheck for you.

2. Part-Time Employee

Also gives you “employee” status which means you can count on greater stability. You may not be benefits eligible as a part-time telecommuter but you will have taxes taken out of your paycheck.

3. Independent Contractor

As an independent contractor (IC), you provide your services to a company on a per-contract basis. This means, once your contract is up, you might not have any more work. Similarly, your contract may end without warning. There’s no guarantee of work and you’re responsible for your own taxes and fill out a 1099.

4. Freelance

Freelancers offer their services for sale and choose which projects they work on and when. You’re in charge of finding your own work, setting your rates, and collecting payments. Freelancers are also in charge of paying their own taxes on money earned. Writing, virtual assistant, graphic design, and typist are all common work from home freelance careers.

5. Side Hustler

Not everyone wants to work full-time or even part-time to make money from home — I get that. So, if you’re looking for a way to earn a few bucks here or there, you should look at extra-money making gigs. These typically don’t require a resume or application to fill out. Instead, you sign up on a site to earn extra money — surveys and usability testing are two popular examples of ways to earn extra money from home.

6. Home Business

Anything you do from home — whether it’s a daycare business, flipping products for profit on Amazon, or launching a profitable blog are considered a home-based business. You’re completely in charge of running your home business as you see fit and your success will depend on how much you put into it.

Apply to the Right Positions

There’s no sense in applying to jobs that aren’t right for you. Save your time, energy and efforts going after the right kinds of jobs — not every and any work from home job or opportunity out there.

If you need benefits, go for full time employee positions over contract roles. But, for those that need just a little extra here or there, try side hustles. Really, it all depends on what your ultimate career goal is.

Question 2: Do you have a home office?

Now that you (hopefully) know the type of remote employment you’re looking for, it’s time to take an honest look at your ability to actually work remotely.

If you’re not properly equipped to work from home, you’re gonna have a hard time finding a job. Period. But, depending on the type of employment you’re after, your home office requirements will vary.

Home Offices for Employee Jobs

Let’s say you’re looking for full-time employment from home with a company that offers benefits. Great! There are a number of companies that actually want you to work from home and will pay you a competitive wage and offer some pretty amazing benefits. 

But, to land these jobs, you’re going to need a home office setup.

Home Office Basics

This doesn’t necessarily mean you need a full-size copier, fax machine, and laminator — but you should have the basic makings of a home office:

• High-speed internet (typically hardwired to your computer — no WiFi or satellite connections most of the time!)
• Well-maintained computer
• Quiet, distraction-free place to work
• Desk
• Comfy chair
• Basic office supplies — pens, paper, printer, etc.

In some cases, you may need a landline. This is especially true for popular at-home customer service jobs. Does this mean you should run out and install a landline? No! But, it means you should be receptive to getting one and know ahead of time if you can actually have one installed in your home or apartment.

It’s defeating, to say the least, to go through the application process, land an interview, and a soft job offer only to find you don’t meet the tech requirements or are otherwise incapable of maintaining a proper home office.

Home Office Requirements Examples

Most work from home companies are pretty good about listing their home office requirements before you even start the application process.

For example, Sitel has an entire section devoted to their home office requirements:

U-Haul provides similar information upfront before you apply too:

So, when you come across an at-home position that sounds perfect, remember to check the home office requirements first.

Home Offices for Non-Employees

If you’re looking for a non-employee position, i.e., freelance, contract, or home business, you don’t have to worry about your home office as much.

Remember, if freelancing is more your thing or you’re thinking of starting a blog, you probably won’t need anything more than a computer and internet connection.

Similarly, if you want to start a side hustle as an Amazon FBA seller, you can get by with a computer, smartphone, internet and printer and make some pretty good money with this minimal setup.

Again, it all goes back to the type of work you’re looking for. What you’ll need as an employee versus home office requirements as a freelancer/self-employed/home business owner are very different things!

Question 3: Can You Handle Distractions?

I’ve been working remotely for a decade. And, I’ll be the first to tell you, distractions are going to happen. You’ll hit your stride on an assignment and, boom, the doorbell rings. Or, you’ll get frequent calls from friends and family who ask for a ton of favors during the workday because, hey, you work from home and must not be doing anything more than watching Netflix, right?

Oh, and then there’s kids, pets, significant others, neighbors, and about a million other things that can make working from home difficult.

Remote Work is Not a Substitute for Childcare

My point is, you may not be able to devote the time and attention required to work from home, at least not full-time anyway.

Let’s pretend you have kids (maybe you do) — they may or may not be in school (unless it’s summer, then they’re home).

You’ll find it downright difficult to find a full-time work from home job if you have kids in your care during the day — I don’t care how great you are at multitasking — if you can’t provide a distraction-free, quiet home environment, you’re going to find it difficult to land a full-time employment. Impossible? No. But very, very, very difficult.

Now, don’t get discouraged if you’re not in the ideal place to work from home — you just have to get creative.

Help, My House is a Circus

I hear you. I’ve got a homeschooled child, two golden retrievers, three cats, and a lot of Amazon deliveries. Yet, I still manage to work remotely in a variety of roles over the last decade.

Don’t let a busy household stop you from making money from home — just figure out a way to work around your already busy schedule.

This will likely mean freelancing from home, starting a side hustle, or working as an independent contractor. Transcription, proofreading, virtual assisting, and writing all are great options to explore — but really, you’re only limited by what services you’re willing to offer as a freelancer.

Question 4: Will You Miss Working Outside the Home?

I’m an introvert. And most introverts love working from home. But, if you’ve ever worked an office job, you know that office politics are just a part of going to work. And while working from home means you miss the bad stuff, it also means you miss out on all the good stuff, too.

The camaraderie of coworkers, lunches out, impromptu happy hours, and other perks that come with a traditional office job don’t happen as easily when you work from home.

If you hate the rat race but love interacting with coworkers, enjoy break room banter, and count your officemates as some of your best buds, you might find that working from home is lonely for you. Yes, it’s easier than ever to stay connected with chats and video hangouts, but it’s just not the same as being in person.

I’ve heard of too many enthusiastic people start a work from home journey only to find they didn’t like it — and nine times out of ten, it was because they missed the daily human interaction an office job brings.

You know working from home has its perks, and for some people it equals work happiness but it’s not for everyone. Seriously consider how much importance you place on working alongside others in an office environment — if you can’t imagine working alone (save for an office cat), you may want to reevaluate your work from home ambitions

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement for more information.

The post I Want to Work from Home. Now What? Four Important Questions to Ask Yourself appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

So, if you’re on the hunt for real wfh jobs, Amazon should definitely be on your radar. Keep reading to learn more about the Amazon remote jobs and how to get hired there.

About Amazon

Before we dive into what it’s like to be a part of the Amazon work from home team, let’s talk about the company first.

Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce retailers in the world. E-commerce is just a fancy way of saying buying and selling online.

As of 2021, Amazon is the top online retailer according to Statista’s Top Online Stores Worldwide report.

And because Amazon shows no signs of slowing between its ecommerce platform and subscription services like Amazon Prime Video, Audible, and Amazon Fresh there are plenty of jobs to be found.

Amazon Remote Jobs

In fact, Amazon has literally thousands of open roles available at any given moment. For example, there are nearly 10,000 available Software Development jobs at Amazon as I type this

However, that’s just scratching the surface. Of course there are plenty more Amazon roles in their many in-person distribution centers. But, what about remote jobs with Amazon?

Amazon Work From Home Jobs

At the height of the pandemic, the majority of Amazon Corporate employees worked remotely. Today, Amazon is continuing to offer flexibility in where many of its employees work.

In fact, Amazon’s Remote Locations Page states:

And the best part is, Amazon provides a variety of remote roles for professionals from different backgrounds (and locations!).

For example, some of the top categories for remote location at Amazon include:

• Software Development
• Human Resources
• Sales & Account Management
• Customer Service
• Design

Of course, this is just a small sampling of top categories. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on Amazon’s Remote Locations Hiring Page for a full list.

Amazon Part Time Work From Home Jobs

A common question readers ask is, “Does Amazon have part time jobs from home?” Yes, they do!

Just filter by Job Type and be sure to check “part time.” From there, you’ll see a list of part time remote jobs at Amazon.

The Hiring Process at Amazon

Keep in mind, each role will have a slightly different hiring process. However, most remote jobs at Amazon follow a general application flow:

1. Online Application
2. Assessment
3. Phone Interview
4. Virtual Interview

Thankfully, Amazon does a pretty good job of keeping applicants updated during the hiring process. So, you can check the status of your application at any time to see where you’re at.

1. Fill Out Your Online Application

First, you have to find remote jobs at Amazon you’re interested in. To do this, head over to Amazon’s Virtual Locations page. From there, narrow search results using filters like:

• Job Type
• Category
• Country/Region

After you find a role you want to apply for, you’ll create an Amazon.jobs account. Note: This will be separate from any personal Amazon shopping account you have.

You will use this account to access your profile, fill out applications, and check on the status of your applications. make sure to fill out the application in full. It’s a good idea to have a copy of your resume and cover letter to fill in all the required details.

2. Assessment

Next, Amazon uses online assessments for some of its remote roles. These assessments help Amazon get to know you better and to determine if you have the right skills to be successful.

Typically, the two main types of assessments Amazon gives its applicants are:

1. Work Style Assessment – This is a 10-20 minute personality-type test. It helps Amazon discover your unique working style.
2. Work Sample Situation – These are specific to individual roles at Amazon. You may be asked to perform sample tasks you are likely to encounter if you were hired.

Remember, assessments are pretty standard in the world of remote work. Additionally, many companies ask applicants to take work style assessments too. If you take one, try not to overthink it and answer the questions honestly.

3. Phone Interview

After assessments, Amazon invites select candidates to a phone interview. Remember, you should always do pre-interview homework. And, at Amazon that should include reading its Leadership Principles. After all, Amazon evaluates all candidates against its unique Leadership Principles!

4. Virtual Interview

The final step before being hired is an interview. For work from home jobs, these interviews are done virtually. In order to attend the virtual interview you will need to download Amazon Chime and Google Chrome. Then your recruiter will give you a meeting ID# so you can join the session. Since this is a virtual interview always remember to:

• Have good lighting
• Test your internet connection
• Make sure your webcam and mic are working

Additionally, prepare for your interview ahead of time by practicing answers to common interview questions!

Amazon Seasonal WFH Customer Service Jobs

Now that we’ve broadly covered all remote jobs at Amazon, let’s look at one of its most popular wfh roles: Customer Service.

Each year, Amazon ramps up hiring during the busy shopping season. And, one of the roles it heavily recruits for is Virtual Customer Service reps.

Keep in mind, these are often seasonal roles. In other words, your employment is only for a short period of time. However, there are chances to snag permanent Amazon work from home part-time and full-time gigs. Additionally, some seasonal workers are offered full-time roles in the future!

What You’ll Be Doing As an Amazon Work From Home Customer Service Rep

Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve taking inbound calls from Amazon customers. You may also respond to support emails or incoming live chats.

Most interactions with customers will deal with orders — either questions about an existing order or difficulties when trying to place an order.

But you may also help solve problems or provide support. Keep in mind, most customers contact Amazon by live chat or phone — so you’ll have to be quick when offering solutions to customers!

Where Does Amazon Hire?

Good question! Although the virtual customer service positions at Amazon are work-from-home, you still need to reside in one of the following states:

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

At the time I’m writing this, these are the only states Amazon currently hires virtual customer service reps.

Now, if you’re looking for other virtual jobs at Amazon, be sure to read the job description from the Virtual Locations Hiring Page. Those jobs may or may not be location-specific. However, when it comes to their work from home customer service jobs, you will need to live in one of the states listed!

What Experience Do I Need to Work From Home For Amazon?

Generally speaking, Amazon likes to see the following experience for their virtual customer service reps:

• High school diploma (or equivalent)
• 1+ years in a service environment
• Basic typing, Internet, phone, and research skills

It’s also helpful if you possess the following qualities:

• Customer focus
• Ability to prioritize customer needs
• Patience
• Conflict resolution
• Ability to assess customer needs & deliver appropriate solutions

That’s it! This is a really great opportunity to use your real world experience in retail, hospitality or other service-based industry to snag a work-from-home job.

What About Technical Requirements? What Will I Need?

Like all work from home jobs, you will need to meet certain tech requirements in order to be considered for a position. And the Amazon work from home jobs are no different. The basic tech requirements needed for their virtual customer service jobs include:

• A Windows PC
• 64-bit operating system running either Windows 8.1, Windows 10, OSX 10.9 or higher
• Minimum 10 mbps download speed (test your speed over at Speedtest.net)
• No wifi — must be hardwired to the internet via Ethernet cable — sorry no satellite!
• Laptops are OK, but you must have an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse
• Windows Auto Update
• Windows Defender

You’ll also need to be able to take phone calls. But don’t worry, you won’t need a landline! Once you’re hired, Amazon will ship you a headset for taking calls via Internet. You’ll also receive a Gemalto token, which will turn your PC into a super-secure powerhouse for both your protection and the customers you interact with!

So Far So Good. What Will My Schedule Be Like?

Your schedule will largely depend on demand. Sometimes, Amazon specifically hires work from home customer service agents just to handle calls during high-volume times. Remember, Amazon’s peak times run from Thanksgiving to mid-January. During those months you may be working full time or even overtime to meet the increase in online shoppers.

During off-peak times, Amazon’s virtual support center is open from 3 a.m. to midnight PST. Your shift could fall anytime during these hours. And you’ll be expected to have a pretty flexible schedule to accommodate these hours. You may be assigned any combo of day, afternoon, or evening shifts. Most reps will work at least one weekend day with many working both Saturday and Sunday.

You’ll also have to attend and complete paid training which may have a completely different schedule. Fortunately, your recruiter will go over all that information with you so you won’t be caught off guard when it comes time to train.

What About Amazon Work From Home Salary? How Much Will I Make?

For customer service reps, the Amazon work from home salary is the same: $10.00/hour (unless you reside in a state where the minimum wage is higher).

This includes paid training while you’re learning the ropes! Virtual reps also have bonus opportunities that can boost their $10 hourly rate.

Remember, Amazon has additional virtual work from home jobs available which will likely pay higher, but for customer service reps there is an across-the-nation pay rate of $10/hour.

Additional Facts About Working for Amazon

You’re probably an Amazon customer already and know about its Prime Membership and 2-day shipping. However, there are some interesting details about Amazon I want to share from an employment perspective.

Amazon ranks number 14 on Forbes World’s Best Employers List

• They will hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses prior to 2024
• As part of their Upskilling Program, Amazon offers free skills training to US employees
• 400,000 new jobs were created in 2020 aloe
• Full time employees receive comprehensive benefits on Day 1
• Its Amazon Technical Academy trains employees to become software engineers in just 9 months

Feel free to browse additional Amazon Facts as you learn more about this company and how they work.

Hint: It’s a good idea to know these things before applying and a definite must before an interview!

I Want To Be A Part Of the Amazon Work From Home Team!

That’s the spirit! Remember, Amazon has a lot of different work from home jobs available. They hire throughout the year for a ton of different roles from Software Development to Human Resources and more!

Additionally, Amazon typically hires a group of seasonal remote customer service agents for the holiday season. As a remote job seeker, be sure to determine your career ideals before you start applying to different jobs!

Whether you want to work from home temporarily for Amazon or grow your career there full time follow these steps:

1. Search for opening on the Virtual Locations Career Page
2. Create an Amazon Jobs Account
3. Apply to positions using your resume and cover letter
4. Complete any necessary assessments
5. Prepare for a phone interview or virtual interview

Need additional help? Let me know in the comments below! I’m happy to help you prep for your work from home job search at Amazon.

Happily,

Ashlee

P.S. This post might have affiliate links. What are affiliate links? They’re a way for me to earn a little cash recommending products and services to you. Even so, I only suggest products, brands, and services I know, trust and use. Need to know more? No problem. I’ve written a disclosure statement you can read

The post Work from Home Jobs at Amazon. Here’s What You Need to Know. appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Looking for typing jobs from home? You’re not alone. Typing-based remote jobs are some of the most popular around. In fact, typing-heavy jobs were what got me into remote work almost a decade ago. 

I was always a fast typist. When I was eight, we got a brand new Compaq computer. I was thrilled.

I quickly expressed interest in learning to type. My ever-supportive mom bought me computer software called Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. I loved it. I honed my typing skills and always tried to get faster.

Eventually, I carried my typing skills through high school and even used them to do data entry work for a medical office during the afternoons and summer. 

It was only natural that when I decided to kick my cubicle to the curb that I would try to capitalize on my fast fingers. 

What I quickly learned was that, if you’re a fast and accurate typist, you can definitely put your fingers to work.

Typing Jobs From Home: Options Available 

Almost all remote jobs require typing skills. Since you’re not in an office, most of your communication will be done in writing. You’ll send tons of emails, instant messages, and do a lot of typing to communicate. 

But, there are those remote career paths that require a lot more typing than the average position. So, if you’ve always been a fast typist you should definitely look into these typing jobs from home. 

1. Bookkeeper 

A bookkeeper keeps daily records of money coming in and money going out. Unlike an accountant, a bookkeeper doesn’t need accreditation or a degree. Instead, they need to be accurate typists as they work to keep true financial records. 

Bookkeepers can work for a single company or outsource their services to different clients. A bookkeeping service is a great option for fast typists since the quicker you work the more you can earn. In fact, Entrepreneur named bookkeeping as one of the most profitable businesses. 

So, if you’re a fast and accurate typer, you can earn a living from home as a bookkeeper. 

2. Medical Billing and Coding 

As far as typing jobs from home, medical billing and coding is incredibly in demand. A recent CNBC report found there are far more medical billing and coding job openings than professionals to fill them. 

Needless to say, you can definitely earn a living from home typing as a medical billing and coding pro. But, keep in mind, you need some training and certification to get started. 

Medical billing and coding professionals assign specific codes to patients’ charts. These codes are used by insurance companies to issue payment for procedures and services. Because these codes become a permanent part of a patient’s medical records, certification is required as an entry level candidate. 

Fortunately, you can complete medical billing and coding training online (and in less than a year). Career Step has a comprehensive medical billing and coding program that partners with companies that hire remote workers. So, in as little as a year, you can land one of many typings jobs from home as a medical billing and coding pro. 

3. Transcription 

There are tons of opportunities to work from home in transcription. True story, my very first remote job was as a legal typist. I listened to recorded depositions and phone interviews for insurance companies. Then, I transcribed them word for word. These transcripts were typically used in lawsuits where insurance claims were involved — think car accidents, theft, fire, vandalism, etc. 

Needless to say, it was very interesting! And, it was a remote career path that perfectly played into my typing skills.

But, legal transcribing is just one of the typing jobs from home in transcription. (If you’re seriously interested in legal typing jobs, though, I highly recommend you take this free legal transcription course first!) You can also find work as a general typist and medical typist.

General Transcription 

A general transcriptionist usually transcribes audio ranging from focus groups to financial calls and even sermons or lectures. Really, there are all types of professionals and businesses that use general typists to turn recordings into written documents.

General transcriptionists typically don’t have to transcribe verbatim. Instead, they produce cleaned up transcripts that don’t have “ums” and “uhs,” false starts and stutters from speakers. 

To be a general transcriptionist, you don’t need special training. In fact, many companies will take a chance on beginners. However, to make the most of your time, you need to be a fast and accurate typist. Plus, you have to get used to typing while listening to audio and using a foot pedal. 

I highly recommend a free transcription course before you jump into transcribing head first. Doing so will give you a good overview of transcribing for a living and help you decide if it’s right for you. Did I mention it’s free?

Medical Transcription 

Medical typing jobs from home are some of the most lucrative. However, you need training to be considered. 

As a medical transcriptionist, you listen to doctor dictation and transcribe what is being said. Often, there are specific medical and anatomy terms that would be difficult to understand without proper training. 

The good news is, medical transcription and editing training can be completed online and in less than a year through Career Step. Upon graduation, you’ll be ready to take on work as a home-based typist in the medical field. 

4. Data Entry 

As a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) specializing in remote work, I get a TON of questions about data entry work. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough real openings to keep up with the demand.

Often, there are tons of jobs posted online looking for home-based data entry clerks. But, more often than not, these postings are scams. On occasion, there are legit data entry positions posted. However, these often pay very little — I’m talking pennies for hundreds of characters typed. 

For example, I signed up for data entry work at Virtual Bee (it’s now called SmartCrowd). Again, I was always looking for typing jobs from home that would let me earn money just for being a quick typist and it seemed like a good option. As it turns out, it wasn’t. I threw in the towel after a week of work and only earning $7.00. Yep, you read that right — a measly $7.00. 

If you’re truly interested in data entry work from home, you can check out different platforms and marketplaces that frequently post these type of jobs. Some popular options include Amazon Mechanical Turk, SigTrack, Fancy Hands, and Upwork. 

Keep in mind, the pay rate will vary quite a bit. And like the other typing jobs from home listed, the faster you can type, the more you’ll earn! 

5. Captioning 

As a captioner, you’ll sync captions to video so they show up on screen at the right time. To do this, you have to accurately type what is being said and time it just so. 

Captioners can find work captioning pre-recorded video or live broadcasts. Of course, when it comes to live broadcasts, you’ll need to type quickly enough to keep up with speech in real time, as it happens. This requires quite a bit of skill and extremely fast fingers. 

If you’re new to captioning, Rev is a good place to start. While the pay is on the lower side, you can gain experience as a beginner. From there, you can go onto higher-paid positions. 

6. Email & Chat Agents 

Any non-phone jobs are always popular among remote job seekers. That’s why email and chat agent positions are some of the most coveted positions around! Fortunately, there are a number of companies that hire email reps and chat agents to support customers. 

Typically, virtual reps will primarily handle customer inquiries via email and chat. However, there may be times when you have to take calls, so keep that in mind. 

In addition to being a fast typist, you also must have a strong grasp of grammar. You will always need to respond to customers in complete, error-free sentences. 

Apple is a well-known company that hires chat agents, but there are some less-common companies that hire email representatives. If you’re a fast typist, it’s a good idea to check them all out! 

7. Virtual Assistant

Finally, don’t forget about virtual assistant work as a source of typing jobs from home. A virtual assistant tackles a variety of tasks depending on skills and clients. For example, VAs can do graphic design, social media, email management, marketing, ecommerce, and so much more!

You can work for one of the many virtual assistant companies or start your own business as a virtual assistant. In fact, grab this FREE Guide to 275+ In-Demand VA Services for inspiration.

Typing Jobs From Home 

Think you have what it takes to successfully perform typing jobs from home? Keep in mind, you really do need to be fast and accurate to make these jobs worth your time. 

Some companies will only require a typing speed of 30 words per minute or greater. But, for transcription jobs or medical billing and coding gigs, a minimum 70 words per minute is pretty standard. 

Before getting started, test your typing speed. If you struggle to maintain a high word per minute rate or your accuracy is lacking, you can always brush up on your skills.

There are free sites you can use, like How To Type, to refine your abilities. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to tackle all the typing jobs from home. 

Happily, 

Ashlee 

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. Check out my disclosure statement to learn more.

The post Typing Jobs From Home: 6 Options For Fast Typers appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Alorica is a customer experience (CX) company. That’s a fancy way of saying Alorica is in the business of customer service.

And, that’s good news for you, if you’re looking for remote work. After all, there are a lot of work from home customer service jobs – and Alorica is just one company with plenty of them to choose from. So, how do you get hired here? And what is it like to work at Alorica? Read on.

This Alorica work from home review is everything you need to know about working here, before you apply!

What is Alorica?

As I mentioned, Alorica is a CX company. They sell customer service as, well, a service to other businesses. In other words, companies hire Alorica to help them manage customer care.

For example, a hotel chain needs agents to answer phone calls from guests. These agents help book rooms, answer questions, and manage guest reservations.

However, it is expensive and time consuming to operate a call center. So, the hotel group outsources its customer service to Alorica. Now, Alorica is in charge of reservations and customer care for this large hotel group.

As a result, Alorica hires work from home agents to answer calls on behalf of the its client – the hotel.

Tell Me More About Alorica Work From Home Jobs

Alorica has a lot of job openings. But, not all of them are remote. Let’s pay close attention to specific at-home opportunities called Alorica-at-Home.

What is Alorica-at-Home?

Simply put it’s Alorica’s program built specifically for remote workers. Instead of operating an in-person call center, Alorica allows agents to work from home.

“We’re a company that only does one thing – we make lives better…one interaction at a time. And thanks to Alorica-at-Home, you can help us do that from the comfort of your couch!”

alorica careers page

What Kinds of Positions are Available?

Mostly Alorica-at-Home offers call center positions. This includes job titles like:

• Customer Experience Agent
• Customer Service Representative
• Healthcare Customer Service Representative
• Customer Support Representative
• Financial Customer Service Representative
• Customer Service Specialist
• Virtual Customer Service Representative

However, Alorica also has work from home positions for roles like:

• Team Manager
• Client Solutions
• Pharmacy Tech Associate
• Project Manager
• Medication Access Specialist

Keep an eye on the Alorica Jobs Page for a complete list. Make sure to filter by “virtual” location for all the remote listings!

Does Alorica Work From Home Have Location Requirements for Remote Jobs?

Yes! Remember, the majority of work from home jobs have geographic requirements. And, Alorica is no different. For example, Alorica currently hires in select countries like:

• United States
• Canada
• Philippines
• Bulgaria
• Guatemala
• Panama

Furthermore, Alorica has wfh jobs with specific region, state, or even metro area requirements. For example, a work from home financial customer service rep role is only available for Albuquerque, NM or Lake, Mary, FL residents.

I think it’s easiest to filter jobs down to “virtual locations” so you see all the work from home jobs back to back like so:

Is This an Employee Position?

You bet! If you don’t know your remote work type, figure that out first! Otherwise you won’t know whether this is a good fit for you

Alorica mainly has employee positions. As such, Alorica employees are eligible for benefits like:

• Paid training
• Medical & dental insurance
• PTO
• 401(k)
• Employee discount program
• Tuition Reimbursement

Additionally, almost all listings advertise full time work. So, be sure you want to work full time and have a set schedule before you apply for Alorica Work From Home!

What Will I Do?

Great question! First, it depends on which position you’re interested in. Some of Alorica’s virtual jobs are specialized. However, the majority of them are listed under the “Call Center” category. As a result, you will spend your shift answering back-to-back calls, messages, or chats.

Some tasks you’ll perform:

• Talk with customers over phone, email, chat, and/or social media
• Resolve customer questions and concerns
• De-escalate issues
• Respond to assistance requests
• Upsell to customers when appropriate
• Update customer information as needed

Remember, you work for Alorica as a representative for big-name brands. That means you will work with customers to clear up concerns and confusion about products and services that Alorica clients offer (not Alorica itself). For example, Alorica Call Center Agents may answer calls for Hilton and Intuit (among other brands!).

What Requirements Do I Need to Work From Home for Alorica?

At the very least you need a high school diploma or GED. However, applicants with a college degree are preferred. Alorica also prefers candidates who have:

• Customer service experience
• Bilingual
• Call center experience

Of course previous call center work or being bilingual isn’t a requirement. It’s just an added bonus if you have any of these under your belt!

In addition, Alorica Applicants need a quiet home office workspace. You should also have a current Windows PC and high-speed internet – these will be tested during the application process.

Are There Specific Skills I Need?

Absolutely! To be successful with Alorica Work From Home, you should have:

• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Windows, Word, and Excel
• Patience and confidence
• Ability to navigate phone and computer systems with ease
• Strong typing speed

Alorica also looks for applicants who are able to stay calm and composed when dealing with difficult customers!

Is There a Background Check or Criminal Record Check at Alorica?

Yes! According to the Alorica Employee Handbook,

“A pre-employment, post-conditional offer background check is required for any candidate being considered for employment. Employment offers are conditional pending successful completion of a background check.”

The background check will verify:

• Criminal history
• SSN
• Employment
• Education
• Credit history

Now, does having a criminal record prevent you from working at home for Alorica? Not necessarily. However, Alorica may withdraw an employment offer under some circumstances. For example, criminal convictions involving violence, theft, and/or dishonesty are likely to hinder your application.

What is The Pay Rate?

It depends. Alorica does not specifically discuss pay for most of its listings. However, several remote ads have pay rate mentioned in the job title. For example,

• Customer Experience Agent $15/ hour
• Bilingual Customer Experience Representative $18.00 per hour
• Financial Care Representative $16-$17/hr
• Customer Service Representative – Work at Home – $18/HR
• Virtual Pharm Tech Associate $20/hr

Of course, this is a short list of different remote roles with pay rates. But it’s reasonable to think that Alorica Work From Home offers starting pay around the $15/hour mark. After you submit your application, a recruiter will reach out to you with more details about the role – including pay.

I’m Interested! What’s the Alorica Work From Home Application Process Like?

It takes about 30-45 minutes to complete the entire application process. However, you do not have to complete the entire thing in one sitting. Alorica allows you to save your application as a draft and continue it at a later point.

In total, there are 10 main sections of the application to navigate through.

1. Register

First, you have to register as a New User through Alorica. (Or login if you have already signed up before!). You can create a username and password or simply use your Google Account details to login.

2. Background Details

Next, it’s time to provide some background information.

Be prepared to provide details of your previous work experience!

Note: You can upload a resume and have your details filled in for you. No resume? No problem! You can also manually fill in all fields as well.

3. Additional Information

Afterward, Alorica will verify additional information like whether you’re 18 or older, legally able to work, and available to work various schedules.

4. Experience Questionnaire

Then Alorica will ask specific questions about your previous experience. For its Alorica Work From Home program, you will be asked:

• How many years of call center experience do you have?
• Number of years experience in customer service?
• Highest level of education?

Remember, be honest! This information will be verified.

5. Diversity Questions

After Experience, Alorica dives further into diversity questions. This part of the application will ask about your ethnicity, race, gender, and veteran status.

Note: You do not have to answer these questions.

6. Self-Identification of Disability

Following Diversity is a short “Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability” form. Because Alorica does business with the government, they are required to provide equal opportunity to individuals with disabilities. Again, you do not have to fill this out.

7. Complete Tax Questionnaire

Next up is an Employer Tax Credit Screening. You will be asked to provide your full name, address, and social security number. From there be ready to answer questions about any previous government benefits you have received like TANF, SNAP, or SSI. Please note, the answers you provide are 100% confidential. In other words, Alorica does not see your responses – they’re used to provide tax breaks.

8. Harver

Now it’s time to start Harver. It appears Harver is a hiring tool companies use to help them bulk hire. And, this makes perfect sense for Alorica.

Essentially, the Harver portion of your application is an assessment. It is broken down into 5 different parts:

1. Situational Judgment Test
2. Personality Test
3. Skills Test
4. Typing Test
5. Internet Speed Test

Situational Judgment Test

After a short introductory video you will be asked to answer questions based on made up scenarios. They refer to this as a Situational Judgment Test.

In total, there are about 9 questions broken down into sets of 3. Most questions want to know how you would handle specific customer interactions. However, some asked about what you would do if a problem came up while working from home.

Personality Test

After the Situational Judgment Test, you will take a personality test. There are about 75 questions in total.

Skills Test

Next, Alorica Work from Home wants to know you will be successful as a remote worker. So, you will have to answer a timed skills test – you have about 45 seconds to answer each of the roughly 15 questions!

Typing Test

Now it’s on to the Typing Test! This is a short, 3-minute test. You will retype text as quickly and accurately as you can during the 3-minute period. Remember, you want to display both speed and accuracy.

Internet Speed Test

Finally, you will perform a quick internet speed test. You don’t have to do anything here other than click a “start” button. Alorica’s system will perform the test and display the results for you. This test is to double check that your home internet is fast enough for remote work.

9. E-Sign Your Application

Hang in there – you’re almost done! Now you will read a short statement and e-sign your application. This is to acknowledge that all information you provided is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. That’s it!

10. Review and Submit

And, finally, it’s time to review your application and submit it to the Alorica team. If needed, you can edit information about your work experience, background, and demographics. Once everything looks good, go ahead and hit submit.

Your Application is Complete

After you submit your full application, you’re all done. Next, a recruiter for Alorica Work From Home will review your details. If you’re a good fit, they will reach out to you with next steps. Remember to keep an eye on your inbox for any updates.

You can also check on the status of your application by logging into your Alorica account and click the “View My Submissions” link.

Alorica Work From Home Scams

Unfortunately, scams are a part of the work from home world. And, Alorica is no different. However, Alorica is well aware of scammers posing as company representatives and has taken measures to warn applicants.

For example, Alorica shares a Fraud Alert on its Careers Page.

Remember, a common work from home scam is to ask applicants to pay for equipment or administrative fees. However, reputable remote companies WILL NOT ask applicants to pay for expenses related to employee positions. Period!

Alorica Work From Home Reviews

Lastly, don’t forget to do your homework! Part of my job here at Work From Home Happiness is to help remote job seekers find a job they’ll love – not just any ol’ remote job.

To land the right remote role, always research the company. First, head over to its social channels and see how it interacts with customers. Then, browse the company website to find its mission statement or company values. Typically, you will start to get a vibe from the company and whether it’s a place you could see yourself working.

Finally, read employee reviews. You can use Glassdoor, Indeed, and even Facebook to find current and former employee feedback:

But, read reviews with a grain of salt – most people will take the time to write about a negative experience, fewer will share their positive thoughts. In other words, employee reviews are helpful but shouldn’t be the only way you determine if a company is a good fit for you.

Should You Work from Home for Alorica?

Overall, Alorica appears to be a solid remote-friendly company with plenty of customer service and call center jobs to choose from. They also provide decent pay as well as employee benefits.

The application process is lengthy but it helps to speed up the hiring process. After all, factors that quickly rule out candidates like internet speed and computer compatibility are determined pretty early on, so you don’t waste your time.

Remember, this position is not for everyone! Alorica Work From Home is all about call center operations, so you will have a good deal of phone work and customer interaction. Introverts will likely find this role overwhelming because of the constant calls. However, if you thrive on human interaction and feel comfortable with customer service this is a promising role.

It doesn’t hurt to go through the Alorica Work From Home application process to learn more and to see if it’s a good fit for you!

The post Alorica Work From Home Review: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

This can end up costing you extra time, energy and effort that is better spent on your job search.

Remember, remote job searches are not a numbers game. You won’t get hired just because you apply to more jobs.

Instead, you must refine your job search and focus on the quality of the jobs you apply for. That’s where remote job boards help.

What Are Remote Job Boards?

A remote job board primarily focuses on remote jobs. It really is that simple. Some of these sites have 100% telecommute positions. Others have flex schedules, partially remote or hybrid roles.

Because they are remote-focused, these job boards make it easier to find telecommute positions. As a bonus, you can also find tons of helpful job search tips for remote job seekers through these sites.

If you’re not using remote job boards, you’re seriously missing out! These are my 10 favorites sites I regularly recommend to find thousands of open remote roles right now.

Top 10 Remote Job Boards

1. Remotive

Remotive isn’t just a job board. It’s a community for remote workers. The community side of this remote job board offers a place to network, ask questions, and a chance to connect with fellow out-of-the-cubicle thinkers via a paid-for Slack Channel.

Jobs are broken down by categories like Software Development, Customer Support, Design, and Marketing. Many of the listings are from startups but there are well-established tech companies too.

Don’t forget to check out the Remotive Blog for tips and remote job search advice. You’ll receive honest remote focused content like this tweet from Rodolphe Dutel, founder of Remotive, all the back in 2018:

2. We Work Remotely

We Work Remotely is one of the largest remote job boards. In fact, it receives more than 2.5 monthly visitors each month.

You can easily browse jobs by category like Programming, Design, Copywriting, and more. WWR also maintains a Top 100 Remote Companies list. Be sure to use this list as a job search tool as you research and create your own target company list!

We Work Remotely also has a Slack Channel to join for even more ways to learn about remote work.

3. Just Remote

Just Remote is a great site to search for fully remote and partially remote jobs. As a reminder, partially remote jobs allow remote work sometimes but also require some in-office time too.

At Just Remote, you can search by category, job type, and even job origin. There’s also a large list of awesome remote-friendly companies from around the world.

You can even get a little resume help from Just Remote too! Through the Resume.io link simply select a template and create a remote resume that gets you hired.

4. Remote OK

Remote OK has a large collection of tech-focused remote jobs. But there is also an entire category of non-tech remote jobs too.

There’s a unique profile feature at Remote OK. You can sign up as a remote job seeker and join the talent pool. After that, you get matched with remote companies.

As far as remote job boards, Remote OK is a great way to supplement your job search. It’s convenient to create a job seeker profile and also sign up for daily job alerts. This makes it easier than ever for remote jobs to come directly to you.

5. FlexJobs

FlexJobs (be sure to use promo code AFFILPROMO for 30% off) is a membership site. That means you have to sign up for a paid plan in order to search remote jobs. Memberships range from monthly to yearly. For freelancers, a yearly plan works best (and saves the most money) since you constantly look for new clients and projects.

But for traditional remote job seekers, a month-to-month plan is ideal. Your job search (hopefully) won’t last for an entire year. If it does, you’re probably making some common remote job search mistakes!

What’s great about FlexJobs is the fact you don’t have to worry about scam posts. FlexJobs guarantees all its listings are 100% the real deal. Another perk with membership are the virtual career fairs. These are held to help remote job seekers instantly connect with hiring managers.

Please check out my full FlexJobs review to learn more and grab a promo code to save on your membership.

6. Jobspresso

Jobspresso is one of my favorite remote job boards because it hand picks leads. In other words, every single job listing is vetted before it’s posted. That means you never have to worry about work from home scams here. And even though all jobs are curated, it’s still free for all job seekers to use!

Easily browse jobs by popular categories like Developer, Marketing, and Customer Service. There’s even an option to post your resume so employers can find you.

Jobspresso sends out weekly job leads as well as daily remote jobs via Twitter and Facebook, so be sure to give them a follow on both platforms. Remember, the more active you are on remote job boards, the more leads you’ll discover.

7. Remote.co

At any given time, there are hundreds of new positions posted on Remote.co. Jobs are broken down by categories like Accounting & Finance, Data Entry, and Customer Service to name a few.

Of all the remote job boards on this list, Remote.co is the most information forward. The site provides a lot of helpful resources for job seekers including a Q&A section written by remote companies. It provides tons of insight into remote work from a company perspective.

Pro Tip: Use this information to your advantage by creating a job search strategy instead of aimlessly sending in applications!

8. Dynamite Jobs

As I type this, Dynamite Jobs has 1,223 positions listed. What I like about Dynamite Jobs is the search features. You can search by category, of course, but also time zone. This is super helpful for anyone living outside the United States and in need of international remote jobs.

You can also find amazing remote job resources and sign up for weekly handpicked job leads delivered to your inbox.

9. Hubstaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent connects companies with the best remote talent (that’s you!). Keep in mind, remote work found on Hubstaff is freelance.

Quick reminder, freelance work is a lot different than employee work. As an employee, you receive benefits like paid time off and health care. Freelancers are not entitled to these perks and work on a per project basis.

Please read my Freelance vs Employee guide to find out which type of remote work suits you best!

10. Working Nomads

Working Nomads curates its jobs from other remote job boards and similar employment sites. However, there is an emphasis on digital jobs and worldwide work here. So, if you want to be a true digital nomad and roam the globe while earning cash, this is a good site to start with.

There are both freelance and full time positions here. But be sure to read the job details carefully as some will require you to reside (or roam) within a specific country or time zone!

Get The Most Out of Remote Job Boards

Don’t just run to remote job boards for the leads (although you totally should). Make sure you take advantage of all the resources they offer too.

Most of the sites listed allow you to create job alerts. All you do is put in your email address and — boom — remote jobs delivered to your inbox on autopilot.

This makes it super simple to receive thousands of job leads every week and you don’t have to physically search for them. Again, your time is best spent on customizing your resume and making connections – not endless searching (and applying) for remote jobs.

When possible, join Slack channels. Many jobs are filled via networking. In fact, there’s an entire source of unpublished jobs called the “hidden job market.”

Tap into these unadvertised listings by networking specifically within the remote work world. And, for remote job seekers, there is no better networking than getting to know current remote workers and the companies that hired them. (After all, if they hired them, they can hire you too). When you do this, you expand your professional network with remote workers, learn about new roles, and uncover leads you won’t find anywhere else!

Need Professional Help?

I’m a certified career coach that specializes in remote work. It’s one thing to browse remote job boards to find leads, but getting hired? Well that’s where things get tough.

I’m here to help.

Whether you need a resume audit or full overhaul, help to determine a career path, major assistance in the LinkedIn department, or just feel lost — send me an SOS.

Take a minute to introduce yourself and say hello. I’m happy to help point you in the right direction. We can even jump on a free 15-minute call. I offer a variety of career coaching services for remote job seekers, like you!

Happily,

Ashlee Anderson

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. Check out my disclosure statement to learn more.

The post Top 10 Reliable Remote Job Boards To Find Thousands of Work From Home Jobs Right Now appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Apple work from home program is a legitimate way to work remotely. In fact, it’s quite popular in the world of work from home — and for good reason.

For starters, Apple was the first American public company to cross the major $1 trillion in market value. Impressive, right? And then there’s the cult-like popularity of their many products, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and AirPods.

Who wouldn’t want to work for one of the largest most popular companies in the world? And, what’s even better, you can work remotely as part of the Apple work from home jobs team.

Before you get excited and start thinking, “Sign me up,” a little background info is definitely needed. Remember, not all work from home jobs are created equal. And, just like any job opportunity, there are pros and cons that need to be weighed.

Here’s what you need to know about Apple work from home jobs, including available job titles, restrictions, requirements, benefits, and of course tips on how to get hired!

At Home Advisor at Apple

The first big question you probably have is, “What work from home jobs are available at Apple?” The main jobs Apple has for remote workers is through their At Home Advisor Program. An At Home Advisor is part of AppleCare, which is Apple’s very own customer service department. In other words, they are remote customer service jobs.

If you’ve ever called Apple needing help with anything from iTunes to rebooting your iPad, you’ve spoken to a representative in the Customer Care Department. And, chances are, the person on the other end of the line is working from their home office instead of a cramped cubicle.

What Kind Of Customer Service Issues Will I Deal With As An At Home Advisor?

It depends. As an At Home Advisor, your job is to respond to customers’ questions — which can range from general inquiries about products to more in-depth queries regarding tech support.

At Home Advisors are able to help Apple customers via phone, email or chat, depending on the issue.

Do I Need To Be An Apple Product Expert To Become An At Home Advisor?

The short answer? No! Although customers can call in to ask questions about any Apple product or accessory, it doesn’t mean every At Home Advisor must know everything about all things Apple. You will have the chance to learn the full product line during training, but are not expected to handle support issues for all products at any given time.

However, you should definitely be an Apple enthusiast. In fact, the job description specifically states:

Is This Full Time, Part Time, Seasonal? Will I Actually Be Employed By Apple?

The Apple Work From Home Team can be both full-time and or part time. During the holidays hiring definitely ramps up. Think of all the people receiving iPads, Macs, and AirPods between November-January. Many will require some type of support as they setup their new products!

Whether seasonal, full time or part time, all At Home Advisors are employed directly by Apple.

Do Apple Work from Home Jobs Have Benefits? What About Pay?

Absolutely! Both full time and part time Apple Work From Home employees receive benefits, which include paid time off, health insurance, 401(k) and more. Oh, and did I mention that all employees receive products discounts?!?!

Apple doesn’t share the pay rate directly on its work from home jobs listings. However, current and former at-home advisors report starting rates around $16.00 an hour.

Do I Need A Home Office?

Yes! A home office is part of working from home for Apple. Your office should have a door that closes so it can remain quiet and distraction free during work hours.

Other Apple work from home office requirements include:

• Desk
• Ergonomic chair
• High speed internet connection with at least 5 megabits download and 1 megabit upload speeds

Not sure about your current internet connection? Use a free service, like Speed Test, to figure out your upload and download speeds.

What About A Work Computer?

Apple has got you covered. As an Apple Work From Home Advisor you are issued an iMac and headset. For free! Remember, this is for work only.

Will I Receive Training?

Of course. All new hires go through paid training as part of the Apple Work From Home Advisors team. The entire training program lasts between 5 and 7 weeks and is completed virtually with a live instructor. Training is comprehensive and includes topics like:

• Advanced troubleshooting
• Specific Apple product lessons
• Customer service and support

Once training is complete, you’ll be ready to take on live customers using Apple’s unique approach to customer service.

And, don’t worry, training takes place at your home office using the company-provided iMac!

I’ve Never Used A Mac Before. Does That Matter?

Not necessarily. However, it is beneficial if you have previous Mac experience or familiarity with other Apple products. Remember, in Apple work from home jobs ads it specifically states “share your passion for Apple products…” It’s not technically a requirement to use them but it clearly helps!

Keep in mind, experience troubleshooting other operating systems, like Windows, and a willingness to learn about Macs allows you to still be considered for the program.

What Hours Will I Work?

That depends on the schedule you sign up for. But, remember, this is a customer service and support position. That means Apple Work From Home Advisors are expected to work evenings, weekends, and even major holidays. Don’t forget – Apple customer service is available 24/7/365.

I’m Interested in Apple Work from Home Jobs. How Can I Be Sure I’m Right For The Job?

If you love technology and enjoy helping people, this is a great fit for you. An ability to troubleshoot problems, offer resolutions, and work independently are all musts. Remember, a love for Apple products isn’t a prerequisite, but it certainly helps!

Awesome. Where Can I Apply?

Head on over to the Apple At Home Advisor Career Page. There, you can learn more about the Apple Work From Home Program and search current job openings.

Note: Jobs will have an associated city and state. However, that does not matter. Support positions are remote and available throughout the US.

What’s The Application Process Like?

The first thing you have to do is sign in with your Apple ID. If you don’t have, you can easily create one.

From there, you can apply via LinkedIn or upload a resume. After that, you’ll go through a series of questions to make sure you’re able to get the job done. Questions cover topics like:

• Internet speed
• Home office set up
• Previous customer service experience
• Availability

These questions are used to determine whether or not you have the basics needed, i.e., experience and home office capabilities, to be successful.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Have a home office ready to go ahead of time. It places you ahead of competition and shows you’re serious about remote work!

How Can I Increase My Interview Chances?

Great question! Today, many big-name companies, like Apple, use Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to find the best candidates.

ATS is a recruiting software that streamlines the hiring process for recruiters and hiring managers. When you, the job seeker, upload your resume it goes through the ATS. From there, the person in charge of interviewing and hiring uses the ATS to narrow down resumes from hundreds to a much more manageable number. To do that, they search resumes for keywords.

This means you need to make sure your resume has the right keywords in order to get found. If you don’t have the right keywords, your resume will never be seen by human eyes.

How To Keyword Optimize Your Resume

The good news is it’s relatively easy to keyword optimize your resume. The keywords you need to get found are hiding in plain sight! All you have to do is look to the job ad itself.

You see, the job listing employers place online are basically them describing their ideal employee. To make yourself the perfect fit, you simply need to pull the right keywords from the ad and place them strategically in your resume.

Easy, right?

It is. Just remember, only place keywords that are relevant to you and your experience on your resume. That is, no fibbing. If a company specifies candidates must have Photoshop knowledge and you don’t, it’s not okay to place Photoshop under your Skills Section just so you’ll fool the ATS.

How Do I Identify Keywords?

At first glance, keywords might not jump out at you. And, that’s okay. It can take a little practice to figure out what words need to make it to your resume and which don’t.

Fortunately, there’s an easy-to-use online tool that takes the guesswork out of resume optimization. It’s called JobScan.

JobScan To Optimize Your Apple Work From Home Resume

JobScan analyzes your resume against a job ad. Then, JobScan provides a report telling you how closely your resume matches the ad. In other words, JobScan lets you know how well you meet the ‘perfect candidate’ criteria.

Generally, you want to shoot for an 80% match or better. If you fall short, that’s okay. JobScan will give you pointers and tips to improve your resume.

You can use JobScan for free for up to 5 scans a month.

Find And Land Apple Work From Home Jobs

There you have it — how to find (and land) yourself a job with Apple that lets you work from home. Remember:

1. Search current job openings via their At Home Advisor Page
2. Login using your Apple ID (Don’t have one? You can create one here)
3. Optimize your resume to the ad using JobScan
4. Upload your keyword optimized resume and answer the questionnaire

And, as always, if you have any questions feel free to ask! Hit me with them in the comments below. You’ve got this!

Happily,

Ashlee

P.S. This post contains affiliate link. Check out my disclosure statement for more details.

The post Apple Work from Home Jobs appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

What’s a 2022 remote job seeker to do? First, don’t panic. The only way to fix mistakes is to know which remote job search mistakes you make. Then you can fix them!

So, if your job search is stalled read on. You may accidentally make these common mistakes that sabotage your search. But, don’t worry. Once you know what they are, you can easily fix them. And, the sooner you do, the easier your remote job search becomes.

1. You Don’t Have a Focus

There are a lot of benefits to remote work. Time and money saved are just two of the obvious ones. But, don’t forget about the all-important ‘happiness factor’ too! Studies repeatedly show that remote workers = happier workers. (I didn’t name this blog Work From Home Happiness for nothing).

Of course, the happiness boost and no daily commute makes remote work incredibly appealing. And, I don’t blame you for wanting to do anything and everything to land a remote role ASAP. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to stack the remote job odds in your favor.

Unfortunately, many enthusiastic remote job seekers opt for the wrong way. They declare they will do any job as long as it’s work from home.

Sound familiar? If so, you’re making perhaps the biggest mistake to job search success.

Remember, you are neither qualified for or interested in the literally thousands of remote jobs available at any given moment. For starters, you can’t position yourself as the perfect hire with this generalist approach. And, more importantly, you don’t have to settle to work from home. Instead, focus on jobs you’re qualified for and actually want to do.

Remember, remote job searches are not a numbers game. Job seekers are better off applying to fewer jobs that they are well qualified for and interested in doing. I call this determining your remote work type.

When you determine your type, your remote job search suddenly becomes more clear. With greater clarity, comes more progress. In job searches, progress = interviews & job offers.

2. You Look In The Wrong Places

Big-name job boards are great for local job searches. Remote job searches? Not so much. That’s because traditional job boards often list office jobs as remote-friendly when they’re not. Unsuspecting job searchers spend precious time and effort on a job application only to ultimately find it wasn’t remote after all.

Similarly, looking for remote work on sites like Craigslist or Facebook can be a waste of time too. Often, scammers will prey on job seekers here and promise work-from-home riches for a small upfront investment or fee. (More on that in a minute).

Of course, these aren’t real remote jobs from legitimate companies. They are nothing more than scams. Period.

I always recommend you stick to niche job boards and LinkedIn. If I can find literally hundreds of job leads on a handful of sites, you can too!

3. They Don’t Optimize Their Resumes

A single remote job can receive hundreds of applications. One recruiter can’t possibly sift through them all on their own.

That’s why most mid-size and large companies rely on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to do the heavy-lifting for them.

ATS is able to scan through hundreds of resumes in a matter of seconds and find the best matches for the job.

But, how does a computer know which applicants are a good fit and which aren’t?

Keywords!

That’s right. The ATS scans your resume for keywords. If yours has the right ones, you’re put in the ‘yes’ pile. If not, your resume is discarded and never even see by a real person.

Most remote job seekers do not optimize their resume. Instead, they send the same carbon copy out to every single job they apply to. Sure, they apply to dozens of jobs a day. But, in the end, they don’t get callbacks or interview requests. Remember, remote job searches are all about quality over quantity.

Yes, it takes longer to keyword optimize your resume. But, it pays off in the long run with a shorter job search and greater job offers!

4. They Don’t Prepare For Remote Work In Advance

Hiring managers want to know you’re ready for remote work BEFORE they hire you. That means you need to prepare in advance for remote work.

To do this, set up your home office. Make sure you have high-speed internet. Learn how to use common apps and tools like Google Docs and Slack.

The more you know about remote work, the better. In fact, during the interview process, you will get asked about your ability to work remotely. There are common interview questions specific to remote workers.

Prepare answers in advance to position yourself a great remote worker. A ready-to-go home office and knowledge of remote work is invaluable in your job search.

5. They Fall for MLM and Pyramid Schemes

We know how awesome remote work is. So awesome, in fact, that some people will do anything to kick their cubicle to the curb — including falling for MLM or pyramid schemes.

I’ve made it my mission to help job seekers avoid these work-from-home scams. Multi-level marketing and pyramid schemes rely on recruiting to make money. You pay a fee to get started and then try to recruit others.

The more people in your ‘down line’ the more you earn. Hence why those on the top are the ones that make money. Everyone else in the pyramid struggle to turn a profit as they endlessly recruit others.

There are a lot of #bossbabes on Facebook. They make their “business” seem like a dream. You earn a ton of money for little work. All you have to do is pay an upfront fee to get started.

Sounds too good to be true, right? That’s because it is.

Please check out r/antimlm for more advice to spot and avoid pyramid schemes.

6. They Aren’t Organized

Job searches are tough. Remote job searches are harder. A remote job search can easily get away from you. The best way to combat this is to be organized.

Keep track of all the jobs you apply to. A simple spreadsheet can accomplish this. Note where you found the job, the position title, contact information and how you applied (ATS, direct email).

The average remote job search takes 5-7 months. In that time, you will apply to hundreds of jobs. It is impossible to keep track of them all in your head. Get in the habit of tracking your applications now. This simple step helps you feel in control instead of endlessly spinning your wheels.

You should also create an email address you use exclusively for job search activities. Gmail is free to use and comes with bonus apps that remote teams commonly use. You can even use this email address to receive job alerts. Now all your job search activities are conveniently housed in one (searchable) location.

Remote Job Search Mistakes

I know you don’t purposefully commit remote job search mistakes. Even still, these mistakes negatively impact your search.

Remember to always practice remote job search best practices:

1. Focus Your Search
2. Turn to Remote Job Boards
3. Optimize Your Resume
4. Be Remote Work Ready
5. Avoid Network Marketing/Multi-Level Marketing/Direct Sales
6. Get Organized

These best practices combat all the common remote job search mistakes. Soon enough, your diligence will pay off with interviews and job offers. Plus, you’ll land a remote role you actually want!

Don’t settle for just any work from home job. Find a remote role you’ll love. You’ve got this!

Happily,

Ashlee

PS I use affiliate links throughout Work From Home Happiness. Please read my disclosure statement to learn more about them and how I use them

The post 6 Biggest Mistakes Remote Job Seekers Make (And What To Do Instead) appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

An interview thank you letter is a must, especially for remote job seekers.

A quick follow-up to say, “thanks for the interview” lets interviewers know you are genuinely grateful to discuss work from home jobs with them.

Plus, it shows appreciation for their time – a hot commodity these days.

However, many job seekers fail to follow up after an interview. This isn’t just bad manners. It can actually prevent you from receiving job offers.

Remember, remote job searches are difficult enough as is. Do everything you can to make it easier for you. And one of the simplest steps you can take is to write a follow up letter after your interview.

Your interview thank you letter also keeps your name “fresh” and memorable.

After all, deciding to hire between two strong candidates with similar skills and work history often boils down to the smallest details.

An interview thank you letter is a nice touch to put you ahead of the competition.

Lastly, this simple follow up is supplements

How An Interview Thank You Letter Can Get You The Job

We already know it’s just plain good manners to send a thank you letter after an interview. But there’s more to it than that. This quick, one-page follow-up can boost your chances of getting a job offer. Here are three instances when your thank you letter can stack the job offer odds in your favor.

1. You Totally Blew A Question or Your Answer Wasn’t As Strong As It Could Have Been 

Interviews are nerve-racking. You can use tried and true phone interview tips or research how to ace the remote job interview. But, even still, our nerves get the best of us. And, in these cases, we have a tiny misstep.

Awkward, right? 

It can be, yes. But it doesn’t have to kill your job offer chances either. After all, you are human and your interviewer realizes this. So, even though you practiced answers to common remote interview questions, you might slip up and respond with something you regret as soon as it’s said. 

When this happens, don’t panic. Although you can’t reverse it and put the words back in your mouth you can do damage control. An interview thank you email is the perfect place to reshape your answer into a more favorable response.

Interview Thank You Letter Example: Reshaping Your Response

Let’s say the interviewer asked, “How would previous coworkers describe you?” 

Instead of confidently replying, “My coworkers would describe me as an enthusiastic team leader — someone who is equally willing to offer guidance as well as lend support.” You drew a blank and replied, “My coworkers might describe me as outgoing, talkative, and full of life.” Not a terrible answer, no, but definitely not a strong one. 

You go to work to, well, work. An interviewer doesn’t need to hear that you’re outgoing and gregarious. They want to know how you’re perceived as an employee and whether you might be a good fit within the organization. 

When you sit down to write your interview thank you letter, briefly go over the question and resulting answer you flubbed on. Mention that, while your coworkers may perceive you as outgoing and full of life, it’s because of how enthusiastic you are about working on teams and that you are always willing to lend a helping hand. Now the interviewer realizes that, yes, you are outgoing and it helps you appear readily accessible to your coworkers — much better than your original answer! 

Of course this is just one example. The bottom line is this: Reshape a bad answer into a better one using your interview thank you email. It can help the interviewer or hiring manager see you in a different (more favorable) light. 

2. You’re Neck And Neck With Another Candidate

The job market is competitive. It can be even more so for remote job seekers. Often, your interviewer is considering multiple candidates for a single position. Remember, when you make it to the interview phase you’re likely one of just four candidates remaining. 

In this case, an interview thank you letter edges out the competition – especially when you’re neck and neck with another candidate. Keep in mind, just 25% of job seekers follow up with a thank you letter. However, more than 80% of hiring managers use them to further evaluate candidates!  

Remember, it’s good manners to send a sincere thanks for being considered as a candidate. Plus, your politeness and willingness to go the extra mile can leave a lasting good impression. And this positivity can lead to a job offer, especially if your competition failed to send a follow up.

3. It Keeps Your Name At The Top Of Their List

Hiring personnel are busy people. They conduct interviews, field phone calls, and sort through countless resumes as they work to fill multiple positions. Sometimes, in all the chaos, it’s all too easy to forget about the dozens of candidates they’ve met with. This could very well be you! Recent research shows remote roles receive 7 times more applicants than in-person corporate positions!

Needless to say, you don’t want to be swallowed up in a sea of remote applicants. An easy way to stand out is – you guessed it – a remote interview thank you letter!

When your letter arrives in the hiring manager’s inbox, it jogs their memory. Now your name is “fresh” on their minds and more memorable than candidates who don’t follow up.

This positive recall is incredibly valuable when it comes time to for them to make a hiring decision. Plus, a personal letter provides another chance to interact with the interviewer. This added exposure makes you feel more familiar, and psychology tells us that people love familiarity!

Always, Always Write A Thank You Email After An Interview 

Besides being ultra polite, your thank you email can actually help you get the job offer. Use this short but powerful email to give your job offer chances a boost. Your email can help you fix any bad answers or strengthen weak ones, it helps you beat out the often stiff competition, and keeps your name on your interviewer’s mind. When done correctly, not only does your email make you look like someone the recruiter wants to work with, it can bolster your chances of getting hired. 

So, don’t neglect this simple yet effective interviewing tool. A strong thank you email can make or break your chances of finding a remote job. 

Happily, 

Ashlee 

The post 3 Scenarios An Interview Thank You Letter Can Land You The Job appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

I know work from home phone jobs aren’t exactly popular. However, you shouldn’t write them off entirely.

For starters, these jobs are readily available. When you want to work from home sooner than later, these are your best bet.

Plus, a lot of work from home phone jobs are customer service related. Essentially, it’s like working in a call center but you get to sit at your own desk and not a noisy office.

And, customer service jobs from home are mostly entry-level. That means you don’t need a ton of experience to get hired. More still, there are ways to advance your remote career in customer service. Sure, you start off with a work from home phone job but you can end up as a supervisor, manager, or department head.

Lastly, these jobs provide set schedules, steady pay, and employee benefits! Not too shabby, right?

So, before you decide that phone jobs or customer service isn’t right for you – consider all the pros that come with them. Then check out this list of seven work from home customer service jobs with benefits.

7 Work From Home Phone Jobs with Benefits

A call center or phone job from home might not be at the top of your list. However, there are awesome companies hiring customer service pros year round. Honestly, these are great companies to check out to jump start a work from home career.

 1. American Express

As a Virtual Customer Care Representative you’ll answer inbound calls and help Amex cardholders. Callers may have questions about products or services. You’ll listen to their issues and provide solutions. Sometimes, (but only when appropriate) you might cross sell products.

American Express prides themselves on the first-class service their customers are entitled to as cardholders. You’ll reinforce this level of service with each and every customer interaction. Fortunately, this satisfaction-oriented mindset isn’t lost on employees. American Express offers very competitive pay and generous benefits:

• Maternity and paternity paid leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Retirement savings plan
• Flexible spending accounts

Amex also reimburses you for your internet and phone costs each month! You’ll have growth opportunities and be acknowledged for a job well done (no wonder American Express was named one of the top remote companies by FlexJobs!)

2. Xerox

You probably know of Xerox as the copy machine people. Today, it’s a global document and business solutions company. Xerox also has a Virtual Office Program with a variety of work from home jobs. There is a good mixture of work from home phone jobs and non-phone roles, including:

• Customer Care
• Tech Support
• Data Entry/Verification
• Image Tagging
• Administrative
• Business Support

Xerox is often popular for its online data entry jobs but don’t forget about its phone-based roles with benefits!

Keep in mind, Xerox has some location requirements for remote roles. However, many of its customer care jobs are available nationally. Either way, Xerox employees receive competitive pay, growth opportunities and benefits like:

• Paid Time Off
• Employee discounts
• Health Care
• Life Insurance
• Resources for Childcare and Eldercare
• Retirement Savings Plans

Xerox is supportive of its employees. Additionally, there are assistance programs available for unexpected life events. Lastly, Xerox is military friendly through its Heroes@Home program.

3. Support.com

Next, let’s look at Support.com. As you may have guessed by its name, Support.com solves technical support issues for its clients. To do this, the company hires remote agents across the US. These roles are tech-focused work from home phone jobs. However, there are chat and email support tasks too. By using remote agents, Support.com is able to offer tech support for both small and large companies.

A Client Services Remote Technician handles inbound support requests. At times, you may place outbound calls too. In addition, agents tackle complaints, solve tech issues, and upsell. Most importantly, Support.com has benefits like:

• 401K plan
• Paid time off
• Stock purchase plan
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Promotional opportunities

Lastly, Support.com pay starts at $11.00 an hour. However, you can receive regular raises. There are also higher pay rates for bilingual reps.

4. Apple Work from Home Phone Jobs

Another company with phone jobs is Apple. I bet you’ve owned an Apple product during some point in time. That real world use of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac can lead to remote work – especially when you’re an active user.

At the present time Apple has both chat agent and at home advisor jobs. In order to land these roles you need to be an iOS user. As long as you use (or used) them before, you’re past the first step!

Additional qualities needed include a passion for technology and helping people. Likewise At Home Advisors provide both customer service and tech support. Since they’re the first point of contact, advisors troubleshoot and solve product issues while equally providing customer service.

In addition to competitive pay, part time and full time workers receive:

• Internet reimbursement
• iMac with headset
• Product discounts
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Stock

Apple will also support you in your career objectives and give you your own career development plan. Without a doubt, Apple is a great option for work from home phone jobs.

5. Sitel

Sitel is a global network of outsourced customer service solutions. In other words, Sitel contracts with companies large and small to handle their customer service needs. At this time most of its clients are in financial, retail, hospitality, and health care.

Because Sitel works with a variety of clients, a Work@Home Agent may help customers with billing, account questions, orders, and sometimes tech support.

Coupled with work variety, Sitel provides good pay and better benefits like:

• Paid training
• Flexible schedules
• Vacation and holiday pay
• Bonuses (cha-ching)
• Employee discounts
• 401K
• Medical and dental benefits

Keep in mind you need a phone line, headset, and high speed internet connection. Provided that you have these, Sitel is a solid source of remote work.

6. Convergys

Another option is Convergys – a customer management solutions company. Similarly to Sitel, Convergys contracts with companies to handle their customer service needs. In short, Convergys brings the call center to you.

A Convergys Home Agent may help customers with questions about their cable bills or explain cell phone plans. Convergys contracts with big-name companies for the most part. In fact, you might have talked to a Convergys Agent the last time you called your wireless carrier!

Overall Convergys work from home phone jobs are like the others on this list. There are no startup fees as well as paid training. In addition to set hourly ages, Convergys offers plenty of perks like:

• Medical, dental, vision plans
• Paid vacation
• Tuition benefits
• Schedule flexibility
• Advancement

This certainly is a chance to build a home-based career. After all, Convergys offers advancement opportunities to dedicated agents with a proven track record of success!

7. Concentrix

Lastly, let’s look at Concentrix. This is a rather unique company compared to others on this list. Instead of business hours, Concentrix offers 24/7 support for its clients. As a result, there are overnight and early morning work from home phone jobs here. In other words, it’s a good option for those looking to moonlight from home!

As a Product Support Advisor with Concentrix you work with customers of a large technology company. You will encounter all kinds of calls due to the services it provides. But don’t worry! Concentrix specifically trains you for this.

With 40 years in business, Concentrix recognizes their success is directly related to that of their employees. They set out to make sure employees are happy by offering benefits like:

• Medical benefits
• Monthly performance incentives
• Flexible schedule
• Advancement opportunities
• Paid time off

The hourly rate starts at $9.25. However, there are opportunities to earn monthly bonuses as well as regular pay increases!

Work from Home Phone Jobs with Employee Benefits

Although work from home phone jobs aren’t popular, don’t rule them out. All in all, customer service is in demand. As a result it’s easy to find work. So before you say no, remember the perks.

For the most part there are good benefits like paid time off and insurance. Plus you get to work from home! What’s not to love?

Find more jobs at FlexJobs. Remember to use SAVE30 for extra savings.

You’ve got this!

The post 7 Work From Home Customer Service Jobs With Benefits appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

As for me, I’m Team Cover Letter 99% of the time. I know it’s not the answer you were hoping to hear. But, before you show yourself to the virtual exit, hear me out. 

It’s not exactly fun to write a cover letter. I get it. However, there are valid reasons to write one for the majority (not all) remote jobs you apply for. Here’s why. 

First Impression Maker

First impressions are important. Chances are, you’ve heard the old phrase, “You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.” Cliche, but true. In fact, even you regularly make snap judgments about people you meet in a matter of seconds, according to the American Psychological Association. 

Unfortunately, remote job seekers don’t get a chance to make an in-person impression. Instead, career marketing materials (cover letter, resume, social profiles, LinkedIn, etc.) are used by recruiters and hiring managers to size you up.

Since one-third of recruiters read cover letters first, it’s likely to be your only first impression maker at some point in your remote job search. Let’s make it a good one. 

Interview Generator 

The majority of hiring personnel use cover letters to make hiring decisions. In fact, 83% state a well written cover letter can make up for a bad resume. 

Clearly, your interview requests will skyrocket with each cover letter you write. Be sure to use this powerful document whenever you can! 

Written Communication on Display

Pop Quiz: What’s one skill employers universally look for in remote job applicants? 

Answer: Written communication ability. 

Think about it, the majority of your remote interactions will be in writing. For example, remote workers will: 

• Collaborate with coworkers in Slack
• Support customers via chat 
• Send status updates and request information in emails

And that’s just a very short list! Sure, you can put “written communication skills” on your remote resume. But, go a step further and demonstrate your ability through a cover letter.  It’s the perfect platform put your effective communication on display.

Direction Follower

Fun fact, just 38% of applicants send a cover letter when a job listing asks for one. Obviously, it’s not a great look (or good first impression) when you opt to leave one out. If you can’t follow basic directions during the hiring process, why would an employer believe you’ll follow them once hired? 

Don’t be lazy and skip over the cover letter step. Instead, do better than the 62% of job seekers by committing to write a cover letter whenever possible, and especially when required! 

Details, Details, Details

Do you read the entire job description before you apply? If not, you’re placing yourself at a disadvantage. For starters, the job listing provides important clues to key skills and abilities to include in your resume and cover letter. But, it’s also a place where employers will slip in a very specific detail to include in your cover letter. 

For example, specific directives could be: 

• “Please include the word ‘watermelon’ in your subject line.” 
• “Use ‘aloha’ to conclude your cover letter.” 

It seems weird, I know. However, employers do this to instantly weed out applicants who fail to thoroughly read listings. After all, hiring managers want potential employees who actually want the job – not applicants who mass apply to every remote listing they see.  

Career Narrative Controller

Finally, a cover letter allows you to control your career narrative. Your career narrative is the professional story detailing your past, present, and future. This is especially important when: 

• Changing careers 
• Explaining employment gaps 

Hiring personnel will inevitably have questions when you apply for positions that don’t align with previous roles like, “Do they know which position they’re applying for?”  Similarly, when employment gaps are present they’ll wonder, “What were they doing during that time?” 

Don’t let recruiters connect the dots themselves. Instead, take control of your career narrative. Your cover letter is the perfect place to answer these questions in your own words. Now, you’ve erased any roadblocks before they became deal breakers. 

Cover Letter Fast Facts and Stats

Clearly, your cover letter is a critical part of your remote job search. If you’re still not convinced consider these stats*:

• 26% of all recruiters look at cover letters to make hiring decisions
• 56% of companies give preference to applicants who include a cover letter
• 49% of hiring managers believe cover letters make resumes better
• 83% of the time a cover letter can secure a job interview, especially when your resume isn’t an exact match for a role 
• 77% of recruiters prefer applicants who took the time to send a cover letter
• 72% of employers still want to see a cover letter (even when its optional)

Writing Cover Letters with Less Stress

The stats in this post clearly illustrate one thing: Most applicants dread writing cover letters. Remember, just 38% include a cover letter – even  when it’s “required.”

As a career coach, I’m here to make your job search simpler and more effective. And, like it or not, an effective job search includes a cover letter. 

But, don’t panic! Your cover letter doesn’t have to stress you out. In fact, writing one is as easy as 1-2-3. 

One: Format

First, you need to know what goes into a cover letter. This is called its format. An effective cover letter is made up of five simple parts: 

1. Contact Information
2. Greeting & Introduction 
3. Body Paragraphs
4. Call to Action
5. Sign Off

Contact Information 

The contact information includes your name, phone number, email address, and location. Even though you’re looking for remote work, make sure to include your city and state. Remember, many companies have location requirements for remote workers. 

Additionally, include your LinkedIn Profile and personal website or portfolio, if you have them. If you don’t, I highly recommend setting them up. Both play an important role in building your personal brand. 

Greeting & Introduction

Rarely, will you know the name and/or title of the person reading your resume and cover letter. After all, job listings typically ask you to submit your cover letter and resume online through a portal or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). When you don’t know the person’s name, stick with something generic like “Dear Hiring Manager.” 

After the greeting comes the introduction paragraph. Open your cover letter with an attention grabbing hook that reels the reader in. With the right opener, your cover letter is likely to be read in full instead of briefly scanned. 

Body Paragraphs 

The middle of your cover letter includes the body paragraphs. If possible, draw a connection to the company you’re applying to. You can reference an upcoming event, press release, social media posts, or news mentions.

Then, showcase your relevant skills, experience, education and how they will benefit the company’s goals or mission. Remember, keep paragraphs short and use bullet points when possible. Nobody likes to be hit with walls of text! 

Call to Action

Any good salesperson will tell you to always ask for the sale. This is known as a “call to action.” As a job seeker, you’re selling your skills and abilities in hopes of getting an interview. So ,use your final paragraph to ask for an interview. It’s not pushy. You’re being proactive!

Sign Off 

You’re in the home stretch now! Lastly, end your cover letter with a professional closing like “Regards,” “Best Regards,” or “Sincerely.” Then simply type in your name to act as your signature. That’s it. Your cover letter is complete. 

Two: Template 

Remember, do not use a cookie cutter cover letter. A cover letter is only effective when it’s tailored to the company and position you’re applying for. However, this doesn’t mean you have to start a cover letter from scratch every time. Instead, opt for a template that is easily updated for effortless customization. 

With a template, all you have to do is pull it up, make a copy, and change relevant sections, sentences, or statements. Once you’ve done this a few times, you’ll be a cover letter pro. 

Three: Content 

So far, you know what the parts of a cover letter are and the importance of using a customizable template every time. Now, what exactly should you say in your cover letter? 

Great question. This is what trips most people up. Fortunately, it’s not complicated. All you need to remember are the three Cs:

1. Credibility
2. Connection
3. Clarity. 

1. Credibility 

Remember, your cover letter can help you get an interview even when your resume isn’t an exact fit for the job. To do this, state what you can do for the company. Then, lend credibility to those statements by sharing relevant examples of previous accomplishments. 

2. Connection

Always create a connection between yourself and the company. This is important for two reasons: 1. It demonstrates your genuine interest in the company 2. Clearly shows a thoughtful cover letter written specifically for that role. 

3. Clarity

Finally, write clearly and concisely. There is no need to be clever, cute, or quirky. Your cover letter’s main mission is to demonstrate ability and enthusiasm. Use short sentences and bullet points to highlight your skills and how they’ll benefit the company.  

Yes, You Should Include A Cover Letter for Remote Jobs

In the end, my answer is “Yes, you should write a cover letter- even if it’s optional.” Honestly, they aren’t difficult to write. In fact, if you use a template, it will take just a matter of minutes to customize it to a particular job. 

Remember, many hiring managers believe cover letters secure interviews when a resume isn’t the best fit. Plus, almost two-thirds of applicants fail to write one even when asked. Writing a cover letter already places you ahead of the majority.

So, open Google Docs right now (yes, right now) and put together your cover letter template. It’s a seriously easy yet effective way to get more interviews. Sign up for my weekly newsletter – Happy Mail – and I’ll send you a free cover letter example template as a thanks.

Happily, 

Ashlee Anderson, CPCC

*Cover letter statistics courtesy of Resume Lab.

P.S. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement to learn more.

The post Do I Need a Cover Letter for Remote Jobs? appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.