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.

Even if you’re currently employed and doing okay, it’s still beneficial to know what your dream job is. In fact, it’s one of the first questions I ask my career coaching clients.

I ask this to get job seekers’ thinking about where they’re at in work. Are they happy? Unhappy? Where do they hope to go in the future? Most of the time, remote job seekers simply do not have a career plan or dream job in mind.

And that’s a problem.

When we don’t know what we want out of work, it leads to dissatisfaction and complacency. Not knowing what are dream job is makes it difficult to evaluate our current role Or, when at a crossroads in career or reached a dead end, it makes it impossible to make the right career pivot.

Knowing what our dream job is helps provide motivation and keeps us moving forward in our career. This forward momentum is important to professional satisfaction. Without it, we end up feeling complacent or as if something is missing. But we can never actually put our fingers on what that ‘something’ is.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone!

Meet Melissa

Melissa did everything the ‘right way.’ She went to college, graduated, and entered her chosen career path. Over the years, Melissa did well. Her performance reviews were on point. She was promoted. By all accounts, Melissa was thriving.

But, Melissa didn’t feel fulfilled. Often, she felt like she was spinning her wheels. That’s when she turned to me for help.

Melissa was successful on paper. Her colleagues loved her. Still, it wasn’t enough. Melissa needed personal satisfaction too.

That’s when I asked, “What’s your dream job?” To which she said, “I have no idea.”

Get Clear

Melissa was simply going through the motions. She did everything based on what she thought she should do and not what she wanted to do.

• Graduate college? Check.
• Get a job? Check.
• Climb the corporate ladder? Check.

Outside of the basics, Melissa had no idea what she really wanted. So before we could identify her dream job, we first had to gain clarity.

Career Ideals

The easiest way to get career clarity is to establish your career ideals. What are career ideals?

Let’s take a closer look.

Your career ideals are what you want (and don’t want) from your career. They can be super specific, i.e., earn at least $75,000 a year with unlimited vacation policy. But they can be general too.

If you’re here visiting me, I bet one of your career ideals is “work remotely.” There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to your career ideals. But to get to them, it does require some self reflection.

I encourage you to take 15 minutes to complete this task. Seriously. Right now. Tell Alexa to set a timer for 15 minutes. Then open up a blank Google Docs or grab a pen and paper. Divide it into four columns and nine rows. Across the top write Area in Column 1, Can’t Have in Column 2, Must Have in Column 3, and Nice to Have in Column 4.

Now under the Area Column label each row as followed:

• Salary
• Job Duties
• Skills Used
• Benefits Offered
• Hours/Schedule
• Industry
• Department
• Commute

Your document should look something like this:

How to Fill In Your Career Ideals Worksheet

The eight labeled rows under the Area Column are the common career ideals categories to consider.

You’ll think about each category individually. Then jot down your Must Have, Can’t Have, and Nice To Have ideals. Let’s do one as an example:

Let’s look at the Salary Row. Think about what your next job in terms of salary. What can’t it have? What are must haves? Can you think of something that would be nice to have but isn’t necessary?

For me, I said my next job cannot be commission based or anything less than $50,000 annually. It absolutely must pay at least $50,000 and come with annual performance reviews that can lead to raises. As for nice to have, I prefer that it is an annual salary and not hourly wage. It would also be nice if the job paid $60,000 (or more!).

Make sense?

I’ll fill in the rest of the worksheet so you can see how it’s done.

Helpful reminders:

Think about previous jobs and jot down what you liked and disliked about the position. Often, it’s easier to come up with things you didn’t like — but remember, you need to figure out what you like too!

Your career ideals are not set in stone. In fact, they will change over the years as you progress through your career and life. For example, my career ideals changed quite a bit after I become a mom. I was more worried about hours worked and schedule flexibility than I was in the past.

There’s a reason you’re looking for a new job. It’s important you figure out why you’re unhappy in your current role and what would fix that. These are your career ideals. They will help drive your job search and make all the difference in finding your next job or landing your dream job.

Determine Your Remote Work Type

I’m always amazed by how specific we are when it comes to who we’ll date. Most singles will have a long list of traits they prefer. Heck, you can even ask someone what their “type” is and they’ll know immediately what you’re referring to.

Now, if you ask that same person what their remote work type is they’ll probably look at you with a puzzled look on their face like:

As a career coach, it’s my job to help you figure out your remote work type. Your type will build off of your career ideals that you just discovered in the previous step. When you combine your type and career ideals — well that’s where the magic happens.

The two together paint a picture of your dream remote job. Remember, if you’re unhappy in work right now, we want to fix that. And the best way to fix that is by finding your ideal job, not just any old job.

Sure, you could find a remote job pretty quickly. But what are the odds you’ll find satisfaction and happiness there? Pretty slim! When you make a career change or pivot, it should be towards something that provides lasting satisfaction and happiness.

To do this, you need to find your career ideals and remote work type.

So, what is your remote work type? Let’s figure it out.

The 3 Types of Remote Jobs

Generally speaking, there are 3 main types of remote jobs:

1. Employee
2. Freelance
3. Contract

They all have their unique pros and cons. You’ll use your career ideals determined in Step 1 to complete Step 2: Determine Your Remote Work Type

But before we do that, let’s look closer at each of the three remote work types.

Remote Work Type 1: Employee

Remote employees are hired on a W2 basis (here in the US). That means taxes are withheld from paychecks and you are entitled to certain benefits. For example, employees are often eligible for company-sponsored health insurance, paid time off, and other perks.

Employees usually have greater job security and stability. For example, most employees know well in advance what their schedule is like and what hours they’re expected to work for example Monday through Friday, 9 to 5.

Employees can be either full time or part time. It’s important to note, part-time employees may not be eligible for benefits!

On the flip side, remote employee positions don’t offer a ton of flexibility. Typically, you are expected to work set hours or shifts every week. You may also be required to provide (and keep) a quiet home office free of distractions. In other words work is your priority and you have to schedule life around it.

Remote employee positions are just like traditional in-office jobs. You wouldn’t bring your kids to the office or allow your dogs to tag along to work. Companies that hire remote employees expect that you’ll treat your home office just as you would an in-person cubicle. The only difference is, instead of a daily commute, you get to work from home.

If your career ideals include stability, health benefits, paid time off, advancement opportunities, set schedule, and steady pay, you’re remote work type is probably Employee!

Remote Work Type 2: Freelance

Freelancers are their own bosses. When you freelance, you sell your skills or services for a pre-determined fee. For example, you might freelance as a writer. You sell your writing services at a rate of $0.05 per word. If you write a 1,000 word blog post for someone, you charge them $50.

Freelancers are not employees. That means you do not have taxes taken out of your payments. Instead, you must remember to pay quarterly estimated taxes to the IRS. Also, freelancers are not eligible for benefits like health insurance or paid time off. You would have to get your insurance through Healthcare.gov, for example.

Because freelancers are not employees, they enjoy greater flexibility in how and when they work. In fact, freelancers can keep their own schedules and can work whenever or wherever they please.

Feel like sitting at Starbucks to work? Great! You can as a freelancer. Prefer to hit the road while earning a living? No problem! Freelancers can be digital nomads, working with nothing more than a laptop and wifi.

You can sell just about anything as a freelancer. Some popular freelance services include:

• Content Marketing
• Virtual Assistant
• Writer
• Proofreader
• Social Media Manager

Keep in mind, freelancers have to find their own clients. It’s up to you to find potential clients, pitch your services to them, and secure them as clients. A good place to start is to create a freelance service website and scout leads on LinkedIn.

If your career ideals include flexibility in how and when you work, 100% telecommute, unlimited earning potential, and indifference to benefits, freelance would be a good fit for you! Remember, as a freelancer you don’t have to maintain a quiet home office or be available during standard business hours. Freelancing is often attractive to parents, caregivers, or those who want to pick and choose when they work.

Remote Work Type 3: Contract

Contractors are hired on a 1099 basis. At the end of the year, you’ll receive a 1099 showing “non-employee compensation” earned throughout the year.

That means you need to track earnings and pay quarterly estimated taxes to the IRS. Similarly, you are not eligible for benefits like health insurance or paid time off.

When you contract with a company, you receive a steady stream of work. In other words you don’t have to find clients. Instead, the company you contract with provides work for you but might require that you complete a minimum number of hours each week.

Companies that hire remote contractors:

• ModSquad
• Appen
• LiveOps
• NexRep
• Lionbridge

Contract roles offer greater flexibility than employee positions, but not quite as much freedom as freelancing. For example, if you contract with Appen as a Search Engine Evaluator, work will be provided to you but you have to complete at least 10 hours of work each week.

Similarly, a lot of transcription companies hire remote workers on a contract basis. These companies often require you to complete a set number of transcripts per week or be available to claim work during typical business hours.

If your career ideals include flexibility, stable pay, 100% telecommute, predictable schedule, and indifference to benefits, contract work would be a dream job for you.

What is Your Remote Work Type?

Now that you know all about the different types of remote work, it’s your turn. What type of remote worker are you?

Remember to take a look at your career ideals to figure this out. If health insurance through your job is a must-have, then employee positions are right for you. However, if your prioritize flexibility over all else, then freelance is more your style.

Only you can truly evaluate you and your ideals to determine your remote work type. If you’re not sure, refer to this handy flowchart. It will help:

Step 3: Set a Career Goal

Goal setting for your job search is important. I can’t stress this enough. Goals give us direction, purpose, and provide motivation. Plus, research shows that career goals provide these benefits:

• Clearer focus
• Optimum use of resources
• Better use of time
• Peace of mind
• Clarity

Wouldn’t it be great if you could confidently enter your remote job search with a clear path of where you want to end up? Well, you can. All you have to do is provide yourself a goal. Doing so will help you make better job decisions, offer peace of mind, and free up time for job search activities that matter most. But you don’t want to set just any goal. Instead, give yourself a SMART goal.

What is a SMART goal?

SMART is a system for goal setting that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. You will use your career ideals and remote work type to give yourself a SMART goal that will show you the way to your dream remote job.

The good news is, SMART breaks goal setting down into easy chunks.

This is important because most job seekers provide a very broad and general goal, i.e., “Find a work from home job.”

But now that you’re aware of your career ideals and remote work type, any remote job simply will not do. So, let’s set a goal that is SMART. First up, Specific.

Specific Remote Work Goal

Be sure to get specific and reference your remote work type when goal setting. Most remote job seekers simply say, “I want to find a work from home job.” But not you! You’re going to specify what kind of remote job you’re after using your career ideals and remote work type. For example:

I want to find a remote employee position in human resources at a non-profit. Now let’s build on that and make your goal measurable.

Measurable Remote Work Goal

How do you know when you’ve achieved a goal? If you don’t provide measurement, you’ll never really know. Let’s look at fitness for an example. If your goal is to get into better shape, how might you make that goal measurable? Well, you might say:

Lose 25 pounds

Run a 5k

Deadlift 150 pounds

See? Once you’re able to do that, you’ve reached your goal. So, how can you do the same when your goal is career oriented?

Well, you could say something like:

• Get one job offer in writing
• Apply to 5 jobs a week over the next month

Now your goal might be: Apply to five jobs a week until I receive one job offer in writing for a remote employee position in human resources at a non profit.

Hooray! Your goal is both specific and measurable. Now it’s time to see if it’s Achievable.

Achievable Remote Work Goal

There is nothing more defeating than giving yourself a goal that was impossible to achieve from the start. Doing so is literally setting yourself up for failure. Do not self sabotage. Instead, focus on giving yourself a goal that is achievable.

Let’s look at our example: Apply to five jobs a week until I receive one job offer in writing for a remote employee position in human resources at a non profit.

Are you able to apply to five jobs a week? If you’re a busy parent or caregiver, going to school, and/or working full time, applying to five jobs a week might not be achievable. If not, then scale it back to two or three.

Let’s look at our fitness example again. You wouldn’t say “lose 20 pounds in a month.” That’s setting yourself up for failure. Instead, you might say lost 1-2 pounds a week. This is still a challenging goal, but definitely not impossible.

Remember, your remote work goal should challenge you slightly but still be easily achieved with hard work.

Next, we’ll look at your goal to see if it’s realistic.

Realistic Remote Work Goal

Again, goals should be challenging but not impossible to reach. If you just graduated from college, you would give yourself a goal to get a remote job as the CEO of a large corporation, right? It’s just not realistic at the moment.

Similarly, if you want to make a career change that requires a new set of skills you might have to go back to school. If you don’t want to (or can’t) enroll in school, then your goal isn’t realistic.

Only you can decide whether your goal represents a career objective you are able and willing to work toward.

Timely Remote Work Goal

Lastly, you want your goals to be time sensitive. Why? Think about it, you spend most of your time accomplishing things that have a deadline.

• Going on vacation on a specific day? You start packing that week.
• Have a test coming up? You make sure to set time aside to study.
• New Year’s Eve next week? You start figuring out party details.

When you give your goal a timeline, you’re more likely to spend time working on it.

By now, you created a specific, measure, achievable, realistic goal. Now, let’s make it timely.

You can easily do this by adding a specific start day and end date.

For example:

Starting January 1, I will spend the next six months applying to five jobs a week until I get one job offer in writing for a full time remote employee position in human resources at a non profit.

Boom! How’s that for a SMART goal?

Of course, you can revisit your SMART goal at any time. If the six months is up and you still haven’t reached your goal, that’s okay. You reevaluate, reset, and re-start your goal.

That’s the beauty of SMART goals. They are not set in stone. You can change them as needed or break them down into much smaller action steps.

Find Your Dream Remote Job

That’s it! My three-step, fool-proof system to help you identify your dream remote job. Because you don’t have to settle for any remote job. You can shoot for the stars and get the remote job that makes you happy and provides satisfaction.

Now that you know which remote job is perfect for you, how about you start your job search?

I highly recommend The Effortless Remote Job Search. For just $27, you get lifetime access to the e-course that teaches you where to search for real remote jobs so you can avoid scams and pyramid schemes.

The course is totally self-paced and purposefully split into bite-sized lectures. In a matter of minutes, you’ll know exactly where to find thousands of real remote jobs. The best part? You don’t have to spend a ton of time searching so you can spend more time applying:

The post The No-Fail 3-Step System to Figure Out Your Dream Remote Job appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

We don’t want that.

As a career coach, I recommend a different plan of attack for someone who is unemployed compared to someone who is currently working but hoping to find a new job.

So, what should you do when you’re unemployed and looking for remote work?

1. Determine Your Career Ideals

Just because you’re out of work doesn’t mean you need to take any remote job. Instead, you need to determine your career ideals.

Your career ideals are the must-haves and have-nots when it comes to the way you work.

Example of career ideals include:

• Your working hours – Do you need a steady 9 to 5 or are you a night owl?
• Type of job responsibilities – Hate customer service but prefer data entry?
• Pay rate – Need to earn a bare minimum of $15/hour?
• Benefits eligibility – Is health insurance a must have through your employer?
• Schedule – Are you only able to work certain days or times?

Only you know your career ideals. When you’re unemployed is the perfect time to reflect on them.

Think about past positions. What did you like about them? Can you remember what you hated? Name some tasks or skills you used that coworkers would compliment you on.

For example, “Ashlee is so good at making spreadsheets!” (I’m not, but it’s just an example).

Hint: It’s often easier for us to look back and remember things we hate about jobs. And that’s good to know what you dislike so you can avoid those tasks/things in the future. But it’s equally important to know what you do like. That way you can target those types of jobs in the future. It’s not always so easy to come up with tasks, skills, and responsibilities we enjoy at work.

So seriously take a few minutes right now to reflect on your past employment. Grab a pen and paper or open up a Google Docs. Jot down your haves and have-nots when it comes to remote work.

2. Determine Your Remote Work Type

I have a son. If you ask him what Mom does, he’ll say, “She works from home.” He’s not wrong. But he believes that working from home is a job in and of itself. Oddly enough, a lot of unemployed remote job seekers think this way too.

As a career coach, I ask clients, “What kind of job are you looking for?”

And, a large majority simply reply, “I want to work from home.”

The truth is, there are A LOT of work from home jobs. And as someone who is unemployed looking for remote work, you need to determine your remote work type.

Remember, not all remote jobs are created equal.

You have employee positions, freelance, and contract options to consider. Each come with their own unique pros and cons. You will use your career ideals you determined in Step 1 to help you figure out your remote work type.

Employee

Employees who work from home are just like in-office ones. The difference? Well, you don’t have to commute every day. As an employee, you are benefits eligible, have taxes withheld from your paychecks, and can count on a pretty consistent schedule and hours worked weekly.

This also means you are expected to virtually show up for work every day, be available during office hours, and maintain a consistent schedule, i.e., Monday through Friday, 9 to 5.

Employees need a quiet, distraction-free office to work from. In other words, you cannot pull double duty as a remote work employee. So, you can’t teach your kids as distance learners and work at the same time. (Seriously, don’t do it).

If your career ideals include steady schedule, set pay, and benefits, employee positions are a good fit for you.

Freelance

Freelancers are service providers. They sell their services for a set rate. Some popular types of freelance jobs include freelance writer, freelance proofreader, freelance virtual assistant, and freelance typist. This is just short list of common freelance jobs. If you can do it, chances are you can sell it as a freelance service.

Freelancers are not employees. That means taxes are not withheld from payments received and there are no benefits like PTO or health insurance.

A freelancer can work whenever and wherever they want and pick and choose the projects they take. However, freelancers are completely responsible for finding their own work and need to pitch their services to potential clients.

Many freelancers turn to LinkedIn to find clients or use popular freelance marketplace sites like Upwork to get started.

If your career ideals include flexibility, unlimited earning potential, and work from anywhere, freelance is a good fit.

You can learn more about popular freelance career paths and how to develop those skills and turn them into a business on my Resources Page under “Remote Skills & Professional Development.”

Contractor

Contractors work with companies on a 1099 basis. As a 1099 worker, you are not an employee and will not have taxes withheld from your checks. Instead, you are responsible for paying quarterly estimated taxes.

Contractors have greater schedule flexibility than employees but less flexibility than freelancers.

That’s because, as a contractor, work is provided for you (you don’t have to pitch to get it). As such, the company you contract with will expect you to have your work done during certain times and/or days.

ModSquad is a good example of a company that routinely hires contractors to work from home.

If your career ideals include flexibility but consistency, contract work is a good fit.

How to Determine Your Remote Work Type?

A lot of clients I work with get hung up on their remote work type. And this really illustrates why it is so important to determine your career ideals. They will point you in the right direction.

In the meantime, I’ve created this flowchart to help you make your decision:

It looks overwhelming, I know. But start at the top, answer the questions honestly, and it will point you (see what I did there?) in the right direction. I promise.

3. Give Yourself a Remote Work Goal

When you’re unemployed, you need a sense of purpose. There is a big link between unemployment and self-esteem. And the longer the unemployment goes on, the worse off you feel.

We want to avoid feelings of desperation and hopelessness. A great way to do that is to give yourself a remote work goal.

Goal setting is important for job seekers. According to Butler University, goal setting can help you feel better, improves focus, and promotes a sense of purpose. This sense of purpose is extremely important for job seekers.

That’s why, as a career coach, I help job seekers create SMART goals.

Grab your pen and paper again or open up that same Google Doc you used for your career ideals. Now add a goal for yourself.

Most remote job seekers simply say my goal is to “find a work from home job.” But you’re not like most remote job seekers and you can do better than that.

Remember, use your career ideals and remote work type to set a specific career goal for yourself.

For example, “I will land a remote employee role within the next six months in education that pays me $50,000 a year, offers great benefits, and steady pay.”

See how much more concrete and clear that goal is? SMART goals are more effective and work better for remote job seekers.

And make sure you write it down! I don’t care if it’s on a post-it note, in your bullet journal, or on a card in a Trello board. Studies show you are far more likely to achieve a goal just by writing it down.

4. Create a Remote Job Search Schedule

When you’re unemployed, you suddenly find yourself without a schedule. And as humans, this isn’t good. We are, after all, creatures of habit and our jobs play a big role in our daily habits.

After years of getting up, getting dressed, and getting out the door (or to your home office) you suddenly find yourself with no timeline to stick to. This can easily lead to procrastination and loss of motivation.

Before you know it, you’re not sure what day it is or when the last time you left that house was. We don’t want you to get to this point.

That’s why I recommend unemployed remote job seekers create and stick to a job search schedule.

So, what does a remote job search schedule look like? Great question.

It doesn’t have to be incredibly detailed or entirely time blocked (unless that’s your thing, then you do you). But, you should have a list of tasks to complete every day, Monday through Friday, just as if it were your job — because it is your job to find a remote job.

Sample Remote Job Search Schedule

• Wake up at the same time every day
• Shower and get dressed
• Look at your written down job search SMART goal
• Check your email for any communication from potential employers, i.e., interview requests — Look in your spam folder too
• Hop on LinkedIn. Check out remote-friendly companies and make valuable connections. Join groups. Check for any new job leads
• Take a lunch break and stretch your legs
• Check your email after lunch for any job-related communication
• Browse job boards for any new leads that interest you. Save them
• Apply to all the jobs you found during your afternoon search
• Make sure you optimize your resume for every single one
• Keep track of every job you apply to including the link to the ad and contact information
• Send follow up emails to positions you’ve applied to but haven’t heard back from yet
• Check your email one last time before heading out for the day
• Walk away from your job search until tomorrow

The Effortless Remote Job Search

Yes, looking for a remote job is your job when you’re unemployed. But it doesn’t mean it has to be a full time job.

That’s why I created The Effortless Remote Job Search. It’s a crash course that teaches remote job seekers how to save time on the search part of their job search, so they can spend more time on job search activities that actually get results like optimizing resumes, making LinkedIn connections, and networking.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to job search effectively on LinkedIn
• The 3 best remote job boards to avoid scams
• Discover thousands of remote jobs with Google
• Remote-friendly staffing agencies to supplement your search

You’ll also learn where you can automate your job search so job leads get delivered to you.

Plus, bonus content that includes:

• LinkedIn Profile Checklist
• Job Search Tracker
• Now Hiring Spreadsheet
• Scam-Guard Checklist
• List of Hundreds of Remote-Hiring Companies

The best part? You can enroll in this time-saving, scam-protecting course for just $27.

How to Find a Remote Job When You’re Unemployed

Being unemployed is tough. It takes a toll on your mental, financial, and emotional health.

Fortunately, you can take steps to keep your job search on track so you can find a job quickly and easily.

Remember, you don’t want to find any ol’ remote job. Instead, determine your career ideals and let them guide your job search. It’s amazing how much simpler and effective your remote job search becomes when you have career clarity.

From there, determine your type and give yourself a SMART goal. Now, you can tackle each unemployed day with a sense of purpose and meaningful schedule.

And, if you need help, reach out! I’m a Certified Professional Career Coach that specializes in remote work. I have career coaching sessions available specifically for remote job seekers who need help with goal setting, identifying career paths, and jump-starting their remote job search.

Send me an email to introduce yourself and inquire about my services.

You’ve got this.

Happily,

Ashlee

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

The post Do These 4 Things If You’re Unemployed & Looking for a Remote Job appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Even still, not everyone has a job that is remote friendly. For example, service workers, tradesmen, construction workers, first responders, and many other professions are traditionally in person.

If you’re a server at a restaurant or bartender, it’s impossible to do these jobs remotely. Similarly, if you’re a welder or electrician, you can’t exactly telecommute.

But that doesn’t mean if you work a traditional in-office or on-location job you can’t transition to telecommuter.

In fact, as a remote work career coach, I regularly help job seekers do just that! Many aspiring remote workers want to ditch their out-of-the-house job for a more remote-friendly position.

Here’s what I advise them to make the transition as easy as possible.

Assess Your Skills

The more skills you have the more opportunities for remote work. Traditionally, employers want similar soft skills in their remote hires. These include attributes like trustworthiness, written communication, time management, and problem solving. In other words, they look for potential hires that have the ability to put in a full day’s work independent from the office.

While soft skills are important, what is really going to make you a competitive remote job seeker are your hard skills.

What are hard skills, you ask? Great question. Let’s look at hard skills:

What are hard skills?

According to the Balance Careers, hard skills are teachable abilities that you can easily quantify. Often, you learn hard skills via on-the-job training, certification, college or other schooling.

Example of Hard Skills for Remote Workers

So, what are hard skills that are in-demand in the remote world? Here are the top ones I see again and again:

Customer Service

From sales to support, and everything in between, companies need a remote workers with a variety of customer service skills. Most want to see technical skills in this role, including troubleshooting and problem resolution.

No hard skills in customer service? No problem. Check out Become a Customer Service Specialist Learning Path via LinkedIn Learning. In just 5 hours, you learn how to troubleshoot, de-escalate angry callers, and even best practices when communicating with chat and email.

Medical Billing & Coding

Medical billing and coding skills are in huge demand as there are more jobs than professionals to fill them. These hard skills are used in healthcare settings to ensure doctors and nurses get paid for their services.

You can receive online training and get certified in medical coding and billing in less than a year via CareerStep. To learn more, check out my free guide: How To Become A Medical Billing Pro in Less Than A Year.

Typing

Most of your communication will be done in writing as a remote worker. So, employers want to see remote workers who can type efficiently. Some jobs will absolutely require you have a minimum typing speed.

For those who have never had to use a computer to communicate, it’s time to brush up on your typing skills. You can learn touch typing for free at Keybr.

Graphic Design

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, graphic designers create visual concepts. Graphic design is used to develop websites, brochures, magazines, ads, and many different visual elements.

Learn the Fundamentals of Graphic Design over at Coursera.

Web Development

Web development is a broad term that can apply to a number of different coding languages out there. Developers use a series of code to create apps, games, websites, and more.

To learn more about web development, coding languages, and their respective career paths, I highly recommend visiting Fullstack Academy.

Sales

Sales is a valuable skill to businesses because more sales = more money. So, if you are able to demonstrate sales experience, you become an asset to companies.

Check out this course Sales Training: Building Your Sales Career to find out more about developing your own sales skills.

Marketing

Marketing ability means you can transform a company’s central message and appeal to buyers. Marketing skills can include social media, email, blog posts, and more.

Introduction to Marketing is an online course taught through the University of Pennsylvania that will help you prepare for a career in marketing.

Project Management

Project managers ensure products are delivered on time and within budget. To do this, they must be able to apply problem-solving and clear communication to effectively allocate resources.

You can learn this highly sought after skill online through: How to Get Skilled: Introduction to Individual Skills Management (Project-Centered Course)

SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Understanding SEO helps businesses and brands rank higher than competitors on Google. Again, this is a valuable skill set to have because higher Google rankings = more customers = more money.

You too can master the ins and outs of SEO via the online course Search Engine Optimization (SEO) taught by UCDavis.

Bookkeeping

Bookkeepers monitor the flow of cash in a business. They keep track of all money coming in and going out. Often, bookkeepers rely on software, like QuickBooks, to maintain accurate financial records and generate reports.

Check out this free 3-part video series to learn more about bookkeeping and whether it’s the right path for you.

Google Suite

So many remote teams rely on Google Suite and it’s many web-based apps to stay connected and collaborate. If you’re not familiar with Google Suite as an aspiring remote worker, you need to be.

Google offers its own G Suite Learning Center where you can learn the basics and familiarize yourself with everything from Gmail to Forms, Slides to Drive, and so much more.

Administrative

Like many of the other hard skills on this list, administrative skills is a blanket term that covers a lot of different abilities. In a remote setting, administrative pros often handle scheduling, calendar management, coordinate meetings, and email for members of a team.

LinkedIn Learning is a great place to uncover administrative-based courses you can use to strengthen your profile and brand as a remote job seeker.

Writing

Writing is an essential skill to have as a remote worker, that’s because the bulk of your communication is in writing. Companies want to see you can effectively get your message across in writing. But, if you want to write for a living, you’ll need to hone this hard skill even further. Some career paths for remote writers include grant writing, copy writing, and SEO writing.

Check out the Good with Words: Writing and Editing course to brush up on your writing skills.

Learn More About Hard Skills

The list I just gave is not an exhaustive one. It includes some of the top hard skills companies routinely seek out in popular remote positions. For more inspiration check out the Top Skills In Demand for 2020 – And How To Learn Them.

Pick a Path

Before you launch a new job search, it’s important to niche down. You aren’t qualified for every remote job under the sun. Similarly, you wouldn’t want to do every remote job out there. So, it’s time to figure out which type of remote job you want to go after.

Be sure to think about hard skills you would enjoy using on the job. Even if you don’t have those skills right now, that’s okay! Remember, you can learn hard skills. The point right now is to determine a potential career path that interests you and you would enjoy doing. There’s no point in settling for any remote job. You want a remote job that fulfills you (I didn’t name this blog Work From Home Happiness for no reason).

To determine a career path, I highly recommend you figure out your career ideals.

What Are Career Ideals?

Simply put, your career ideals are your must haves and have-nots when it comes to how, where, why, and when you work.

Let’s take a look at an example. Are benefits like paid time off and employee-sponsored healthcare a must have for you? If you answered yes, then one of your career ideals is working as an employee (and not an independent contractor or freelancer). That’s because employee positions offer benefits and contract positions do not.

In this scenario, it wouldn’t make sense for you to even consider contract or freelance roles. That means you can easily narrow your job search down to employee positions only. And, when you do this, you save yourself tons of time, energy and effort.

Needless to say, it’s important to determine the right type of remote work for you so you can find and land your dream remote job.

Fill in Any Gaps

Chances are, there’s a remote job out there that sounds amazing to you. It fits your career ideals and is something you would enjoy doing. The problem? You don’t exactly have all the right skills to get the job.

That’s okay. Remember, you can learn hard skills (that’s literally what they are — learned skills). So, don’t panic if there’s a remote job out there that sounds perfect for you but you don’t quite have the know how.

Instead, it’s time to start learning. Today, it’s easier than ever to brush up on skills or learn something completely new.

As a career coach, I often direct my clients to online learning. My two favorite resources are LinkedIn Learning and Coursera.

I prefer these two platforms because they are both well respected and provide certificates you can proudly display on your LinkedIn profile and resume upon completion.

These certificates will show remote-friendly employers that you have the right hard skills to get the job done. And that will go a long way in helping you get hired in your ideal remote career.

Re-brand Yourself and Your Career

Now that you know your career ideals and have filled in any skills gaps, it’s time to re-brand yourself. This means you need to write your career marketing materials for the job you want to get and not the jobs you’ve held in the past.

Your career marketing materials include your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. These are all documents recruiters and hiring managers will use to determine whether you’re a good fit for a job.

It’s important you take the time to rewrite these. In fact, you should adjust your resume to match every job you apply for.

It’s up to you to take control of your career narrative. So what if you worked as a bartender before and are now looking to get a virtual bookkeeping position?

All positions have transferable skills and it’s up to you to position them in a way that works for the role you’re going after. Plus, when you learn new hard skills relevant to a role, it shows you’re serious about the career pivot and not just applying to any and every position on a whim.

Get Help When You Need It

Remote job searches take time. On average, they last between 5 -7 months. So, don’t get discouraged and give up if you don’t get interviews within your first few weeks of applying.

Plus, don’t forget, you vary well need to enroll in an online course or program to learn new skills you can use to market yourself effectively as a remote job seeker.

If all of this seems overwhelming, I’m here to help. As a career coach, I specialize in helping traditional workers transition to telecommute roles. I can help you too.

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me to give your remote job search much needed clarity and direction.

Happily,

Ashlee Anderson, CPCC

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

The post How To Find A Remote Job When You’ve Never Worked Remotely Before appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Needless to say, it can be draining to tie your self worth to your job search. Often, it takes days if not weeks and months to hear back from jobs you’ve applied to (if you ever hear back at all). Add that to the lack of in-person connections and daily routine and, well, it can be a recipe for self-isolated disaster.

But, fear not! As a career coach, I work with remote job seekers to implement science-backed strategies to help build much needed momentum when unemployed.

1. Wake Up Early.

When you don’t have a job, why wake up early? For starters, an early start gives you a sense of purpose that goes missing when unemployed. Also, most recruiters and hiring managers start their own days at 9:00 a.m. sharp. You want to be readily available to take their calls.

Plus, it’s just plain good for you. Psychologists agree: waking up early and consistently is beneficial for your mental health. So, set your alarm clock or ask Alexa to gently wake you at 8:00 a.m. to Taylor Swift. Just don’t hit the snooze! You don’t have to hop out of bed ready and rarin’ to go. But you do need to get up and show up physically and mentally to your job search.

2. Get Showered and Get Dressed.

Many clients I work with envision endless days of PJs and yoga pants as a remote worker. And while remote work does allow for a certain level of comfort, it doesn’t mean you should nix pants altogether.

Just like waking up early, getting showered and dressed in an actual outfit changes the way we think. You put on business casual attire and you feel ready to work. When you stay in day-old pajama bottoms and sloppy tops, your attitude matches your lazy attire.

This is what psychologists refer to as enclothed cognition. (It’s a real thing. I promise.)

The positive mindset of getting showered and dressed is something to take advantage of every single day. So, get off your leggings clothed butt and put on some real pants. Your mental shift is beneficial to your job search (and your dog will thank you too).

3. Set Goals For The Day. Every Day.

There’s a reason I offer an entire coaching session focused solely on goal setting: Because setting short-term goals gives you motivation. I’m talking a full pot of coffee before 9:00 am. level of motivation.

Why?

Well, here’s some more science for you. According to researchers, goal setting leads to more successful outcomes. This is true even on a small scale, like daily goals.

Goal setting allows us to envision our ideal future. When we ‘see’ what can be, we’re more inclined to accomplish the tasks we need to get there. In this instance, that means picturing yourself as a full-time remote worker and committing to completing daily tasks to help you reach this vision.

So, how exactly do you set daily goals for yourself? Well, I like to tell my clients to focus on their Daily Top 3. These are 3 non-negotiable daily tasks that absolutely must get done. They don’t have to be giant tasks. Simply making a new LinkedIn connection, applying to a job or revising your cover letter count. What matters is these goals are job search related and will help you move forward.

And, don’t forget to write your goals down! Back to science, writing your goals down increases your chance of achieving them by 40%. Grab a post-it and a pen and jot them down. Place it in a spot you’ll see throughout the day. This little step helps you stay focused, on task and keeps you moving forward.

4. Check Your Email on Schedule.

Your inbox is a total time suck. It’s easy to get caught up in an endless cycle of emails, even when you’re unemployed. And, honestly, you have no control over how many people email you in any given day.

But, what you do have control over is how often you check your emails. Do not leave your inbox open so you get an alert every time a new message comes your way. You end up checking your email while conducting other job search activities. And this type of multitasking is counterproductive.

Studies show that it takes more than one minute to recover from an email interruption. Don’t give up precious time to email distractions.

Instead, schedule email breaks. These are set times throughout the day you devote to popping into your inbox and responding to messages.

Researchers found that those who schedule email breaks into their day reduced their daily stress. And who couldn’t use a little less stress when job searching?

So, do yourself a favor and schedule three breaks throughout the day to check and respond to emails — once in the morning, once midday, and once at the end of the day. That’s it.

5. Get Out of The House.

You know the saying that looking for a job is a full time job? Well, it’s true. I’ll give you that. But, it doesn’t mean you should tether yourself to your desk all day every day. It’s not good for you, which means it’s not good for your job search.

When you find yourself unemployed, your reason for getting out of the house every day (i.e., your job) is no longer there. Before you know it, it’s been days since you last ventured out.

This isn’t great, especially since science tells us that getting outside is beneficial to our mental health. Even a simple walk outside can boost creativity by as much as 60 percent.

It doesn’t mean you have to plan an outing every day. However, you should try to get out and about as much as possible. Take a walk. Meet a friend for lunch. Treat yourself to coffee. Go feed the ducks at the park. It doesn’t matter what you do. What matters is that you take a break from the confines of your home so you can experience greater clarity and increased productivity — two important factors that will contribute to success in your remote job search.

6. Get Social.

A job loss undoubtedly results in financial losses. But, studies show us that our social well being takes a major hit too. That’s because, through work, we fulfill psycho-social needs like having contacts and interactions with people outside of our immediate family.

When we lose a job, we lose those daily social contacts and sense of purpose that goes along with it. And, when we try to fill our days with job search activities, it gets pretty isolating and fast.

Not to mention, the unemployed tend to place a social stigma on themselves. That is, they don’t want to go out and enjoy themselves because they’re out of work. Other times, they want to avoid social interactions so as not to have to talk about their job loss.

But social isolation isn’t good for you or your job search. Don’t feel like you have to take a step back from socialization while out of work. Being social gives a big boost to your mental health and can lead to job opportunities. Remember, as much as one-third of jobs are landed via personal referrals.

Get Help.

Okay. This is a bonus one, but it’s totally okay to get some help. In fact, that’s why I’m here. As a career coach, I support your job search and keep you accountable. A level of accountability when unemployed often eliminates distractions and time spent on unproductive tasks according to this study.

Remember, the average remote job search takes 5-7 months. You don’t have to go through the monthslong process alone. Hire a career coach to stay on task and reduce the isolation that often hits when facing a job loss.

Find out more about my career coaching services or send me an email.

Happily,

Ashlee Anderson, CPCC

The post 6 Science-Backed Strategies That Benefit Your Remote Job Search appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

This can make the job search process seem even longer and more tedious than usual. It’s no wonder, then, so many people want to transition to remote work but far fewer actually do.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that hard. In fact, you can use these four insanely simple tasks to jump start your remote job search today.

1. Set Up A Professional Job Search Email Address

This is super simple but often overlooked. I work with many career coaching clients who have less than professional email addresses. GymGod4Life and IHaveBieberFever are perfectly fine for personal use. But as a job seeker, you need something a little more professional.

Head on over to Google and sign up for a free Gmail account. Choose an email address that matches your name on professional docs like your resume and LinkedIn Profile. For example:

• FirstNameLastName@gmail.com or
• FirstNameMiddleInitialLastName@gmail.com.

I always recommend Gmail for professional use. Not only is it simple, but it comes with a lot of free tools that remote teams often use like Google Docs, Sheets, and Meet.

In just a few minutes, you will have a professional remote job search email address and be ready to use remote collaboration tools from the start. How’s that for a win win?

2. Update Your Resume

Nobody likes to write or update their resume. That’s probably why resume reviews are my most popular career coaching services. But, although it can be a tedious task, it is super important you always have your resume updated and ready to go.

First things first, look at your contact information. Make sure your name matches the email address you just created for job searching. (If you used FirstNameMiddleInitialLastName@gmail.com, your resume needs to include First Name I. Last Name too) Also, don’t forget to add your new email address to your resume at the very top.

Next, delete any outdated information. Old and unused resume sections include an Objective Statement and “References Available Upon Request.” Including these will make your resume read dated. Replace them with more modern and relevant sections like Professional Summary and Technical Skills.

Pictured below is a standard resume layout that works well for pretty much everyone.

Remember, you will customize your resume for every single job you apply for (fun, right?) Even so, you need a solid base or standard version of your resume that you can easily tailor to individual jobs across different industries, fields and departments.

So take an hour or so and dust off your old resume. Give it a little makeover. Update your contact information. Remove outdated sections. Add new jobs and skills. Create a template-style format you can quickly customize.

Taking the time now to do this will save you a ton of time (and frustration) when you go to apply for jobs. Plus, it makes your resume more likely to get past Applicant Tracking System and in front of a real person.

3. Review Your LinkedIn Profile

Now that your email address and resume match (same name and same contact information) it’s time to make sure your LinkedIn Profile is on point too.

Again, check to make sure your name matches what you have on your resume and as your email address. Next, update your profile picture. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be a professional headshot.

Instead, make sure you have a recent and clear picture of yourself. You can take the DIY route directly in the LinkedIn App. There’s a profile picture feature with built-in editor that works pretty well. LinkedIn wouldn’t have it if they didn’t want you to use it. So, take advantage of it and take a few new shots of yourself.

Remember, as a remote job seeker, you want your personality to shine. A high resolution shot of yourself in casual clothing with a smile can go a long way in making you seem real and approachable.

Now is the time to also update your work experience and add any new skills to your profile. Remember to change your headline to the job you hope to get and not your current job title. Bonus points if you create a vanity LinkedIn URL. This will help you get found more easily in searches and helps keep your ‘brand’ consistent.

I’ve written a long post about creating a powerful LinkedIn Profile. Give it a read if you really want to get into the ins and outs of LinkedIn for remote job seekers. But, keep in mind, it will take longer than a day to completely optimize your profile.

4. Check Your Social Media Channels for Consistency and Content

It’s estimated that 80% of recruiters will google you before they invite you to interview. What comes up on google searches are often your social media profiles. What they find on these profiles can seriously make or break your chances of getting hired.

So, now is the time to comb through your social media channels. Again, make sure your name is consistent across all platforms. If you’re Ashlee Anderson on Facebook, Ashlee K. Anderson on LinkedIn and A. Anderson on Twitter it can really throw people off. Stick with the same name on everything, and I do mean everything— social media, resume, email, etc.

Also, while you’re job searching, be sure to use the same profile picture across all platforms. This makes you easily identifiable and helps you come across as a cohesive hire. (You can even use that updated LinkedIn headshot you just took!).

Lastly, audit your social channels for content. Get rid of any racy pictures, foul language or emotionally charged posts. Keep things PG and PC and you’ll be fine.

There are a lot of things you might post on social media that can keep you from getting a job. Avoid them to give yourself the best chance of getting interviews and job offers.

Easy Remote Job Search Tasks

There you have it. I know job searching is hard. That’s why I always like to share quick and easy strategies that actually work.

Remember these 4 simple and insanely effective tips whenever you decide to launch your remote job search. Before you know it, you’ll officially kick your cubicle to the curb. You’ve got this!

Need help? Work with me! I’m a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) that specializes in remote work. My services are uniquely tailored to remote job seekers for an entirely virtual career coaching experience. Learn more about what I do and how I can help and book your first appointment today!

The post 4 Insanely Simple Tasks You Can Do Today To Launch Your Remote Job Search appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

So, you want to become a remote worker? You’re in luck. Remote work is on the rise, and shows no signs of slowing.

According to Global Workplace Analytics, remote work has grown by 159% in just the past 12 years.

And it’s no wonder why both companies and job seekers approve of remote work. A 2-year Stanford University study by Nicholas Bloom indicates remote workers are happier, far more productive, take less sick days, and fewer vacations.

Watch Bloom talk about his report findings in his 2017 Tedx Talk below:

Although remote work is undeniably popular, it still isn’t exactly easy to become a remote worker. As a Certified Professional Career Coach specializing in remote work, I routinely work with clients who want to transition into telecommute roles but have struggled to do so on their own.

Unfortunately, many remote job seekers apply what they’ve been told about traditional job searches to their remote job searches. And, it often yields very little results. Remember, a job search for an aspiring remote worker is a lot different than that of an office job seeker.

The good news is, it’s not impossible to find a remote job. You just have to understand what you’re looking for and where to find it!

What Kind Of Remote Worker Are You?

One of the first questions I ask my career coaching clients is this:

“What type of remote work are you looking for?”

The most common answers I receive are “any” or “I don’t know.”

An ambiguous job search or one with zero clarity is going nowhere — fast. So, the very first thing you should do on your quest to become a remote worker is determine what kind of remote work situation makes sense for you.

Before you launch your remote job search, ask yourself:

How much flexibility vs stability do I seek?

There are a lot of ways to work remotely. You can work full time or part time as an employee for a remote-friendly company. There are opportunities to work on a predetermined project as an independent contractor. You can even offer services to several companies as a freelancer. Employee positions offer greater stability and less flexibility. Contract and freelance roles offer the most flexibility but come with little stability.

Do I value perks like health insurance and paid time off?

Company-sponsored perks are nice to have, but aren’t a guarantee as a remote worker. Employee positions often come with a benefits package like health insurance, 401(k), and vacation time. Freelance and contract positions do not. If you value benefits, employee positions are more suited to you than freelance or contract gigs.

What kind of schedule do I want to keep?

We all have an ideal schedule to keep. Maybe you’re a morning person or considered a night owl. Perhaps a standard 9 to 5 arrangement works best for you so you can have weekends off to attend to family matters. Whatever your schedule preferences, keep them in mind. Employee positions often allow for standard schedules that require weekly commitment. Freelancing allows you to schedule yourself when and where you can to accommodate almost any lifestyle.

What is my ideal work culture?

Company culture should always be considered when on the hunt for a new job. This is especially true for remote workers. Not only do you want your career ideals to align with your employer’s mission and values, but you need to consider how remote work is handled. Some companies are fully distributed — that is 100% of their team is remote. Others have mostly in-person employees with a handful of telecommuters on staff.

Now that you know some of your core career ideals and preferences keep them in mind. You will use them to evaluate remote jobs you come across. Plus, they will come in handy when you get to networking and eventually interviews!

Know Where To Look For Remote Work

Remote work isn’t going to fall into your lap. Instead, you have to find leads and apply to ones that suit your needs.

But, as an aspiring remote work newbie, where do you look?

I always recommend going straight to the source — remote friendly companies!

When you target specific companies, you can more effectively network, create contacts that already work there, find opportunities that match your ideals, and more easily avoid scams.

But, where exactly do you find these remote-friendly companies that may be your next career move?

Remote Worker Job Boards

A good starting point to familiarize yourself with legitimate remote companies is on remote job boards. Here, you can find a variety of leads no matter your background — tech, education, health care, design, customer service and more.

Remote.co

Remote.co is a great resource for aspiring remote workers. There is a Q&A Page where remote companies answer common work-related questions. Plus, you can explore company profiles and see any recent job listings.

Remotive.io

Like the idea of working for a startup? Remotive.io is the place for you. You can browse job leads as well as learn more about 2,000+ companies hiring this year.

We Work Remotely

With more than 3,000 companies currently listed on their remote companies page, We Work Remotely is a great resource for job seekers. Explore different companies, learn about hiring trends, and uncover helpful resources.

Turn To Twitter

Are you on Twitter? If not, create an account. It’s free and easy to do. Plus, it gives you a chance to connect with remote companies on a social platform. This keeps you up to date on industry happenings and makes you feel familiar to hiring managers in what can often feel like an impersonal hiring experience.

Some accounts to follow include Jobspresso, Remotive, and WeWorkRemotely.

You can also search for remote jobs using hashtags like #remotework and #remotejobs.

Network On LinkedIn

It’s no secret that LinkedIn is a powerhouse of professional networking. In fact, a 2019 study found that 122 million interviews and 35 million job offers were made through this popular platform.

Needless to say, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out. This can be especially true for remote job seekers. After all, you don’t get a chance to network or meet in person for a remote job that may be in another state or across the globe.

Instead, you’ll rely on social platforms, like LinkedIn, to make connections and reach recruiters.

LinkedIn For Remote Workers

It’s one thing to sign up for a LinkedIn account. It’s another to have a powerful profile that gets noticed.

To make the most of LinkedIn, you need to fill out your profile completely. Start with a professional yet friendly headshot. From there, craft a headline that sums up your experience is a sentence or two. Remember, your profile picture and headline are the first things seen by recruiters searching on LinkedIn.

Next, write a thoughtful summary. It’s a great idea to tell your career story here. Be sure to include where you began, where you are currently, and where you hope to be in the future. This allows hiring managers to get to know you without having to speak with you.

LinkedIn Groups

When you’re new to LinkedIn or a remote job search, consider joining remote-friendly LinkedIn Groups. These groups are filled with professionals who telecommute or have an interest in telecommuting. Here, you can create connections, expand your network, and reach professionals that can lead you to your next career move.

I could write an entire blog post on LinkedIn for remote workers (and have!). Be sure to give it a read so you can learn to create a standout LinkedIn profile as an aspiring remote worker. And, once you’re up and running, check out these 3 underused LinkedIn tips that make it easy to find remote work.

When in doubt, hire a pro. A career coach specializing in remote work can audit your LinkedIn profile, offer constructive criticism, and help write (or rewrite) it.

Understand What Employers Want In Remote Workers

As a remote job seeker, you want to show potential employers that you have what it takes to work remotely. Remember, it’s not for everyone. And, companies want to hire individuals that will thrive in a remote environment — not falter.

According to career site, The Muse, the top 7 skills you need (and employers seek) are:

1. Organization
2. Communication
3. Time-Consciousness
4. Proactiveness
5. Tech Savvy
6. Motivation
7. Balance

If you have these skills, great! Be sure to highlight them wherever and whenever you can. The perfect place to do so is in your resume.

Resumes For Remote Workers

There’s a lot of debate as to the importance of your resume in today’s job search. As a remote worker, it’s definitely an important career marketing document, but it’s certainly not the only thing that will lead to a job offer.

Your resume is just a small piece of your professional puzzle. As an online job seeker, its main purpose is to get you in front of an actual recruiter.

You see, when you submit your resume online, it’s likely being scanned by software before being sent to a recruiter. The software used is called Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and makes the hiring process easier for hiring pros. The ATS scans your resume for keywords that indicate you’d be a great fit for the job. If your resume has these keywords, then your resume will be forwarded to an actual person. If not, it’s discarded and never seen again.

Optimize Your Resume

As a general rule, you should never submit a cookie-cutter resume. Instead, customize your resume every time. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to write a new resume for every job you’re interested in. But, you should have an easily-adjusted resume you can tailor to the unique job you’re applying to.

Look to the job description to find keywords that are relevant to you. Place them in your resume to show you’re a great fit. Also make sure to highlight sought after skills needed to become a remote worker.

That way, you’ll get past the ATS and pique the interest of a recruiter — win, win!

Become A Remote Worker

Launching a job search is stressful. Remote job searches are even more tedious. To get ahead, start out with a solid plan.

Start with the basics outlined here. And, when in doubt, ask for help. You’ve got this!

Happily,

Ashlee Anderson

PS This post may contain affiliate links. Check out my disclosure statement to learn more.

The post How To Become A Remote Worker, A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

So, you want to become a remote worker? I get it. I’ve been working remotely for nearly a decade. (And I’ve never looked back!). In my years as a remote worker, I’ve worked full time, part time, and even freelanced.

Today, I work as a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC). I specialize in helping remote job seekers, like you, kick their cubicles to the curb.

Needless to say, I know what it takes to become a remote worker. And I readily share tips and tricks on how to ditch your daily commute so you too can reap the benefits of remote work.

Remember, a remote job search is a lot different than a traditional one. But, don’t worry, it’s not impossible to land remote work.

Any new job search is best launched with a plan in mind. And, the very first step in any remote job search plan should be narrowing down your search to only include the right positions for you.

Determine What Type Of Remote Worker You Are

Often, I work with career coaching clients that want to work remotely so badly that they insist they’ll do anything. That is, it doesn’t matter what the job title is or nature of work as long as it doesn’t require a commute.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a great job search strategy — especially as an aspiring remote worker. You see, not all remote jobs are created equal. There are full time and part time employee positions, freelance gigs, and contract jobs too. You can even come across seasonal and temporary remote jobs.

Employee positions are different than freelancing and working as an independent contractor has unique requirements too.

That’s why, before you even start a remote job search, you need to determine what type of remote worker you are.

Employee? Freelance? Independent Contractor?

When it comes to remote work, positions typically fall into one of three categories:

1. Employee
2. Freelance
3. Independent Contractor

They all have different benefits (and drawbacks) that you should consider. Once you weigh the pros and cons, you can confidently figure out which type of remote work is best suited to you and your circumstances. That way, you can streamline your job search and focus only on the type of work that’s right for you. But how do you figure out if you should pursue employee positions, freelancing, or contract gigs?

Employee Status As A Remote Worker

As a remote employee, you are expected to keep set ‘office hours’ and have a quiet home office in which to work. Telecommuting as an employee is very much like working a traditional office job. But, instead of driving to work, you get to work from your comfy home office.

Employees receive set pay and may be eligible for benefits, like health insurance and paid time off.

You should consider employee positions if you value steady pay, company-sponsored perks, and set schedules. If you need something that is flexible or allows you to work with constraints (like kids in your care), employee positions just won’t work.

Freelancing As A Remote Worker

When you work as a freelancer, you sell services to clients on a per project basis or for a set amount of time. Essentially, you are your own boss when you freelance.

With your ‘boss status,’ you become responsible for everything — finding clients, managing your schedule, pricing your services, handling payments (and more).

Freelancing affords a ton of flexibility. You can work when you want, for how much you want, and for whom you choose. This is a great option for anyone who has caretaker responsibilities or wants to create their own schedule.

Independent Contractor Positions

While employee positions and freelancing are on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum as a remote worker, being an independent contractor is a little mix of both.

As an independent contractor, or IC for short, you contract with a company and they supply the work. Typically, your contract is for a set amount of work each week or for a predetermined time.

For example, if you contract as a transcriptionist, you might be expected to complete at least 3 hours of audio each week.

As a contractor, you bill for your services and receive payment in set intervals. However, you don’t receive any benefits and taxes ARE NOT withheld from your pay. That means you will have to keep track of earnings and pay taxes accordingly.

Working as an IC is great for anyone who wants steady work and flexibility. Remember, as an IC, you don’t have to find clients like a freelancer does and you don’t have to keep office hours like an employee.

Streamline Your Job Search

I know it’s tempting to say, “I want to work from home. It doesn’t matter what the job is.” But, trust me, those are the most unproductive and frustrating remote job searches.

Often, I get career coaching clients that have tried the “I’ll do anything approach” with no success. After they redirect their efforts and focus on the right type of work — whether it’s employee, freelance or contract — they routinely make progress and find jobs fast.

But, remember, it’s not about finding any old remote job. You should strive to find the right type of work for you. And to find your ideal remote work arrangement, you need to first decide which type of remote worker you are.

You’ve got this!

Happily,

Ashlee

P.S. This post may contain affiliate links, which allow me to make a small commission without costing you anything. Learn more about affiliate links in my disclosure statement.

The post Do This First For An Easy Remote Job Search appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

And I tell them that, with very few exceptions, you should never, ever pay to work from home. Period. That bears repeating — Don’t pay to work from home. (Again, there are only a few times it’s okay, like if you contract with NexRep or LiveOps as an independent business owner). 

1. Do Not Sign Up For Multi-Level Marketing

So-called “opportunities” to work from home that cost money are scams. Plain and simple. The biggest culprits are those thinly disguised as network marketing, multi-level marketing (MLM) or direct sales. But, at the end of the day, they are pyramid schemes that I highly recommend you never sign up for. Not only are they costly and time consuming but there are so many better options to create a cubicle-free career that won’t make you pay.  

Why MLM Sucks: The Numbers Don’t Lie

In the U.S., we have an agency called the Federal Trade Commission. Its main purpose is to protect consumers and promote competition among businesses. The FTC also has authority to conduct studies that shed light on consumer trends and business practices. One such study, The Case Against Multi-Level Marketing, highlighted the dismal state of MLM. 

Based on 15 years of research, it was found that: 

• 100% of MLM companies are recruitment-driven 
• 99% of recruits lose money
• Less than 1% of MLM participants make any profit 

The study concluded that:

“MLM as a business model is flawed, unfair, and deceptive. Worldwide feedback suggests it is also extremely viral, predatory, and harmful to many participants. This conclusion does not just apply to a specific MLM company, but to the entire MLM industry. It is a systemic problem.” 

The Federal Trade Commission

The bottom line? MLM is expensive to join, yields little (if any) results, and does not offer a sustainable way to earn an income from home. Even if you’re desperate to start working from home ASAP, remember MLM is not the answer. There are better options to work from home without investment. 

2. Get Clear On What You Want (And What You Don’t) 

So, you know you want to work from home without investment, which means MLM is obviously out of the question. But what else do you want? 

It’s a question I pose to my career coaching clients, and one I want you to really consider too. You see, wanting to work from home is great. There are a lot of benefits to the remote life, including more time at home, money saved with no commute, and positive environmental impacts. But a desire to work remotely isn’t enough. You need to get clear about what kind of remote job makes sense for you — we call these your “career ideals.” When you identify your career ideals you seriously simplify your remote job search (and help you steer clear of any paid-for opportunities that might tempt you!).  

Your career ideals will include specifics like: 

• The type of company you work for 
• Pay rate 
• Job responsibilities
• Hours worked
• Benefits

Your career ideals cover your perfect work scenarios as well as any deal-breakers. For example, if you have to have health insurance as part of your benefits package you make that clear. Now you know that any freelance or independent contractor positions are out of the picture, since they don’t offer any kind of benefits. Easy, right? It is. But it also means you have to do some self-reflection to identify what is truly important to you in a remote job. Skipping this step can add tons of time to your job search. As Behavioral Scientist Steve Maraboli says:

“It’s a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal.” 

Steve Maraboli, Behavioral Scientist

It’s time to get clear on what you want in a remote job, so you can actually make progress in your job search (and finally work from home without investment). Need help clarifying your career ideals? No problem! Grab the free career ideals worksheet below: 

3. Give Yourself A Specific Goal 

Now that you know you want to work from home without investment, plan to steer clear of MLM, and have your career ideals nailed down, it’s time to give yourself a goal. 

Goal setting is critical in your job search. 

Goals keep you motivated. They hold you accountable. And goals give you a standard to measure your personal progress. There’s a lot of job search advice out there but no two job searches are alike. That’s why you need to create your own job search goal that’s uniquely tailored to you. 

To jumpstart your goal setting and gain clarity, I highly recommend the S.M.A.R.T. method: 

As a reminder, S.M.A.R.T. stands for: 

• S – Specific 
• M – Measurable 
• A – Attainable 
• R – Realistic 
• T – Timely 

When you follow this system, you stand a better chance of creating a very specific goal that has a definite end point and is time sensitive. For example, your goal right now might be to work from home without investment. And, while this is a good starting off point, it’s too broad to be actionable. 

A better goal would be: 

I want to land a remote job within the next six months that uses my customer service background so I can work from home without investment. This goal is much more specific,  measurable, realistic, and bound by time! 

Goals that follow the S.M.A.R.T. rules tend to yield better results than overly vague ones. So, before you move forward in your remote job search, sit down for a second and give yourself a SMART goal! And don’t forget to write it down! Studies show that you’re 40% more likely to achieve your goal just by putting it in writing. 

Work From Home Without Investment 

Now that you’ve committed to avoid MLM programs, are aware of your career ideals, and have a goal in writing, it’s time to get going. 

There are well-known companies like Amazon and Apple that regularly hire remote workers as well as distributed workforces that you probably haven’t heard of yet. These companies all offer work from home without investment jobs. You can find positions ranging from customer service to design, project management and administrative (and so much more). There are even virtual teaching positions and healthcare careers.

The bottom line is, no matter your career ideals, experience, and goals there are ways for you to land a real remote position so you can finally work from home without investment! 

The post Work From Home Without Investment: 3 Simple Steps To Take Today appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

Not all remote jobs are created equal. 

Once you decide to work from home, it’s time to get down to business and figure out which remote job is right for you. 

Remember, working remotely is not a job in and of itself. Remote work is simply a perk of a particular job, just like health insurance or paid time off. And, just because a job has a telecommute option doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be happy doing the work. 

Instead, you need to focus on finding (and landing) a remote job you’ll actually enjoy. Here’s how. 

Look To The Past To Figure Out The Future 

The goal here is to find a remote job that’s right for you, not just any ol’ remote job. To figure out what you enjoy doing, you need to look to the past. 

Sit down for a few minutes and take an honest self-inventory of your past work. 

What jobs did you enjoy? Why? Was it the nature of work? The company you worked for? 

What jobs did you hate? Why? Did you dislike the types of people you worked with? Were you unhappy with the industry? 

What about skills? What are the tasks and responsibilities you’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing? Which ones did you detest? 

When you take a few minutes to reflect on the past, it can be easier to determine what you want in the future. These ‘wants’ are what we call career ideals. 

What Are Career Ideals? 

Career ideals include what you do for work, how you do it, and for whom. 

There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to your own career ideals. In fact, they’re as unique as you are. 

I like to break down career ideals into 3 categories: 

1. Have To Have
2. Can’t Have
3. Added Bonus

For example, if you’re visiting me here on Work From Home Happiness, I bet one of your “have to have” career ideals is a remote work option. Am I right? That is, you’re fed up with your daily commute and your next job must allow you to telecommute. If not, it’s a no go.

And while remote work is a great start when it comes to “have to have” career ideals, they go much deeper than that alone. Let’s take a look. 

Have To Have Career Ideals 

We already briefly touched on “have to have” career ideals. These are the so-called must-haves when it comes to your next job. That is, if it doesn’t come with X, Y, or Z, it’s out of the question. Period. 

Knowing what your non-negotiable career ideals are helps you refine your job search, which makes it easier to actually land a job. 

Can’t Have Career Ideals 

Like your “have to have” career ideals, your “can’t haves” are equally important in finding the right remote job for you. But now we’re looking at work-related deal breakers.

When a prospective job requires things on your “can’t haves” list, then you can immediately eliminate it. Again, this saves you time, energy, and effort in your remote job search. After all, there’s no sense wasting time on a resume and application for a position that requires something you absolutely do not want to do, right? Right! 

Added Bonus Career Ideals

When it comes to the way we work, there are some things that aren’t quite must-haves but they certainly would be nice-to-have. These are career ideals that fall in the “added bonus” category. 

For example, let’s say one of your must-haves is a salary of at least $75,000. This number allows you to live comfortably, pay all your bills, and stash a little extra cash in the bank each month. Awesome. An “added bonus” career ideal would be a position that pays $100,000+. Granted, it’s not a requirement, but it sure would be nice. 

Remember, career ideals are unique. There are no wrong answers. And since we’re looking to find just the right remote job, feel free to shoot for the stars. 

Career Ideal Areas 

I asked you to reflect on past jobs and to think about why you liked or disliked them. You’ll use this knowledge to figure out your can’t have, have to have, and added bonus career ideals. 

To further refine your ideals, it’s best to think about them in terms of certain areas. For example, we briefly touched upon commute and salary. For example, you need a remote-friendly job that pays a minimum of X-dollars a year.

But to pinpoint just the right job for you, it’s time to think about other areas too. 

Commute 

Do you need a 100% remote job or is work-from-home Fridays enough for you? Would you like to never step foot in an office ever again? Remember, some remote jobs have a 100% telecommute option. Others, allow you to work from home the majority of the time but may require you to surface in-office from time to time. 

Industry 

Whether you’re on the hunt for a medical position with a telecommute option or have vowed never to work in the legal industry ever again, it’s important to figure out what industry you’d like to work in. Identifying this all-important career ideal does wonders in narrowing (and focusing) your job search. 

Department 

Determining the department you want to work in is equally important in career ideals. There are plenty of remote jobs in customer service and sales, but those may not be right for you. And that’s okay. What’s important is figuring out the department you want to work in and those you want to steer clear of. This is especially important for anyone contemplating a career change! 

Salary 

What do you need to earn to live? Many people don’t have a true idea of their salary needs. To figure out your ideal salary, you need to determine your expenses every month. These include things like rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, food, etc. Don’t forget to include debts you’re paying on, like car notes and student loans. Plus, you’ll need room for savings and to establish an emergency fund. It all adds up. 

Feeling confused? Don’t be. Use these tips over at Payscale to help you calculate what you need to earn. 

Job Duties 

Your daily job responsibilities have a lot to do with your overall happiness at work. So, when thinking of your career ideals, take an honest look at your past experiences to find out which job duties you love and which ones you want to leave behind. 

Skills 

We all have skills we’ve developed as professionals. But whether or not you enjoy using those skills at work is what’s important. Sure, you may be an Excel pro, but does the thought of making spreadsheets all day make you want to run and hide?

Yes, it’s important to identify your skills. It’s equally important to find out which skills you actually want to use (and those you want to avoid). 

Feeling rusty in the skills department? Here are online courses that will teach you a work from home skill. 

Benefits Offered 

Health insurance? Child care subsidy? Free coffee? Whatever perks are important to you, be sure to include them in your career ideals.

Hours 

You know you want to work remotely, but have you thought about what hours you want to work? This is a very important (but often overlooked) career ideal.

Maybe you need the standard 9 to 5 that you can do virtually. Perhaps anything that requires overtime is a deal breaker. It’s up to you. Think about your existing schedule and personal commitments when determining your ideal working hours. 

Don’t Forget Your Ideals 

It’s tempting to say, “I’ll take any job as long as I can work from home.” Don’t do it! Remember, the ultimate goal is to find your dream remote job.

To do that, reflect on your past positions to identify what’s important in your future career. When you stick to your ideals, it makes a difference in long term job satisfaction. After all, we don’t want you to get stuck in a remote job you hate, right? Right! 

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a pen and paper and get to work. Or you can use the handy Career Ideals Worksheet I created (it’s free!). Just sign up for my newsletter below and I’ll send you a copy. You’ve got this.

Happily, 

Ashlee 

P.S. This post may contain affiliate links. What are they? Check out my disclosure statement for more info. 

  
Determine Your Dream Job
Sign up for your FREE Career Ideals Worksheet.
Subscribe
We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
Powered By ConvertKit

The post How To Determine Your Ideal Remote Job appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.