In 2020 it was reported that approximately 5.6 million professionals worked from home in the UK, a figure that was affected largely by the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent business closures. However, remote work was already on the rise long before this major catalyst for change.
That’s because, thanks to technological advances, work and being in the office are no longer synonymous, and the benefits of remote work have been duly noted by both employers and their staff.
The result?
There are lots of remote positions out there right now, available for professionals looking to make their next career move. You’ve just got to know how to find the right position and make yourself more marketable for the remote market.
The following tips will help you to identify and land a suitable remote role, to achieve the work-life balance you’ve always hoped for.
Set your minimum requirements
Before you begin looking for the ideal remote role, you’ve got to write down exactly what benefits you require from your new position. This process will help you to understand what you truly value from work and make it easier to identify optimal roles and employers.
To achieve this, you should set your minimum requirements early on like you would before any job search. Consider the core job factors such as salary and progression, but also think about life-quality factors such a hours, flexibility and how often you will be required to attend the office.
It’s worth noting that the hybrid workforce has seen several remote work models emerging, such as fully remote or flexible hybrid. Therefore, it’s crucial that you’re clear on the model that best suits you, so you can find an employer who offers this type of position.
Get skilled in remote tools
The remote worker’s toolkit looks a little different from traditional working skillets because remote work comes with its own unique challenges.
So, as well as having the transferable skills to work remotely, you also need to understand the most popular remote tools and how to use them. For example, tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Slack have become crucial for teams who need to communicate and collaborate in real-time from multiple locations.
If you don’t know how to use these tools, there are plenty of online courses and resources you can utilise to master these platforms. This can give your remote CV an instant boost and increase your chances of standing out from other candidates and winning interviews.
Know your vital stats
Remote roles might be great for flexibility and freedom, but this needs to be a give and take relationship, and employers still expect to see results. So, when applying to remote positions, it’s a good idea to really hit home the results you’ve achieved in the past - either in remote or office-based positions.
And the best way to boost your chances of landing a remote role is to have your vital stats at the forefront of your mind. Companies respect results, and if you can showcase your achievements and quantify them wherever possible, you can prove how you’ve brought real value to employers in the past.
Having these facts and figures under your belt means you can apply them quickly to your CV and during the interview stage, increasing your chances of being selected for the remote role.
Adapt your CV
As a seasoned professional, it might have been a while since you last dusted off your CV, but now is the time to adapt and update. As usual, tailoring your CV to match target job adverts is going to be the best way to grab the employer’s attention.
But in the case of remote positions, this means adapting your skillset to reflect those all-important remote skills, as well as highlighting the aforementioned vital stats and achievements. So, ensure that you move any recently gained remote skills, achievements or tools to the top of your CV and make them prominent.
In some cases, if you haven’t required your CV in a while, it can actually be more beneficial to start from scratch so you can remove any irrelevant content and create a CV that is truly adapted to the 2021 world of remote work.
Prepare for remote interviews
When hiring for remote roles, most businesses will employ remote hiring techniques as well. This means you need to be prepared to take part in video interviews.
And even if you are a pro at in-person interviews, it can be much more nerve-wracking interviewing via video, especially if you’ve never done it before.
Remote interviews come with their own challenges, not least of all technical issues that could disrupt the call. So, before you take part in any video interview, be sure to test your devices, internet connection and sound.
And remember, just because you’re not meeting face to face, you can’t let your professional standards slip. Be sure to dress smart, prepare thoroughly and choose a neutral and quiet location to avoid distractions mid-interview.
Ultimately, by understanding what you want from a remote role and then carefully preparing your CV and interview techniques, you can hugely boost your chances of landing a remote job this year.