Have you often thought that you would love to be able to get up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and not have to leave the house to begin your work day because you can work from home? These days, thanks to the Internet, this is less of a dream and more of a reality for many people. More and more companies are hiring remote workers, or creating remote jobs for their current employees. If you would like to be able to work from home and not have to commute every day, have more flexibility with your time, etc., read on to learn how you can land your remote dream job.
The first thing you need to do is figure out where the best remote jobs are. Start with the company you currently are employed with. If they have nothing to offer, or nothing that you are interested, start looking at other sources, such as freelancing websites like Upwork, Remote OK, We Work Remotely, Stack Overflow, Flexjobs, Remotive, Hubstaff Talent, Jobspresso, and Freelancer. Look at the jobs that clients are offering on these sites, find the ones that best suit your interests and skills, and start applying. You may have to take lower-paying jobs at first, but once you have established yourself as a good worker and a team player, you will be able to start charging higher rates for your services.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to create your online presence. Studies find that upwards of 85 percent of all employers are using the Internet to find employees, screen applicants, etc. If you don’t have an online presence, you could really be missing out on some of the best remote jobs. It doesn’t take long to set up your own website, and there are many web hosts that offer the tools you need to create your site without needing any coding skills. Of course, you do need good tech, so you may have to sell MacBook products you currently have and upgrade to newer and faster versions.
You never know when you are going to land that remote job, and you need to be ready for it. You need to create a dedicated workspace in your home that is only for your remote work. Find a spot that is relatively quiet, and out of the way of regular household traffic. If you have a spare bedroom, this is the ideal place to set up your home office for working remotely. You will need to have a desk, a comfortable chair, a good computer (you may need to sell MacBook products you have and upgrade so you have good tech to work with), and storage, such as a small filing cabinet or a book shelf.
Just because you are working from home (or whatever location you prefer), it doesn’t mean that you can shut yourself away from the world, and from the rest of your team. You need to keep an open line of communication with your team, so everyone is always aware of what is going on, who is doing what, where they are in a project, etc. Use email, social media, email, etc. to stay in contact with your team. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or make comments, and encourage the rest of your team to do the same. Also, if you do make mistakes, are going to miss a deadline, etc., make sure that you are always accountable for your actions, and let the team know what is going on.
Jane Hurst, writer from San Francisco. Find her on Twitter!