How do I Find a Work from Home Job?

How Do I Find a Work From Home Job?

Learning how to find a work from home job is a useful skill for professionals today. Navigating a transition from working in-office to working from home starts with learning how to search for work from home jobs. 

Once you identify your ideal work from home jobs, the application process is not different from the usual. You only have to highlight the skills needed for a successful work from home arrangement and show that you possess these skills and experience. Below are a few tips on how to get a work from home job.

Determine if remote work is right for you: Before you apply, you should reflect on your working style to confirm if working from home is right. Ask yourself: 

• Can I work without supervision?
• Am I comfortable working alone?
• Am I organized and motivated?
• Am I an effective communicator?

You can also talk to friends who have experience working from home and weigh their experiences against your expectations. 

Research your industry: After reflecting on your ability to succeed while working from home, research your industry's remote job opportunities. You can filter through locations and experience levels to see what work from home opportunities are available for you. Researching your industry is crucial because not all sectors are remote-friendly. Programming, writing, and marketing are industries that top the list for remote work, while construction, transportation, and healthcare are a few industries that trail behind.

Learn what remote employers want: Since there is less supervision in remote work, integrity and proactivity are top skills sought-after by remote employers. The former means you can deliver a high-quality job without constant supervision, while the latter means loving your job well enough to motivate yourself, go above and beyond the call of duty.  

Get familiar with online job searching: There are increasingly more online job boards and newsletters that share work from home opportunities with their members. A few are FlexJobs, AngelList, WeWorkRemotely, Remote.com, and RemoteOk. 

Leverage your network: 70% of job seekers find their current job through networking. One of the major reasons networking works is that an estimated 80 percent of new jobs are never listed but are instead filled internally or via networking. When you let people around you know the kind of jobs you are open to, you increase your success rate exponentially. 

Prepare for virtual interviews: A work from home job interview is most likely to be virtual. Prepare by dressing well, testing the technology setup, and practicing answers that reflect your independence and proactivity in work from home roles. You can have an interview test-run with friends or family who have work from home experience. During the interview, keep a straight posture, smile, and maintain eye contact. Remember, it is okay to show some of your personality. 

Getting a work from home job may be new territory for you, but it is not vastly different from getting a regular job. With the tips above, you are ready to find a good work from home job.

Got the position? Congratulations! Now it's time to start thinking about the tools and resources you'll need to make an impression. A flexible work management platform like Wrike that can facilitate real-time collaboration between remote team members is a huge advantage. Read more here.