Article by: Matt Williams
Did you get laid off from your remote job due to the pandemic? While it’s never a good time to find yourself without a job, there’s no need to panic if you’re newly unemployed during COVID-19. Not only can you get help making ends meet, but more companies than ever are hiring remote workers as brick-and-mortar businesses close for social distancing.
Are you ready to find your next remote job? Here’s everything you need to know about remote job hunting during COVID-19.
Types of Remote Job Opportunities
Is your job remote-friendly? While not all jobs are compatible with remote work, more industries are going remote during the pandemic than ever before.
- Working from home has long been the realm of freelance writers and tech wizards. While it’s true you’ll have no trouble finding work online if you’re a content creator or graphic designer, the world of remote work is much bigger than you think.
- Health and medical, education and training, and office administration are just a few of the industries, you may be surprised to learn, hire a lot of remote workers. You may even be able to find remote jobs with intergovernmental organizations!
- Companies that traditionally shy away from telecommuting are also embracing remote work during the pandemic. While some of these positions may be temporary, getting a remote gig working for a pharmaceutical company, logistics provider, or even a bidet retailer could tide you over until you find a permanent position.
The Best Places to Look for Remote Jobs
Finding remote jobs in a sea of local listings is tough. If you’re not having much luck on job boards, here’s where to look for your next work-from-home opportunity.
- If you know what you’re looking for, head straight to the source and browse the career pages of companies known for hiring remote workers.
- Job seekers can also find fully-remote companies that work exclusively from distributed offices. In companies where remote work is the standard, you’re less likely to feel left out working from home.
How to Highlight Remote Skills on Your Resume
As companies ramp up remote hiring, they’ll be looking for workers who have already proven themselves as productive remote employees. Make sure you’re highlighting your work-from-home skills with these resume tips.
- Some of the most important skills for landing a remote job include communication, self-discipline, and organization.
- Companies also want employees that are already familiar with popular remote work tools like Slack, Asana, and Dropbox. Pay attention to software mentioned in the job listing and if you have the skills, be sure to list them.
- Applicants can also draw attention to past remote work experience by using “virtual” or “remote” in job titles or listing “remote” as a job’s location on their resume.
The Best Video Chat Tools for Remote Workers in 2020
From acing the interview to holding virtual meetings, video chat is a key component of remote work. Here’s what you need to know about video conferencing in 2020.
- Questions surrounding the popular video conferencing app Zoom’s security and privacy practices have led some remote workers seeking an alternative. While there’s no perfect solution, there are other video conferencing options for remote workers who value security.
- In addition to a video chat platform, remote workers need an external webcam to escape the grainy images provided by built-in cameras. A pair of headphones with a built-in microphone is a cheap solution for better audio quality.
- Finally, make sure you have a professional setting for remote meetings. While not a tool per se, don’t underestimate the impact of a tidy backdrop and good lighting on video calls.
With these tips, it won’t be long before you’re clocking in at your next remote job — from home, of course! Instead of letting job loss get you down, use these resources to start your remote job search off on the right foot.
By: Matt Williams
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