CODEX
How to Get a Remote Job
In my previous story I discussed the Benefits of Working Remotely. If, like me, you think working remotely is a good option to achieve your personal and professional goals then the very first question that comes to the mind is, How to get a remote job ?
You might have already tried applying to remote job or had never seen a job post with ‘allows remote’ in its title. Or you might believe your domain has no remote job offerings at all. Whichever is the case, I will try to help you through my own experience to get the job you are looking for.
Develop the necessary skills
First of all, you need to develop the skills and expertise required for remote job, like any other job. Big opportunities come with big responsibilities — So be ready to expand yourself and to learn many soft skills besides your domain specific expertise. No matter if you are a programmer, designer, online tutor, digital marketer, remote recruiter etc you will need these skills to shine in your dream remote job.
- Good Communication — Communication is the most important skill for anyone who wants to get a remote job. Communication is sometimes more crucial then your technical expertise in remote job. You have to communicate with different people in different timezones all the time. Your writing skills should be excellent so you can convey your ideas and thoughts clearly to your colleagues.
- Know Your Niche — When working remotely you will be competing with your colleagues from all around the world. People will have several advantages over you, some of them will be better in communication, some will have more exposure to world, some will have more technical skills, some will have deeper understanding of business. In this always demanding and challenging environment you should have something special in you. You need to recognise it first and then polish it to make it sell-able to the employer,
- Work Independently — Remote job requires it’s employees to be able to work independently. You have to take initiatives and bold steps in your daily job. You will not always have someone around you to help you with the situations. This can be little frustrating, specially in the beginning. Therefore, you should teach your self to not relay on others and to find the solutions on your own.
- Time Management — Many people think that remote job will be easy in terms of timings. Yes that is true, but you will still need to manage your time. There are always deadlines to meet and you still need to be punctual. The fact that you are working from your home shouldn’t make you think that you have all the control. If you will not manage your time and set a routine then you will be working whole day and night, which kills the purpose of working remotely.
- Know the Process — Remote teams usually follow some kind of methodology to streamline their workflow. Most software development related remote teams follows the Agile Methodology. It is very good to have sound understanding of these processes and methodologies before jumping into it.
Make your application standout
There are some important things to keep in mind when applying for remote jobs. The process may seem obvious and simple but if you do little extra effort then you will increase your chances to secure a good remote job.
- Apply on remote jobs— Sometimes the most simple thing becomes the most annoying one; finding a remote job. May be you don’t know but there are several website which has only remote jobs offerings from all over the world. Applying through these websites will give you more access to the remote jobs and you will be able to get remote job easily. Some of the popular ones are:
- Write Cover Letter — Its good to apply with cover letter. This will give employer more specific details about you and your expertise. Mention how the job is relevant to you and what good you can bring to the company. Also mention the soft skill discussed above, if you have any.
- Share your portfolio — Sharing your work portfolio will increase your chances of getting remote job exponentially. Don’t just mention your work, show it in your application. Host your work somewhere online and send it with your application as well.
- Make Interview Interesting — Many companies do a quick call with the applicants. This call is usually with the HR or someone non-technical. Make sure you tell them about your expertise, experiences, passions and how you are unique. After this first call you will be asked to demonstrate your technical skills though some kind of coding challenge. Put all your efforts to impress them through your solution and try to impress them with your skills. Don’t over engineer it, just make it good enough to represents your skills efficiently. After that you will have more interviews depending on the hiring procedure. Be confident and thorough. Share stories, make interview more conversational and enjoy it!
- Share your Linkdin and Website — Its not necessary, but if you share your updated linkedin profile and your personal website(blog) with the employer this will leave a good impression on them. They can get the references and other deciding metrics which are usually not present in a resume.
I hope these suggestion will help you in landing at your dream job. I learned these things in a hard way but you don’t have to. We all are making mistakes and learning. So don’t shy to fail. Keep working hard.
