
As of June 2020, the US unemployment rate stood at a massive 11.1%, with nearly 30 million unemployed. Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives and livelihood of millions globally.
At $378 per week on average, the unemployment benefit can only go so far. To augment, many are looking for part-time jobs, but to succeed, you need to know where and how to find remote jobs that you can do from home or anywhere.
In this post, I’ll highlight five (5) simple and practical ways to help you search for and find remote work more effectively, but first.
What is Remote Work?
Remote work refers to work that can be done from any location other than a regular or traditional office building. This was the case before the industrial revolution when people worked out of cottage industries at home.
Since COVID-19, remote work has resurfaced and is quickly becoming the new normal. In fact, 67% of businesses with a remote work policy believe that remote work will be permanent or long-term.
More businesses are increasingly embracing remote work. Over 95% of $500m+ a year businesses now favor remote work with 61% planning to increase spending on remote work enabling technology.
To benefit from this paradigm shift and find a remote job ASAP, do the following.
5 Remote Job Search Hacks to Try Today
- Set SMART Goals
According to the University of Scranton, 92% of people who set New Year’s goals fail to achieve them. To be clear, most new year’s resolutions are nothing more than mere wishes without a definite action plan.
A SMART goal, on the other hand, is a definite action plan designed to take you from here to there in a specific timeframe. SMART stands for
S- specific
M- measurable
A- achievable
R- realistic
T: time-bound
Say your dream is to write for FB, your SMART goal should look like:
S: $100k/yr freelance writing job at Menlo Park
M: at $8k per month
A: because I possess the required qualifications and skill set for the job
R: and I know 50 freelance writers who also work with Facebook
T: by December 30, 2020.
Your SMART goal: Get a $100k/yr freelance writing job at Menlo Park by December 30, 2020, at $8k per month.
Reports say only 3% of Americans have written goals. Don’t just have goals, set goals, make sure they’re SMART, and write them down already!
- Develop a Strategy
It is necessary to have clearly written SMART goals as explained above. This will inform your overall strategy and approach. By using a simple formula, you can develop a solid strategy to achieve your goals.
SMART goal + “by” = Strategy
This can be achieved by answering the question, “how do you plan to achieve this?”
Using our example above, you can achieve your SMART goal of writing for FB by:
- subscribing to FB Careers and applying to relevant jobs,
- referrals,
- cold emailing relevant contacts at FB,
- blogging and SEO,
- social media,
- in-person meetings, etc
This strategy will differentiate you from the dreamer and help you develop a definite action plan.
- Assemble Tools
Assuming your preferred strategy is cold emailing, you will need certain tools, applications, and software to pull it off. Once you have your SMART goal and a strategic plan, it is time to take action. To do that, you need tools.
First, you’ll need a website (simple, professional) or an online portfolio showcasing your services and previous work. If you have a website, you should use a custom domain email for your outreach. It makes you look professional.
You’ll also need contact names and email addresses of relevant content managers. You can search LinkedIn for names or the company website. Tools like MailScoop can help you to generate email addresses.
You should use mail trackers like MailTrack to know if, when, and how often your emails are opened. You will also need a spreadsheet (to record your progress) with columns/entries for:
- Contact name
- Job title
- Email address
- Date of first outreach
- Follow-ups
- Status/Comments
- Know Where to Look and What to Look For
Perhaps, you’re not looking for a freelance writing job at Facebook, but something else. Do you know where to look and what exactly to look for? These can make a huge difference in your remote job search.
If you type “we’re hiring” in LinkedIn search, you will see a number of employers who’re currently recruiting. You can click to explore the job and apply. Indeed.Com is one of the largest online job sites in the world with millions of jobs and job seekers.
GlassDoor is another interesting place to look for online remote jobs. The site provides employer insights and salary information for many employers. This can help job seekers to decide where to apply or not.
Statistics say 79% of job seekers will use social media in their job search (Glassdoor, 2013). Most employers also post job ads on social media. These can be found using relevant search terms or hashtags.
- Apply by the Application Guidelines
What percent of applicants get interviews? Reports say 2%. (98% are eliminated during the initial screening). Yet only a tiny percentage (1-6%) of interviews get the job. One of the reasons for this is not applying by the guidelines.
Every advertised job lists out how applicants should apply. Most recruiters require you to use certain hrases as email subject line. Failure to do so might disqualify you.
Other recruiters now employ applicant screening softwares to organize and fast track recruitment processes. Some of the application instructions are put in place to help you get a fair shot. Don’t shoot yourself in the leg by disregarding them.
Ensure to apply by following every rule that applies to your remote job of interest. This way you will increase your chances of getting the job.
Conclusion:
You can find remote work in these uncertain times if you follow these simple steps outlined above.
Remember to:
- Set SMART goals
- Develop a strategy
- Assemble Tools
- Know Where and How to Look and
- Apply by the rules