5 Mistakes To Avoid When Looking For Remote Work
The Remote work industry is getting more and more competitive but also has more opportunities than ever in 2023!
“As of 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, while 28.2% work a hybrid model. Currently, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, illustrating the rapid normalization of remote work environments.”
This means that if you’re looking for remote work there’s no better time than now. However, If you’re not taking the right steps on your remote job application journey, it could take a lot longer than those who are making the right moves and avoiding simple mistakes in their applications.
The smallest mistakes on your application can really hinder your journey, so it’s important to approach remote jobs with extensive research and optimization.
Recruiters in all industries for the most part have similar hiring practices so no matter what industry you work in you could be making these mistakes in your job hunt.
In this post, we’ll cover 5 mistakes to avoid while looking for remote work and how to correct them in the future.
5 Mistakes To Avoid When Looking For A Remote Job
Remote jobs especially ones that allow you to work from anywhere can be increasingly difficult to come by. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it means that you have to do the extra work and go above and beyond what the average applicant is doing.
The mistakes you’re making in your job applications are costing you time and freedom. The quicker you stop making these mistakes the faster it’ll be for you to start working from home!
Let’s review 5 Mistakes To Avoid When Looking For A Remote Job
- Not Applying For At Least 2-3 Jobs Per Day
If you’re not treating the job application journey like a second job you’re not doing it right. This is a competitive type of role and you’re missing out on tons of opportunities if you’re not consistently applying for jobs in your spare time.
Here’s a pro tip: You should be applying for multiple jobs per day that have only been posted within the last few hours. Whenever you’re on a job board, change the date posted tab to the last 24 hours. This method puts your resume in front of hiring managers much faster than if you apply for jobs that have been posted over the last few days.
This is especially important if you’ve recently been laid off from your job or you’re in need of a new job sooner rather than later!
- Not Including At Least 5-10 Technical Skills On Your Resume
If you don’t add technical skills to your resume you’re basically telling employers that you are unqualified and have no relevant skills that will benefit them in their company.
When you list your skills you also want them to be descriptive and quantitative. You want to describe the results you got for a company. Here’s an example: Instead of just saying you’re good at multitasking, for example, it’s better to say, “Led multiple projects from start to completion, leading to an X% increase in X.”
Consider researching what the most in-demand skills are in your industry and highlight those on your resume.
- Failing To Tailor Your Application To The Job Posting
ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems are systems that track and go through resumes to see if they match the criteria and job description then filters out the ones that don’t.
When you don’t tailor your resume to the job posting and description, you’re missing out on keywords that recruiters are looking for when they select a resume for an interview.
From now on, take the most important skills and experience from the job descriptions you’re applying for and add some of those components to your resume.
- Failing To Add Remote-Specific Skills To Your Resume
Recruiters want to see that you have the skills and experience needed to work from home.
This requires a lot of time management, multitasking and attention to detail, therefore, employers need to see that you’re capable of doing your job remotely.
When you don’t highlight skills that translate into remote work experience, you’re missing out on opportunities to stand out from other applicants.
Example: Answered customer calls, questions and concerns from my home office with high-speed internet access or conducted team meetings via Zoom.
- Applying For Jobs Outside Of Your Region
When you apply for work-from-anywhere jobs and they’re open to international applicants, this greatly minimizes your chances of landing that job.
One of the best methods for landing a remote job that you can do anywhere is working for a company based in your home country.
When you land a job that’s based out of your hometown it’s easier for you to get integrated and build trust in the company. There’s also less competition and a better chance for you to land a job that’s advertised only for people in your city vs the entire world.
You’re Finally Ready To Continue The Job Search…
Although the remote work industry is competitive, it’s not going anywhere and it will continue to grow.
Simple mistakes during the application process can set you back weeks or even months but not any longer! Now that you know the most common mistakes you’re making in your application you can make these changes and finally land your next remote job.
Land your next remote job and work from anywhere.
If you have any further questions about remote work or you’re still not sure where to start let’s chat! I now have August openings for 1:1 Ask Me Anything Sessions. Book your 1:1 call here.
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