If you’re thinking about working from home but aren’t sure how to go about it, there are several things to consider before you start.
First, remember that working from home is a great opportunity to rethink the way you live and work. Here are some tools and advice to help you make the transition and be successful.
Read on to learn how to find a job as a remote worker.
Working from home is a chance to rethink how you live and work
The pandemic-induced shift to telework has changed many things, but it’s also left others essentially the same. While 2 in 10 employed adults say that balancing work and personal life is the same, nearly 16 percent say it’s harder.
One good thing about working from home is that it’s often easier to balance both. While working from home is definitely a big step up from your old job, there are still perks to working from home.
One of the most compelling benefits of working from home is its flexibility. For instance, you can get up at 5 am and do your work before 9 am, or spend your lunch hour playing with your kids or doing laundry. You can even work from bed if you’d like! Besides, you can do a lot more during the week if you choose.
Despite the many benefits of working from home, it’s important to be prepared for the challenges that come along with it. If you have a home, you can use it as your home base, but if you live in a rental property, you may need to move out or stay put.
In either case, you’ll need to be creative to find a way to make a budget that works for you. Another important aspect of working from home is taxes. State and local taxes vary, so you’ll want to be aware of the rates associated with each area.
Tools you need to be successful as a remote worker
If you are working on a creative project from home, then you may benefit from using project management tools like Basecamp. These tools make it easy to assign tasks, create deadlines, and update progress. Many of them even have customizability options. Remote employees need to access important work files quickly, so it’s important to use software that allows for file sharing and management.
Dropbox is an excellent tool for team collaboration. The team can share documents securely, and the program allows users to access them from anywhere. It helps keep all project documents organized, making collaboration seamless.
The Business version of Google Drive is particularly useful if your project involves a large volume of materials. It also features privacy settings and is easily integrated with other software tools like Hive. Dropbox is a great tool for managing your team, and it makes managing them easy.
Time tracking is a vital tool for remote employees. It helps track each employee’s working hours and holds them accountable. You can use a desktop or mobile version, or even a chrome app, to stay organized.
Time tracking is especially important for remote employees, because a remote employee may feel disengaged from the company culture. To ensure your employees remain focused and productive, you should implement tools to keep them accountable.
Finding a remote job
The first step in finding a remote job is knowing where to look. While there are many job sites, not all of them list jobs for remote workers. Social media is a great place to look.
Companies frequently post jobs for remote workers in their Q&As or top 100 lists. If you’re not on either of those lists, then start searching for remote jobs in other industries. After locating remote jobs, it’s time to update your resume and highlight your skills and experience.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses when searching for remote jobs. For example, if you’re a night owl, you may be better off looking for 12 hour coding shifts than a job that requires you to be at a desk all day. On the other hand, if you’re an early bird, you may prefer an early shift. Remember that a remote employer might require you to be available during certain hours, depending on where you live.
Communicate well with your prospective employer. Many remote companies use software to bridge the distance between them and their employees. Make sure your resume speaks about your communication skills, particularly your ability to work with other people. You also should mention cybersecurity on your resume. Make sure you are error-free and quick to respond. This type of work often requires extensive communication with others, so be sure to mention it in your resume. This way, your resume can stand out among the thousands of other applicants.
Consider getting an extra income while you find your perfect job
One of the mistakes that many people make when searching for a remote job is to leave everything behind without a proper plan.
A great piece of advice is that you get some online income sources that provide extra money while you wait for your big opportunity. Some of those extra income sources can be online tutoring, digital marketing freelance, providing translation services, writing essays and articles, taking paid surveys from reputable market research companies, and a lot more.
The internet is a huge place to find great opportunities.