Working Remote – Part 3

Working remotely: a trending topic we’re seeing so much of lately, and one we’ve had huge interest in at Career Solutions Group. We’ve covered some of the basics here on the blog, and today we’ll finish up with, among other important tips and techniques, how to get found by remote work employers and how to interview and land this type of job.

What traits are remote work employers looking for?

Trustworthiness. This trait will likely be top of the list for your prospective employer. Not able to view your performance in person, a recruiter will be looking for your ability to communicate trustworthiness. One way to communicate this is through testimonials and references, so listing outside sources that are attesting to your worthiness as someone who can be trusted is important.

Passion. If you are communicating by phone, email, or instant messenger, you’re going to want to convey that passion for what you’re doing. For example, I once stayed on a call with a client for 4 hours until we had resolved the problem completely. That is concrete evidence, a specific instance that demonstrates you’re willing to do what it takes to get things done. On LinkedIn you can include links to a portfolio, specific examples in your material that will convey your passion.

How can you get found by remote work employers?

Productivity tools. The more you can set up your career tools to bring the right kind of work opportunities for you, the better you can communicate and position yourself, the more opportunities will come to you for continual success. Including information about tools that you understand and use in your professional materials will be a keyword match both visually for screeners who are looking at your information as well as for applicant tracking systems that might be filtering based on specific keywords.

To understand which remote productivity tools are most in demand for your niche, explore LinkedIn Learning for tutorials and certifications. If you haven’t used the learning tool yet on LinkedIn, find it in the upper right corner of the LinkedIn screen. Just click on the drop-down menu, the Learning option is there. Then you can put in keywords for some of what we’re talking about here, such as Google Hangouts, Zapier, or GoToMeeting, just for a few examples.

Tips for interviewing to land remote work:

Environment. There is a high likelihood you’re going to be interviewing in a teleconference environment. You will need equipment for that. Many monitors include the built-in microphone and the camera, so you want to make sure that’s all working effectively. You will also want to be certain the environment you’re showing when you are presenting is free of distractions, and looks professional.

RemoteWork-Friendly Responses. How will you be describing yourself as a good candidate for remote work? What will be your response to “Why do you want to work remotely?” You don’t want to answer “Well, because I really like to work in my pajamas.” Perhaps you do – I like to work in my yoga clothes sometimes. But here’s a better response: “My productivity skyrockets when working in an environment that has decreased distractions.” There is data to back that up, as we’ve talked about in earlier blog posts. “Working from home gives me the space I need to critically perform and think better” is another good one.

Interested in working remotely? A few times each year we offer 6-step programs to help you be found for and land remote work. Please read more here.