Working From Home | Tips For Finding the Best Remote Jobs

Working from home has become much more common in recent times, and it seems to be here to stay. Those used to an in-office job may want to pursue working from the comfort of their home. People who work from home find they are often much more productive, can maintain a healthy work-life balance, and aren’t wasting time during the workday with things like commuting to and from the office and attending long, unnecessary meetings.

Working from home also allows employees to spend more quality time with their families, save money on gas and car maintenance, and work in a potentially quieter environment with fewer distractions.

Additionally, there are plenty of online management tools to help keep things organized — such as Basecamp, Trello, and Asana — and software for virtual meetings like Zoom, GoToMeeting, and Skype. With applications like Dropbox and Google Drive, it’s easy for colleagues to share files and folders online, as they would if they were working next to one another in an office.

Ready to make your home your new office? Let’s take a look at some of the ways to find the best remote jobs.

Not all job opportunities are created equal, and in some industries, working from home just doesn’t cut it. You can’t assume that all careers offer this kind of work, but there are definitely more opportunities than you may think.

You will need to do your research to determine which jobs offer work-from-home opportunities. Popular career paths that allow employees to work from home include accounting, customer service, project management, nursing, writing, industries involving art and creative content, bookkeeping, graphic design, translation, and teaching students in grades K-12. Companies are getting creative, however, and expanding many positions so employees can work from home.

Some companies rank higher than others for their remote opportunities. In recent years, there have been five companies that stand out among the rest for their work-from-home job offerings. These include Appen, Lionbridge, VIPKID, Liveops, and Working Solutions.

If there is a particular company that you are interested in working for, visit their website and see if they have any work-from-home job opportunities, or consider reaching out to their human resources department directly to inquire about remote job openings. It can’t hurt your search to be as forthcoming as possible, especially if you are determined to work with a specific company.

A way to do a broad search for remote job opportunities is to look at online job boards that simplify your search based on key terms and filters. There are also job boards that specialize in listing remote jobs. These sites will have a lot of freelance and side job opportunities that can easily be done from the comfort of your home.

You’ll likely need to have a resume handy when you sign up for sites like these, as many will require that you upload it when you apply for jobs. Some of these websites will have a filter so that the results will only show remote or work-from-home positions available. You can also use the search bar and enter phrases such as work at home, work from home, remote, telecommute, virtual, online, or online jobs to find jobs that fit these descriptions.

When using a site like Joblist, it’s easy to find what you are looking for. You can type in these specific key phrases to find all of the best work-from-home jobs compiled in one organized, easy-to-digest list. You can also sign up to receive email alerts whenever a new remote opportunity becomes available. If the job strikes a chord with you, you can apply through the site. If it doesn’t sound like something you’re interested in, you can delete the alert and continue with your search.

When using job boards, you will get as much out of them as you put in. The more effort you put into fully completing your resume and looking through job postings regularly, the more likely you are to find something that piques your interest.

Although we mentioned the ease and effectiveness of searching job boards, using social media to seek potential work is gaining speed — especially with younger employees — as research has shown that 41% of younger workers use social media to look for jobs, and 35% of all survey respondents have found job openings through social media searches.

You can use social media much like job boards, utilizing the same key phrases and terms, with 80% of employers using platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to recruit new employees. Aside from using the job board features on these sites, it’s a good idea for job seekers to follow the social media accounts of the specific companies they are looking to apply to for remote work. Businesses will often post relevant articles and news on their social media channels. This can give you a glimpse into the company culture and help you decide whether this is the right company to work for.

Your social media platforms are just as important. LinkedIn is the most obvious choice when looking for a job, as this site is primarily focused on professional networking, job recruitment, and job searching. Facebook comes in at a close second, especially with its “Job” feature that allows users to search and apply for jobs directly from the platform. However, it might be worth it to pay attention to an additional social media platform that — although very popular — might not seem obvious when it comes to looking for job opportunities.

Believe it or not, Instagram is a great place to search for remote jobs because of its branding and marketing capabilities. Being digitally savvy is a good quality to have if you want to work for a company from home. A well-curated Instagram account can display that skill and set you apart from other potential hires.

If you already have an Instagram account filled with personal photos and not so much the professional persona you wish to portray, consider starting a separate one that focuses on the industry you want to work in. Follow the accounts of businesses you’d like to work for and engage with their posts. This means not only liking their content but also showing real interest in their business by leaving comments on the photos or reposting their content with the proper attribution tags.

Learning the ins and outs of Instagram, such as proper caption etiquette and hashtag usage, can help your posts get in front of the right people. Consider reaching out to Instagram experts who can help steer you in the right direction.

Here are a few things to remember when posting content on an Instagram account used for job searching:

• Keep your content appropriate. Do not post anything you would not do or say in an interview.
• Keep your content professional and on-brand. Remember, your content should be relevant to the industry you want to work in.
• Keep your content public. If your profile is set to private, potential employers and other industry professionals will not be able to find you as easily as if your account was public.

You can use Joblist to find the best remote jobs that match your skills, experience, and preference. Browsing through our site is easy. Search by keywords, location, industry, or job title to gain access to millions of jobs available all over the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. All it takes is a click of a button.