FlexJobs, a job site that focuses on remote, work from home and flexible job opportunities, recently released a list of 50 companies that allow 100% of their workers to work remotely 100% of the time. The companies spanned various industries, including technology, financial services, health and wellness and more. Recent job postings went well beyond engineering, including marketing, operations, finance, legal, HR, even admin roles.
Fully remote companies are hiring – your job application needs to stand out
If your goal is to land a fully remote job, you don’t have to only focus on tech companies or tech roles. Whatever industry or function you target, you will need to show you can get results in a remote work arrangement. Best practices for the resume may still leave it too focused on in-person work. Here are four ways to tailor your job application for remote work specifically:
1 — Highlight remote work (or similar) experience
A strong resume, cover letter and online profile is tailored in how you describe your skills, expertise and experience. Ideally, you tailor your marketing for a specific industry, role, level — as well as the work environment. Work environment includes start-up v. established, small v. big – as well as in-person v. remote.
If you have already worked remotely in the past, include this in the job descriptions on your resume or put the phrase “remote” where geography would go. In the cover letter, where you have a choice of which examples to highlight, select the remote work stints and detail how you approached remote work. If you haven’t worked remotely but have worked in teams where others were remote, highlight how you collaborate virtually.
2 — Emphasize tangible results and skills
In a remote work environment, your manager can’t see you working so they can only judge you based on your output. Your application, therefore, needs to be heavy on tangible output – e.g., specific results that you achieved for past employers, relevant skills that can easily be verified with work samples. A portfolio or website that showcases past projects is an efficient way to share this information. You can include relevant links in both your resume and online profile. Certifications and licenses are additional ways to demonstrate a level of expertise.
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3 — Demonstrate genuine interest in the work – not just the work arrangement
In addition to letting the prospective employer know that you can do the work, you also want them to know that you want to do the work. You don’t want your dream company to think you’re applying just because you want to work from home. The WFH arrangement benefits you, and you want your application to focus on what benefits your prospective employer.
Your cover letter and other correspondence with the company should include specific reasons why you’re interested in the role at hand, the company overall and the broader industry. Share how you got involved in this type of work. Highlight specific things about the company that attract you – e.g., mission, products, customer base, history, founder’s story, etc. If there are industry trends or specific challenges that pique your interest even more, that’s another way to demonstrate that you’re involved and up to date.
4 — Be responsive
How you run your job search is an indication of how you’ll do your job. Respond to calls and emails promptly. Be flexible to schedule with. Be facile with the technology.
If it’s hard to get in touch with you now when you supposedly want this job and are putting your best foot forward, it will be harder to reach you when you already have the job. If you have a hard time organizing your calendar now, you might find remote work difficult. If you aren’t comfortable with virtual communication platforms for interviewing purposes, you won’t be comfortable working with it day-to-day.
Remote work is out there – tailor your job search to find it
The FlexJobs list is just one resource to identify remote jobs. LinkedIn enables you to filter for remote arrangements in its Jobs section. Your own network is always the most direct route to job leads, so don’t forget to let your contacts outside your home city know you’re available for remote work. That said, once you hear about leads for remote work, don’t assume that whatever application you sent before will appeal to companies hiring for remote workers specifically. Use the four tips above to refine your approach.
