How to Get a Telecommuting Job

How to Get a Telecommuting JobHow to Get a Telecommuting Job4Youve probably already heard the old adage, Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Taking pride in the way you dress and present yurself conveys competence, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude. Employers want to hire people who have these traits.When you are looking to get atelecommuting job, you still need to convey these qualities, but you wont be able to rely on a tasteful outfit to help you.Here are eight tips on how toget a telecommuting job1. Decide which kinds of telecommutingjobs suit you the best.Its easiest to convince a befhigung employer that you would be perfect for a job when you believe it yourself. This meansconfirming that telecommuting is right for you, then figuring out what kind of remote work would best suit your abilities. Using the advanced searchpage, you can narrow your job search by the level of telecommuting involved 100 percent telecommuting, mostly telecommuting, some telecommuting, a nd vorkaufsrecht for telecommuting. Here are what the different levels mean100 Percent TelecommutingAs the name suggests, this arrangement means you will be working from home all of the time. You will most likely be part of a remote team with coworkers across the country and possibly even the world. Companies with several remote employees usually use a remote work platform, such as Skype, Google Docs, Sococo, Slack, Google Hangouts, or Trello, to connect the scattered team and facilitate communication.Mostly TelecommutingIn this work-from-home scenario, you will be working remotely most of the time, with periodic travel or trips to the company offices for meetings. Be sure to ask qualifikation employers for specifics about when you will be required to work outside of your home office.Some TelecommutingAt this telecommuting level, the job may involve frequent travel, or you may be asked to work in the office some days of the week. This kind of remote position may or may not require y ou to live near the companys offices or in a particular sales area, so be sure to check the job description to make sure the position is a good geographical fit.Option for TelecommutingIn this scenario, employers are typically open to hiring either an in-person candidate or a remote candidate, depending on which candidate they believe is best for the job. If you know you are a great fit for a position, show off your qualifications in your cover letter and be up front about your desire to work from home. Include in your cover letter why you think a remote work arrangement will help you provide the company with the best possible results.2. Take pride in how you present yourself online.Your online presence can be a blessing or a curse in your job search, depending on what kind of impression it gives potential employers. When applying for a remote job, you may not have an opportunity to meet the hiring manager in person, so make sure yoursocial media pages, website, or blog are positive and professional.But before you get carried away and delete all of your accounts, be aware that having no online presence can also hurt you. If you get hired for a remote job, you will be communicating with coworkers and your babo online. Therefore, its important to show that you know how to present yourself in a professional manner using online platforms.If you dont have one yet, consider creating a profile on the professional networking siteLinkedIn. Then make sure your profile is as current, complete, and compelling as your cover letter and resume.Lastly, recognize that any interaction you have with someone- even a quick IM- can leave an impression on them. This is especially true when remote communication is all an employer has to go on.If you have a video call scheduled, be mindful of whats in the background. And for phone interviews, be sure to choose a distribution policy that minimizes both background noise and interruptions.3. Write compelling, error-free cover letters and resumes.Application paperwork is important no matter what kind of job youre looking for, but if youre applying to remote jobs, yourcover letterandresumeare your only chance to make a great first impression.Check every document for proper punctuation, line spacing, and clear formatting. Put things you want to stand out in bold and have a trusted friend read through your resume and cover letter before you send them out.4. Highlight the traits that remote employers are looking for.Aside from showing that you are qualified for the job, you also want potential employers to know that you have what it takes to work from home. More so than traditional jobs, remote positions require high levels accountability, self-monitoring, time management, organization, communication skills, and the ability to prioritize tasks successfully.Show employers you have these traits by submitting a flawless resume and cover letter thathighlight your work-from-home skills.If you have experience working remotely , mention in your cover letter why this arrangement is a great fit for you. If you dont have any remote work experience yet, be sure to include why your personality and skills make you an excellent candidate for a remote job.5. Do your homework.Since your boss wont be able to monitor you as you work, she will want to know that you care about the companys mission enough to motivate yourself. Show you can do this bytailoring your cover letters and resumesto each company you are applying for.Youll also want to get a feel for the company culture. Do this by reading through the companys website and social media pages. Then, use this information to match the companys tone in your own communication. In the same waythat you might adapt your behavior to your surroundings for an in-person interview, matching the companys vibe in your remote communication can help show them that youd be a great fit for their team.6. Prepare to answer questions about remote work.During an interview for a remote job, you will probably be asked several questions designed to gauge your ability to work independently. The telecommuting experts atHubstaff, a provider of software for managing remote teams, offer a great overview forhow to ace a remote job interviewand suggest preparing answers to the following questionsWhat hours will you be working?What is your remote work experience?What is your home office like?Can you stick to a schedule?What tools have you used to complete and manage remote projects?Are you willing to use time-tracking software?How do you stay focused on a deadline when working remotely?How do you troubleshoot problems on your own?As always with job interviews, remember that you get bonus points whenever you can give concreteexamples of your abilities7. Be positive.Censor yourself if you feel the urge to say or write something negative. Be positive, be enthusiastic, and reveal your competence through thoughtful communication. If you convey a positive attitude, potential emp loyers will associate you with positive traits, and you will feel more positive, too.Remember that people cant hear your tone of voice or see your expression when reading an email or cover letter, so be sure your words convey who you are as a professional.8. Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.Its extremely unlikely you will get interviewed or hired for every job you apply for. Dont let not gettingsomejobs put you in a negative mindset that keeps you from gettinganyjob.Persistenceis key and so islearning from your mistakes. Soon enough you will go from being the person who applies for the telecommuting job to the person who gets the telecommuting jobLooking for more job search advice? Check out our job search tips category.Readers, what are you doing to get a telecommuting job?Sara Sutton contributed to this post.