With the increased demand for remote work among employees, and the acceptance of hybrid and remote work among businesses, it seems that everyone is talking about this topic! Whether you’re in the job market because you’re unhappy where you’re at, or you’ve been thrusted into job hunting due to layoffs, here are some best practices to follow when finding a job that allows you to work from home.
1. Get clear on the job that you want. Landing a job working from home can be exciting, but that excitement will quickly dwindle if you’re doing work that doesn’t excite you. This is the first step that I recommend everyone focus on when looking for work – remote or otherwise.
2. Define what other perks and characteristics are important to you. Sure, working from home may be at the top of your list, but what else do you want from an employer? Is it growth opportunity, an investment in your learning & development, reimbursement for your work from home expenses/equipment, etc. You know how you find yourself evaluating how many of the job requirements you meet? I want you to evaluate the employer just as closely – how many of your boxes do they check?
3. Identify your top 3 job posting sites. Finding a job working from home can be accomplished on so many different platforms that it can become overwhelming. Reduce your overwhelm by narrowing in on the top 3 sites that you’ll use to find work from home jobs. Here are my personal favorites because they’re free, easy to use, and have a trustworthy reputation:
a. LinkedIn (bonus – their supportive community!)
b. Indeed
c. ZipRecruiter
4. Make those job posting sites work for you. Set up alerts so that you’re automatically notified of new job postings when they arise. You’ll want to get into the applicant pool as early as possible, as jobs are often removed from these boards when they reach a certain number of applicants.
5. Decide how open you are to a hybrid work environment. If you’re having trouble finding a job that will allow you to work from home 100% of the time, then I encourage you to open yourself up to hybrid roles where you’re in the office a small percentage of the time.
6. Ensure that you’re set up properly to work from home. Ask yourself these questions:
a. Do you have stable, high-speed internet?
b. Do you have a desk or workspace area that will give you the space, organization, and comfortable setup that you need?
c. Is your home free from distractions? A very important question for caretakers.
d. Do you have/will you have an established routine that will set you up for success working from home?
e. Is your doctor, dentist, or child’s daycare nearby? While this question is arguably less important than the above, it’s definitely something to think about; particularly if you’re going from an in-office job where these places remain closer to your previous employer than your home office. It will require more of your time and energy to travel to those places when working from home, and you may want to consider selecting care that’s located closer to you.
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