What To Look For When Applying To Remote Roles: A Guide For Jobseekers

In recent times, given the effect of the pandemic on the global economy and our work habits, the percentage of people in the UK working remotely has risen drastically. Many have grown accustomed to working remotely and not having a set office or company headquarters. You will find that many of the vacancies advertised on jobs boards these days are remote-based jobs. To help out all you job seekers and people looking to work remotely, we’ve come up with this piece on what to look for when applying to remote roles. Carry on reading to find out more.

Find A Remote Job That Fits Your Skillset And Personality

When searching for remote jobs as a job seeker, you need to find a job that is right for you and matches your skills, qualifications, and professional experience. In addition, it’s also a good idea to look for a remote role which suits your personality and character. For example, if you’re great at expressing yourself in written text and are an extremely creative person, you may be a brilliant persuasive digital marketing content writer. Think about what you are best at and how you could do it on a remote working basis. For instance, if you are a translator who has always worked in an office environment and wants a change, why not put yourself forward for a role as a remote translator? Think of all the positives of working at home, a peaceful home office space, cooking your own food in your kitchen, the ability to nip out to your local shop during your lunch break, and working from your couch if you so wish.

Look For Jobs Conducive With Remote Working

The digital era age has been with us for several years, and hence now there is an increasingly wide range of jobs conducive to remote working and employees not having to attend an office in person. Online marketing and IT are examples of 2 industries with thousands of remote working employees across the UK. IT was one of the first job industries to go remote, and many people today are ‘digital nomads’ working remotely in the industry. When looking for remote jobs, just double check that the vacancies you are applying for are conducive to remote working. What does an IT person do? This is an open-ended question, as there are lots of sectors and specialities. For example, an IT support technician role at a university may require you to work on-site to resolve computer issues on campus on a daily basis and mean you have to relocate. This sort of job offer won’t be remote. Currently on the hunt for an IT job? Check out these key IT roles as listed by Hiring People. You should never find yourself out of a job for an extended period of time if you have extensive qualifications and experienced in a range of IT responsibilities.

Fair Working Conditions

Just like you would do for any job offer, check remote job vacancies you apply to and are able to offer fair working conditions. A reasonable package from your employer will include a decent salary, holidays, performance-based bonuses, maternity/paternity leave, and maybe even a company car or other perks if your employer is particularly generous. Simply because you are working from home and not in a traditional office environment setup does not mean that you shouldn’t receive fair and reasonable working conditions like everyone else. Find out about your rights as a remote or hybrid worker to help you know what you’re entailed to from your employer. 

Grasp Opportunities For Career Progression And Promotions

You should try and stay grounded and humble as a person yet still ambitious in your approach to your career progression. So, when applying to new remote roles, ask yourself, how could I internally progress with this organisation? Is there a clear path where you can climb the ladder and reach more senior positions that could come with higher pay and greater responsibilities? The fact that you work remotely certainly shouldn’t dampen your career ambitions and hinder you from wanting to go for the more senior roles and get yourself right to the top of the tree.

A Remote Job Must Fit Around Your Lifestyle 

If you have major responsibilities and ties in your life, such as being a committed parent, you need to ensure that your remote job is able to fit around the life you lead.  Remote working can be an excellent choice for parents, and it can allow you to watch your kids grow up at home as opposed to working away a lot or spending the majority of your week in the office. Remember, living and working while having your kids around all the time can be stressful and demanding since you have to be a professional and earn your wage and be an attentive hands-on parent. A remote job needs to fit nicely around your living arrangements.

As long as you do plenty of research into job vacancy opportunities and use your intuition, so you know what you’re getting yourself into when you apply for a remote job, there’s no reason why you can’t find a remote role that’s perfect for you. 

Photo credits: eOffice