8 Tips for switching to remote work
8 Tips for switching to remote work
I attended some career webinars and a virtual job fair, where I connected with some employers and career coaches. I want to share with you some of the information I gained regarding opportunities to work remotely.
Although all companies have been forced to a remote working modality – WFH, work from home - many companies were already operating remotely in different combinations: 60% remote 40% in office, 50% remote 50% office, or 100% remote.
Let’s address some of the questions that candidates may have about working remotely:
Question 1: What is the profile of remote workers?
In general, remote workers are self-motivated, organized, willing to learn, and adaptable. They are able to manage time effectively in an unstructured environment, they are creative and innovative - they see a problem and they find a solution. Prepare to provide examples to demonstrate that you possess these traits.
Tip #1: Start by asking yourself the following questions
can you identify inefficient processes and advocate? can you find the stakeholder(s) you need to fix the issue, bring change, and improvement?
can you understand the issues, find solutions, and justify your decisions with data?
are you open to teach, mentor, and help others in the organization?
are you a group leader who can bring the best out of others, inspiring them too?
are you open to receiving feedback?
can you deal with ambiguity? can you adapt quickly?
in your most recent or current work experience, perhaps you helped the transition to the virtual environment to ensure continuity
remote work also requires people to write more, to be able to document steps/actions/progress and make all that information available to the rest of the team
Question 2: What are some positions open for remote work?
Many of the open positions are in Engineering – either product or software. Other positions are in Customer Experience - anything that has to do with responding to customers’ needs and support, Project and Product Management, Account Executives, and Security positions (Jr and Sr).
Tip #2: Think outside the box
read the posted job descriptions and match the employer’s requirements with your skills and experiences
think about the details: what you did, how you did it, and what happened as a result
check work remote sites and use LinkedIn job search with keyword “remote”
Question 3: What is the current hiring process?
As for now, everybody is hiring remotely. Even before the pandemic, we saw many companies already doing virtual interviews. The interview process is similar to the in-person interview. However, now you need to be comfortable doing everything online.
a phone/video screening by a recruiter or manager
some companies will have a skills assessment to determine if you can do the job. This can be in the form of a conversation where they ask you specific questions, in written form, or video recorded responses
for most contributor’s roles: a panel interview with a working team or cross-functional team members (those with whom you’ll collaborate) to assess if you are a good fit
regarding the onboarding process: some companies are now onboarding once or twice a month only, so candidates start with a cohort and give them the opportunity to meet other new employees
Tip #3: Prepare for a virtual interview, the same rules to interviewing in person apply here:
dress professionally
make sure you have access to the virtual meeting platform in advance – if you’ve never used it before, it might take a few minutes for your computer to access it. You can also take a tour of the platform to get familiar with (Zoom, Skype, Cisco Webex Meetings, BlueJeans, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts Meet are some of the most widely used platforms)
log in to the virtual meeting earlier
practice with a friend or family member how to set up your computer and check your video/audio, lighting, and background
also, practice answering questions looking at your camera
and then, don’t forget to follow up with a thank-you email!
Some companies are posting virtual candidate tours for candidates to see the work environment and get a sense of the company’s culture, or digital brochures where they highlight the company’s stats, fun facts, work/social impact. Check the company’s “About” and “Careers” pages.
Check this link: “How to Prepare for a Virtual Interview…”
Question 4: Are the benefits offered to remote workers the same as for people working in the office?
Generally speaking, the benefits to remote workers are similar to those working in the office (medical, prescription, dental, vision plans, stock options with vesting opportunities after a few years of work, 401K and flexible spending plans, parental leave benefits, etc.).
Some added perks for remote workers may include:
reimbursements to set up a remote office and cover Internet cost
monthly snack box and coffee gift card delivered at home, so you can take your coffee break
Tip #4: Research companies, see if you know someone from your LinkedIn network who currently works at your target company or who can introduce you to someone who does. Also, prepare questions to ask the employer during your interview.
Question 5: What are some of the challenges of working online?
Employers and remote employees recognize that is challenging to set boundaries, they work more hours than before when they were in an office setting. They have to force themselves to log off and establish schedules that respect work and home/family.
People who have not previously worked remotely are concerned about feeling isolated. It seems that remote employers are trying hard to provide opportunities for social connection. For example, one company randomly pairs up two people each week to talk about anything but work. Thru these connections, some people are finding buddies to share fitness, books, cooking recipes, or any other interest – which is a wonderful way to not feel isolated and get to know people in the organization.
Tip #5: One of the employers in the virtual job fair, mentioned that their productivity working remotely was higher but they are also concerned about employees’ mental health so they provide “mental health afternoons” to allow for some breaks to recharge during the intense work week. Check this link: “3 Tips to Avoid WFH Burnout”
Question 6: What can you learn while you are applying for remote jobs?
First of all, prepare a list of target companies. If you are interested in a particular company: follow them on LinkedIn or social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram). Think about your values and mission and their alignment with those of your target organization – why do you want to work there?
Think about your experience with remote work: which platforms have you used? which ones can you learn on your own while you are applying for jobs?
Tip #6: Learn about online platforms. For example G Suite remote collaboration tools including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and communication tools including Hangouts Meet and Chat, or Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, Trello, Asana. Understand how these tools integrate with each other or other tools. These are just some tools to be familiar with, some platforms are similar and if you know one you can learn more easily another similar platform, you get the idea. Check these links:
Best Online Collaboration Tools
Best Online Collaboration Tools & Apps
Question 7: What can career changers best prepare?
Always think about how you can demonstrate your value, your skills, and your experience. Identify the correlation between the position you are applying to and the skills you’ve gained through your career. Written and verbal communication are very important but you have to be able to demonstrate these skills, so instead of just writing in your resume “excellent communication skills”, follow my tip…
Tip #7: Can you provide examples of your work?
did you write a newsletter? do you have experience with writing proposals? if you were asked, can you provide some samples?
what have you done to learn new things?
do you have any technical certifications?
can you provide examples of being adaptable? did you help your most recent employer with the transition to remote work?
Question 8: How about tips for recent college grads?
Highlight the application of all the knowledge you’ve gained while at school and your internship experience. Highlight your experience working in team projects, study groups, or clubs: emphasize YOUR contribution and what happened as a result of it?
Tip #8: Take time to update and improve your LinkedIn profile
consider providing links to your work samples, you can do this from your LinkedIn profile in the sections: “Projects”, “Featured”, or “Volunteer”
you can also create a simple portfolio website and link to it from your LinkedIn
remember that you should also provide an active link from your resume to your LinkedIn profile and/or portfolio
get more tips here “Improve your LinkedIn Profile”
Always feel free to reach out to me with any questions here.
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