How to Find Your First Work-from-Home Opportunity
People are working from home more than ever before. According to a FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics survey, the number of remote employees in the United States increased by 159% between 2005 and 2017, with the current figure standing at 4.7 million. Meanwhile, according to Upwork’s Future Workforce Report, by 2028, 73% of all departments will employ remote workers.
If you’re having trouble finding your first work-from-home job, you may be wondering how so many individuals have done it.
In recent years, a few prominent businesses, like IBM and Bank of America, have brought some of their remote employees back to the office, claiming a need for cooperation as the basis for their choice.
That’s a shame since cooperation and work flexibility are not mutually incompatible. In reality, when firms perform remote work well, it can be a good experience for everyone involved, improving productivity, employee engagement, and even making employees happier at work.
However, if you’re looking for your first work-from-home job, you don’t need to be persuaded. What you need is a strategy for matching your abilities and expertise to opportunities with businesses that recognise the advantages of remote work.
5 Ways to Get Your First Work-From-Home Job
1. Convert your regular job into a work-from-home one.
According to Global Workplace Analytics, 56% of U.S. employees have jobs that allow for remote work on an infrequent basis.
You can probably work from home if you perform the majority of your work using technology such as PCs, mobile devices, and/or tablets.
Of course, “suitable for remote work” does not imply “allowable to work from home.” To make the transition without starting a new career, you must persuade your supervisor to allow you to attempt telecommuting. The ideal approach to do this is to propose a trial arrangement, such as one or two days each week for a fixed length of time.
However, before you ask, you need to first establish the framework. Determine your boss’s attitude on flexible work arrangements. Then, create a proposal for telecommuting. Anticipate and respond to any complaints, displaying your successful work history and ability to manage your own time. To measure your progress, provide quantifiable targets and check-in times. Make a plan for how you’ll stay in contact throughout the day.
Above all, be adaptable and open to change depending on your manager’s suggestions.
2. Consultancy or freelancing
If your present employment isn’t an option for your first work-from-home job, don’t think you’ll have to locate a whole new career to make the transition. Freelancing and consulting may let you get your feet wet without having to leave a solid job. Working for yourself might also provide you with the opportunity to save for an emergency. Finally, you may discover that you like working for yourself so much that you will want to start your own company rather than hunt for another employment.
The nicest part about freelancing or consulting is that you may start with only a few hours each week. You may look for freelance job postings online or network your way into employment via word of mouth.
3. Utilise Job Search Websites, Both General and Specific
When it comes to online job postings, job search sites are a fantastic place to look for work-from-home opportunities. You may find remote work prospects by narrowing your search with terms like “remote,” “work-from-home,” “work-at-home,” and “telecommuting” on your preferred job search sites (Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, and so on).
Be wary of job-search swindles. As the old adage goes, if anything sounds too good to be true, it most often is. Promises of large compensation for little labour, as well as demands for money or personal information, are red flags of job search scams.
4. Meet with people in person (or “in-person”).
Social networking is a great location to start your new profession, but if you’re certain you want to go into a new industry, there’s no alternative for talking to individuals who are currently there.
Set up informative interviews with individuals who hold the job you want and ask them how they got there. You’ll be shocked how many people want to chat with you. Best of all, some will share their mistakes, saving you time and stress throughout your job move.
