Imagine this situation: You’re looking for a job and spot an ad that interests you. It includes your desired position and salary, but your heart sinks when you look at the location. Why?

It’s for a job a continent away from you.

Crushing, right?

Well, with the continued rise of remote work, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Remote work has been embraced by plenty, as it has amazing benefits for employers, as well as employees. 

As an employee, aside from being able to work for any company in the world, there are plenty more advantages. Some of these benefits include not having to commute, spending less on food, and being able to wear casual clothes. And of course, you can work in the comfort of your own home. Is there any bigger perk than that? 

Now, how do you go about landing that dream remote job? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Fix up your resume to reflect remote work experience.

Your resume should let your potential employer know that you desire to work remotely. And not only that, but you have the skills to do it successfully. If you have any experience at all, highlight that in your resume. If you don’t, instead, make sure to emphasize soft and transferable skills that you think remote work needs.

Familiarize yourself with remote work software and technology.

Working remotely means you’re going to have to be familiar with a lot of technical terms and tools. For example, you’ll be utilizing various communication platforms. That might mean familiarizing yourself with Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. 

Remote work also means that you’ll likely be using project management applications such as Basecamp, Monday.com, or Slack. Try to find out what the company you’re applying to uses and do some practice with those applications. 

If you don’t know how to use these tools, it’s time to study how. There are plenty of videos on YouTube and other video hosting sites to watch so you can master these platforms. Doing this can instantly boost your resume and help you stand out further from other candidates.

Dress well for the interview. 

You might be wondering what to wear to a job interview, especially if it’s a virtual one. Well, one thing you should not do is wear casual clothes, or worse, clothes that you slept in. If you show up to the interview like that, you’ll give off the feeling that you are not prepared. Worse, it might seem that you actually do not care about the job at all and are not professional. That will definitely hurt your chances of getting picked over other candidates.

Dress well, but not too formally. Your outfit should be just enough to give the interviewer a good impression of you. And also, while picking an outfit that’s appropriate, pick also one that makes you feel good. That way, you’ll feel more confident and at ease during the whole process.

Prepare for your job interview.

If you’re feeling nervous about the interview, get a friend and practice the interview experience. HR will ask plenty of standard questions, like “What can you contribute to the role and the company?” Have your friend assess your performance and give tips to improve it in any possible way.

Also, sufficient preparation means having a backup plan in case of loss of power or a faulty Internet connection. Your potential company will likely ask you if you’re prepared for these occurrences anyway. You might as well get ready in advance, right?

Get an agency to help you.

If you’re having a hard time setting things up with your potential remote employer, why not call on an agency like Swap? Swap can help you look for work in more than 170 countries. They provide Employer of Record services to companies. That gives Swap HR responsibilities and allows companies to easily hire and manage people from anywhere and with full compliance.

It’s also absolutely free for remote workers. All you need to do is decide where in the world you want to work and find an employer. The agency Swap will take care of the rest.

One final reminder

There is one last thing you need to confirm with yourself before you start looking for remote work. And do you have any idea what that is?

You need to see if you are suited for that kind of working situation. 

For example, remote work may be a good fit for you if any of the following are true:

• You have a family, and you want to be nearer to them even while working
• You have no problem separating working hours from your personal time
• You prefer working without hearing office mates from your surroundings
• You love that you don’t have to deal with any office drama while working

And if you are the opposite of those listed above, well… You might want to take time to really think about this. It is better to do thorough consideration now than to accept a position and realize much later that you actually work better in a designated office space.

If you’ve thought about it and decided that remote working is for you, then go for it. With more employers open to the idea, you’ll never run out of potential companies. Just keep sending in your resume, and you’ll soon find the perfect one for you.