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January 20, 2020 0 Comments

5 Tips For a Winning Cover Letter to Get You Hired

Ah, the cover letter – the sister document of your resume! It’s an important but often overlooked part of the job searching process, and one that demands more attention.  Whether cover letters come across as an afterthought, are too lengthy, or simply lack any depth, there can be a number of errors avoided by taking a second look.

Grab their Attention

Realize the hiring person may get 30-50 resumes (or more on mega job sites). And the resumes that get read are the ones with something that GRABS their ATTENTION!  Something like, “Let Me Take More Off Your Plate!”  Or, “I thrive on being proactive in ways to make your life easier! Hire Me!”

Don’t be afraid to add some personality to your cover letter and show your “go-getter” attitude. No one wants to hire a bump on a log. Also, the P.S. is the most read part of ANY email or letter.  P.S. Your “Go Getter Attitude” so that you stand out

Be Diligent

You want your first impression to be a good one! Be sure that your grammar is perfect, your spelling is correct, and your sentences well-structured. Don’t rush through this because it tells the hiring person you aren’t paying attention to details and aren’t putting 100% effort in.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t inject some personality into your letter, but proper writing rules remain a required element of the job application documents.

Focus on the Company

The number one goal of your cover letter is to show why you would be a great fit for the job!  Your letter shouldn’t go on and on about your accomplishments, but rather convey them in a way that shows relevance to the employer.

You should always look up the company to show that you’ve done your homework and took the time to learn about them. (Hint: Read their “About Us” page and a few blogs to get a feel for the person and company).

Bullets are Key

Begin your cover letter with a brief paragraph or two, then consider using bullet points to highlight key selling points on why you think you’re the best candidate.  This breaks up large chunks of text, allows the employer to see your points quickly and easily, and makes you appear considerate and well prepared.

Show Why You’re a Fit

What do you bring to the table?  List specific character traits, past experiences, and job roles that are a direct fit to this specific position. Have a testimonial from a past client? You may want to consider adding it to your cover letter.

You may have had 10 jobs that you’re proud of, but which jobs, and more importantly, which qualities from those jobs, will allow you to shine in this new role?

By focusing on the company and job position, you’re focusing on the employer’s needs, not your own.  Be sure to include succinct, relevant information that will allow the employer to see what they would get from you immediately.

Lastly, make it easy for them to read, add some personality, and show them your “go-getter attitude”!

Click here to see some of our Newest Job posts.  

Ready to apply? Click here to add your resume and start applying!

What have other Job Seekers said about HireMyMom.com?

Click here for some helpful blogs on resume and cover letter tips.

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December 16, 2019

10 Qualities To Look For When Hiring a Remote Contractor or Team Member

The world has gone digital and as an Entrepreneur, you now have the ability to put your products and services in front of the right people across many digital channels.

This means, that your business could grow substantially overnight. If you’re not prepared for that growth, you’ll find yourself completely overwhelmed with the many day to day tasks required to operate and maintain your company.

Que the rise of remote contractors.

What is a remote contractor?

Just as the name describes, this person works from their own office space (often out of their home) and uses their own equipment and software.

 

Why consider hiring a remote contractor?

  • They can start immediately
  • Require very little training
  • Have little to no onboarding costs
  • Are more productive and
  • Can save you time

When deciding on “how” you want to expand your business, you should focus on filling the voids of your company. 

What does that mean?

Well, if you carefully assess all the tasks you’re doing right now and break them down by priority, the ability to do them yourself, and whether you like doing them – you’ll soon have a vision for your new hire.

Whether you’re hiring a bookkeeper, marketer, content writer, or assistant, here are some common traits you should consider when hiring a remote worker.

 

10 Qualities To Look For When Hiring Remote Team Members

 

1.  Strong Communication Skills

Communication is key to any successful working relationship. It’s especially important for a remote employee-employer relationship because most of your conversations will be taking place through text, phone, email, and/or video chat. You should also keep in mind, the time zone your remote worker lives in, their first language, and their response time when you communicate with them.

Because a remote employee can’t just walk into your office to ask for help whenever a situation arises and vice versa, you have to be able to effectively communicate. Without this core competency, it’s impossible to succeed with a remote employee. 

 

2. Independent and Self Motivated

The last thing you want to be doing is micromanaging your remote worker. He or she should be independent, self-motivated, and be able to complete most tasks assigned with very little direction (unless the task requires it).

Successful remote workers must be able to motivate themselves to stay focused with little distraction seeing each task from start to completion.

Because you can’t be there in person to ensure your remote worker is staying on task, independence and self-motivation are must-have qualities when finding the best fit for your organization.

 

3. Flexibility and Availability

A huge benefit for a remote employee is the flexibility of the job. For remote employees who are parents, this means they can drop off and pick up the kids from school, attend soccer games, school plays and more.

Just as flexibility is a benefit to the remote worker, the remote worker should be flexible with you, the employer.

Your remote worker should be flexible with your schedule and also available when you need them. If they are not a designated remote worker, they should be able to attend necessary meetings and communicate with you in a reasonable time frame with proper notice.

If you run a business that has a lot of tight deadlines, consider a designated, full-time remote worker over a freelance part-time one.

 

4. Ability to Organize and Prioritize

Strong organizational skills are extremely important for a successful working relationship with a remote employee.

They should be able to take a list of tasks given, organize, and prioritize them with minimal direction and be able to carry out this task on a continuous basis.

If your business uses a Project Management software, your remote employee should be able to navigate through it with ease. If they have experience using the software, it’s even better as there’s less of a learning curve if at all.

 

5. Tech Savvy

Because the world has gone digital, your remote employee should be tech-savvy, especially since their work is done on a virtual level.

Your remote worker should be fluent in common software applications such as Microsoft Office and Google Docs.

Because your remote employee will be performing many of the day-to-day tasks on a shared software they should have a good understanding of how to use it. If training is needed, they should be able to learn the software from you personally, YouTube or other online training.

 

6. Excellent Time Management Skills

Effective time management is fundamental to the success of any business. When you hire someone with excellent time management skills, they will be able to complete more tasks for you in less time which translates to saving you money.

Remote workers with great time management skills will create and maintain daily to-do tasks, they have designated workspaces so they can perform their work with minimal distraction and will find ways to optimize their time on the tasks they are given – including learning new software applications.

 

7. Honest and Reliable

Remote work requires a level of trust between yourself and your remote employee. You will likely be giving them access to your software, email inbox, website, and more.

It’s important to properly interview and screen your candidate before you hire him/her and depending on the nature of your business, a background check might be needed as well.

An honest and reliable remote worker will tell you when they don’t understand something, they will be honest if they make a mistake so it can be corrected quickly with minimal negative impact to the company.

They operate themselves with the highest level of integrity which is reflected in the work they do for you.

 

8. Remote Experience

It’s important to select a remote worker with experience. They should have a designated workspace, their own reliable technology to work on, the key software programs such as Microsoft Office as well as anti-virus protection to keep their computer (and your sensitive information) safe.

Remote workers with experience are also ideal because there is less transition and training required when it comes to onboarding them.

 

9. Administrative Experience

One of the most in-demand types of remote workers for small businesses are Virtual Assistants (also known as VA’s).

You can incorporate virtual assistant duties into almost any role. Often there is an overlap in VA tasks whether you’re hiring someone to help manage your social media, conduct bookkeeping or maintain your website.

Some common VA tasks include: 

  • answering emails,
  • entering invoices,
  • managing calendars / setting appointments,
  • research,
  • updating blogs,
  • customer service,
  • travel arrangements,
  • answering phone calls.

 

10. Positive Attitude

Sometimes it’s not the talent but the attitude of a worker that helps you determine whether or not they would be a good fit.

A remote employee who has a positive outlook will provide you with higher work quality than one who is negative.

They will take any constructive feedback you provide in a positive light and not become defensive or offended. This, in turn, leads to a continuous improvement of work quality and flow.

 

As the small business community continues to grow, the demand for remote workers does too! At HireMyMom, we have a large selection of remote workers to choose from. The benefits of our workers are that they are often in similar time zones, speak fluent English, and are typically work-ready within 24-48 hours of you hiring them.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful. We have another great article that you might like called “ 7 Reasons Why Moms Make The Best Remote Workers For Small Businesses”. 

If you’re ready to get started with a remote employee, you can post your job here. If you need to hire but are overwhelmed at the task, consider using our VIP Small Business Concierge program and allow one of our HR Specialists do all the work for you! 

 

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March 4, 2019 0 Comments

10 Key Questions to Ask During the Interview

In our last article, we gave you 4 Tips on Writing a Great Job Post to help you attract some great candidates for your job.

Next you’ll want to narrow your list of candidates down, and then you’ll want to make sure you ask the right questions to confidently hire the best professional for the job.

Here are some great questions to consider asking potential hires:

  • What interests you about this job?
  • What other virtual jobs have you held and what were your responsibilities?
  • What did you like and dislike about this job(s)?
  • How do you structure your work day?
  • How do you handle disruptions?
  • What do you like and dislike about working virtually?
  • How do your skills and experience fit this job?
  • What makes you think you are the best candidate for this job?
  • What is your top tip for having a successful virtual working relationship?
  • How would you describe yourself in 5 words?

 

If you want to get more in depth, the Book, “Who”, authors Geoff Smart and Randy Street outline a thorough process for hiring “A” players. The process may be overkill for some smaller remote roles but the basics of the process provide a solid foundation for selecting the right candidate. 

The interview questions Smart and Street recommend are easy and conversational. They recommend an initial phone interview asking the following questions:

  1. What are your career goals? 
  2. What are you really good at professionally? 
  3. What are you not good at or interested in doing professionally? 
  4. Who were your last five bosses, and how will they each rate your performance on a 1–10 scale when we talk to them? 

Each of those questions should be followed up with “tell me more”, “how” and/or “what” to dig deeper to gain more insight about the candidate and their performance, work ethic and skill level. Other tools and resources are available on their website. 

 

After you’ve interviewed the candidate make sure to contact at least 3 of her references to see what they have to say about her and her past work.

Once you’ve asked these questions and talked to their references decide which candidate:

  • Has the skills you are looking for or is a quick learner willing to be trained,
  • Is confident, reliable and trustworthy,
  • Is Independent, self-starter, and doesn’t have to be micro-managed,
  • Meets deadlines and stays on task,
  • Is a great communicator both verbally and in writing.

 

Hiring a great remote employee or contractor doesn’t have to be difficult. Putting in a small amount of time up front and being intentional about the process will help you and your hires have a much more productive, satisfying and successful outcome!

And don’t forget we offer, our personal “VIP Concierge Service” which was created for busy entrepreneurs and small business owners, like you, who need to hire help but don’t have the time or desire to go through the time-consuming process.

With our full service Concierge service, our HR Specialists will do it all for you start to finish and present you with the top candidate(s).

 

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February 4, 2019 0 Comments

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Virtual Professional

Hiring someone to work for you off-site means you don’t have the luxury of meeting them or training them in person. And because of that, there are some things you should know to help make the working relationship more successful from the start.

Don’t hire by the resume alone

Hiring someone is more than just their experience on a piece of paper. You’ll want to interview over Zoom, Skype or similar tool that allows you to meet them face to face.

Ask how they manage working independently? What other jobs have they had working virtually for someone? What mistakes did they make? What did they learn?  Ask them about their organization skills and how they organize their day? What motivates them? What distracts them? Also be sure to talk to their references to get a feel for how they viewed the quality of their work.

Always ask for references and check them! You’ll want to know what type of employee (or contractor) they were. Were they reliable? Did they do a good job? What areas did they not do so good in? Are they trustworthy? Would they hire them again?

Request a background check through SafetyPin (Digital Trust Badge) especially if they will be dealing with private or sensitive information or have access to any private information.

 

Don’t assume they’ll know how you want it done

Before you hire virtual help, be clear about what you want done, how and when you want it done. The more clear you can be and the more meticulous your instructions, the better opportunity your new hire has of understanding and succeeding at this new role.

Create a Google Doc and add procedures and instructions that can be modified and added to the role develops.  The more implicit your instructions, the better chance you have of someone doing things how you want them done.

 

Don’t neglect to check in

For the first month or two, plan to check in regularly about progress and questions. You should be able to tell pretty quickly if the work is being done correctly. If not, determine what changes need to be made. Set parameters, guidelines and/or deadlines that need to be met.

Set up ways to monitor their progress going forward. You may want them to copy you on emails if they are responding on behalf of your business or send weekly reports of tasks completed so that you can check them initially to make sure the job is being done correctly and has been understood. If applicable, use collaboration tools such as Slack, Basecamp, Asana or Trello so that you can monitor, collaborate and train as needed.

Progress checks and regular communication are the main keys to success once you’ve hired your virtual professional. Follow these tips and your chances of success will skyrocket!

If you are looking for a virtual professional, be sure to check out the awesome talent on HireMyMom.com.

And don’t forget we offer, our personal “Small Business Concierge Service” which includes:

    • consultation to learn about the position,
    • writing a professional, descriptive and thorough job post,
    • posting the job on our website (once approved by client),
    • reviewing all applicant resumes and cover letters, including a check of LinkedIn to reality check the resume.
    • Scheduling interviews – Reach out to selected candidates, coordinate interview scheduling,
    • Interviews -prep & conduct interviews, record interview notes, save interview recordings, etc. ,
    • Select top candidate(s) to pass along to client, write candidate summaries, upload interview video file(s) to Dropbox, email client with resume, summary and link to video file.
    • Follow up with client, answer questions about candidates, etc.
    • Wrap-up – Send turndown email to candidates interviewed but not selected, etc. along with final notes.

Contact us for details!

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November 27, 2018 0 Comments

5 Secrets to Landing that Dream Work From Home Job

 

Working from home is attractive to so many, especially moms. The freedom to set your own schedule and work around your family is such a wonderful benefit. However, landing that perfect job can be tricky if you are not prepared. So here are our 5 tips to landing your dream work from home job.

Resume Ready

Take a look at your resume. What does it say? Is it engaging? Does it stand out? Or is it just black and white letters on paper? Today’s resumes have gotten more creative and allow you to show some of your creative side and personality. Include a photo and some color! Click here to see some sample templates. Be sure too that your resume sells you to potential employers. A well-written resume is worth gold in your job search. If you need help in this area, consider getting check out our Resources here.

Take Initiative

As an applicant, take the initiative and show the employer you are not only qualified but sincerely interested in their job. Educate yourself on the their business by visiting their website. Read their “About Us” page and get to know about the company and their owner(s). They can tell if you’ve looked at their website and took some time to familiarize yourself with them. Bottom line is you will stand out if you show you are willing to go above and beyond what you are asked to do.

Be Detail Oriented

Read the job description thoroughly 2 or 3 times and make sure your application, resume and / or cover letter addresses everything they are seeking or requesting. If you leave key things out of your application, it tells the employer you may do the same thing in your work. In that case, your application may go straight to the virtual trash can.

Don’t Waste Your Time or Theirs

If you don’t have the experience the employer is asking for, don’t apply. You waste your time and their time and leave the impression that you didn’t read the job description very well. Many employers state how annoying this is for them to go through applicants who clearly do not have the skills or experience they are looking for. And if you are finding your skills and training lacking, consider some of the Training Resources we have.

Respond Quickly 

Many busy entrepreneurs are looking to hire now! They post a job and are ready to hire someone ASAP.  If you are not logging in daily to check for new jobs, you may miss out. Some jobs are taken down after 3-5 days or sooner because they have enough applicants.  Now you know, timing is of the essence.

So now, get that resume polished up and incorporate these tips. You may find your dream job just got a whole lot easier!

If you’re not currently a member of HireMyMom, click here to see how we can help you find that dream work at home job!

 

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November 12, 2018 0 Comments

Tips for Hiring the Best Virtual Assistant For Your Business

If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, there comes a time when you can no longer do it all yourself. At that point, you have to decide what to do. Do you (A) stop growing and give up or (B) do you find someone to take on some of your daily tasks? I think for most the answer is (B).

So how do you find and hire the best a work from home virtual assistant?

Where to Find the Best VAs
Tim Francis, owner of ProfitFactory.com has been using Virtual Assistants (VAs) for many years and has learned the tough lesson of why overseas VAs are not the best solution. He now recommends HireMyMom.com as the BEST choice for his company and his clients for the following reasons:

  • Similar or same time zone: I’ve got my VA doing both business and personal tasks for me. She’s calling prospects to invite them to my live, in-person events. She’s coordinating our venue, partners, and volunteers for the production of our live events. All of this is WAY easier if she’s in the same (or similar) time zone as me.
  • Excellent English – both written and spoken: Most Moms from HireMyMom.com are from the corporate world, so they’re usually quite good with spoken and written English. This makes working together WAY easier. My assistant catches spelling errors I make in blog posts, can suggest similar keywords when talking SEO, and can send basic emails on my behalf.
  • Reliable electricity and internet: You probably don’t realize how vulnerable overseas VAs are in this regard. In my earliest days, I was trying to work with a VA from India. Suddenly she went “radio silent” – wasn’t writing or responding to me. A week later she suddenly re-appeared online with a flurry of messages. Turns out there was political infighting in her region and a corrupt politician had the electricity to her region shut off. No power = no internet = no VA. Canadian and American VAs are far more stable in this regard.
  • Same culture: I also have tried working with VAs from the Philippines. Nicest people on the planet. In fact, TOO nice. They were so terrified of offending me; they’d totally shut down if I asked for feedback and/or suggestions. They’d rather be “yes-men” and women than take ANY risk of offending you. Not productive. North American Moms on the other hand will (usually) be both gentle and honest.
  • Punctual: A few years ago I hired a half-dozen contractors on Elance. All were from India or Pakistan, and literally 100% of them were late on 100% of projects. As in, everything took at least TWICE as long as they quoted. Two week projects turned into 4 weeks, then 6 weeks very quickly. In my experience, North American Moms, though, are generally quite solid in their commitments.

The Hidden Cost of Mistakes and Delays
When hiring a VA, it’s easy to just hire the least expensive option offering $10/hour vs. $15-20/hour, right? WRONG.

If you are waiting or paying for costly mistakes then your costs just went up. It is better to hire and train someone qualified and eager to work and pay them an hourly rate that saves you headaches and problems.

So What’s the Catch?
You may be wondering why these “qualified, talented, professional” Moms would be willing to work for $15-20/hour instead of the a corporate salary with benefits. For most of these Mom Professionals this is a good deal for them because:

  • they don’t have to pay for costly child care ($6k-$16k per child per year) as many work during naps, hire a part time sitter or work while their children are in school,
  • they save a good chunk of time every day by not having to commute or dress in fancy business clothes every day,
  • they save money on gas and business attire since there is no commute or need for fancy business clothes,
  • and they value freedom and flexibility to work from home!

What’s in it for the Mom Professionals?
In addition to saving time and money, the #1 benefit for moms is flexibility to be with their family! I speak from experience here as shortly after completing my Master’s degree, I had my first child. All of my lofty career goals went out the window, and I begin freelancing and working from home when I realized working full-time outside the home was too unbearable for me. That was 20 years ago. Gulp! Here I am today helping other Mom Professionals do the same thing.

In addition to flexibility, these Mom Professionals want to:

  • Make some extra money to contribute to household income, save for vacations, college savings or just “fun money”.
  • Avoid a big gap in their resume while they take time off from their full-time career to focus on their kids
  • Have meaningful, adult interaction as well as express and use their creativity and professional skills

As you can see, hiring a work from home Virtual Assistant is a win-win for Businesses and Mom Professionals. Business owners have more time to work on more pressing business needs, and Mom Professionals are able to work flexible schedules and have more time with their families. Go ahead and take that next step. You won’t be disappointed.

If you need help with hiring, try our Small Business VIP Concierge service and we can do all the hard work for you from posting your job, to interviewing, to selecting the top candidate(s) for you!

If you are a Mom Professional, check out some of our current job postings.

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August 27, 2018 0 Comments

How to Add Personality to Your Resume

We typically see one type of resume in the job hunting world – white paper, black font, and probably not much (if any) color.

While this is the standard and will work for its intended purpose, it often doesn’t have a lot of personality.  Certain jobs require more formality, so the standard is your best option, but for those jobs that ask for creativity in the job description, or simply demand something unique – add some personality!

Here are some of our favorite ways to do just that:

  • Change the design: Most resumes follow the same standard layout, but they don’t have to! You could put your document into unique, colorful sections, or simply add blocks of color for each section heading.

  • Add some color: Color is just more fun to look at! If you’re keeping it conservative, simply add color to your name at the top so it stands out.  Or, you could really go all out and do your whole resume in one color. Of course, ensure that this is still easily readable, and also send over a copy that doesn’t include so much color in case they’d like to print it.

  • Be conversational: Formal language has its place, but it’s not always in a resume. You can still talk in a conversational way that uses layman’s terms. Be sure to include all relevant data and qualitative data, but present it more casually.  For something extra fun, you can even include charts or graphs with your numerical data!

  • Make it fit: Are you interviewing for a position at an art gallery? You could change your resume to look like an easel, or feature a paint palette in a way that’s relevant.  You can always tailor your actual resume to the job position in a memorable way.

  • Add something unexpected: Most hiring managers are used the same old thing. Surprise them! Add a creative drawing or graphic, use a custom font, or simply present it in a unique way.

  • Try a different format: Resumes don’t always have to be on paper! You can try a video or slideshow resume. Of course, make sure this is okay with the hiring manager, and possibly leave these for the job positions that say they’re actively seeking something different in your application.

  • Add a photo: It can be nice to put a face to a name. In some cases, you might want to include your photo.  You could also include a photo of something you accomplished, whether it was a build in your job work, or an event photo from something you planned.

  • Include what’s needed: No matter how you choose to add personality to your resume, it’s important that it still includes important information.  Be sure you’re not leaving out any important and relevant job positions, accomplishments, or education. At the end of the day, that will still be the most important part!

 

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January 2, 2018 0 Comments

3 Ways to Secure Work From Home Jobs

Working from home is a noble goal for many moms, parents and people who are seeking more flexibility in their lives.

Between long commutes, wasted time in an office, and the lack of freedom to attend important things, it’s no wonder that more and more people are looking for a job that gives them something more.  As a work from home job site, we have some tips and advice to secure a work from home job that will work for you and your family.

Tune into the application process

You can’t get a job if you’re never applying! Just like applying for a traditional office job, you have to apply often, thoroughly, and carefully.

Businesses seeking home based employees are no longer just scammy companies who will take anyone; they’re seeking highly qualified, experienced, and professional workers.

Do your best to apply to as many jobs as possible that truly fit your skill set.  Don’t waste your time with the rest! It’s not ideal to apply for positions just to work from home.  Eventually, this will not be fulfilling.  Find the good ones and go to town with making those applications the absolute best you can.

Use the right sites

As you’ve probably noticed, there are tons of job search sites out there.  Some of these traditional sites will even feature work from home jobs once in a while, and you can find a job there!

While this is true, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.  Even if you see work from home jobs, they’re often scams, sales-only jobs, or other questionable positions that aren’t legitimate for home based work.

Sites like HireMyMom.com are created for the sole purpose of work from home jobs.  Utilize these sites as your first points of searching, and you’ll have far more luck.  It’s as if everyone rounded up the “legitimate” jobs from those other sites and put them into one place!  Use the right resources, and the right job will likely come to you.

Watch your presence

Make sure your materials and online presence are top notch. Resumes are just as important online as offline!  Between your online resume, cover letter, and other application materials, make sure that these are in good shape online.  We often submit these materials to several application sites, which can sometimes be searched via Google.

Additionally, it’s important to watch your social media presence.  This is true for every job, but especially work from home jobs.  You employers are likely to be a bit more tech savvy, and it’s easy for them to check you out.  These days, many employers even ask for your social media URLs in the job application itself!

Do your best to keep things professional, and present yourself as if your employer is watching.

Working from home is a great way to do more in life while still earning an income.  It’s not as simple as logging into a basic job search site and pressing a few buttons, but with the right tools, sites, and attitude, you can find a job that fits you and your family’s lifestyle.

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August 21, 2017 0 Comments

5 Ways to Get a Work From Home Job

Home based job positions are highly coveted in today’s society.  Since we can almost always work from anywhere, the concept of a traditional office is changing.  Parents and families want more flexibility and time together, and work-life balance is becoming more of a prominent concept.

Even if you want to work from home, you may be curious about how to make that happen.  Most job postings are still for traditional office environment jobs, so it can be daunting to begin the search.  Read along for some of our best tips for landing a remote job position.

Use specific sites

There are specific websites just for the purpose of filling home based job positions.  Sites like HireMyMom.com are carefully crafted to filter only remote positions, making your search much quicker and less frustrating.  All jobs on HireMyMom.com are screened and involve flexible work schedules and environments.

Using specific virtual job sites also eliminates the probability of scam listings, which are prevalent in the work from home field.  Specific sites don’t typically feature multi-level marketing jobs, and they cater more to the educated professional seeking a similar job to those in the traditional workforce.

Avoid scams

As we mentioned above, scams are everywhere when seeking a virtual career.  Many listings feature jobs that you have to buy into, which should never be the case with a home based job position.  They will also say they’re virtual jobs, when they’re truly just call center or sales positions.

While there’s nothing wrong with these types of jobs, they aren’t often what most people are seeking when trying to find home based work.  Avoid the scammy positions and look elsewhere for your new position!

Word of mouth

Listen closely! Friends, family members, and current co-workers might have the in when it comes to home based jobs.  Sometimes a business owner will need a Virtual Assistant or Admin.  Maybe your hair salon is looking for social media management, or maybe you can offer your editing services to a family member who’s an author.

There are many ways to find freelance home based positions, which can transition to full-time work.  Listen to those around you, and see where you can offer your home based services in ways that can help others.

Look to the traditional

Don’t fear the traditional job postings.  Sometimes, in a sea of “regular” jobs, you’ll see that they’re open to remote or virtual candidates.

When you search, try words such as: “remote,” “virtual,” “telecommute,” “home-based,” or “work from home.”  You might be surprised to find that a lot of traditional office environments are open to ideal candidates who might not live in their cities.

Make it a transition

Sometimes a work from home career can come out of a traditional one.  You might find that you start in an office-based job position and have that conversation with your boss about transitioning to remote work.  Just because your current job is in an office, doesn’t mean that your boss isn’t potentially open to exploring the option of virtual work.  You don’t know if you don’t ask!

Maybe you can transition to 2-3 days per week at home, and eventually, full time. Show your boss that your productivity levels have increased, and be as effective as possible in your trial or transition time period.  Show that you have mostly eliminated sick days and overhead.  There are tons of benefits to working from home, and it’s up to you to do the convincing to make this a viable option for you.

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August 15, 2017 0 Comments

5 Ways to Get Your Work-at-Home Application Noticed

There’s nothing more disheartening than sending out job application after job application and not getting a reply to a single one. This is especially true when you’re trying to find a work-at-home job, feeling isolated but trying to stay on task job-hunting instead of binging the latest Netflix show. The struggle is real – but I’ve got a few tips to help your applications get noticed!

Read and follow the instructions in the job listing.

Remember how every teacher you’ve ever had told you again and again: read the instructions? Follow the instructions! Don’t ignore the instructions! Well, that’s the first rule in getting your application noticed too. Read the instructions, and follow them to the letter.

Some companies even throw a trick into the instructions – seriously. For example, the instructions may direct you to put a certain word into the subject line of your email. This proves that you read completely through the job listing and application instructions. Congratulations! You make it through the first round, and you’d be surprised to hear how many don’t. Other companies might instruct you not to include any attachments with your initial email, specifying that any emails with attachments will be deleted unread. (A worthy precaution on today’s Internet.) If you skip over that request and include your résumé as an attachment? You won’t even be considered, no matter how qualified you are for the job.

Following directions is the easiest “in” you’ll ever get with a company, so don’t skip over this simple step.

Personalize each email introduction or cover letter.

My next tip is equally as straightforward: personalize every cover letter or email introduction that you send. Start with who to address your letter to – researching the company in question should turn up who’s head of HR or hiring. If you can’t find out the person’s name, address your email to the Human Resources department or to the Hiring Manager.

Follow that personalization up with a letter that shows you’ve looked into the company and understand who they are and what they do. Focus on how your skills and experience can help you deliver on the company’s promise to their clients. Try to give specific examples of what you’ve accomplished previously that back up your claims of how you can be an asset to them.

Whatever you do, don’t write one letter and send it everywhere you’re applying. Hiring managers see enough form letters that they’ll most likely pick up on it and delete your application before reading any further. It is okay to write the overall structure of a letter once and use it as a template – I know there’s nothing scarier than a blank page, especially when you need to sell yourself. Just make sure you’re tweaking and customizing it for each application.

Tailor your résumé for each position.

Just as you must personalize each cover letter for each job application, you should also tailor your résumé for each application. As much as we’d love to believe every résumé is one-size-fits-all, they’re just not. You might be able to get away with one résumé for each job type – say you’re applying for writing jobs, teaching or tutoring jobs, and customer service jobs. Say you also have relevant experience for each. You could make three different résumés: one that prioritizes your skills and experience related to tutoring children in a certain subject, another that highlights your amazing customer service capabilities, and so on.

In fact, having a résumé for each job position you’re pursuing is one of the more efficient ways to manage your time when job hunting. You do the bulk of the work up front when you write your résumés, and then simply tweak it when you find a position you’d love to land.

How should you tweak your résumé for each job application? Look at the job listing, and pay attention to the specific qualifications they’re looking for. Note which ones they list first, or seem to put the most emphasis on. Then make sure your résumé uses similar language and puts your most desirable qualifications first.

Use keywords to stand out.

This tactic for getting your work-at-home application noticed is a little trickier, but it’s a great skill to develop to improve your chances at jobs that attract tons of applicants. Essentially, you need to use the right keywords in your résumé to get your application in front of an actual person. That’s right: sometimes you need résumé SEO to beat an applicant tracking system (ATS).

The problem is that some large companies receive applications in such high volume that it’s impossible for them to examine each one. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day. So, they use a set of keywords and an applicant tracking system to automatically weed out those résumés that don’t feature the correct qualifications for the job. Of course, this means that you might have the best qualifications in the world, but you’re never going to get your résumé read if you don’t use the correct keywords.

A great way to choose the best keywords is by getting specific – use terminology that’s unique to the industry and position, and make sure you both use common acronyms and spell out what that acronym stands for. For example: “Certified Coding Specialist (CCS).” The Muse has some other great tips to help beat the robots.

Be concise but memorable.

My last tip is this: follow the KISS rule, but also be memorable. KISS means “Keep It Simple, Sister,” of course, and is a great mnemonic device that’ll keep you from getting long-winded or muddled in your cover letter, introductory email, or résumé. But keeping it simple doesn’t mean being bland, boring, and just like every other applicant in their giant pool of applications. Instead, infuse a bit of creativity into your application – use a unique subject line (while still following any instructions given about the subject line!). Write a sentence or two that’s funny, or surprising while describing what you can do for the company – just make sure it’s also appropriate and accurate! Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver.

With these tactics in your back pocket, you should be well on your way to breaking free from the crowd and getting a hiring manager interested in you. Good luck, and drop me a line about how these tips work out for you!

 

Author Bio: Angie Nelson began working from home in 2007 when she took her future into her own hands and found a way to escape the corporate cubicle farm. Today she shares her passion for making money from home on her blog The Work at Home Wife. Visit her site for a great list of places to find virtual assistant jobs.

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