Want to Start Working From Home? Here’s How to Make it Happen

If you’ve always wanted to work from the comfort of your own home, there’s no time like the present. Working from home used to be much more of a challenge — before 2020, it was hard to find remote work, and even harder to convince your boss that it’s a good idea — but since COVID-19, working from home has become more than a possibility. It’s our new reality.

Slowly but surely, working from home is becoming our new normal — no more traffic jams, unwanted interruptions or nosy colleagues. Forget the commute, work in your PJs. Working from home offers more than just lifestyle positives; your productivity could potentially improve as well.

Remote working conditions have consistently proven to improve productivity levels, and that’s only been further established since lockdown. Since the pandemic, 73% of people working from home have felt equally or more productive, with 89% wanting to continue this lifestyle after lockdown is over, at least part-time. 

If you want to find your dream work-from-home job, this article has all the tips you need to determine which work-from-home lifestyle is right for you so that you can get the ball rolling:

Whether you’re just out of uni and trying to land your first job, or you’re further into your career and looking for a change, the first step to securing a remote job remains the same: it’s time to perfect your CV.

Regardless of your work experience, there’s a high chance that your CV is already full of the soft skills you need to work remotely. These are the kind of skills that prove useful in any workplace, but will be even stronger assets in a home environment.

To get started, update your CV to suit remote job applications by emphasising soft skills like:

To make your CV shine, try adding skills that aren’t necessarily essential in a traditional office environment, but will improve your work performance in a remote role. Mention skills like:

If you have any special skills or specialised knowledge that will help you stand out, make sure you mention that too. 61% of freelancers specialise in 2 to 3 talents. Your specialisation will help you stand out from the crowd.

Once you’ve perfected your CV, you’re nearly ready to start applying for remote jobs – all you have to do now is determine what kind of remote job you want. Are you interested in freelance work, running your own business from home? Or are you trying to find a full-time position for remote employees? Freelance work might seem less secure than a full-time job, but it’s actually more stable than you think:

Generally, it’s much easier to find freelance work-at-home jobs, too.

Now that you’ve laid out all your skills, you can match the jobs you’re applying for to your skillset. Explore different work-at-home jobs that will be sure to earn you a living and determine which career path will be the most valuable and worthwhile for you.

There are dozens of job search sites that cater to remote work, connecting great employers to eager job seekers. Job sites like We Work Remotely and ZipRecruiter can help you save time on your job hunt; the job listings you see are only remote job opportunities, so you don’t have to filter through job opportunities that aren’t relevant to you. You can also filter your search results on LinkedIn and other online job boards.:

If the job sounds too good to be true, there could be a good reason for that – it could be a scam. Avoid getting caught in a scam by looking out for warning signs and doing your research:

So you’ve aced your application and gotten through to the next stage of your job hunt – well done! Now, it’s time to land the job interview. Since it’s a remote job, there’s a good chance your interview will be remote too. Make sure you land the remote interview by preparing as much as possible beforehand:

To land a remote job interview, you have to prepare like you would for an in-person interview. Sure, you might be being interviewed through a screen, but your confidence will still play a huge part in securing the job offer. It’s your job to prove why you’re perfect for this opportunity.

If you’re already working for a company that you would love to keep working for, working from home is still a possibility. Try asking your boss if working remotely is a possibility for your working arrangements and turn your in-office job to an at-home job with flexible hours. These three strategies will help you make your case:

Once you’ve switched from in-office work to at-home work or landed your new work-from-home job, you’ll have to transition into working from home. Working from home requires discipline; to maintain a healthy work-life balance and look after your mental health, you have to create boundaries between your work life and your home life. Try these helpful tips to make the transition as smooth as possible:

It’s hard to tell if coronavirus has marked the end of in-office workplaces altogether, but no matter what the future holds, it’s hard to ignore the benefits of remote work — if work-at-home jobs promise increased productivity, flexible work hours and fewer distractions, why wouldn’t all workplaces embrace the change? It’s time to make your move and embrace flexible working conditions. Negotiating to work from home isn’t as daunting as it sounds; if you come at the conversation with the right frame of mind and these proven strategies under your belt, your boss won’t need any more convincing. Now that you know what to do, there’s nothing stopping you — it’s time to find the perfect work-from-home job for you, all from the comfort of your couch.

Everything you need to know about working from home, from the best jobs to the rewards.