The working world is constantly evolving into something no one could have imagined in the last few years. In fact, the job market and the way we work have changed so much in such a short period of time. There are so many people who have lost their jobs, while others were introduced to a new form of work – remote work.
Remote work has people reassessing what they want from their jobs. Moreover, a lot of people started feeling that their current way of working is no longer compatible with this new form of working. At the end of the day, you can easily do a remote job with the help of a fast internet type, such as fiber internet. It has also encouraged people in rural areas to work remotely as there is rural internet available in many states now.
Looking for a job is much different now than in the past. With the ongoing global pandemic, many offices decided to close for good and convert their employees to full-time work-from-home employees. If you are one of the many people who are seeking a remote job, then we have shared a guide on how you can go about your job hunt. Let’s begin!
Familiarize Yourself with the Technology
You need to see what applications and software you will be utilizing for a remote position. If you know you will be using Zoom often, or a similar video conferencing web app, then you can familiarize yourself with it by scheduling a call with a friend.
This should help you understand the basic features the app offers and how it feels to be on screen. In addition, you can test your mic and speaker, and see how you sound during a video conference. You also get to see how you look to an interviewer and can ask your friends for constructive feedback, which is very helpful if you have an upcoming interview. Always remember to check your background. You should position yourself in a neutral background or you could choose a virtual one as well. This saves you the embarrassment of some interviewer noticing that your laundry is airing in your background during an interview.
Prepare for a Virtual Interview
Virtual interviews can be daunting if you have not done one until now. That said, if you get yourself familiarized with the technology, you should feel much more confident, comfortable, and prepared for a virtual interview. You probably know how to prepare for an interview, so that part has not changed. What has changed is the method of interviews – from in-person interviews to virtual interviews. That is why it is rather important for you to spend time rehearsing potential interview answers before the actual interview.
In addition, you should also research the company and look like you are actually dressed for a formal interview. In other words, when it comes to a virtual interview, you should still dress to impress.
Take Down Notes
When it comes to a video interview, the greatest thing about it is that you can write notes to refer to during the interview. The interviewer will not be able to tell that you have a set of notes on your table.
Want to know a secret? You can take down notes on post-it notes and stick them around your computer or laptop screen. You can use them as prompts, so always ensure that you are not reading from them directly.
Negotiation of your Preferred Salary
Once you have cleared all the interview rounds and been offered the position, here comes the most important part – the negotiation of your preferred salary. In all honesty, it does not have to be as difficult as it looks. You have worked tirelessly in your career, and you deserve what you are asking for. In fact, that is all that you are asking. The company in question ought to value you and what you have to offer, so never take a step back when asking for what you deserve. You should research the salaries of people in your field and the position you interviewed for. Find out what employees in the company itself are paid. It’ll be great if you do manage to find such information online.
However, if that is not the case, you can argue that there should not be a difference between an in-office employee and you. That said, negotiations are not always about money. Sometimes, you can compromise on the fact that you will be getting much more flexibility and a work-life balance with the salary they are offering as you won’t have to commute to work. Always look at the entire package being offered to you, from salary to benefits to the advantages of being able to work remotely.
Final Thoughts
In summary, the workplace has changed since the pandemic went global. Therefore, it is important to adjust to the ongoing changes. Remote jobs are becoming more and more common, so make sure you know how you can ace a virtual interview when offered a remote position!
