Working from home provides unique opportunities and challenges that differ from working on-site. Consider if working from home is a good fit for your values, interests, and work style.
Finding and securing a position that is purely remote can be a challenging process. Here are some strategies you can use in your search:
- Explore work from home opportunities at your current employer. If they don’t currently offer them, make a case by focusing on the value this would provide the company (i.e., increased productivity, availability during times when others might be commuting, or reduced facilities expenses). Before proposing this to an employer, ensure that you can effectively do your job offsite.
- Identify organizations that offer work from home opportunities. The Forbes top 100 list is a good place to start.
- Use key words like “telecommute”, “remote”, or “virtual” in your online job searches. Focus on job boards that post remote positions, such as flexjobs.com.
- Be cautious of work from home opportunities you find that require up front funds or pay only on commission. The Better Business Bureau provides some tips on how to assess a company offering home based job opportunities.
- Ask people in your network about organizations and positions they know of that offer this option.
- Consider serving as a contract worker or marketing your skills as a freelancer or consultant.
For more information on having an effective job search, review our Conducting a Job Search section and our Job Search on-demand tutorial.