Have you been searching for online jobs?
With us still being firmly entrenched in a global pandemic and as a consequence, widespread lockdowns and restrictions are still a thing in the vast majority of countries that are most significantly affected by the virus.
And unfortunately, the virus doesn’t really look like it’s going to be going anywhere any time soon. Countries have been intermittently easing their restrictions when cases have fallen and have had to reinforce them after just a matter of months.
On a grand scale, the cases are still on the rise and with the way the spread has reacted to restrictions or the lack thereof, it looks like things won’t really be back to normal until a vaccination comes along.
And while there does appear to be some promise in that regard, it doesn’t look like we’ll have a readily available vaccine until next summer at the earliest. And until then, all of the other consequences of lockdown will still be prevalent.
Because a lot of companies have had to close their offices for the time being, with some of them, unfortunately, having to shut down permanently, there are many people who are facing unemployment and many who are working from home.
Online Jobs are the New Normal
Remote jobs and online jobs have become the new normal and if you want to keep generating an income during this whole ordeal, then online jobs are probably where you should be focusing your search.
This is quite a new ground for a lot of people. Even though working exclusively online has been a thing that many have been doing for many years now, it’s still quite foreign to a lot of the general public.
And what you and many others might very well be dealing with right now, is having recently lost your job and having to go in search of a new remote one, but facing a lot of rejection or just outright having your resume ignored by prospective employers.
There are a number of reasons why this could happen, but it could also be the fact that your resume might just be missing certain skills that are of paramount importance for acquiring an online job.
And that’s entirely understandable, if you’ve been primarily working in-person jobs for your whole life, you haven’t had to focus on more remote-specific skills when putting your resume together.
But now if you are in need of a new source of income, it’s important that you consider some new skills when writing a resume. Here are 3 really important ones to include:
Digital Communication
What are we talking about when we discuss digital communication? It encompasses the things that you would expect from the name such as communication through email and mobile chat, but there are a few other components too.
Effective digital communication involves being capable of utilizing the full potential of the internet to convey the message of your service and to keep in touch with as many potential clients and customers as you can.
This means also having a certain amount of ability to use social media, blogs, and website building tools such as WordPress. Even if you think that stuff is silly, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with it on some level.
The internet is extremely important for marketing right now and the more employees capable of good digital communication a business has the better. So this is a skill you should work on and add to your resume for sure.
Time Management
Not all remote jobs are the same, but one thing that you can expect from an online job is having a certain amount of control over your own schedule. This won’t always be the case of course, but it often is.
And it seems like a very desirable aspect of a job. Just being assigned work and tasks and being able to complete them at whatever point in the day you want. It seems pretty freeing and should, in theory, free you from a lot of pressure.
But in reality, it can actually have the opposite effect. It allows you the opportunity to procrastinate and to slack off and that can lead to your work overwhelming you. Those who are hiring remote employees are very well aware of this.
If you don’t make it clear on your resume that you are capable of managing your own time, getting work done efficiently, and having a real routine even when you’re not actually in an office, people will be wary about hiring you. So be aware of how important this is.
Independent Problem Solver
Another thing about working remotely is that you won’t have anyone else around you who you can ask for help when a problem arises. Of course, fellow employees and superiors can usually be contacted by phone or email, but this can be a slow process.
In order to avoid slowing down your progress with whatever tasks you’re doing, it’s better if you can just work through problems by yourself. No employer wants to be constantly bothered with phone calls and messages over things you should be able to fix yourself.
On your resume, make it clear that you are capable of taking the initiative so that you can solve issues and not constantly have to be running for help. Give a few examples of past instances where you have done so to drive the point home.
Even when we get beyond this virus and things start to regain some semblance of normalcy, remote work might continue to be the status quo. Many companies have probably started to realize all the benefits that come with it.
And so, you should think of mastering these skills to the point where they can fit nicely into your resume as a long-term investment in your future.
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