The Hustler's Digest StaffBefore the pandemic amplified the significance of remote work, many people only dreamed of working from home, slowly rolling out of bed and commuting to their desk instead of an office. Many of them, now with a small taste of remote work, can’t imagine going back. The surge in remote work searches on Indeed is evidence enough to validate the interest in remote work for the long term. But, with some companies vowing to re-open their buildings as soon as possible, many professionals face an important decision for their future.
https://www.indeed.com/lead/remote-work-search
What many of these job seekers didn’t estimate was how difficult and discouraging it can be to search for a remote job. The monotonous and uninspired office environment can make the strenuous search bearable for some time. But that motivation only lasts so long, and it wanes with every rejection letter or company that completely ghosts their application. This causes a job seeker to sometimes completely abandon the process altogether, keeping them stuck and frustrated.
But does it have to be that way?
While traditional job seekers will expect nothing new, you don’t have to fall into their trap. According to Jordan Carroll, dubbed as “The Remote Job Coach, he says, “there’s no correlation between sending more applications and increasing your chances of getting remote work.” Yes, if you’ve been blasting out applications, thinking that the more times you press “Easy Apply” on LinkedIn, the higher your probability of being hired, you’re wrong.
Carroll says it comes down to strategy. “Like anything else in life, if you have a goal of finding a remote job, you need to invest in the proper system that can help you save time and increase your chances of success.” However, before we get into that, let’s look at what you might be doing wrong.
Approaching it The Traditional Way
In his line of work, Carroll meets people plagued with the same issues. They are sending out 50 applications a week, they tweak their resume and cover letters over and over, and often find themselves getting ghosted by employers. He says it’s not always the most qualified person on paper who gets the job, but the person willing to work harder, to do more, and prove themselves in the application process by gaining trust. However, the traditional application process doesn’t gain that trust. Simply sending out applications and waiting for responses is futile. Carroll has been working remotely for about 6 years in the US and while traveling internationally, for a Fortune 50 company, start-ups, and his own businesses. He has also lived in over 15 countries on 5 continents and tailored his experiences to create a coaching business to help others find freedom and flexibility through remote work. His methodology is focused on networking and finding ways to get your resume directly to decision makers, rather than relying on it getting through the system.
Lack of Commitment
The first thing he works on with a client is changing their mindset. He says most people don’t even realize they carry limiting beliefs about the job search, typically from receiving so much rejection in the past. He mentioned that in a job search, it’s paramount to gain small wins to develop confidence over time, and with that momentum, true success can occur. But it all starts with commitment, and if someone doesn’t have the commitment to themselves, then they should surely expect to fail. Carroll has dealt with his own bouts of failure, using his experiences as lessons to transmit to his students. From being unable to run a mile because of an addiction to cigarettes, he eventually quit and challenged himself to run marathons. He lost 40 pounds and 15% of his body fat in 6 months. He resolved issues with alcohol and eventually decided to live alcohol free going on close to two years. But why am I telling you this? When you rid yourself of the confines of an office lifestyle, you unlock countless opportunities to pursue dreams in life and gain more self-awareness. “I’ve gotten in the best shape of my life and started a business that allowed me to leave my job, all while traveling. I’ve learned more about myself in the past couple of years than I could ever imagine. But I had to commit to myself. I want to help other people commit to themselves too.” Carroll says. However, he adds, “In order to initiate change in your life and to endure the rigor of a remote job search, like any challenge in life, you have to be committed to the outcome first. Only from a place of commitment can you gain the confidence necessary to achieve the outcome you desire.”
Conducting Disorganized Searches
Most people fly by the seat of their pants during a job search. They’ll send a few applications here and there, shoot out a couple messages and emails, and not really have any way of monitoring their progress. Carroll teaches his students to create organized systems and processes that help them organize a job search to create more predictable results. In the end, the client is able to monitor their own progress, keeping them on track to achieve what they have set their minds to accomplish. “Without organization, you risk letting opportunities slip through the cracks and will waste precious time on administrative activities rather than interviewing with companies,” he says. He specializes in helping high performing professionals who have transferable skills to work remotely, but don’t know where to start. Many come to him because they’ve not been getting the interviews they deserve or even responses from companies they apply to. They find that the disorganization in their search leads to overwhelm and confusion.
He advocates using a system to learn the exact way to articulate your strengths, stand out from the crowd, and leveraging a proven process for getting further in your search, and realizing your dream of working remotely.
