Work-From-Home Articles | Job-Hunt

How Does a Remote Job Work?

Brie Weiler Reynolds — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 14:59:00 +0000

Office-based work has been the norm for so long that we all pretty much understand how that works.

Commuting. Start and end times. Schedules. Benefits and perks. These are widely held norms in office-based jobs, but how does all of this work when you work remotely?

Here’s what you need to know about how a remote job works:

1. There’s No One Way to Work Remotely

Each company will have its own specific requirements, rules, and standards for remote work. Because each company designs its remote work program differently, each part of a remote worker’s day may be different depending on where they work.

You can learn a lot by carefully reading a remote job description to find out if the employer has set schedules or flexible hours, if it provides equipment, and so on.

Also, ask about the company’s approach to remote work during job interviews to get even more details, and research the company on sites like FlexJobs or Remote.co to learn about its remote work program.

2. Most Remote Jobs Require Workers to Be Based in a Certain Location

According to FlexJobs’ remote job data, about 95% of remote job listings require a worker to be based in a certain location. That means only 5% of remote jobs are true “work-from-anywhere” jobs.

The most common reasons for requiring remote workers to be based in a certain location, like a state, country, region, or time zone, include legal and tax issues, professional licensing, on-site training or meetings, travel requirements, or to be close to clients.

3. Some Remote Jobs Have Set Schedules, and Some Are Flexible

When it comes to schedules, some remote jobs require you to work during “business hours,” during “core hours,” or according to your own schedule.

Business hours might differ from company to company. For example, this could be the standard 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or a bit different.

Core hours are usually a block of three to four hours midday when most workers will be working. This way, you’re guaranteed to have some overlapping work time with your coworkers.

Another option is a completely flexible schedule, where you set your own hours. Your only requirement in these situations is to work a certain number of hours each week.

4. Remote Workers Are Often Responsible for Their Own Technology

There are four ways remote workers get technology and equipment for their home offices:

A company may have remote workers use their own equipment, provided it meets certain specifications (for example, a certain internet speed, a landline phone, or a laptop that is no more than four years old).
A company may have remote workers use whatever equipment they have on hand, as long as it can get the job done.
A company may provide specific equipment (laptops, headsets, etc.) for its remote workers to use.
A company may provide a stipend to help remote workers purchase new equipment on their own.

5. Remote Jobs Provide Pay Benefits Like Any Other Job

Remote jobs are subject to the same laws regarding the provision of benefits that traditional brick-and-mortar companies abide by. So, if a company provides its in-office employees with health insurance, 401(k) plans, vacation and sick time, and other similar benefits, those benefits should be available to the remote employees as well.

The only difference is in whether a remote worker is an employee or a freelancer. Freelance remote workers are always responsible for their own benefits.

For more benefits information, an article from The Balance about the types of employee benefits and perks does a great job breaking down which benefits employers are required to provide to employees, including remote employees, and when.

There are specific rules and regulations for each type of benefit, like COBRA, disability, family and medical leave, minimum wage, overtime, unemployment, and workers’ compensation, so be sure to read about each benefit to see what an employer may be required to provide.

6. Remote Employees Get Paid the Same Way as In-Office Workers

Depending on whether you’re part-time or full-time, as a remote employee, you’ll be paid either by salary or by the hour, just like in an on-site job.

Again, the only difference comes with freelancing. As a freelancer, you may be paid by the hour, by the project, or by retainer, depending on how you and your clients agree to your payment structure.

Similar Structures, Unique Designs

As you’ve probably noticed, remote jobs are structured very similarly to traditional, in-office jobs. However, each company designs its own remote work program, so each remote job will be different in some ways.

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Work From Home: The Caregiving Option

Nancy Collamer — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:49 +0000

Looking for a way to earn an income from home?

If so, you’re in luck! This article focuses on the business of helping people take care of others.

Caregiving Is a Great Opportunity

In a world filled with two-career couples, an aging population, and the pressures of a 24/7 global economy, people are eager to find pleasant and dependable helpers for their loved ones and pets.

For many people, hiring a caretaker isn’t just a “nice-to-have” but a “must-have” service that they will happily pay for.

If you’re a person who enjoys helping others, then a caregiving business might be a good fit for you.

Starting a caregiving business is smart for several reasons:

Low Start-up Expenses:

It takes relatively little money and time to start a small business walking dogs, running errands, or babysitting.

Many people launch these businesses on a limited scale and then slowly add clients via word-of-mouth referrals.
Built-in Repeat Business:

Your clientele will have an ongoing and regular need for caregiving services (children need to be watched every day, the elderly need rides to appointments several times a week, etc.).

Typically, once people find a reliable caregiving service, they are reluctant to shop-around for a new provider. As a result, once you have several faithful customers, you can reduce your marketing efforts and maximize your billable working hours.
Scaleable:

Caregiving businesses can be as small or large as you desire.

If you only want to work a few hours, you can start your business with just a few clients and then grow your business over time as your lifestyle needs permit. If you want to turn your business into something more substantial, you can invest in employees and infrastructure after you’ve secured a loyal following.

Options to Consider

Let’s take a look at the wide variety of caregiving services you might consider operating:

Child Care

Many communities simply don’t have enough child-care resources available to meet the demands of working parents, and as a result, there is a shortage of high-quality family based child-care services.

If you just want to take in one child, you can do so easily. But if you want to start on a larger scale, be sure to investigate your local zoning, licensing, and insurance requirements before opening your business (most states require a license if you intend to care for more than three children, but be sure to check to see your state’s requirements before you expand).

If you don’t want to open a daycare business, you can sell your services as an after school driver (taking children to and from activities), homework helper or doula who helps take care of households right after a baby is born.
Elder Care

Many elderly living on their own need someone to help out with the tasks of daily living; housekeeping, shopping, errands, and cooking. They also hire people to help out with special projects such as relocating, medical claims assistance, and bill paying. When marketing your services, it is helpful to target independent/assisted living centers and retirement communities where there are a large number of prospective clients.

Keep in mind that the elderly themselves might be less likely to hire you than their children, so be sure to include the “children” in your marketing efforts.
Pet Care

People love their pets like children and are willing to pay top-dollar for their care. You can partake in this growing market opportunity by walking dogs, pet sitting, and/or offering pet grooming services.

More Information

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers this booklet for free: How to Start a Quality Child Care Business
Score: 8 ideas to Start a Business Helping Seniors
Job-Hunt: 6 Ways to Turn a Love of Pets into Income

Bottom Line

These options provide you flexibility and an opportunity to generate income from your home. Of course, before starting any business, be sure to investigate zoning, licensing, and insurance issues relevant to your service. The penalties for violating these regulations can be severe and are often easily avoided by operating in compliance with “the rules and regulations” in your area.

To Learn More About Work From Home:

More About Turning a Passion into Income:

About the author…

Nancy Collamer, M.S., is a semi-retirement coach, speaker, and author of Second-Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit From Your Passions During Semi-Retirement. You can now download her free workbook called 25 Ways to Help You Identify Your Ideal Second Act on her website at MyLifestyleCareer.com (and you’ll also receive her free bi-monthly newsletter).
More about this author…

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Finding Work-From-Home Employers

Nancy Collamer — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:49 +0000

Are you searching for a more lifestyle-friendly employer so you can work “remotely” (a.k.a. working from home)?

If so, you likely have discovered that finding an employer that values work-life balance is no simple task.

Even among companies that have won awards for their work-life policies, the actual use of those policies tends to vary from department to department and manager to manager.

Although the Coronavirus pandemic has made working from home much more common, the right employer can make the experience much more pleasant.

But, the wrong employer can have the opposite result.

Determining if the Employer Is a Good One, or Not

How can you determine if a company is a good place to work from home?

You need to do your homework and prepare to ask smart questions during the interview, but you will want to ask them in a way that doesn’t set off alarm bells with the interviewer.

One of the best ways to determine if you will be able to work from home is to find employers who already have employees working from home. Start with the people in your network.

Ask friends and family if they know people with work-from-home or remote jobs, and check LinkedIn to see if any current or former employees are in your network. If you have employees in your network, contact them to learn more about the job and the employer.

Then, put the Internet to use for you. Search Google for “work for home” or “remote work” (using the quotation marks), and note the employers who have those jobs currently open and postings on Google. Read 50 Google Searches to Avoid Layoffs and Bad Employers for examples of other searches you can do on Google to learn more about an employer.

When you have a list of employers compiled, research them to determine if they are genuine (vs. scam) and good places to work. Be cautious about pursuing job postings for employers you don’t know and haven’t validated.

Interview Questions to Ask the Employer

To help you do learn if the employer has employees who successfully work from home, here are four questions that should give you a better feel for the corporate culture and priorities, without being too obvious about your concerns in the process:

1. In what ways is a career with your company better than one with your competitors?

This question allows the interviewer to focus on whatever she wishes. If the company does indeed offer a great work environment, she will likely tout that in her answer, and if not, she will choose to highlight other things.

Listen for an answer that includes references to work-life balance or a friendly corporate culture.

Be wary if the employer references on-the-job “perks” such as catered lunches or on-site dry cleaners that tend to be used by companies where long working hours are the norm.

2. What do you enjoy most about working here?

Here again, this is a safe open-ended question that can lead to some interesting responses and insights. It’s a smart way to ask about the corporate culture without seeming overly eager to hear about options for flexibility.

Interpret it as a good sign if the employer responds to this question with lots of energy and enthusiasm.

3. What characteristics do the achievers in this company seem to share?

Is this the type of place that places a big premium on face time? Do they only promote people who put in long hours or do they value results, creativity, and teamwork as being equally important?

Try to determine if people who work flexible hours have been promoted as often as those who log long hours at work.

4. What qualities are you looking for in the candidate who fills this position?

Is more emphasis placed on accomplishments than on” face time”? Is the employer willing to allow you the freedom to determine how to get a job done even if that means you occasionally work from home or leave work early?

Be wary of employers that respond to this question by emphasizing the need for someone who is “committed to the job” or ” willing to do whatever is needed” or other descriptors that reveal a bias towards employees willing to put work above their personal lives.

Other clues…

Finally, don’t forget to pay attention to other indicators of the company culture. Do people seem relaxed and comfortable in phone or video interviews? Do they seem to be people you would enjoy working with?

If the interview is video, see if you can observe what is happening behind the interviewers. Does this workplace, if it is where you would be working, looks like a good environment for you to work?

When/if you go for an interview at the employer’s location, pay attention to the environment. Are people smiling? Is the office comfortable and attractive? Do people have personal photos or memorabilia on display? Those little visual clues can reveal meaningful information about the company’s values and work environment.

The Bottom Line

Being careful of the scammers of the world who love to advertise “work from home” jobs and want to hire you immediately without interviewing you, especially if they pay extremely well for very simple jobs. Read 9 Characteristics of a Job Scam for signs that a job and/or employer are not real.

To Learn More About Work From Home:

More About Turning a Passion into Income:

About the author…

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How to Find Your Best Work-From-Home Job

Nancy Collamer — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:49 +0000

I am asked a wide variety of job related questions, but none is more popular than,

“How do I find an employer to hire me to work from home?”

Although the Coronavirus pandemic has certainly made working from home more acceptable to both employers and employees, there is no easy answer to that question.

When you are considering working from home, analyze your home and the opportunities you are considering to be sure you have a good fit.

5 Keys to Work-From-Home Success

But, let me share with you five key points to keep in mind when embarking on the home-based job hunt:

1. Target work that can be easily handled at home.

In general, jobs that can be completed independently, using basic home-based office equipment (personal computer and a telephone) tend to be best suited for telecommuting.

Examples of these jobs include:

Accounting tasks (e.g., bookkeeping, loan processing, and mortgage processing)
Clerical duties (e.g., data entry, transcription, or word processing)
Computer programming
Desktop publishing
Customer service
Internet related tasks (e.g., research, web design, writing copy, etc.)
Market research/ telemarketing
Recruiting
Sales
Writing, proofreading and copyediting

For more information, read Top Work From Home / Remote Jobs.

2. Be realistic about finding quality work-at-home positions.

As much as I would like to tell you otherwise, the vast majority of professional level work-from-home jobs are assigned to in-house employees who have proven their capabilities over time (and even those tend to be a mix of in-house and home-based assignments).

While there are some legitimate work-from-home jobs open to new hires, notably customer service and sales agents, most advertised openings are for relatively lower-level opportunities. This seems to be changing as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic as more “remote” management jobs are becoming available.

Certain industries tend to employ more telecommuters than others. Companies that have a large need for telephone-based customer service jobs (think online retail, finance, insurance, and software firms) can be good bets for home-based employment.

Other examples of telecommuting-friendly settings include banks that hire home-based mortgage brokers, home inspection companies that hire licensed inspectors, and executive recruiting firms that hire home-based research assistants.

There are also a handful of companies that recruit customer care agents who work out of their homes as contract employees.

For more information, read and How to Work Effectively From Home.

3. Phase into a home-based job.

Because companies tend to give home-based work to employees they know and trust, consider working for a telecommuting friendly company initially as an in-house employee, with the possibility of gaining a full-time telecommuting spot down the road.

This is a question you can carefully ask as part of the interview process. Ask if any current employees work “remotely” or “from home.” If the answer is yes, ask if the job you are interviewing for qualifies and how the process works for this employer.

***4. Persist (with caution) in your hunt for work-from-home jobs on the web.***

As with any job search, it pays to be persistent when looking for jobs online. Plug in keywords such as “telecommute” or “remote work” into the search filters to narrow your search results.

Focus your efforts on job boards that you trust, but Google the employers to be sure they are legitimate. Don’t forget to look at the openings posted directly on individual company sites.

Always be cautious when responding to posted openings. Remember the adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Avoid any jobs that require you to purchase lists, equipment for the job, or “inside information,” and do not accept any opportunities to be a package reshipper.

Read How to Avoid 5 Major Types of Online Job Scams and 50 Google Searches to Avoid Layoffs and Bad Employers for more information.

5. If all else fails, go entrepreneurial.

If you find yourself frustrated by the lack of quality work-at-home postings, think about ways to sell your skills and services directly to companies as an independent consultant.

For example, you could market your administrative services as a virtual assistant to companies who want to outsource their data-entry work or you could offer medical transcription services to local physicians.

While choosing to go the entrepreneurial route might take more time and money initially, you will likely enjoy greater profits, flexibility, and control over the long haul.

For more information about starting your own business, read Guide to Freelance, Gig, and Contracting Jobs.

The Bottom Line

With the Coronavirus pandemic, working from home has become much more common, even required for many jobs. Working from home is a good option for many people, but caution is needed. Stay alert to avoid scams. As time passes, opportunities will probably increase.

Are you looking for a remote, work-from-home, or flexible job? Visit our partner site FlexJobs to find verified jobs in many different categories, including online data entry jobs, remote medical billing jobs, work-from-home healthcare jobs and more.

To Learn More About Work From Home:

More About Turning a Passion into Income:

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How to Leverage the Information on Employer Websites

Susan P. Joyce — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:46 +0000

Many — if not most — employers and recruiters think that job seekers have become very lazy, carelessly submitting their application for every job they see regardless of fit.

So, learn as much as you can about an employer, both to impress the employer and also to avoid bad-fit jobs, bad employers, and job scams.

Use the information you find on the employer’s website to differentiate yourself from the large crowd of apparently lazy or clueless job seekers.

The state of the website also offers insight into how up-to-date they are or can afford to be.

No website for the Employer?

Be VERY careful!

If the employer doesn’t have website, that may mean that the employer doesn’t really exist and the job is a scam.

Scammers target job seekers frequently, so, if there isn’t a decent looking website for the employer, be wary that you may have discovered a scam job. For more information, read Avoiding Job Scams.

Using the Information on Employer Websites for Your Job Search

Assuming that you find the employer’s website, explore it thoroughly! It provides a window into their world — or what they want the world to think about them.

Customize your resume and cover letter or job application based on what you learn. That customization will make you stand out from the crowd.

I’ve spoken to many employers who wouldn’t hire a job candidate who hadn’t visited their website, viewing it as a lack of interest in the job. So, make them happy by looking, and also use these tips to learn much more about them.

What Is the “Party Line” Being Presented?

Usually what you see on an employer’s website is the “official” information — what they want the world to know, or to think, about them. It may or may not be close to reality, but it is the “party line” shared with the world.

At a minimum, check out what the employer is telling the world about itself on the website:

Successes — big “wins” or notable clients, impressive contracts, industry-leading products or services, industry awards, recognition for the company, senior management, star employees, or other credible recognition?
Top management — what are their names, their backgrounds, their specialties and education, and where are they located?
Services — what are the names of their services (if any)? Competitors?
Products — what are the names of their products (if any)? Competitors?
Locations — where is the headquarters and other locations (if any)?
Structure/organization?
Growth — any financial results provided that indicate if the employer is growing (or not)?
Plans — any new locations or new products/services under development that are described?
Contact names — who should you officially be in contact with for your job search?
Employee directory — is a directory available that allows you to find someone who might be the hiring manager for the job you want? Or, a co-worker?

Make note of the brand names of products and services. Also, when possible, note the names of the top managers (including your possible new boss) as well as possible co-workers and colleagues. Research those names further on Google and LinkedIn.

Remember the “party line” presented will typically be on the rosy side, so it’s appropriate to be somewhat skeptical of the claims made.

What Is the Reality Beyond the Party Line?

Use your list of products, services, and people (see above) to see what you can find about the reality of the organization online.

Use Search Engines

Google (or Bing or DuckDuckGo!) the employer’s name so you can visit their website and also learn more about what search engines show about them.

Do searches like these, first for the employer in general and then for their products and/or services:

[employer name or product/service name] reviews
[employer name or product/service name] scams
[employer names or product/service name] awards

For more searches, check out Interview Preparation with Smart Google Research and 50+ Google Searches to Avoid Bad Employers and Pending Layoffs.

Then, search using the names of the people you find associated with the employer to see what you find. Look for LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media entries. Scan the search results to see what else you find, and be sure to look past the first results page.

Pay attention to what you discover. This research will give you a sense of what the people in the organization are like and, perhaps, show you how you connect with them. You may have something in common with a few of them, like a school you attended or another employer. Maybe you competed for the same customers, against a common large competitor.

This research may also show you that they are not people you would be comfortable working with. Maybe they are nasty or sexist or have strongly held opinions about politics or religion that are likely to put you into conflict with them.

Check Employer Reviews

Employer reviews can give you insight into how good or bad an employer may be. However, be careful about using employer reviews.

Since most of us don’t bother with reviewing our employer (or former employer) unless we are seriously annoyed, take the reviews, particularly the negative ones, with the proverbial “grain of salt.” However, do pay attention if an employer has many negative reviews spread over more than a few weeks.

Glassdoor.com – Check the employer reviews on Glassdoor to see what current and former employees say about an employer. Glassdoor may require you to register before seeing the reviews. — either checking in with Facebook or Google or setting up a Glassdoor account.
Comparably.com – Check out Comparably’s Company Reviews to see what has been reported by current and former employees of the employers you are considering. Depending on the size of the employer and the number of employee reviews, Comparably may also provide ratings for “corporate culture” which includes the CEO rating and also ratings for compensation, racial diversity, gender, and more — by location for very large employers.

Pay closest attention to recent reviews vs. those from 3 or more years ago, and use those reviews as part of your evaluation of the employer as a good place for you to work. You might also find some issues to ask about during your job interviews with that employer.

What Job Are Posted

Are jobs posted on the employer site? Easy or difficult to find the jobs?

My sense from looking at thousands of employer websites is that organizations which need a constant supply of applicants make sure that the jobs are easy for casual visitors to find. In a fast-growing organization and/or a growing industry (hospitals and healthcare centers, for example), links to the job postings are usually obvious and on every page of the website.

A poorly run organization usually has high turnover (employees leaving voluntarily to find better jobs), and, therefore, ALSO need a constant supply of applicants. The good news is that, usually, the website is poorly run so they don’t recruit aggressively on their site.

But, take care and ask questions when you get to the interview process to figure out what is going on.

What and how much information is available? How well is the information presented? Is the website amateur night or professional? Information rich, only a sales tool, or the we-have-a-website-because-everyone-else-does site? Open organization or closed? For a hint on the site’s age, check the year on the copyright notice, if there is one, at the bottom of each page.

If the website copyright date is several years old, be careful. They could be a poorly run and/or poorly financed organization, or simply bad at websites (which might be an opportunity if you are a Web tech person).

Applying the Information

Take the information you have collected and use it to either cross the employer off your list of target employers or, hopefully, to leverage your research to become a referred job candidate.

Leverage LinkedIn

Using LinkedIn, check out the names of employees you have found in your research on the website. Also search LinkedIn for more names (both current and former employees):

For current employes, look for information about:

How long have current employees been working there? Unless the company is brand new, you will hopefully find several employees who have worked there for two or more years.
How do your qualifications (education, skills, experience) compare with those of current employees?
Do current employees seem to show a series of promotions?
Anything common in the experience or education of current employees that stands out to you?
If you prefer to work from home, notice if current employees are located near the employer’s location, or not.

For former employees, look for this information:

How long did former employees work for this employer?
What were the job titles of former employees when they left?
Did former employees seem to be promoted while they worked for this employer?
Did former employees seem to get nice promotions when they moved to a new employer? Do the new employers seem to be good places to work?

Be careful if everyone you find on LinkedIn stays employed by that employer for a year or less. It might not be a great place to work.

Also look for a “company page” on LinkedIn — schools, governments, and nonprofits also have “company pages” so look regardless of the kind of employer you are researching.

The company page may provide very useful information — press releases, employees, and more. If you want to draw attention to yourself, “follow” the company page on LinkedIn. The employer will very likely notice.

Check out the articles in Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Using LinkedIn for Job Search for much more information.

Informational Interviews and Employee Referrals

Using the information you have collected about employees, consider reaching out to one or two of them for an informational interview. You will quickly learn more about an organization by speaking with an employee.

Informational interviews have several benefits:

You will learn more about what it is like to work for the employer, particularly if the interview takes place at the employer’s site.
Ask former employees for an indication about how good the employer is to work for and for the names of current employees who might be good contacts for you.
You might be able to reach out to current employees for referrals — you both benefit in those cases since being an employee referral is usually the quickest way to get hired and the employee is often financially rewarded by their employer for the referral.

For more information, read:

Resumes and Cover Letters

The more you know about the organization, the more targeted you can make your resume and cover letter.

Competition is tough, so the more specifically you demonstrate your knowledge of — and interest in — that specific employer, the more you will stand out from other (lazier?) applicants, and the better you will do.

No one in management has an advanced degree, but you do? Maybe this isn’t a good fit? Or, maybe you don’t include your MBA on your resume unless it’s specified for in the job description.

Read Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Effective Resumes and Cover Letters including many free resume samples of job seekers with issues to resolve like being unemployed, having employment gaps, and more.

Interview Preparation

As mentioned earlier, I’ve had recruiters tell me they automatically eliminated any applicant who hadn’t taken the time to visit the organization’s website. So, you should beware! In many organizations, the proverbial “bar has been raised” on standards job seekers must meet or exceed to progress through the hiring process.

Ask intelligent questions during the interview based on the information from the website – e.g. “I see you recently opened up a location in London (introduced a new product/service, hired a new marketing VP, closed a plant, etc.). Is your market international in scope? Do you plan to expand to other countries in the near future?”

A careful visit to the organization’s website is required! Show that you visited the website, read what was there, and are interested in the organization. This demonstrates your interest in the organization and the job — not a “typical lazy job seeker.”

Read The Winning Difference: Pre-Interview Preparation and Good Questions to Ask Employers in Job Interviews for more information and tips about company research.

The Bottom Line

This research will make you better prepared for the interview which will impress the employer. This research will also, more importantly, help you avoid taking a job with a bad employer.

More About Finding Jobs: Find Jobs by Targeting Employers.

About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Facebook, LinkedIn.
More about this author…

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Do NOT Be a Layoff “Survivor” – Graduate!

Susan P. Joyce — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:46 +0000

The dictionary says that to “survive’‘ is “to remain alive or in existence.”

To “graduate” means to “successfully complete education and move on to the next step in a career.”

Surviving is certainly MUCH better than the alternative, but “graduating” is more positive. And, often, graduating is more appropriate, as you redirect your career.

The cause of this change may be involuntary, but that does not mean the result will be negative for you.

I have been laid off twice and moved on to better jobs both times, as did my coworkers. Our positive results are common!

How Is a Layoff Like a Graduation?

Think back to the last time you graduated from something. For most of us, a graduation is the beginning of a new phase of life. We take what we have learned in the recent past, and apply that knowledge to move in a new direction.

1. A layoff is VERY educational.

Many of the things I learned from my layoffs coincide with what other layoff graduates have told me they learned from their layoffs:

Management often is not as smart as they think they are, or the need to cut expenses (often reducing headcount has the biggest financial impact) would not develop.
“Logic” in who remains and who leaves is usually missing. Being in the wrong place (department, pay grade, job title, function, etc.) at the wrong time (expense/headcount reduction time) usually determines who is laid off and who is not.
“Top performers” may be the first let go if they are more expensive for the employer than other employees, so do not view your job loss as a reflection on the quality of your job.
Large employers tend to view employees as “resources” to be added or subtracted from the headcount as dictated by the stock market.
Large, even VERY large, companies are not “safe havens” from economic realities.
Some things are beyond my control (e.g. the economy, the skill of my employer’s senior executives, etc.).
Some things are NOT beyond my control (e.g. who I work for, the job I have, the industry/profession I work in, etc.)
Waiting for the proverbial “ax to fall” is high stress.
Still working for an employer after layoffs have begun means more work for fewer people with important things going undone. A d morale is usually very low.

After you have been laid off, it can be a relief to know that the “the worst” has happened. No need to worry about job loss any longer.

2. You do not need to explain in detail why you left.

In 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic caused a record number of people to register for unemployment benefits, so, clearly, the experience of being laid off is not unusual today.

With record numbers of employees laid off as employers shut down or greatly reduced operations and staff, explaining why you left is simple or possibly unnecessary. Like someone who has just earned a diploma, the reason for your job search is clear.

All you need to do is say you have been laid off because your employer was forced to close the business. Or, if your former employer is still operating, say that you were laid off as the part of a down-sizing by your employer which reduced, or eliminated, your job, department, or sub-group.

Particularly with very public layoffs in the past (like we are having now), explaining your job loss in detail is not necessary.

3. A layoff is the start of a new phase of your life.

This could be the time figure out what your dream job is and pursue it.

Others who were laid off with me from the same high-tech employer (#29 on the Fortune 500 when I was laid off) moved on with their careers to became:

A potter (as in, maker of pottery) – new field
A competitive intelligence professional – a related field
A supply chain project manager – same field
A corporate trainer – new field
A freelance writer – a related field
An author – new field
A career coach – related field
An attorney – same field
An executive in a software company – related field

Several of my laid off colleagues became entrepreneurs. Two opened an ice cream store, one became an independent trainer/consultant helping clients effectively manage teams, another because computer tutor/trainer, two became web development consultants, and many more moved into other businesses. One even bought a food franchise.

Do not limit your options:

Is there an employer (or two or more) where you have always wanted to work? Leverage LinkedIn to find connections there.
Is there a job you have always wanted to do? Reach out to your network to see if someone is currently doing that job and how you could possibly move on to that job.
Have you always wanted to start and run a business? Maybe now is the time. Check with your local SBA and Chamber of Commerce, connect with your network, and research your local and online resources.

Having a traditional job is not your only option. Consider the possibility of starting your own business, becoming a contractor or a freelancer, or taking temp jobs. We have many more options available now, including working remotely from home.

**My Most Important Lesson: A Career Is a Journey, Not a Destination**

Just like a graduation, a layoff is a beginning as well as an ending. You will move on to the next part of your career, maybe an even better part.

Clearly, no job is “permanent.” For all of us, our careers are journeys, hopefully spread over decades.

Layoffs are part of the work experience for most of us, another step in the journey that is our careers. I think I know where the journey is taking me, but it has made a few unexpected turns in the past, and a few more will likely happen in the future.

The Bottom Line

View your layoff as a career redirection — a change in direction — rather than a rejection!

The layoff felt terrible when it happened! That first “payday” with no paycheck was terrifying. But, the layoff freed me to find a better career, and led my colleagues to their new jobs and careers. We moved on, and so will you!

More About Recovering From Unemployment:

About the author…

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Answering Job Interview Questions in a Coronavirus Pandemic World

Barbara Schultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:45 +0000

Hiring managers are currently knee deep in crisis management.

Their key concern in job interviews: How can you assist them in solving their problems during the pandemic?

That is THE question to be prepared to answer.

Seize this interview as the opportunity and demonstrate your ability to be nimble, to deal with ambiguity, and to show calm in the middle of this storm.

The World Has Changed and So Have the Interview Questions

Expect several questions aimed at your remote-work technical savvy, and ability to be self-directed without the infrastructure and management support available in a physical office.

Conventional advice surrounding interviewing has always included the need to prepare for questions an interviewer is likely to pose, as well as those you are eager to ask.

But do not assume you can just simply dust off those questions used in the past because new ones are headed your way, and you will have new questions of your own to ask.

The more traditional questions will remain in the mix. Spend time reviewing Smart Answers to Common Interview Questions and Smart Strategies plus Sample Answers for Behavioral Interview Questions. Also be prepared to ask your own COVID-related interview questions to understand how the employer manages the new work environment.

Anticipate a different focus in three primary areas representing top-of-mind issues:

Safety
Remote work
Management processes

Get ready, know, and practice your responses.

Your answers should demonstrate not only the relevance of your experience, but also the currency of your knowledge about the evolving employment landscape and your ability to adapt to the new reality.

Before the pandemic, approximately 5% of employees worked from home. During the pandemic, that number increased to 40% and around 20% have the potential to permanently transition to working from home. As things improve, assume that companies are phasing in their return-to-work plans and will rely on remote workers for the next several months.

Be Prepared for a New Kind of Interview

Take the new video interviews seriously. Many tales have emerged from job seekers experiencing a relaxed setting for interviews conducted via video conferencing post-COVID.

I have witnessed stories of interviews being conducted with the hiring manager rocking a child on their lap, panelists trying to corral their kids during an interview, and dogs scurrying in the background.

You cannot control how the employer’s representatives choose to behave, but YOU must continue to follow professional protocols for digital meetings. Business attire, no distractions, and quiet on the set!

Do the traditional homework needed and gather intelligence from a variety of sources: colleagues, employees, LinkedIn connections. Pay special attention to the employer’s Twitter feed to see how they are communicating with stakeholders about their response to pandemic issues.

Many employers have posted details of their back-to-work plans on their websites. Access a company’s website and carefully read their COVID-19 Response if one has been posted. Also check out the CDC Guidelines for managing the pandemic.

Gain an understanding of both the government and employer’s response to COVID-19. Find answers to your questions contained in these documents before you arrive at the interview. You can then focus on additional questions related to return-to-work topics either not included in the guidelines or for which you need clarification.

**Questions Before Attending an In-Person Interview**

Although an overwhelming majority of interviews are being conducted via video conferencing and phone, on-site interviews do occur. When invited to an in-person interview, ask these questions before the meeting:

Should I bring a mask and/or gloves with me to the interview, or will PPE be provided once I arrive?
How will I gain entry to the office/office building?
Are there any additional safety rules I should be aware of before arriving?

These requirements will likely change over time, but be sure you feel comfortable with how the employer manages the in-person interview situation. That will give you insight into the working environment when you are onsite.

Observe how the employer and the employees seem to be responding to the coronavirus management best practices.

The Employer’s Questions for You

The employer will want to understand your experience working remotely and how well you have adapted to this new requirement. Your participation in a video interview will demonstrate your understanding of how to use the technology as well as how well-connected you are to the internet (or not).

1.Have you ever worked remotely? If so, what changes did you make to adapt to an at-home work environment?

Companies want reassurances that you have a dedicated workspace and can be productive from home. Do you have the proper connectivity to conduct business on their behalf?

While you should not reveal your personal situation (kids, home schooling, etc.), you can indicate that your environment is free of distractions, allowing you to execute work on a timely basis.

Consider: Build out your resume and LinkedIn profile to include remote work experience. If you are a recent college grad, refer to your success at online learning.

Add the terms “remote work” and “work from home” to your LinkedIn profile plus the technologies you have used, like Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet. Those are valuable keywords being searched much more frequently now. Other keywords critical for today’s job market include self-directed, agile, worked in, or managed distributed teams. Read How to Job Search Effectively for Remote Work for more details.

2.What aspects about working from home did you enjoy, and which did you find most challenging?

An employer will get better insight into the kind of work environment you thrive in-home or office. The other aspect they may be probing is your comfort level with the technology used to conduct business — Zoom, Microsoft Teams, even basic technical trouble shooting (e.g. recovering from printer problems, scanning, etc.)

An employer’s workforce planning may not just address filling vacancies but also include identifying positions/employees who would be eligible for permanent remote work. What are you looking for?

3.When working remotely, how do you organize your day?

It takes self-discipline, and no set of eyes are supervising your work each day. So, explain your daily routine. This will be easier to answer if you have had experience with a remote job. An employer will be assessing how much hand holding you may need vs. your ability to work autonomously.

4.What ways would you communicate with your manager and co-workers in a remote setting?

First, express an understanding of the accountability needed and the reporting expected on a regular basis when working remotely. Give examples of how you have kept in touch. Do not assume you know the new manager’s personal style.

Be prepared to demonstrate how you will collaborate with team members to get things done. Give specific examples.

5.What are your thoughts on how our teams can collaborate and how we can interact with clients safely once we return to work?

Organizations have, or are now formulating, the ergonomic plans for conference rooms, workspaces, common areas, and are interested in how forward thinking you are. Employers are also gathering input from current employees and candidates to help shape, then support plans they will be implementing to reconfigure office space. Be prepared to share your vision of a safe workplace.

If travel was a significant component of a job, offer views on how to travel safely and/or alternate ways to keep clients and stakeholders engaged.

6.How have you handled the stress of Coronavirus?

Acknowledge the reality of the stressful situation and explain your coping techniques. Do you have a positive outlook? What are the ways you have used to deal with stress? Daily walks? Meditation? Connecting with friends?

Employers will probe your ability to be productive in light of stress — this will not be the only time you will face a difficult situation. You may want to also use this opportunity to ask how they are supporting employees who may be dealing with stress related to isolation.

7.What would you personally do to maintain safety in the workplace?

The employer is not solely responsible for keeping the workplace safe. They will also depend on their employees. How do you practice safety in your personal life? Hand washing? Social distancing? What would you do if you saw someone at work engaging in an unsafe practice?

Companies are focused on the health of employees but are also concerned about the liability if a worker gets sick. Demonstrate your willingness to participate in making it a safe place to work.

8.What life lessons have you learned during the pandemic?

This question resembles the classic one concerning how you dealt with a difficult situation. Are you taking advantage of the free online resources offered — webinars, podcasts, etc.? Did you assess the viability of the industry you were in and determine if a career change is needed? Have you developed a greater appreciation for the value of other people? Does networking make more sense now following time in isolation?

Employers cannot grow unless the employees invest in personal and professional development. Tell them the positive impacts the pandemic has made in your life, like learning the new skills and technologies to successfully work remotely.

9. Will you be willing to work in an office again when/if working remotely is no longer required?

Since managing remote employees is a relatively new concept for many organizations or not practical, long term, for the work they do, an employer may be hoping to return to a more “normal” work environment. If they are able to do that, they will want to know if you will be comfortable with that change to a more traditional work environment.

After the Interview

The biggest mistake candidates make is missing an opportunity to keep the door open after the interview. Typically, a thank you e-mail is sent, and then the long, agonizing wait to hear back from the hiring manager begins.

The most critical time for decision making occurs after the final round of interviews, so why go silent now? Show the interviewer you are a problem solver, listened to their needs, and are willing to find creative ways to be a stand-out candidate.

High unemployment and increased competition call for a more proactive approach in your follow-up to stand out from the other candidates, demonstrating your interest in the opportunity as well as the quality of your work

In addition to sending your thank you notes/emails, follow these easy steps to move to the front of the line:

At the close of the interview, ask the interviewer if you may call should you have any additional questions (and you will have questions). Ask for the best time to call and best phone number to use.

The follow up call is used to continue the conversation, convey a solution to a problem discussed in the interview, or clarify a point that may have been left open-ended. Immediately jot down your notes after the interview. Identify 2 to 3 areas where you could add value and prepare examples of what you have already done or would propose to do in the future.

Wait 3 to 4 days for your follow up call. Remember, you will not be viewed as the dreaded “stalker” because you already got permission to call the interviewer.

Consider: Here’s an example of a follow-up call: You answered “No” when asked, “Have you ever worked from home?”

After the interview, you realize that you failed to mention that while working in an office, you did operate remotely by managing a distributed team of workers who were located elsewhere. In that capacity, you held weekly video conferences, reduced travel expenses more effectively using technology, and maintained collaboration within the group.

This example is MUCH better answer, and you can share that experience in the follow-up phone call..

The Bottom Line

Employers are hiring, but they often have many applicants to choose from. With your answers and your preparation, demonstrate to the employer that you cam successfully do this job in spite of the complications caused by the pandemic.

More About Coronavirus Pandemic Job Interviews

More About Job Search During the COVID-19 Pandemic:

More About Job Interviews:

About the author…

Barbara Schultz is an HR executive, career coach, writer, and co-author of Adulting Made Easy(er): Navigating from Campus to Career. Barbara has held senior HR leadership roles in entrepreneurial settings and gives a unique perspective to job seekers from a life spent on the “other side of the desk.” She is also the owner of CareerStager.com, helping people successfully navigate their careers. Follow Barbara on LinkedIn.
More about this author…

The post Answering Job Interview Questions in a Coronavirus Pandemic World appeared first on Job-Hunt.

How to Succeed in Coronavirus Job Interviews

Barbara Schultz — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:44 +0000

The world of work is spinning on a new axis since the Coronavirus took center stage.

The Coronavirus has added a new aspect of work to be discussed and understood before accepting a job offer.

Conventional advice surrounding interviewing has always included the need to prepare for questions an interviewer is likely to pose, as well as those you are eager to ask.

But do not assume you can just simply dust off those questions used in the past.

The pandemic has generated new questions headed your way. And, of course, you will have new questions of your own to ask.

The more traditional job interview questions will remain in the mix, and new pandemic-related questions will be added. Also, spend time reviewing these top 50 job interview questions to ask the employer plus new pandemic-related questions for you to ask employers.

The World of Work Is Changing

As a result of the changes caused by the pandemic, employers have adapted in very different ways. Many employers have temporarily changed the workplace and the employee’s need to be present in the workplace.

Some employers have permanently converted many jobs to 100% “remote” (a.k.a., “work from home”) jobs when face-to-face interaction with customers/clients or fellow employees is not required like healthcare and food-service workers.

Other jobs are remote for part of the work week or transition from remote to in-person, depending on the work or location positivity rate.

Certainly, remote jobs are becoming more accepted and that trend is likely to continue:

Before the pandemic, only 5% of US workers were working remotely.
During the pandemic, that number grew to more than 40%.
After the pandemic ends, approximately 20% of jobs will be remote.

Assume that companies are phasing in their return-to work plans and will rely on remote workers for the next several months, lasting through 2021 or even into 2022. Some jobs clearly have the potential to permanently transition to home offices.

Prepare for a New Interview Process

Do the traditional homework needed and gather intelligence from a variety of sources: colleagues, employees, and LinkedIn connections. Pay special attention to the employer’s Twitter feed to see how they are communicating with stakeholders about their response to pandemic issues.

Because of the pandemic, this additional preparation is smart today:

Understand the COVID situation.

Many employers have posted details of their back-to-work protocols on their websites. Access a company’s website and carefully read their COVID-19 response if one has been posted.

Also check out the CDC Guidelines for managing the pandemic.

Gain an understanding of both the government and employers’ responses to COVID-19. Find answers to your questions contained in these documents before you engage in an interview. You can then focus on additional questions related to return-to-work topics either not included in the guidelines or for which you need clarification.
Expect “virtual” interviews.

Most employers are starting the interview process with a video or phone interview to protect everyone’s health, unless the job requires face-to-face interaction. If a remote interview is not offered, consider suggesting it.

Video interviews using technology like Zoom or GoToMeeting have become much more common. Take the new video interviews seriously. Many tales have emerged from job seekers experiencing a relaxed setting for interviews conducted via video conferencing post-COVID. I have witnessed stories of interviews being conducted with the hiring manager rocking a child on their lap, panelists trying to corral their kids during an interview, and dogs scurrying in the background.

You cannot control how the employer’s representatives choose to behave, but YOU must continue to follow professional protocols for digital meetings. Business attire, no distractions, and quiet on the set!
Test your home’s technology.

Before you interview for remote jobs, test your home Internet connection to be sure that you can successfully interact with your potential new manager, co-workers, and others. Can you easily participate in a Zoom meeting without losing the connection or experiencing delays in your ability to see and hear the other Zoom meeting members?

If your connection is not sufficient, can it be upgraded? What will be the cost associated with improving your Internet connection: new equipment required and/or higher-speed connection needed?
Prepare for the new questions the employer will ask you.

Because many jobs do not require constant onsite, face-to-face interaction, employees may be spending much or all of their time working from their homes, a.k.a. “remote work.” This new work environment generates a different series of questions for employers to explore your experience with and ability to work remotely. Be prepared to answer these COVID-related questions.
Prepare new questions for you to ask the employer.

Learning how the employer is managing the remote work process is important to help you determine if this job and employer are a good fit for you. Ask questions about the remote work requirements, and any technical support provided. Are you comfortable with their approach? COVID-related questions to ask the employer.

The Actual Interview Process

The interview process varies widely from employer to employer and even job to job. Some organizations have a formal selection processwith very methodical steps while others are much less structured.

The opening few minutes of an interview may be spent with an informal “getting to know you” conversation. Show empathy for the interviewer’s situation by acknowledging the pandemic.

You might say, “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I’m sure you’re facing all sorts of challenges, and I really appreciate the opportunity to share my background. I hope you and your family are safe during these trying times.”

Avoid making any political comments.

Hiring managers may reserve 10 to 15 minutes at the end of the interview for your questions. Many job seekers strive to move the interview into more of a conversation, asking their questions throughout the discussion rather than at the end.

Regardless of the timing, have your questions written down, and be respectful of the time limit.

After the Interview

The biggest mistake candidates make is missing an opportunity to keep the door open after the interview. Typically, a thank-you email is sent, and then the long, agonizing wait to hear back from the hiring manager begins.

The most critical time for decision-making occurs after the final round of interviews, so why go silent now? Show the interviewer you are a problem solver, listened to their needs, and are willing to find creative ways to be a stand-out candidate.

In addition to sending your thank-you notes/emails, follow these easy steps to move to the front of the line:

At the close of the interview, ask the interviewer if you may call should you have any additional questions (and you will have questions). Ask for the best time to call and the best phone number to use.

Immediately after the interview, jot down your notes. Identify 2 to 3 areas where you could add value and prepare examples of what you have already done or would propose to do in the future.

Wait at least 3 to 4 days for your follow-up call. Remember, you will not be viewed as the dreaded “stalker” because you already got permission to call the interviewer.

Use the follow-up call to continue the discussion:

Convey a solution to a problem discussed in the interview, or
Clarify a point that may have been left open-ended, or
Provide additional information showing your fit for this job and employer.

Consider: Here’s an example of a follow-up call: You answered “No” when asked, “Have you ever worked from home?”

After the interview, you realize that you failed to mention that while working in an office, you did operate remotely by managing a distributed team of workers. In that capacity, you held weekly video conferences, reduced travel expenses more effectively using technology, and maintained collaboration within the group.

This example is a MUCH better answer, and you can share that experience in the follow-up phone call.

The Bottom Line

#WereAllInThisTogether is a hashtag seen in virtually every corner of social media. It serves as a powerful reminder of the universal solidarity needed to conquer this pandemic. Show your future employer that same willingness to partner with them in creating fresh solutions to emerging challenges.

More About Coronavirus Pandemic Job Interviews

More About Job Search During the COVID-19 Pandemic:

More About Job Interviews:

About the author…

The post How to Succeed in Coronavirus Job Interviews appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Free Guides to a Shorter and Smarter Job Search

Susan P. Joyce — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:41 +0000

All of Job-Hunt’s Guides are at NO COST for any job seeker to use.

Each Guide is comprised of articles on a specific job search topic: job interviews, LinkedIn, resumes, layoff recovery, reputation management, and more than forty other topics.

If you are not a job seeker and wish to use any of the Job-Hunt Guides, contact us for permission. These Guides are protected by U.S. Copyright law. Do NOT republish or sell any of these Guides in the USA or anywhere else.

On this page:

Online Job Search Tools, Work from Home, Traditional Job Search Process and Tools, Avoiding Job Search Hazards, Handling Career Change, Unemployment, and Job Loss, New Grads, Veterans, Boomers, Introverts, and Other Groups, Government, IT, Finance, and Other Industries, and Free ebooks About Job Search.

Expert Advice in Job-Hunt’s Guides

Reader’s Digest describes Job-Hunt.Org as “vacuum-packed with solid advice.” The Guides described (and linked) below will make it clear why that description fits.

Each Guide is written by one or more experts in that field. These experts constantly contribute articles critical to successful job search.

Scroll down this page to find the Guides divided into topic and sub-topics.

Guides to Online Job Search Tools

In the last few years, technology has dramatically changed how employers find and hire employees. And, those changes in recruiting have impacted job search in ways that job seekers have never seen before.

Understanding the new technology, from how to use Google and social media (particularly LinkedIn) to effectively using job boards and even email, is essential now. These links take you to Job-Hunt Guides on those topics:

- Guide to Finding Jobs Online
  This Guide shows where jobs are posted online.
- Guide to Personal SEO
  This Guide helps you understand how important “search engine optimization” (SEO) is to a modern job search. Learn what your keywords are, and where (and how) to make them visible to recruiters, employers, and other potential members of your network.
  - Guide to Being Found on LinkedIn (LinkedIn SEO) helps you understand how to apply SEO principles to LinkedIn so that you have the right keywords for you in the right spots in your LinkedIn Profile.
- Guide to Social Media & Job Search
  This Guide gives you an over-view of the major current social media networks and how you can leverage them for your job search.
  - Guide to Using LinkedIn for Job Search
    LinkedIn is, by far, the dominant social network for professionals managing their careers as well as looking for new jobs.
    - Guide to LinkedIn for Executives
      Even executives need a LinkedIn presence for their professional visibility and credibility. It will be checked by competitors, colleagues, and potential employers.
  - Guide to Facebook for Job Search
    Facebook can be very effective for job search. It can also be very damaging. This Guide helps you leverage Facebook for positive results in your job search.
  - Guide to Twitter Job Search
    Twitter can be an excellent source of job leads for the employers and fields you follow. Twitter can also be very helpful in identifying good contacts and expanding your network.
- Guide to Personal Branding
  Like personal SEO (above), personal branding is a new necessity for both your career and your job search. This Guide helps you understand the basic concept and also to discover/develop your personal brand, plus where and how to make it visible so that it helps your job search.
  - - Guide to Personal Branding with LinkedIn
      LinkedIn is an essential part of online visibility for most professionals, and, done well, LinkedIn can be the foundation for your personal brand, whether you are building it, maintaining it, or changing it.
    - Free ebook about personal branding –
      - Personal Branding and Your LinkedIn Profile
        LinkedIn is a very important tool for building your personal brand. Particularly if you are an executive, this ebook helps you leverage your personal brand using LinkedIn.
      - Personal Marketing Plan
        This ebook helps you to pull all of the pieces together to create a solid personal brand and then to leverage social media to make progress in your job search.

Guide to Personal Online Reputation Management
Your personal online reputation has a much bigger impact on your job search and career than you may know. Having a poor — or no — online reputation may eliminate you from consideration.
Guide to Using Google for Your Job Search
Google offers job seekers many tools to help them manage their job hunting, and this Guide explains how to use those tools successfully, starting with more effective search queries.
Guide to Email for Job Search
Email is essential for communication now, but it can cause problems and cost opportunities if used inappropriately in a job search. This Guide shows you how to use email most effectively in your job search.
Guide to Job Boards
From Indeed.com (today’s largest source of job postings in the world) to Craigslist’s local online classified, job boards are everywhere. Some are excellent, some are not particularly useful, and some are downright dangerous (or, simply scams). This Guide helps you analyze job boards and use them appropriately, particularly Indeed and Craigslist.

Guides to Working from Home

More options for earning a living are developing. For some people and some situations, being a “temp” is the best option — generating income working for a temporary staffing agency. This avoids needing to go to an employer’s location, and offers the ability to “test” different employers and jobs.

For many of us, technology is enabling more of us to work from our homes. Employers are allowing — or encouraging — employees to work from their homes as “remote workers” or “telecommuters.” In addition, many people are turning to self-employment as a good option, working when, where, and how they choose.

Guide to Work From Home Jobs
Working from home can take many different forms, from working “remotely” for your employer to running your own business. This Guide helps you understand your options and choose a direction that will work best for you.
Guide to Gigs, Freelance,and Contracting Jobs
These can become great careers or a way to fill an “employment gap” while you look for a “real job.” They can also be a great way to work from home, generating income, working when and where you want.
Guide to the Temporary Work Option
Working for a temporary agency which connects you to short-term jobs can be an excellent way to explore new careers, get a “foot in the door” with a new employer (while deciding if you would like to work there), fill an employment gap on your resume, or just generate income without worrying about getting along with co-workers.

Guides to Traditional Job Search Process and Tools

While technology has had an enormous impact, resumes are still very important, and job interviews usually clinch the job offer (when done well). Also smart job seekers understand what recruiters want, how to leverage temporary employment effectively, successfully navigate the job search process, and much more. Read these Guides to catch up on what is most effective now:

Guide to Getting Started with Your Job Search
This Guide provides the foundation for moving ahead with your job search, helping you understand all of the different aspects of it, including the process and the tools you can use to succeed.
Guide to Successful Job Interviews
While an effective resume gets you a job interview, the job interview is the make-or-break event that may land you the job. Or not. This Guide helps you answer the common job interview questions and also helps you understand the process from beginning to end.
- Smart Answers to Interview Questions
  Recruiter advice on how to answer the most commonly asked questions in your next job interview. This Guide covers the top questions as well as offering sample answers to help you develop your own responses.
- Smart Strategies for Behavioral Interview Questions
  These are the questions recruiters ask that begin with “Tell me about a time when…” or “Give me an example of…” They are challenging to answer without a strategy, shared here with sample answers.
- Guide to Writing Thank You Notes After a Job Interview, including Samples
  If you are not sure what format to use (email, hand-written, or typed) or how to write an effective thank you after your job interview, this Guide provides advice plus thank you note (and email) samples for you to adapt to your own situation.
- Free ebook about job interviews:
  - Successful Job Interviewing
    Written by a recruiter, this ebook helps you effectively prepare for your job interviews.
Guide to Effective Resumes
Resumes are one of the traditional tools used in a job search, and they are still very important to your success. This Guide provides both articles which explain how to create a successful resume as well as sample resumes so you can see how different special situations are successfully managed.
- Sample Resumes –
  Both formal and ATS versions of the resumes for 12 typical situations in job search today, including:
  - Older laid off
  - Just fired
  - Making a career change
  - Mom returning to work
  - New grad
  - More…
Guide to Informational Interviews
Informational interviews are an excellent way to collect information before you start to make a change in your career, and they are also an excellent way to expand your professional network.
Guide to Job Search Networking
Networking is the key to success in a job search! Job seekers who don’t understand networking have a serious handicap in their job search. This Guide offers you a foundation understanding of effective networking as well as many networking tips and tricks to use for a successful job search.
Guide to Freelancing and Contracting
Freelancing or contract jobs can be a temporary gap filler that provides a good income for a set period of time. For an increasingly large number of workers, freelancing is a new career. It typically pays better than a “real job” and cuts you loose from getting too caught up in the internal politics of a typical organization. But, the hazards are ending at a specific point, finding the next “gig,” and managing your own tax payments.
Guide to Temporary Employment
Often temporary employment is a necessity. It can also be a great way to check out an employer while you “audition” for a permanent job. And, for many, it is a convenient way to earn an income without an endless commitment to a single employer. This Guide helps you be a successful temporary worker.
Guide to Job Search Navigation
A job search (and a career) require navigation to be successful. In this Guide, learn how to navigate your way to a new job.
Understanding Employers —Understanding what’s happening on the “other side” of the hiring process is key to being successful in your job search.
- Guide to Working with Recruiters
  Recruiters are key players in any job search because they are usually the people who manage the process. Working well with them is not optional, and this ebook, written by a recruiter, will help you understand their perspective and work with them successfully.
- Guide to Your Best Job Search Mindset
  Employers have a different view of the job search process than most job seekers do, naturally. This ebook offers you the employer’s perspective — of you and your actions.

Guide to Avoiding Online Job Search Hazards

Unfortunately, new technology has created some new hazards, like protecting your privacy, job hunting without getting fired, and managing your online reputation. Old hazards have morphed into new versions, particularly related to scam jobs, scam job boards, and employer identity theft. These Job-Hunt Guides will help you navigate some tricky waters around those topics:

Guide to Protecting Your Privacy
In an online job search, smart job seekers take precautions to protect their privacy. This Guide explains why and how to do that.
Guide to Avoiding Job Scams
Unfortunately, people in a job search are exposed to a number of scams, and without knowing what you might be facing and how many of the scams operate, you can be badly hurt by them. So, read this Guide to understand how to spot and avoid online scams in your job search.
Guide to Personal Online Reputation Management
Employers and recruiters use the Internet’s search capabilities to research potential job candidates. What they find can make the difference between being considered for a job and being ignored. So, today, online reputation management is really not optional. This Guide offers the why and how to protect your reputation online.
Guide to a Stealthy Job Search
Employers are not usually happy to discover that an employee is job hunting. Often, that employee loses their job immediately or has a very uncomfortable discussion with their boss. Unfortunately, today, it is easy for employers to discover that an employee is job hunting. This Guide offers help to avoid that situation.

Guides for Handling Career Change, Unemployment, and Job Loss

Job loss is tough, regardless of the cause. These Job-Hunt Guides provide you with help recovering from layoffs or being fired and landing a new job:

Guide to Career Change
A transition could be involuntary, precipitated by an external change like a layoff, or it may develop as you move on to a new phase in your life and your career. This Guide offers you help in understanding your many options, determining your next career, and transitioning to this new phase in your career.
- Free ebook about career change:
  - Starting Your Career Reinvention
    For a successful career change, you need to understand yourself — what you want to do and what you like to do. This ebook provides a process that will help you figure out what should be next for your career.
  - Implementing Your Career Reinvention
    Once you know the direction you want your career to take, you can move in that direction. This ebook describes 5 steps to implement your career change.
Guide to Beating Unemployment
Finding a new job is usually an immediate need for someone who has lost their job or who is unemployed. This Guide offers detailed advice on how to manage the issue in resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, job interviews, and other steps in the process of finding a new job.
Guide to Job Loss Recovery
Losing your job can be a very big blow to both your confidence and your bank account. Successfully handling that blow can make the difference between a short and a longer job search. This Guide offers you help recovering from job loss.
Guide to Layoff Recovery
A layoff is a job loss that is not usually related to employee performance. Someone is laid off typically simply because they are in the wrong department or job at the wrong time (when the department or job are being reduced). This Guide helps you successfully recover.
- Free ebook about layoffs:
  - Guide to Layoff Self-Defense
    Smart job seekers don’t assume that they will not be laid off, particularly if their employer has laid off other employees. This ebook helps you to lay the groundwork for surviving if you are laid off (or, maybe, for leaving before it can happen to you).

Guides for Specific Groups of Job Seekers

Many groups of job seekers face unique issues, based on their age, experience level, or personal preferences. This section of Job-Hunt.Org helps members of those groups, from boomers to veterans, introverts to new grads, .

Learn what your group needs to know to succeed by reading the appropriate Guide(s) for you.

Guide to Job Search for New Graduates
New graduates face the issues associated with any start up, and, of course, strategies exist for managing those issues. This Guide offers new grads solid advice for starting up their careers and successful job search.
- Free ebook for New Grads:
  - Converting Your Internship to a Full-Time Job
    Often an internship can be a short-cut to a full-time job. This ebook helps you craft that transition. .
Guide to Job Search for Veterans
Veterans and active-duty members preparing for transition to the civilian job market have both advantages to leverage and disadvantages to overcome for a successful job search. If you are a veteran or in transition, this Guide provides you with guidance for dealing with the issues and making the advantages obvious to civilian employers.
Guide to Job Search for Over 50 and Boomers
Boomers face many issues in their job search, from the possible disadvantage of no longer being young (and inexpensive) to the advantages resulting from a strong network built up over their lives. This Guide helps Boomer job seekers manage the “age issue” and reconnect with their networks, both resulting in successful job searches more quickly.
Guide to Job Search for Working Moms
Working mothers face unique issues — from explaining “the gap” when they job search after staying home with their children for a while to balancing priorities and juggling schedules while interviewing. This Guide helps working moms navigate to job search success with advice from a genuine working mom.
Guide to Attorney Job Search
Attorneys and lawyers have very specific and unique requirements and processes in their search for a new job. From resumes to social media, they face requirements that few other job seekers and job candidates face. In this Guide, an attorney who has also hired attorneys explains the process.

Guides for Specific Industries and Locations

Industries can differ dramatically in the process for successfully landing a job. In these Guides you will find help in understanding the requirements, processes, and unique characteristics of a specific industry. From the US Federal Government to information technology (IT) to attorneys and more, these Guides will increase your understanding of specific fields. That understanding will help you be more successful:

Guide to Startup Jobs
There’s one category of jobs which is misunderstood more than any other. It’s working for startups. Startups are not well-understood, and many wrong assumptionsare made. This Guide helps you understand how startups work, and how working for one may be a great career move for you.
Guide to Federal Government Job Search
If you are trying to land a job with the U.S. Federal Government, you face a job search environment which is fairly unforgiving, but very structured and rules-based (at least officially). This Guide helps you understand how the process works and what you need to do to meet the requirements.
- Free ebook for Federal Government Job Search:
  - Create an Effective Federal Resume with the USAJOBS.GOV Resume Builder
    A key part of being considered for a job is doing a good, clean job of making your resume visible in the USAJOBS.GOV resume database. This ebook helps you accomplish that goal.
Guide to Information Technology (IT) Job Search
The field of information technology continues to grow in importance as IT becomes increasingly embedded in our lives. This Guide helps you navigate your way to a job in this industry.

Job-Hunt’s Free eBooks

For several years, Job-Hunt has provided free ebooks to help you be more successful in your job search. This is the complete list:

All of the free Job-Hunt ebooks on one page – the Job Search Guides.
eBooks for Everyone:
- New Year, New Job!
  101+ tips from Job-Hunt’s Experts in how you can successfully leverage the BEST time of the year to land a job.
- Personal Branding and Your LinkedIn Profile
  LinkedIn is a very important tool for building your personal brand. Particularly if you are an executive, this ebook helps you leverage your personal brand using LinkedIn.
- Guide to Layoff Self-Defense
  Smart job seekers don’t assume that they will not be laid off, particularly if their employer has laid off other employees. This Guide helps you to lay the groundwork for surviving if you are laid off.
- Successful Job Interviewing
  Written by a recruiter, this ebook helps you effectively prepare for your job interviews.
- Choosing Safe Job Boards
  Not every job board is useful. Some are scams and some are ineffective. This Guide explains how to evaluate job boards, separating the good ones from the useless and/or dangerous.
- Using Craigslist for Job Search
  Craigslist can be a wonderful source of local jobs, no matter where you are in the world. The Guide offers tips on leveraging Craigslist for your job search as well as how to spot and avoid scams.
- Personal Marketing Plan
  This ebook helps you to pull all of the pieces together to make progress in your job search.
eBooks for Career Changers:
- Starting Your Career Reinvention
  For a successful career change, you need to understand yourself — what you want to do and what you like to do. This ebook provides a process that will help you figure out what should be next for your career.
- Implementing Your Career Reinvention
  Once you know the direction you want your career to take, you can move in that direction. This ebook describes 5 steps to implement your career change.
eBook for Introverts:
- Job Search Networking for Introverts
  Networking is probably the biggest challenge for introverts. This ebook provides help for introverts (and shy people) to address the issues associated with networking.
eBooks for New Grads:
- Converting Your Internship to a Full-Time Job
  Often an internship can be a short-cut to a full-time job. This ebook helps you make that transition happen.

For more information on the experts who write this information for you, visit the Job-Hunt Job Search Experts page.

Are you an expert in a job search-related field? Here’s how to join the Job-Hunt Job Search Experts.

About the author…

The post Free Guides to a Shorter and Smarter Job Search appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Work From Home? Yes, You Can! The Caregiving Option

Nancy Collamer — Tue, 11 May 2021 17:14:40 +0000

Looking for a way to earn an income from home?

If so, you’re in luck! This article focuses on the business of helping people take care of others.

Caregiving Is a Great Opportunity

In a world filled with two-career couples, an aging population, and the pressures of a 24/7 global economy, people are eager to find pleasant and dependable helpers for their loved ones and pets.

For many people, hiring a caretaker isn’t just a “nice-to-have” but a “must-have” service that they will happily pay for.

If you’re a person who enjoys helping others, then a caregiving business might be a good fit for you.

Starting a caregiving business is smart for several reasons:

Low Start-up Expenses:

It takes relatively little money and time to start a small business walking dogs, running errands, or babysitting.

Many people launch these businesses on a limited scale and then slowly add clients via word-of-mouth referrals.
Built-in Repeat Business:

Your clientele will have an ongoing and regular need for caregiving services (children need to be watched every day, the elderly need rides to appointments several times a week, etc.).

Typically, once people find a reliable caregiving service, they are reluctant to shop-around for a new provider. As a result, once you have several faithful customers, you can reduce your marketing efforts and maximize your billable working hours.

Scaleable:

Caregiving businesses can be as small or large as you desire.

If you only want to work a few hours, you can start your business with just a few clients and then grow your business over time as your lifestyle needs permit. If you want to turn your business into something more substantial, you can invest in employees and infrastructure after you’ve secured a loyal following.

Options to Consider

Let’s take a look at the wide variety of caregiving services you might consider operating:

Child Care

Many communities simply don’t have enough child-care resources available to meet the demands of working parents, and as a result, there is a shortage of high-quality family based child-care services.

If you just want to take in one child, you can do so easily. But if you want to start on a larger scale, be sure to investigate your local zoning, licensing, and insurance requirements before opening your business (most states require a license if you intend to care for more than three children, but be sure to check to see your state’s requirements before you expand).

If you don’t want to open a daycare business, you can sell your services as an after school driver (taking children to and from activities), homework helper or doula who helps take care of households right after a baby is born.

Elder Care

Many elderly living on their own need someone to help out with the tasks of daily living; housekeeping, shopping, errands, and cooking. They also hire people to help out with special projects such as relocating, medical claims assistance, and bill paying. When marketing your services, it is helpful to target independent/assisted living centers and retirement communities where there are a large number of prospective clients.

Keep in mind that the elderly themselves might be less likely to hire you than their children, so be sure to include the “children” in your marketing efforts.

Pet Care

People love their pets like children and are willing to pay top-dollar for their care. You can partake in this growing market opportunity by walking dogs, pet sitting and/or offering pet grooming services.

More Information

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers this booklet for free: How to Start a Quality Child Care Business

Score: 8 ideas to Start a Business Helping Seniors

Job-Hunt: 6 Ways to Turn a Love of Pets into Income

Bottom Line

These options provide you flexibility and an opportunity to generate income from your home. Of course, before starting any business, be sure to investigate zoning, licensing, and insurance issues relevant to your service. The penalties for violating these regulations can be severe and are often easily avoided by operating in compliance with “the rules and regulations” in your area.

To Learn More About Work From Home:

Work From Home: Making Life Easier

Work From Home: Child-Centric Business

Work From Home: Social Media Consultant

Work From Home: Caretaking

Work From Home: Sales Jobs

Guide to Freelancing/Contracting

How to Work from Home Effectively

More About Turning a Passion into Income:

Uncover Your Passion to Discover Your Career

How to Turn Your Hobby into Income

How to Turn Your Love of Travel into Income

How to Turn Love of Pets into Income

About the author…

Nancy Collamer, M.S., is a semi-retirement coach, speaker, and author of Second-Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit From Your Passions During Semi-Retirement. You can now download her free workbook called 25 Ways to Help You Identify Your Ideal Second Act on her website at MyLifestyleCareer.com (and you’ll also receive her free bi-monthly newsletter).
More about this author…

The post Work From Home? Yes, You Can! The Caregiving Option appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Work-From-Home Articles | Job-Hunt

How Does a Remote Job Work?

1. There’s No One Way to Work Remotely

2. Most Remote Jobs Require Workers to Be Based in a Certain Location

3. Some Remote Jobs Have Set Schedules, and Some Are Flexible

4. Remote Workers Are Often Responsible for Their Own Technology

5. Remote Jobs Provide Pay Benefits Like Any Other Job

6. Remote Employees Get Paid the Same Way as In-Office Workers

Similar Structures, Unique Designs

Work From Home: The Caregiving Option

Caregiving Is a Great Opportunity

Low Start-up Expenses:

Built-in Repeat Business:

Scaleable:

Options to Consider

Child Care

Elder Care

Pet Care

More Information

Bottom Line

To Learn More About Work From Home:

More About Turning a Passion into Income:

Finding Work-From-Home Employers

Determining if the Employer Is a Good One, or Not

Interview Questions to Ask the Employer

1. In what ways is a career with your company better than one with your competitors?

2. What do you enjoy most about working here?

3. What characteristics do the achievers in this company seem to share?

4. What qualities are you looking for in the candidate who fills this position?

Other clues…

The Bottom Line

To Learn More About Work From Home:

More About Turning a Passion into Income:

How to Find Your Best Work-From-Home Job

5 Keys to Work-From-Home Success

1. Target work that can be easily handled at home.

2. Be realistic about finding quality work-at-home positions.

3. Phase into a home-based job.

4. Persist (with caution) in your hunt for work-from-home jobs on the web.

5. If all else fails, go entrepreneurial.

The Bottom Line

To Learn More About Work From Home:

More About Turning a Passion into Income:

How to Leverage the Information on Employer Websites

No website for the Employer?

Using the Information on Employer Websites for Your Job Search

What Is the “Party Line” Being Presented?

What Is the Reality Beyond the Party Line?

Use Search Engines

Check Employer Reviews

What Job Are Posted

Applying the Information

Leverage LinkedIn

Informational Interviews and Employee Referrals

Resumes and Cover Letters

Interview Preparation

The Bottom Line

Do NOT Be a Layoff “Survivor” – Graduate!

How Is a Layoff Like a Graduation?

1. A layoff is VERY educational.

2. You do not need to explain in detail why you left.

3. A layoff is the start of a new phase of your life.

My Most Important Lesson: A Career Is a Journey, Not a Destination

The Bottom Line

More About Recovering From Unemployment:

Answering Job Interview Questions in a Coronavirus Pandemic World

The World Has Changed and So Have the Interview Questions

Be Prepared for a New Kind of Interview

Questions Before Attending an In-Person Interview

The Employer’s Questions for You

1.Have you ever worked remotely? If so, what changes did you make to adapt to an at-home work environment?

2.What aspects about working from home did you enjoy, and which did you find most challenging?

3.When working remotely, how do you organize your day?

4.What ways would you communicate with your manager and co-workers in a remote setting?

5.What are your thoughts on how our teams can collaborate and how we can interact with clients safely once we return to work?

6.How have you handled the stress of Coronavirus?

7.What would you personally do to maintain safety in the workplace?

8.What life lessons have you learned during the pandemic?

9. Will you be willing to work in an office again when/if working remotely is no longer required?

After the Interview

***4. Persist (with caution) in your hunt for work-from-home jobs on the web.***

**My Most Important Lesson: A Career Is a Journey, Not a Destination**

**Questions Before Attending an In-Person Interview**