What Are the Requirements for Remote Work?

This post comes from Brie Weiler Reynolds of partner site FlexJobs.

Welcome to our “Work From Home Q&A” series. You ask a question about remote work, and a guest expert provides an answer.

You can learn how to ask a question of your own below.

This week’s question comes from Gary:

“I am about to start the process of looking for a remote job … Are there any requirements for remote work that I should be aware of? This is all spankin’ new to me.”

While the biggest requirement for a remote job is your ability to do the job, there are some things that will set you apart from other applicants for remote jobs: previous experience working remotely and specific skills that allow you to be a great remote worker.

If you have any previous experience working remotely, make sure you mention it in your cover letter and resume. That can include fully remote work, partially remote work, and even occasional remote work — as long as you can show that you were productive and effective during whatever time you spent working from home.

But if you haven’t worked remotely, you may have to do some digging to find the relevant experience that spotlights your remote-savvy skills.

Start with your clients and co-workers. Are they located somewhere else? If so, have you coordinated a meeting across multiple time zones? Collaborated on a project? How did you accomplish these tasks? What software did you use? Working remotely from other people via email, phone, web conferencing and online collaboration all count as remote work.

Even if you’ve never worked with someone outside your office, that doesn’t mean you don’t have the skills necessary for remote work. Employers with remote positions want applicants to have the following skills:

• Time and task management
• Self-motivation and focus
• Comfort with technology
• Proactive written and oral communication skills

Get comfortable with digital communication and collaboration programs like project management apps, document sharing programs, and remote communication tools like instant messaging and web conferencing platforms.

About me

I am a career development manager and coach at FlexJobs, where I help people find flexible work, including remote, part-time and freelance jobs. Before joining FlexJobs in 2010, I was a career adviser for college students and alumni. I have a master of science in human resources management and am a certified advanced resume writer.

Got a question you’d like answered?

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You also can find all past answers from this series on the “Work From Home Q&A” webpage.