Remote Worker Guide: Seven Tips to Make a Career Change and Meet Employers' Requirements in 2020

In 2020, the pandemic has changed the way we work. Remote work has become the new standard, and many are struggling to meet employers' demands. The digital transition has accelerated its pace, and the competition has become more challenging. If you're willing to make a career change or plan to get a remote job, here are seven useful tips for meeting employers' needs. They will help you to attract their attention and increase your chances of getting hired.

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Do Some Research

Before making a career change or applying for a new job, it's vital to do some research. This will allow you to identify what employers are looking for in their potential hirings. There are many tech skills you can learn to meet employers' expectations. But don't forget that getting a job it's also about you. Don't waste your time switching to a career you know deep inside you hate.

Because of the pandemic, many companies froze their operations. But, the online retail sector is currently active and looking for new candidates. So, it could be an excellent option to see what your alternatives are.

Make a List of Your Alternatives and Set New Goals

Research allows you to identify your alternatives. But, making a list of them is what will help you move in the right direction. To stay on track, prioritize your options, and analyze what each job offers. Make a list of the skills you should learn and start to create a plan. To get hired these days, you'll need to try new things. In that case, try to change the way you approach employers and be proactive.

At this point, it's necessary to set new goals. This will allow you to find the motivation you need to not quit in the middle of the process. Set long-term and short-term goals to stay focused. Remember that short-term goals will help you take small steps towards achieving the big one, and they'll tell you when it's time to celebrate.

Enroll in a Coding Bootcamp

Coding bootcamps are a great option to get skilled. They provide aspirants with in-demand programming tools that allow them to stand out from the competition. Before enrolling in a coding bootcamp, you need to identify what makes your world go round. Then, it's time to decide which vocational school you should join.

If your creativity is what makes you unique, you should learn JavaScript or UI/UX design skills. UI/UX designers are responsible for designing apps' workflow and graphic UI elements. Today's customers are more concerned about their experience and will stop using an app because of its awful performance. Imagine a website that takes a lifetime to load; no matter how visually appealing it can be, it'll make users feel frustrated.

UI/UX designers

are also responsible for evaluating users' requirements. As a result, they can continuously improve apps interface and workflow to make users feel engaged. JavaScript developers, on the other hand, are responsible for building interactive web apps to allow companies to have a digital presence. Websites increase customers' trust and enable organizations to reach bigger audiences.

JavaScript

is an indispensable tool for web developers. As it can be used for front end and back end development, it's a great option for career changers. No matter if you want to become a UI/UX designer or a JavaScript developer, enrolling in Thinkful's coding bootcamp is the right decision to make.

Thinkful is dedicated to its students' success, and it allows them to learn from the best industry-experience tutors. Their programs are available online, and they enable you to get job-ready in only six months.

If dealing with data and numbers if your thing, then you should learn data science skills. Data scientists are responsible for creating actionable insights to help organizations make better decisions. They often use their machine learning and data visualization skills to provide better results and make data easy to understand.

In the US, a data scientist can earn, on average, $122,000 per year. So, becoming a data scientist is a great option to change your lifestyle. To learn data science skills, you can enroll in Springboard's online coding bootcamp. Their data science program will provide you with everything you need to make employers feel engaged. And with their tuition guarantee, your money will be refunded if you don't get a job within six months of graduating.

Invest in Reliable Tech Devices

For remote workers, investing in reliable tech is essential. So, if you're willing to get a new remote job or you're making a career change, you need to invest in the best tech your budget can buy. Invest in a lightweight laptop with long battery life like the HP Elite Dragonfly. Easy-to-carry devices are indispensable for remote workers. They often work from different places, and you would not like to carry a laptop that could break your back.

For virtual meetings

you should buy noise-canceling headphones. If you're planning to work from busy places or home, they will help you get the job done. Investing money in external storage like an external SSD or a flash drive is also a good idea. This will allow you to keep files safe.

Use Your Network to

Increase Your Opportunities

At this point, you have everything you require to impress employers. But, before starting your new job hunt, you should tap your network. Tell your friends and previous co-workers you are looking for a job. This will allow you to be part of a smaller pool, and your chances of getting an interview will increase. Also, you can build relationships to do informational interviews. They will allow you to know more about the jobs you're applying to.

Build a LinkedIn profile

In 2020, many employers are using LinkedIn to find potential hirings. Given that, you should build a LinkedIn profile to increase your job opportunities and catch their attention. First, you have to upload a profile photo. Use a picture with a professional look and a white background. This will allow you to increase employers' trust. Second, write an eye-catching headline by writing your previous job tittle and adding a few tools you use in your daily work. Finally, write a summary to express your mission and objectives. Don't forget to add your best soft skills and hard skills. They will help you to stand out.

Create a Portfolio

Creating a portfolio is an excellent way to show off during interviews. Nowadays, employers prefer candidates who speak with facts rather than aspirants with impressive CVs. To build a portfolio, you should add your personal and team projects. Highlight the most challenging part of each project and let employers know what tools you used to complete them.

In Summary

By following this guide, getting employed won't be a challenge. However, making a career change can be challenging. To stay on track, you'll need to reinvent yourself during the process. Be flexible and embrace changes. This will help you to open your mind and make better decisions. Keep in mind that companies are making exceptional job offers to remote workers, and your efforts will be rewarded.

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Artur Meyster is the CTO of Career Karma (YC W19), an online marketplace that matches career switchers with coding bootcamps. He is also the host of the Breaking Into Startups podcast, which features people with non-traditional backgrounds who broke into tech.

https://twitter.com/arturmeyster https://www.linkedin.com/in/meyster