Remote work has seen a huge rise in popularity over the last few years. While it was already growing, the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to skyrocket out of necessity. However, many people are still working remotely thanks to the benefits it brings. For employers, remote work means reduced overhead, greater productivity, and happier workers. For employees, it allows for <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights/americans-are-embracing-flexible-work-and-they-want-more-of-it" rel="noopener" target="_blank">greater flexibility</a> and the opportunity for a healthier work-life balance. 
But, the popularity of remote work has caused the job market to become somewhat &ldquo;saturated&rdquo; with potential candidates. Even if you have experience and skill, you might have a hard time standing out if you don&rsquo;t take a few extra steps. 
So, what can you do to get ahead in a candidate pool that seems to be ever-growing? How can you be the candidate a potential employer looks at and wants to interview right away? Let&rsquo;s cover a few effective and helpful tips that can make your remote work job search more successful. 
<h2>Understand Common Hiring Practices</h2>
More companies are hiring remote workers across the globe. Not only is it cost-effective for businesses, but it allows them to pull candidates from a larger talent pool, so they can ensure they&rsquo;re getting the best people for each role. You might be that person for a specific job, but it&rsquo;s important to understand the hiring processes of companies doing a lot of remote work. 
For example, some companies practice cluster hiring, where they recruit several remote workers from one specific area of the country. Some of the benefits of this practice for businesses include: 
<ul>
<li> Increased diversity</li>
<li> Greater inclusivity</li>
<li> Boosted collaboration</li>
<li> Better connection and communication</li>
</ul>
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Take a look at companies that might be looking for employees in your area. By showcasing where you&rsquo;re from and how close you are to the &ldquo;cluster&rdquo; you&rsquo;re looking for, you could stand out and become a part of a smaller pond of candidates, rather than competing against an entire ocean of prospective recruits. 
<h2>Leverage Remote Skills</h2>
Once you have an idea of what a company is looking for and how they&rsquo;re hiring, it&rsquo;s time to leverage your skills to fit the needs of a business that&rsquo;s going remote. The skills you&rsquo;ve built that are necessary for a specific role will always be important. However, leveraging skills that will help you stand out as a remote employee is just as necessary if you want to be desirable. Some of those skills include: 
<ul>
<li> Working independently</li>
<li> Maintaining productivity</li>
<li> Strong communication</li>
<li> Time management</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Including those things in your resume and cover letter will likely cause an employer to give you a second look. It can also help if you have some of the current in-demand skillsets for landing a remote job. Things like marketing, web design, HR skills, finance, and customer support are all trending right now in the remote world. While you don&rsquo;t need to be an expert in those areas, you might consider capitalizing on those skills if you&rsquo;re having trouble standing out from the crowd. 
<h2>Foster Strong Connections</h2>
One of the greatest benefits of remote work can also be a potential drawback, depending on the people involved. We&rsquo;ve seen great advancements in technology over the last several years. That&rsquo;s what has made remote work possible for so many people. In fact, <a href="https://telegramd.com/why-the-trend-toward-digitalization-is-a-great-equalizer/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">technology has become a great equalizer</a> in recent years, allowing businesses to level the playing field for disadvantaged and <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/building-confidence-in-the-job-search-a-guide-fo" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">underrepresented groups</a>. That&rsquo;s great for employers as it allows them to choose from a more diverse group of candidates, but it also means more competition for recruits. 
The advancements in technology haven&rsquo;t just made remote work more accessible for everyone. They&rsquo;ve also made it easier for people to stay connected. However, some remote employees have a hard time feeling like they &ldquo;belong&rdquo; if they&rsquo;re not getting enough human interaction. 
You want to find a healthy balance that works for you from the start. As you&rsquo;re trying to network throughout your job search, don&rsquo;t be afraid to reach out to people and start conversations. If you get selected for an interview, prepare yourself for a video chat or phone call. Get comfortable using different modes of communication to connect with people, because you might never actually meet them face to face. 
By showing that you&rsquo;re comfortable using technology to communicate (and showing that you can use it well), you&rsquo;re more likely to stand out to a potential employer. No matter where people are working, strong communication in the workplace is essential. When you understand how to use technology to your advantage and know how to communicate across multiple channels, an employer will not only see you as a great team player, but a potential leader in the future. 
The rise of remote work is a good thing, but you&rsquo;ll have to reach a little further to stand out as a candidate than you would have five years ago. Thankfully, with a few extra steps, you can prove to any potential employer that you&rsquo;re the right person for the job, and stand out in your hiring pool no matter how many people you&rsquo;re competing against. 
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Searching for a new position or switching careers? To apply and discover more about opportunities that are HIRING NOW, create an account at <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/candidates/signup" rel="follow">careercircle.com</a>!&nbsp; </h4>
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Content Contributor:
Ainsley Lawrence is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in better living through technology and education. She loves traveling to beautiful places and is frequently lost in a good book.

Discover the benefits and challenges of remote work and learn how to thrive in a virtual environment. Stay productive with our tips.

Be a Stand-Out Candidate: Remote Work Search | Getting Hired

Be a Stand-Out Candidate: Remote Work Search

For many people with disabilities, identifying themselves as such in the workplace evokes fear of discrimination and stigma. Self-Identification campaigns &ndash; typically referred to as Self-ID campaigns &ndash; are a great way for employers to prompt disability disclosure among their employees and continue to foster a culture of inclusion in the workplace.&nbsp;
Organizations planning to host a Self-ID campaign should provide multiple methods for collecting information from employees with disabilities. This can include allowing employees to self-identify anonymously, perhaps by sending out a general employee survey that includes the question, &ldquo;Do you have a disability?&rdquo; Some may use the U.S. Department of Labor&rsquo;s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs&rsquo; formal <a href="https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/sec503/self_id_forms/selfidforms.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form</a>, while others may have more public opportunities for employees to share personal stories about their disability-related experiences. Regardless of which method an employer uses, Self-ID campaigns have numerous benefits for both employees and employers. Here are our top 5:&nbsp; 
<ol>
<li>They can help employers measure their success in disability hiring.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
<a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/section-503" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Section 503</a> of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities and requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals. To continue to improve employment outcomes, employers must be able to measure their success in disability hiring, which means employees with disabilities must self-identify. However, it is always important to remember that compliance with regulations is only one reason to create an equitable workplace!&nbsp; 
<ol start="2">
<li> They push back against stigma.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
There is a long history of the stigma that comes with having a disability. This can manifest as a fear of disability, the mindset of seeing disability as undesirable, or, most insidiously, as ableism&ndash; discrimination in favor of non-disabled people. By hosting and participating in a Self-ID campaign, employers and employees both seize the opportunity to show that disability is simply another form of diversity, much like gender and sexual orientation. A diverse workplace is a dynamic workplace.&nbsp; 
<ol start="3">
<li> It&rsquo;s good for business.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
According to the <a href="https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_NES_DEI4.0_Toolkit_2020.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">World Economic Forum&rsquo;s 2020 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 4.0</a> toolkit, teams that have a diverse makeup are up to 36% more likely to outperform on profitability and have up to 20% higher rates of innovation. The bottom line is that diversity, which includes disability, outperforms homogeneity. Furthermore, it can be enormously beneficial for an organization&rsquo;s makeup to reflect the population they seek to market to.&nbsp; 
<ol start="4">
<li> They calm fears of disability discrimination at work.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
One of the most common reasons employees choose not to disclose their disability is because they fear negative consequences in the workplace, such as discrimination. By taking a &ldquo;loud and proud&rdquo; stance on disability visibility, employers and employees alike show that they value disability and would not take negative action against a team member with a disability. Self-ID campaigns can take a variety of forms, ranging from anonymous surveys to putting a &ldquo;face&rdquo; to disability and featuring selected employees who self-identify as disabled.&nbsp; 
<ol start="5">
<li> They can be a catalyst for the creation of a vibrant Employee Resource Group (ERG).</li>
</ol>
People are naturally attracted to those they share similar experiences&ndash; the workplace is no exception. Learning about other team members' experiences and disabilities through a Self-ID campaign can be the catalyst for creating a disability-specific Employee Resource Group (ERG).&nbsp;
&nbsp;
There are numerous reasons to host a disability Self-ID campaign. While it&rsquo;s important to know the number of employees with disabilities an organization has, fostering more inclusive workplaces and creating better experiences for all employees is arguably more important.&nbsp;
 
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Discover insightful articles on building inclusive work environments and fostering diverse talent communities.

Five Ways Disability Self-ID Campaigns Benefit Workplace Culture | Getting Hired

Five Ways Disability Self-ID Campaigns Benefit Workplace Culture

Just as it is important to prepare for an in-person interview and/or career fair, it is also important for job seekers to prepare for online career fairs. Online career fair interviews are generally conducted within a short timeframe, which means job seekers must quickly make positive impressions with prospective employers.
Here are some top tips to help you prepare for an online career fair interview:
1. Update Your Resume&nbsp;&ndash; Ensure that your resume is easy-to-read, concise, and up-to-date with recent employment experience and added skills and activities. Additionally, have an electronic version ready to submit to recruiters (in PDF form to avoid digital re-formatting concerns).
2. Research the Companies&nbsp;&ndash; Prior to the career fair, access the list of employers and research to determine which interest you. Learn as much as you can about these companies and their open job positions, including accessing their websites and social media. Think of questions you&rsquo;ll want to ask and the skills you have that align with the companies and the open positions. This will save valuable interview time and help you appear better prepared.
3. Create a Calendar Reminder&nbsp;&ndash; Sometimes when you don&rsquo;t have to travel anywhere, an online event can slip your mind. Set multiple calendar reminders, both days and hours before the event begins. Keep in mind any differences in time zone and adjust accordingly. You can attend our career expo on any device with an internet connection, including your smart phone.
4. Prepare Your Pitch &ndash;&nbsp;Your elevator pitch is important, so spend time determining how you will introduce yourself. Try to include your education, skills, and future goals. This should still be short and to the point, addressing the job you are seeking, why you would be a good fit, and how hiring you would benefit the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;
5. Dress Professionally&nbsp;&ndash; Although recruiters won&rsquo;t be able to see you, dressing as though you are in a live interview will help boost your confidence and help you focus.
6. Test Your Technology and Environment&nbsp;&ndash; In addition to preparing your resume, ensure your Internet connection is functioning properly and that the environment is distraction-free. This means trying out the exact location you plan to be for the interview.
7. Drop Off Resumes and Leave a Note&nbsp;&ndash; If &ldquo;lines&rdquo; become long, we provide an option to drop off your resume and leave a note for a company. Take advantage of this feature and make sure you use your elevator pitch as part of the note. All notes and resumes are provided to the employers at the end of the event.
8. Request Next Steps and Contact Information&nbsp;&ndash; As you conclude your interview, ask about next steps in the process and how you can stay in touch. Some companies do have policies about providing their individual information, so don&rsquo;t be offended if they cannot share it with you.
9. Send a Thank You&nbsp;&ndash; If a recruiter does provide you with contact information, or you&rsquo;re able to find it online, be sure to follow-up as soon as possible with a thank you note/email to express your gratitude and further express your interest. This also serves as a good time to remind the recruiter about who you are and your qualifications, as recruiters meet many candidates at online career events. Even if a job is not currently open, a thank you note is usually remembered and noted with your information.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.&nbsp;

How Job Seekers Can Prepare for an Online Career Fair

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*UPGRADE IN PROGRESS* -- CareerCircle is upgrading its capabilities and as a result the system may be temporarily unavailable as we bring new capabilities and infrastructure online to better serve our members.&nbsp; If you receive an error during this timeframe please bear with us as we're working to improve our system and you may need to retry that operation at a later time.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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Be a Stand-Out Candidate: Remote Work Search

Five Ways Disability Self-ID Campaigns Benefit Workplace Culture

How Job Seekers Can Prepare for an Online Career Fair

Be a Stand-Out Candidate: Remote Work Search

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