How to Get a Job Working from Home
Everyone is looking for WFH or fully remote jobs, and the job market is apparently very strong going into 2023. So why is it so challenging to find a work from home position? With the shift to remote work remaining popular in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the concept of working from home continues to be a growing part of our world.
If spending your day in a home office is your dream, here are a few tips on turning that dream into a reality.
Where to find WFH jobs
When setting out to find work-from-home jobs, it’s important to put some thought into what kind of job that might be.
Being a restaurant server or assembly-line worker obviously isn’t something that can be performed from home, while data entry or graphic design jobs, for example, are a perfect fit for remote work. Other common WFH positions involve answering customer service calls, doing the books for a company, managing social media accounts, or providing medical coding services are just some of the legitimate work-from-home careers.
Here’s how you should start your approach when looking for a remote WFH job:
Assess your skills: The first step in your work-from-home job search, then, should be to assess your skills to see what might be a good match for an employer who’s offering remote work opportunities. When you come across a job description that aligns with your skillset, be sure to adjust your resume to include the most important key terms the job posting is looking for.
Know where to look: When it comes to beginning your job search, there are several great online sites listing work-from-home jobs, including Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and FlexJobs. LinkedIn has also become a popular job posting space, featuring ‘Easy Apply’ job postings that make submitting a resume a breeze. You’ll also want to ensure you have some presence on LinkedIn, with at least a filled out profile resembling your resume.
Know how to look: Most major job sites include tags for ‘Remote’ work so job searchers know the position isn’t ‘On Site’ or ‘Hybrid’. You can also help yourself out by switching the searched region from a city or state to the entire country you reside in. A remote worker can be anywhere, generally speaking. So if you live in Boston, MA, or any other specific location, ensure you change the search terms to simply ‘United States’ to get a whole lot more WFH job postings to pick from.
Avoid scams: Don’t be discouraged by a lack of response after sending what feels like hundreds of applications for remote jobs. Many job postings are automated and forgotten about even after the positios are filled, and others might even be spam postings that simply want to collect your information. Avoid low effort job postings that seem unprofessional, and especially postings that advertise remote work but are in fact hybrid or ask that you move close to the area when you read deeper into their descriptions. 
Finally, always consider what your time is worth. If applications feel outdated, redundant, and are just a major pain to fill out, maybe jump to company postings that feel more modern and efficient. If you are a programmer or designer, also be wary of interview processes that require ‘homework,’ as these can be ploys by companies to squeeze free projects from job candidates. Use your best judgement in these cases, and also consider having a portfolio of past work prepared if you need to provide examples of your skills.
Your work-from-home career
Let’s say you’ve done your due diligence, applied for a work-from-home job, and accepted an offer. What are the next steps to ensure your career is a success?
Since you’re likely to be in regular communication with customers, your employer, or both, you’ll need at minimum a computer and a phone, preferably in a designated workspace in your home.
You’ll need to design your home office space for comfort and efficiency. Make sure you have plenty of storage space nearby, and a door that locks would be beneficial.
Make sure your space has adequate lighting. A 2017 study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that workers whose home office setup included an abundance of natural light reported higher productivity levels, felt more rested and alert, and made fewer mistakes at work. If possible, locate your home office in a location with windows. Just make sure you position your computer monitor so it doesn't reflect the sun's glare.
Take steps to maximize your productivity. Set boundaries with others in the house. Although some of the benefits of working from home include being able to keep an eye on the kids, being close to your spouse, or helping elderly parents, let everyone know when you can’t be interrupted.
Additionally, approach your day as if you worked in an office down the hall from the company CEO. Follow a regular schedule, and dress as if you were around others in the workplace.
Setting up your home office
As more and more companies shift to a work-from-home model or a hybrid model where employees split their time between working in the office part of the week and from home the rest of the time, pay arrangements that include a work-from-home stipend are becoming increasingly popular.
Depending on the employer, work-from-home stipends are designed to cover the cost of products and services necessary to do the job, including Internet connectivity and phone service as well as computers, printers, and conference phones.
Items to consider purchasing with a work-from-home stipend include the YVC-200 Personal or Work-From-Home speakerphone from Yamaha Unified Communications. Its built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 10 hours of portability, making it the ideal device for the home office as well as open workspaces and huddle rooms. This plug-and-play device easily connects to your phone or laptop for a high-quality video conference experience.
If reducing background noise when working from home is important, the YVC-330 Portable USB & Bluetooth Conference Phone is built with SoundCap technology, which includes microphones designed to pick up human speech, not noise.
These are just a few of the possibilities for outfitting your home office. When you land that work-from-home job, Yamaha UC is ready to assist with the equipment you need. Click here to contact one of our experts!