It’s difficult to stand out from the crowd. Job searching is a pain whether you’re a recent graduate, been out of work for a while, or just looking to take your career to the next step. It’s hard to separate your CV from the dozens, sometimes hundreds of other CVs out there. One of the best ways to stand out from the crowd is to take on extra work in your free time. Freelance work and the so-called gig economy often get a bad reputation. It can be justified but in a lot of cases, it’s just about people trying to earn a little more money or skills on the side.
The internet has altered a lot of things but the employment industry has been truly overhauled. Sites like Indeed and Monster make it easy for companies to get the word out there about new positions. This makes the selection process a little easier and helps get the best candidates for the position.
Of course, companies are using the internet more and more to make business easier. Recruitment is just one part of that. Global companies like Amazon have warehouses all over the world which are linked to secure the best prices for their customers. Firms no longer have to be located in the same country to cater to it. Betway serves the UK gambling industry from its Malta base while other companies are taking this even further by going fully online. Articulate Inc is an online learning company with hundreds of employees and no main headquarters.
Because of the changing nature of the companies themselves, the methods of working have also altered. People no longer have to be in the same place to get business done so we’ve seen a huge rise in the amount of remote work. Depending on the industry and skill set, many workers can use their abilities to earn money online from companies thousands of miles away.
But remote work can take many different forms. Some jobs are location-dependent. Firms like Uber allow freelancers to earn a little extra cash on the side if they live in select major cities across the world. The issue is that this won’t boost your CV unless you’re looking for employment as a driver.
Many more jobs can be worked just about anywhere on the planet. True remote work only exists in certain skill sets and industries. Some of the most common are programming, digital marketing, and accounting. These require rather specialised skills but people don’t need to be in the same place to get the job done. People who are looking for a career in one of these sectors should certainly be looking for relatable remote work if they aren’t already.
But it’s not just about finding remote jobs specifically related to your dream career path. Very often, your applications will benefit from having experience in fields which are loosely related to that favoured job.
Remote work can help fill in the gaps in your CV. If your dream job requires a certain skill or level of experience in something which you don’t currently have, remote work is a great way to change that. Obviously, you’ll be looking at companies from across the world so you’ll have a far greater choice. Remote employees will be far likelier to take a chance on a worker with less experience than a traditional company would.
There are drawbacks, of course. The pay is often poor, especially at entry-level jobs and then there are unique problems which come with working with multiple employers. Each will have their own preferred practices in terms of the work itself as well as deadlines, hours, and payment structure.
But many people look beyond that. Full-time freelancers are becoming more common with each passing year. Once workers have built up a solid number of contacts, the pull to going full-time can become too much. Full-time freelancers often lack security but make up for that with complete freedom to decide their own hours and employers.
It’s a highly competitive job industry today. People from all over the world are competing for the same positions and companies are making the best of technology. The onus is on jobseekers to do the same and remote work is a good way to do that. You can get the edge on the competition and even fill in some of the blanks in your CV. You may even find a long-term career out of it just by trying something a little different.