You recently released Great Pajama Jobs: Your Complete Guide to Working from Home. How did the idea for this book come to you?

This was a global movement before the pandemic. Workers of all ages had begun to demand more autonomy and flexibility in their work lives, and employers were increasingly hip to the benefits of it.

I had started work on the book a year ago and was just on verge of filing the manuscript to my editor at John Wiley & Sons when we were all sent home to work. I was able to pivot to the new workplace reality.

Today, the genie is out of the bottle. And companies of all sizes and a range of industries have realized that it works and it can be a cost-saver, and many workers never want to go back to the office.

 

What are some of the hottest jobs for remote work right now?

There is a smorgasbord of great remote jobs. These are primarily white-collar jobs. Job titles range from customer service representative to program manager to teacher, accounting (bookkeepers, CFOs, controllers, etc.), administrative assistants, virtual assistants, medical transcriptionists, remote nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, and data entry.

 

What are your top tips to find that ideal work-from-home job?

Show prospective employers how you have thrived in the past as an independent worker and self-starter: how you met project targets, efficiently and successfully worked on remote teams, and more. Showcase your terrific communication skills—verbal and written—along with your ease of circumnavigating the virtual communication platforms.

Network with people you know at remote-friendly employers where you’d like to work. UnitedHealth Group, Kelly Services, Amazon, Robert Half International, GitLab, and Dell are among the leading companies regularly hiring for remote jobs. Xerox, American Express, and about two dozen other Fortune 500 companies have made entire divisions remote.

You might go straight to a company you’d like to work for, maybe even your current employer, and see if it hires remote workers. A good place to start is the career section of the company’s website.

Take the time to research. Online job boards like Flexjobs.com, Remote.co, and WAHVE.com connect employers with workers who are focused on legitimate work-from-home jobs and

prescreen each job and employer to be certain they aren’t scams. Other popular remote job boards to check out are Rat Race Rebellion, Working Nomads, We Work Remotely, Skip The Drive, Jobspresso, Sidehusl, ZipRecruiter, and even UpWork.

Focus on a few employers. I encourage job seekers to put out fewer applications, but for jobs you really feel strongly about. Instead of doing 100 applications, do 10.

Be open to new prospects when you look at job openings. Considering the economy today, you need to reflect on the skill set that you have and see how that can be redeployed outside your current field. Think creatively about ways you can tap your skills in a new-fangled way.

 

What else does your new book cover?

In Great Pajama Jobs, I show you:

• • How to find a great remote job and a great employer
  • How to create a great remote worker résumé
  • Great ways to showcase your skills
  • How to get past the electronic screeners when applying for a position online
  • Best practices to avoid scams.
  • Up-to-date resources for finding a solid work-from-home job
  • Practical work-from-home jobs, with the nitty-gritty details, pay range, and qualifications required
  • My workshop, teeming with information to help you land that perfect work-from-home job, including a résumé revamp, best online job boards for home-based positions, how to beat the automated screening systems, organizing a productive home office, time-management tips, networking advice, tax counsel, and help with saving for retirement
  • A go-to list of great work-from-home companies
  • Advice on how to avoid work-from-home scams
  • A newfound perspective on working from home and what it offers beyond avoiding the typical 9–5 daily commute
  • Tips for collaboration, scheduling meetings, and sharing ideas even when someone can’t meet face to face

In these pages, you will discover the ultimate guide to great remote jobs, where to find them, pay ranges, and qualifications needed. I’ll give you the action steps to take to find a job that works for you and guidance on how to succeed as a remote worker.

Connect with Kerry Hannon:
Email: Kerry@kerryhannon.com 
Website:  kerryhannon.com
Twitter:  @kerryhannon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerryhannon/
Facebook: facebook.com/kerryhannon

Kerry Hannon is a leading expert and strategist on work and jobs, entrepreneurship, personal finance and retirement. Kerry is the author of more than a dozen books, including Great Pajama Jobs: Your Complete Guide to Working From Home, Never Too Old To Get Rich: The Entrepreneurs Guide To Starting a Business Mid-Life, Money Confidence: Really Smart Financial Moves for Newly Single Women, Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy . . . And Pays the Bills, Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness, Getting the Job You Want after 50, and What’s Next?: Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond.