Admit it, you’re often dreaming of the perfect job. It just has to be out there, right? And when you’re having another one of those days, needing to suffer through traffic jams or muster the energy to deal with that one otherwise pleasant colleague who likes just to yap-yap-yap, the chance at the perfect job could be crucial for saving your sanity. And on those days, we’d lay bet that you’re dreaming of a job that can be done remotely – heck, that’s probably why you went through our open job positions in the first place. And indeed, here at clovio we pride ourselves on our flexibility when it comes to home office work; it’s the best way to combine working efficiently with the convenience and comfort of working from wherever you want.
But slow down just a sec, before it’s possible to enjoy all the benefits of remote working, you and any other candidates first have to go through an application process, and with jobs conducted online that can mean some surprises if you aren’t familiar with how they work. Thankfully, though, the whole thing isn’t any more complicated than applying for a regular job; in fact, all you need to do is get familiar with the know-how of online jobs and you may soon land yourself in that dream position after all… maybe even listening to us yap all day instead.
Things to Pay Attention to During Online Job Application
The Resume’s Content
One of the most important rules of any application process is that every time you apply for a new job your CV has to be tailored accordingly. Thankfully, with resume builders content can easily be copied from past resumes and pasted into new ones, making it a breeze to then customize your resume for each of the positions you’re applying for. This is a huge asset in putting together convincing CVs in a jiffy, but when it comes to information that doesn’t change – your degrees, for example – make sure that it remains consistent on all CV versions, as well as on your LinkedIn profile.
Grammar and Format
It’s not newsworthy to say that having a resume free of typos and grammatical errors is just as important as the CV’s content. This is why it’s such a good thing that many resume builders come equipped with built-in spellcheckers to pick up on any issues and prevent you from sending in an unprofessional resume. But this is not the only way in which these programs will help you out; in fact, it’s possible to produce the resume in various formats – including .DOC and .PDF – meaning that regardless of your would-be employer’s preferences, it’ll always be possible to match their requirements.
The Application
In most cases applying for a remote position requires little more than a resume and a cover letter attached to a polite, professional email, but you should also be prepared for situations where companies prefer to manage job applications via application forms. Admittedly, filling out such a form can be a pain – it is a time-consuming process – but if you ever created portfolios for recruitment companies or on the best-known job search sites like Indeed.com, CareerBuilder, and the like, then you’ll definitely get the hang of it.
Still, even if it’s possible to bypass this portion entirely by sending the resume directly to employers via email – or even fax, for that matter – it is still considered rude to not follow the proper protocol, and your application might even end up in the bin. So unless the job advertisement specifically states that applications are accepted via other means as well, stick to the online application form.
Tracking the Job
We know how challenging tracking your job applications can be, but it’s by no means impossible. In fact, when you apply via an online form, the system typically sends a confirmation of receipt to your email address. But in any case, it’s a good idea to keep a spreadsheet in which you list all of your sent out applications for yourself, or you could rely on the list of the tailored CVs you created in your resume builder’s account. However, being proactive is usually the most successful way of finding out if your CV has reached the right person, so don’t be afraid to contact the business directly by phone or email.
Professional Presence
Whether you consider the idea of recruiters checking on your online life is iffy or not, it’s still likely that they might perform a background check on you before inviting you for an interview. As such, it’s important to maintain a professional online presence on all your social media profiles and personal websites. That doesn’t mean you have to turn yourself into Mother Theresa, but thinking hard about whether that comment or post will have an adverse effect on your professional career could in fact save you from major hassle later on.
And while we’re on the topic of your online presence, it’s a good idea to think about your personal brand. This is where you can step things up to create a competitive advantage over other candidates. A personal blog where you review the latest movies you watched, the YouTube channel where you vlog about your everyday life, or your profile on a tech community where you help out other technology enthusiasts – these are just a few examples that showcase your expertise and established authority in the fields that you’re interested in. As a matter of fact, when you’re aiming for a position with a company like clovio, where specialism and passion are key requirements, these are some of the things that could indeed get you the job.
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