Getting to my current role didn’t happen overnight. Neither was it an easy process – it took me some time, and I went through many sleepless, sad nights. I actually cried at one point (okay, multiple points) because I wasn’t sure if I would get what I was aiming for. But eventually, I did – and so can you. Below, you can learn more about how I got my ideal job working from home.
I figured out what I wanted in advance
This may sound cliché, but after I left my job in 2019, I set some time aside to write down what I needed from my ideal job in the future.
I’m not going to get all wOo-WoO or mystical on you, because it wasn’t about “sending my energy into the universe” or anything like that. Although, if that’s you’re thing – keep going with it!
Writing down my wants and needs helped me to have a clear picture of what I was aiming for, what I needed to work towards, and what I needed to do to get there.
For example, I realized that certain things would make me feel satisfied, or content, in my next job:
- Having a specific minimum salary
- Having specific benefits
- Working from a specific location (spoiler: fully remote)
- Not doing certain kinds of work
- How I’d like to grow in the role
- Feelings of competency – at least for a bit
I likely could’ve become even more specific, but I was also worried that I’d limit myself (there is such a thing as too specific).
It took me about 8 months – from the time I quit my freelancing gig to the time I found my newest role – to find the job that met most (if not all) of the criteria I listed. 8 months is a bit longer than I had anticipated, but I still got it.
I gained the necessary skills
All of the time that I was unemployed, I wasn’t just sitting on my butt (well, I’m always sitting on my butt) – point is, I wasn’t just doing nothing. I was working on gaining the skills that I needed.
Well, to be fair, I did start working on some of those skills before I figured out what I had wanted. But I continued to work on improving myself.
For example, I knew I wanted to get into a SAAS company, but I needed to get my foot in the door. A few months after I had quit my freelance gig, I was able to get into a SAAS company (a call center – one of the easier jobs to get into), which helped me to gain even more of the experience I needed.
I brushed up my résumé and interview skills
This may be obvious, but it is very important – you need to learn how to sell yourself.
Sales are important in any role, especially when it comes to securing a new one. The new job doesn’t know whether or not you have what it takes, so you need to convince this new employer that you have either:
- The necessary skills and experience to know what you’re doing
- That you can take your past skills and experience, and successfully apply it to the role
Although the points above seem similar, the difference there is either you can prove you already know what you’re doing, or you can convince them that you can easily learn what to do.
Another important part of interview skills is being (or appearing) relaxed. Relaxing as much as you can during the interview will help you not to appear desperate, and help you to appear more confident.
I’ve found this very weird phenomenon happening – I tend to get a job when I already have one. Because I already have a job, I’m not as nervous if I don’t get the one I’m applying to, and allows me to relax. When I already have a job, I’m also able to:
- Truly consider if the position is something that’ll work for me
- Have the confidence to turn it down if I feel that it won’t
- Not feel pressured to be perfect in the interview, which helps to calm my nerves
I interviewed them
This may feel counter-intuitive, but I definitely felt a lot more relaxed (and confident) when I was able to put the employer in the hot seat.
This doesn’t mean that I was arrogant or thought that they were too good for me. But it allowed me to ask genuine questions and get a feel for the role to ensure I wasn’t making a mistake. I’ve found that many employers appreciated that – by asking questions, they were able to see that I was truly interested in the role. And that’s what they also want – someone who’s interested in the role, and considering whether they themselves fit the role.
📢 Tip: Always ask questions during the interview.
I job hopped
Well, this point is less about the job and more about the salary. 🤷🏾♀️
It doesn’t always look the best on résumés, but one of the best ways (that I’ve noticed) to increase my salary was to job hop – at least until I’ve found something I liked (in this case – my ideal).
For example, I was at 1 job for about 3 years before I left. The next job, I was there for about 3ish months. After that, I followed the steps above, and found the job that I’m currently satisfied with. Some experts have shown this is the best way to get a pay increase as well.
Within the span of 8 months, I job hopped and was able to increase my earnings by a significantly large percentage. Yes, I had to bold significantly, because it really was very significant.
Job hopping is scary, especially when you’re in a comfortable, stable job. But honestly, when you have an ideal in mind (or create one) and realize that your current role isn’t going to give that to you, it’s time to take a risk.
Of the tips I gave above, which one would you need to do to get started finding your ideal job working from home? I’d love to hear if you found any of the tips useful, or if there are any you’re planning to try. Let me know how it goes for you!
Ready to get started finding your ideal role? Check out this post to find jobs working from home!