1099 vs. W-2 Employees: How to Choose for Your Business

Every business owner is responsible for deciding which category of employees to hire: W-2, or 1099 contractors. In order to find the right person for the job, however, you need to understand what each designation means and how it will impact your business and the person you’re hiring. In this post, we’ll take an in-depth look at 1099 vs. W-2 employees and help you determine which designation is best suited to your needs so that you can start bringing on new employees or contractors with confidence!

The Difference

W-2 employees are employees who work full time and receive a paycheck from the company they work for — there are cases where people work part-time as well, and their taxes, social security, and other benefits are taken care of by their employer. Employees also have access to things like health insurance and vacation time while 1099 contractors do not. Independent contractors are simply hired on to complete specific tasks or projects. Another key difference is that you can deduct expenses related to providing a service (such as software used) from your income when you work with an employee but not when you use a contractor — which means that if your business has high operating costs, it might be beneficial to consider hiring someone as an employee instead of using 1099 contractors because of the tax benefit.

The Pros and Cons

W-2 employees have a set salary and are typically eligible for benefits, such as health insurance, 401k and life insurance. A 1099 contractor can be paid by the hour or on a project basis, which means they’re responsible for their own taxes and don’t get benefits. Some businesses prefer to use 1099 contractors because they’re more flexible and can be terminated at any time without notice, while others may want the stability of a full-time employee. The decision comes down to what you need in your business at this point in time and how much work you want to put into managing payroll taxes and benefits packages.

How to Choose

When choosing between a 1099 contractor and a W-2 employee, there are many factors to consider. It’s important to know the difference between the two because you need to make sure that you follow all IRS regulations about classifying someone as either an independent contractor or an employee — failing to do so could result in heavy penalties down the road. You can find more details on the IRS website HERE that will help you learn how to classify the different types of employees.

Another factor to consider is whether you have the resources and ability to offer benefits such as medical insurance, paid time off, and retirement contributions on your own. If you don’t, then it would be more beneficial (and less costly) to hire an independent contractor who may be covered under their spouse’s plan or who can provide their own benefits. 

An additional factor to consider when deciding between a 1099 contractor and a W-2 employee is what type of work they’ll be doing. If the job includes constant work that is repeated regularly, an employee is a good choice for this position because they are less likely to turn over and will be able to complete the job as scheduled. If the job includes more one-off projects, that is where a contractor can be very beneficial. 

What to Include in Your Job Descriptions

Here at HireMyMom, we often see some confusion surrounding W-2 and contractor positions when listings are posted by companies. More often than not, companies forget to mention which kind of employee they are looking for, and then extra time is spent interviewing candidates that quickly realize they do not want the job because they were looking for a W-2 position OR a contractor position. We recommend mentioning up front in your job listing what you are looking for, which includes if you want someone to start as a contractor that you hope to convert to a W-2 position in the future.

Sometimes candidates are applying to multiple positions or they just miss that you mentioned that in your job description (it’s happened to all of us!). When you reach out to a potential candidate make sure to disclose again what you are looking for with regards to hours and type of position. It’s also best practice to again mention this in the interview just to make sure everyone is on the same page.

 

Disclaimer. The information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this site without seeking legal or other professional advice.

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A New Year, a New Look: Exciting Projects on the Horizon

As we enter into a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the successes of the past year and to look forward to exciting projects that are on the horizon. We are eager to continue building on our past successes and strive to take on even more ambitious projects in 2023. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the exciting projects that we have lined up for the coming year.

2022: A Year in Review

What a crazy year it has been! Does anyone else feel like they blinked and it was over? Lots of new projects came and went that were front and center — and some that were behind the scenes! 

At the beginning of the year, we started off by offering two master classes for small business owners and job seekers. We quickly realized that it’s hard to coordinate classes with everyone’s schedules! That’s when we converted it to Cultivate, an online course that you learn on your own time which includes a one-on-one coaching session with HireMyMom founder Lesley Pyle!

We worked with some wonderful moms to create video testimonials that we just added to the website, perfect to start off the new year with!

Our own team changed with a few long-time friends switching to full-time moms and a few new friends that we onboarded. We also implemented a program to help you get to know our team by sharing information about them on our social channels to commemorate work anniversaries, new additions, and just fun bios for you to better get to know the folks behind HMM.

We started a brand new TikTok channel — check it out and give us a follow! We will share tips, highlight some available jobs, and throw in a fun video or two with popular trends (you might even catch us dancing!).

What’s Ahead for the New Year

Coming soon we will be…

…AND LOTS MORE!

Your Suggestions

Thank you so much for being part of the HireMyMom family for the past year — we can’t wait to continue with you into 2023. As always, we value your feedback! What should we update? What should we add? What should we remove? Reach out and let us know! We would love to hear how we can offer more classes, tweak current services, and expand our offerings to grow with you; let us know what resolutions you’re setting and how we can help you achieve those. Happy New Year!

 

 

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How to Convert Your Side-Hustle into a Full-Time Career

The most fulfilling jobs allow you to do what you love. And if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. If you’re passionate about your hobby, whether it’s knitting hats or visual arts, the thought of turning it into a full-time career can be thrilling, especially if you’re burnt out.

With that said, turning your hobby into a worthwhile venture requires a long list of steps and a great remote work-specific resume (if you’re applying as an employee). Even so, it’s still very possible to pursue a high-earning career with your hobby if you plan ahead and take it slow.

What Side-Hustles Can Earn You Money?

Virtually any hobby in any industry could earn you money, but some careers are harder to pursue than others. Take streaming on Twitch, for example. A recent Twitch hack showed that 25% of the top 10,000 highest paid streamed don’t make minimum wage through subscriptions. 

While streaming video games isn’t fruitful, writing, for example, can be if you’re in the right industry. Content writers can make $50,000 or more per year, whereas authors have to write between 1 to 15 books to make the same amount per year, and only if they’re lucky. 

You should also consider hobbies that could lead to other opportunities in your current industry. A journalist could shoot an aerial drone video to improve their articles or news-related media.

Here are a few side-hustles that could be turned into well-paying careers:

  • Illustration and Design
  • Photography or Videography
  • Teaching or Writing Music
  • Cooking or Opening a Restaurant
  • Selling Indoor Plants or Gardening
  • DIY Crafts or Creating Journals
  • Writing Comedy Skits on Youtube
  • Brewing Beer or Coffee
  • Walking Doors or Pet Sitting
  • Visual Arts or Dancing on TikTok

Typically, a person who pursues a hobby as a career will start as a freelancer or remote worker, but that isn’t always the case. For example, you could get hired as a dog sitter for a vets office, as a line cook for a local restaurant, or as a beer brewer in an established craft brewery.

How to Turn Your Side-Hustle Into a Career 

Many fields rely on your hobby of choice; you just need to stay vigilant when applying for work or building your business. 

Here are the 5 steps you should take to turn your hobby into a career.

1. Research Your Career Path and Make a Plan

Spend time researching your hobby, the barrier of entry to each career choice, and average salaries and employment rates. Consider speaking to another career professional for advice about getting into your field. If you’re lucky, your industry may benefit from your chosen hobby. 

If they don’t come up with an exit strategy. If you want to leave your current career in a year, list out a set of tasks that get you there, such as training, building a website, and/or networking. 

2. Iron Out the Details (and Consider Your Options)

After setting up a game plan, be sure to iron out the details. If you want to be a police drone pilot and you’re already an officer, ask yourself who you need to talk to or what certification you’ll need to move into that role. If you aren’t an officer yet, you may want to consider other options.

If becoming a police drone pilot is your dream, nothing should stop you, but it’ll take a long time to get there. However, you can be a drone journalist without a degree and perform a similar role. 

 

Cristina Par is a content specialist with a passion for writing articles that bridge the gap between brands and their audiences. She believes that high-quality content plus the right link-building strategies

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‘Tis the Season to Say No: 3 Tips for a Less Stressful Holiday

Working during the holidays can be exhilarating, but more often than not, it’s also stressful, tiring and overwhelming. If you find yourself constantly overbooked or doing more than you should to make sure the holidays are perfect, it’s time to get some perspective and say no to some things so you can enjoy the holidays and your family more fully. Here are three tips on how to balance work and the holidays so you can create a less stressful holiday season and still achieve all your holiday goals.

1) Prioritize

Create two lists: one list of things you have to get done such as work tasks and a list of things you want to do such as creating crafts with your kiddos. Prioritize these based on your schedule. Now, we aren’t saying you have to give up one to do the other, but it does help to write it all down on a calendar so you can figure out what to do. For example, if you need to make cookies or wrap gifts this week then plan accordingly. If time permits and you are looking forward to making those items, that’s awesome! Give yourself permission to go back and forth between the different lists; if there is time left over at the end of the day then feel free to jump into wants from have-to without guilt. This method helps cut down on holiday stress which means more quality time with family during December!

2) Set Boundaries

We are all guilty of overbooking ourselves and over committing to work projects and holiday parties. If you find yourself in this position, it’s okay to say no to some things so you can focus on being with family and friends during the holidays. Be proactive and communicate your boundaries to others. There is nothing wrong with turning down projects or events when they conflict with important time off during the holidays.

What if I have already agreed to do something? As difficult as it might be, if there are conflicts between obligations that have already been agreed upon, then talk them out openly. If a project is too much work without having time for family or if a party will be too much without also having time for self-care, then there is not enough room in your schedule and you need to let go or renegotiate expectations. You’re not obligated; you’re choosing what matters most to you.

3) Simplify

Work and family should be able to co-exist, but this is easier said than done. The holidays are a time of celebration and togetherness, but it can be difficult to balance work obligations with spending quality time with your loved ones. Sometimes it helps to just simplify your schedule and what you want to do. Do you want to spend the time solely with family? Take off work. Do you want to get a couple of extra work projects done before the end of the year? Block off time where you will only be doing that and nothing else. Just remember, keep things simple and whatever you do not need to do, don’t do it! Save it until next year! And remember, don’t stress yourself out because you do not want to fall ill. Take time for yourself to rest and relax too. 

How do you stay stress free with work and family during the holiday season? Let us know!

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The Top Five Ways to Avoid Making a Bad Hire

At some point, many companies hire someone they later regret. It happens more than you may think. But that doesn’t mean you should let it happen to your business, and there are a few key things you can do to avoid the bad hires. Hiring the wrong person can be costly, not only in terms of the money you spend but also in terms of the time and energy you expend trying to train them or fill their shoes with someone better suited for the role. While there’s no guaranteed way to find the perfect hire every time, these five strategies will help minimize your chances of making a bad hire.

Set Clear Expectations

Define exactly what you expect of a person in their job role. Be clear about the tasks you want them to perform and your expectations for their performance. Write down these expectations so there is no ambiguity. Remember, you cannot control how someone does their job so focus on what they should do as opposed to how they do it.

Show Appreciation

No matter how much you may be in need of someone, do not hire them without first showing that you value and need them. This is especially important when hiring remote employees. Keep in mind that the best way to show appreciation is not by talking about what they can do for you, but rather by letting them know how they will make your company better. When it comes to remote jobs, even small things like sending a quick email or text message or giving them an unexpected high-five through Skype can go a long way in demonstrating that you care about their work and want them around for the long haul.

Define Goals

Start by asking the candidate to define what their goals are for the job. You should be able to tell quickly whether or not someone is qualified based on their goals, and this will also give you an idea of what qualities they’re looking for in their next position. Ask questions that will help you figure out how well they’ll work within your environment: What would you like to accomplish if you are hired for this position?  How do you define success? What were some of your previous jobs, and why did you leave them? After hearing the answers to these questions, ask yourself if you can meet their expectations. If so, then there’s a good chance that this person is worth pursuing further, and it will let you know if they are a cultural workplace fit.

Understand Work-Life Balance

As an employer — especially one who is hiring remotely — it is important to understand a job candidate’s work-life balance. If they are stay at home moms, working around their schedules will be very important. During an interview, ask the job seeker what sort of schedule they are looking for/need when it comes to their work day. They may have different hours during the week and weekends. Discussing these needs beforehand can help create a better work-life balance and avoid any misunderstandings down the line.

Pay Attention to Red Flags

Any red flag you notice in an interview is most likely a reflection of the kind of work that person will perform for your company. For example, if someone shows up late to an interview, that could mean they are not taking the hiring process seriously, and they may be late for company meetings and deadlines. There are other similar red flags to pay attention to: 

  • Is the person constantly distracted by what’s going on in their home rather than focusing on the interview? This shows they may not be able to concentrate on their work.
  • Is the person unable to give specific, detailed examples of past work history? This could mean they exaggerated their job seeking materials and may not have the experience needed.
  • Does the person make remarks that make you uncomfortable or seem overly negative? This could escalate and cause issues down the line.

These are just a few examples of red flags, so we always advise you to trust your instincts. Remember, you don’t want to hire a candidate too quickly, you want the right and experienced candidate that will grow with your company!

What are ways you avoid making bad hires for your company? Let us know! If you’re an employer that’s nervous about the hiring process and about potentially making the wrong decision, check out our Concierge Services! Our experts will complete the entire hiring process for you. With years of experience, they can point out red flags you might miss as well as amazing attributes.

 

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7 Reasons to Set Up a Separate Bank Account for Your Home Business Income

Guest Contributor: Cristina Par

When you start a business from home, your priority will typically be to get it up and running so that you can serve those first customers successfully and start bringing in some money.

Unless you’re particularly well prepared, you probably choose to make use of your personal bank account to take payment for your products or services during this early phase. But eventually, opening a separate business account is a necessity.

To understand why, we’ll talk you through the main benefits that come with having a home business with its own, unique bank account.

Admin is easier

Arguably the top reason for having a bank account that you use for all of your business finances is that this makes it less of a pain to handle everyday administrative tasks, whether that’s calculating expenses, analyzing earnings or filling out your tax return.

If, on the other hand, all of your business transactions are mixed in with personal transactions, it’s a nightmare to unpick everything and keep track of figures. So from an organizational perspective, setting up a separate account is a no-brainer.

Customers will trust you

Home businesses can struggle to win over prospects for all sorts of reasons, and a lack of trust is likely to prevent people from making purchases in the first place, let alone returning in the future.

One red flag is if payments are made to a bank account that’s in your own name, rather than that of your company.

Choosing the likes of a SoFi online bank account will let you overcome this concern, and reassure customers that you’re a reputable operator, even if you’re very new on the scene.

Loan approval is more likely

When applying for a business loan, lots of factors are weighed up by lenders to decide if they should back your commercial endeavors.

Having a bank account for your up and coming company shows them that you mean business, and may even be an eligibility requirement, depending on the bank in question.

The same is true of applying for a business credit card; providers will be pleased to see a business account on your records, and will give you access to better deals as a result.

Credit score is calculated separately

Businesses and individuals have their own, distinct credit score. So if your own credit history is patchy and your score is low, this might stifle your ability to grow your business through loans.

With a business bank account, you’ll be starting afresh, and so you can build good credit here, improving the rates that you’re offered on loans and credit cards.

A separate payment card will be issued to make paying for business expenses a breeze

A business bank account is like a standard account in the sense that customers are entitled to use a payment card to carry out transactions, whether online, at bricks and mortar locations, or while paying independent contractors.

With this card you’ll be able to make sure that all of the money you spend on business expenses is channeled in the right way, linking back into the earlier mention of administrative convenience.

Business debts won’t be a burden on your personal finances

Just as your personal credit score doesn’t need to hamper your business borrowing options, so too any debt that’s attached to your business through your bank account and other financial activities won’t be something you’re liable for as an individual.

It’s this safety net that allows entrepreneurs to justify taking risks and pursuing innovations, without the fear that they’ll be financially ruined if things go south.

You’ll avoid the unseen restrictions of personal bank accounts

Most people don’t realize that their personal account is more tightly controlled than an equivalent business account, often for the simple reason that banks want to incentivize people who start their own companies to open new accounts with them.

For example, a personal account might have a cap on the number of transactions that can be carried out by the customer in a given period. Hit this, and you might be charged extra, or have your account activity limited. It could even be flagged as fraud, which puts more jobs on your plate.

A business bank account is designed with the needs of business users in mind, so annoyances like transaction limits will not get in the way of your day to day operations.

Wrapping up

Business bank accounts are there to serve you as you grow your home business, so it’s better to embrace one sooner rather than putting it off for any longer. If you’re serious about making your company work, you’ll need solid foundations like this to achieve your goals, and the process of finding the right business bank account is easier than you’d think.

 

Cristina Par is a content specialist with a passion for writing articles that bridge the gap between brands and their audiences. She believes that high-quality content plus the right link-building strategies

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8 Fun Activities to Keep Your Kids Entertained During the Holidays

The holidays are a wonderful time when friends and family come together…and your kids are out of school while you are trying to work! We’ve all been there: baking special dishes, keeping the kids entertained, and juggling work. It’s not easy, and over the years we’ve learned a few fun activities that you can give to the kids to keep them busy while you try to work from home. And, if you ever feel overwhelmed, remember there is an entire community of moms around you to offer support! There is lots of great inspiration online, but below are eight of our favorite things to do!

1) Coloring

A tried and true method of keeping your kiddo busy, offer them something to color! You can choose holiday related items, color by numbers, and even coloring puzzle games. Besides scoping out some free printouts online, if you have more than one child, you can also ask your children to draw something, and then they swap drawings to color them in!

2) Reading

If you know you have an important meeting that you cannot miss, make that reading time for your children! They can enjoy their favorite book quietly while you are able to participate in your meeting. If your child is not an avid reader, you can also find audio books for them to listen to, or you can also search for story times on YouTube where someone can read them a book with visuals included.

3) Baking

Creating delicious treats in the kitchen? Bring the kids! They can help with fun tasks like mixing and measuring. You can even create some plain sugar cookies that they can work on decorating while you put together other things — or you can turn it into a family event, and everyone can come together and decorate.

4) Crafting

Stick with the classics and ask your kids to draw you “hand turkeys” where they trace their hands and turn those into turkeys! Give them paper Christmas trees and let them decorate them with fun things like little pom poms, strings, etc. Or, if they are old enough, they can cut out their very own snowflakes by folding paper into small squares, and then making small cuts into the paper. When they unfold it, the paper will have neat designs that make them look like snowflakes!

5) Movie Marathon

Line up some holiday favorites and let your kiddos enjoy a movie marathon! If you have a long day of work ahead of you, a movie marathon can be just the thing to keep your kids entertained so you can work and attend meetings.

If you aren’t a fan of sitting your kids in front of the TV, let them make their own holiday movies! They can spend the day writing scripts and maybe filming the movies if you have a camera they can borrow. At the end of the day you can all watch the movies together, or the kids can perform the skits they created for you.

6) Scavenger Hunt

If you don’t mind putting in a little extra time, creating a scavenger hunt for your kids can be a great way to get them up and moving whether it is indoors or out. You can hide objects for them to find using clues, or you can ask them to find specific things such as a pine cone — whoever collects all the objects first wins! OR, let your kiddos create a scavenger hunt that you have to follow at the end of the day after work.

7) Clean Your Room Show

Even as adults, we’ve all done this: you go to clean out your living space, and you end up spending time messing around with the things you find! Ask your kids to clean their room and put together all the fun things they find. This can be anything from crazy outfits they’ve styled from their closet to toys they forgot existed that have now been rediscovered after cleaning!

8) Play Board Games

Take a break from work, and get your kiddos off their phones and have them play board games or even card games! If you only have one kiddo, don’t worry! There are lots of card games you can teach them to play by themselves, and you can encourage them to play against themselves on board games for fun. If you’re into apps, you can download some board game apps on your phone where players can choose to play against one another or the computer. By extension, you can also encourage your kids to play video games. If it is a single player game, tell them they have to switch every five minutes with the controller — it can be hilarious and fun to watch what each kiddo does with their time (and it can help foster sharing too!).

If you want more ideas, check out this article. How do you keep your kiddos entertained over the holidays while you work? Tell us about it so we can share it with our audience!

 

 

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How to Successfully Negotiate Pay for a Remote Job via Email

Remote work is great! With a flexible schedule, no dress code, and the ability to work anywhere, there are tons of benefits of working remotely. However, one thing that can be intimidating to some is negotiating their salary…digitally! Oftentimes, you will communicate with your employer via email, and asking for money via email can be very daunting. Trying to craft the perfect virtual message can be nerve-racking, and you might find yourself typing, re-typing, and typing again trying to get the best message down. That is why we have created a handy guide below on how to create an email that you can feel confident about to help you achieve the pay you want!

Research

Before you begin writing your email, research the position and what a typical pay level for it is commensurate with the experience you bring to the table. It’s best to ask for a small range versus an exact amount. For example, ask for $25-$30 per hour versus asking for exactly $33. Remember, this is a negotiation! You also should not offer a wide range such as $25-$45 because that leaves too many options available. Your rates need to reflect the value you bring to the table, so you should be choosing a common industry range that will cover your expenses and skills.

Don’t forget, you can also negotiate for other things outside of pay such as vacation time or even your schedule! Pay is certainly the most common thing asked about in email, but you can always ask for changes to any aspect of your job.

You can also research templates for emails that others have written for positions that are similar to yours. These templates can help you get a feel for how you should structure your email. Once you’ve researched this information, it’s time to write the email!

Sell

The number one thing to do is to sell yourself. You have your résumé and cover letter ready, so now it’s time to show that you can be an asset to the company. There are a few things you should do in your email in order to succeed: 

  • Talk about how excited you are about the opportunity 
  • Share relevant past work experience 
  • Explain what you can offer the company that they may not be able to find elsewhere

It’s a good idea to have the job description handy so that you can call out each piece of it in your email to demonstrate why you deserve a certain pay level. For example, if the job description asks that a candidate have 3 years of experience working as a virtual assistant, and you have 5 years of experience, call that out in your email and mention your extra levels of experience as to why you feel you would like to be on the higher end of the pay scale offered.

It can be easy to get lost in the weeds with all this information, though! Take your time. Write everything down you feel is relevant. Then go back and take information out. Keep your email short and to the point. You can just say you have 5 years of experience; you do not need to take time to list out all the places you worked and what you did at each, for example.

Proofread

You’ve researched pay, written your email, and now it is time to proofread it. Read it a few times to check for grammatical errors. It helps to read it out loud to yourself to catch any potential mistakes — and to make sure that it makes sense! You can also ask friends or family to read it to get their feedback. If you’ve spent a lot of time drafting this, make sure to step away from it for an hour or so before sending. Then you can look at it with fresh eyes one last time before hitting send.

Respond

Remember, this is a negotiation! An employer might immediately accept the range you asked for and offer you something in that. Other times they might want to try and talk you down from that range. Be prepared that they may not accept your first ask. If they come back with a number you are not happy with, respond professionally and again highlight what you bring to the company that others do not with your specific experiences. You can also cite sources here if the pay range is less than industry average, for example, to show the company why you are asking for a specific range.

You should also not be afraid to ask questions about the negotiation! Ask the company why they want to give you the amount they are offering. Ask if they provide raises in the future and what a timeline would look like for that. This is not one-sided — it’s a two-way conversation between you and the business to figure out what works for you both.

Have you successfully negotiated pay via email before? Tell us about it so we can share your tips with others!

 

 

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How to Prepare Your Resume for a Remote Work Position

Guest Contributor: Corissa Peterson

Working remotely has become common and acceptable in the last few years. According to Forbes, 97% of people working from home don’t want to go back to work at the office, and an increasing number of companies offer either fully remote or hybrid positions. 

But if you’re looking for a job that lets you work from home, you’ll need to prepare a resume tailored for a remote position. Hiring managers want to know that you can handle the challenges inherent to remote work, so it’s important to make sure your resume demonstrates your qualifications.

In this article, we’ll show you how to customize your resume for an out-of-office job:

Tailor your resume introduction

An effective resume introduction can determine whether a hiring manager looks closer at your resume or simply skims it. If your resume summary impresses them, they’re likely to give your resume a thorough look. If not, it will probably wind up in the “no” pile. 

Your resume introduction is your first chance to catch a hiring manager’s attention in a positive way.

In this section of your resume, you need to make it clear that you can succeed in a remote position. Think about the job requirements and how your specific experiences and skills mesh with them.

Consider this example of a well-written resume introduction.

  • Award-winning graphic designer with six years of experience working remotely to create logos, product illustrations, ad graphics for print and digital assets, and web design. Work independently to develop graphics using Adobe Illustrator, Canva, and Affinity Designer, collaborating with others via Figma and Trello as needed

Remember that the hiring manager will see this short paragraph first, so you need to make every word count. 

If you need help crafting a strong resume introduction, consider using an online resume builder. Resume builders can help you write an industry-specific resume summary that pairs your experiences with the job requirements.

Demonstrate your remote work skills

For a remote job, employers want to know you can work effectively outside of the office. To show them that you’re capable, you need to demonstrate your remote working skills. 

Make sure to showcase both hard and soft skill sets that are relevant to remote work. Hard skills are specific skills you’ve acquired through hands-on experience or training, like use of specific software. Soft skills like time management are also incredibly important for success as a remote employee. 

If you can demonstrate that you have both the hard and soft skills necessary to succeed in a remote position, hiring managers will take your resume more seriously, and you’ll be more likely to get an interview.

Remote work hard skills

Employers will be more willing to consider you for a remote position if you already have the necessary hard skills. Often, this means familiarity with specific software, including project management tools and team collaboration platforms. 

Showing employers that you have these skills demonstrates your added value, and lets them know that they won’t need to invest a lot of time training you in new tools. 

Here are some examples of hard remote skills to include in your remote work resume:

  • Asana
  • Trello
  • Scoro
  • WorkZone
  • HubSpot
  • Zoho Projects

By including these hard remote skills, you can show the hiring manager that you’ll be ready to jump in and collaborate with their team and start making valuable contributions immediately.

Remote work soft skills

When it comes to hiring people for a remote position, it’s important for employers to know that they’re hiring someone they can trust. If you can show an employer that you’re responsible, trustworthy, and can get work done without their supervision, then you’ll increase your chances of landing the job. 

Some soft skills that show employers you’re a capable remote worker include:

  • Self-Motivation: You need to have the skill of self-motivation to work towards your employer’s goals on your own. Show this on your resume by describing an accomplishment you pursued and completed on your own, like completing a programming course you took to develop your skills and elevate your professional performance.
  • Time Management: Do you manage your time well? Employers want to ensure they don’t have an employee who wastes time. Add this soft skill to your resume by relaying a time you managed a tight schedule calmly and successfully.
  • Communication: Good communication skills will ensure that you can effectively navigate the channel of communication with your boss and colleagues while you’re working remotely to make sure everyone is on the same page. To demonstrate your communication skills, include an example of how you solved a problem using strong communication.
  • Organization: If you work remotely, you must be able to keep everything organized, from your home office setup to your work projects and schedule. To show off your organizational skills, think of a time when you brought order or structure to a messy system. For example, perhaps you introduced an office management tool or streamlined an outdated process.

When people think of including skills on their resume, they usually think of a list under a “Skills” section. And while it’s fine to add your skills here, this section is better saved for industry-specific hard skills and maybe two or three relevant soft skills.

Finding ways to demonstrate your soft skills in your work experience section is a better way to include them on your resume, as this shows employers the context for your soft skills and how you’ve used them in the past to benefit your employers.

For instance, here’s an example of how to demonstrate leadership in your work experience section:

“Led a team of 10 software engineers in creation of a new app, communicating with all team members and across departments to ensure clarity of goals. Project was completed on schedule and under budget and the app received an average star rating of 4.9 and raised revenue by 5%.”

Highlight your remote work experience

Demonstrating your past remote experience significantly strengthens your application, because employers can see that you’re already an accomplished remote worker. 

Here are some tips and examples to help you highlight your remote experience:

Make it explicit

When writing your resume, the most straightforward way to highlight your remote work experience is to explicitly mention it in your work experience section. There are a couple of ways to do this.

  1. If you worked from home or out of a virtual office, write “Remote” instead of listing the location of a job under your title and company name. 

Here’s an example: 

Customer Service Representative

Jane’s Footwear, Jan 2020 – Present
Remote

Making this simple change will draw attention to your remote work and immediately let employers know that you’re experienced.

  1. Describe your remote experience in your bullet points

For example:

  • Worked remotely to answer an average of 100 customer calls each day, providing information about products and services, helping customers with complaints, processing returns, and taking orders.

Consider making a dedicated remote work section

If you have two or more remote work experiences, consider listing them in a separate section titled “Remote Work Experience.” A section like this will draw attention to your extensive remote work experience, and show the employer that you have the capability to succeed at a remote job.

Here’s an example:

Remote Work Experience

Real Estate Acquisition Sales Specialist

Jayden & Lewis Realty

June 2019 – Present

  • Manage sales leads and discover prospective buyers
  • Place calls to possible sellers to understand their needs and concerns
  • Use CRM Daily to stay up-to-date and on task 

Adding a distinct remote work section to your resume will ensure that hiring managers pick up on your experience and take that into consideration when vetting your application, giving you a better chance at winning an interview. 

Quantify your remote work successes

You need to include specific facts and figures to quantify your accomplishments in a remote work setting. Hiring managers don’t just want to know that candidates have remote work experience, they want to know that the candidates were able to perform at or above expected levels. 

Anyone can say generic things about their remote work experience, but when you use numbers to back up your experience, you create a well-defined picture of your abilities. Being exact and including details shows the employer that you can excel in a remote position. 

Add your remote work experiences with precision, quantifying them with facts and numbers, like this:

  • Managed sales team remotely to improve company’s customer service, increasing customer satisfaction by 50%.
  • Created a new company website, collaborating with writers and designers, resulting in a 90% rise in website traffic compared to the previous website.

Adding numbers to your experience helps put your achievements in context for employers and makes your resume more compelling. By making sure to quantify your remote work experience, you demonstrate the tangible benefits you can bring to future employers.

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Corissa is a Career Advisor and Staff Writer at Resume Genius, where she loves equipping others with the tools they need to pursue their dreams. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Philosophy and a certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies.

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The Perks of Hiring People with No Experience

Hiring new talent can be an exciting and frustrating experience, especially if it’s your first time hiring employees. There are so many things to consider, like how much to pay, what benefits to offer and how to keep your new hires from leaving once you get them on board! But, how do you decide which candidate is right for your organization? Someone with years of experience, or someone with no experience? That greatly depends on which position you’re hiring for, but let’s explore the benefits of hiring someone who has no experience — this strategy can save you money and help you foster trust within your organization as you build your employee’s experience.

Finding the Right Fit

When you’re in need of someone to fill a position, be sure to think about what skills they will have that can be utilized at your company. There are many benefits to hiring people with no experience such as being able to train them and mold them into the perfect fit for your company. Plus, there is a lot less pressure on you when it comes time to make a decision because you don’t have any preconceived notions about who they are as an employee which can lead to better decisions. When considering hiring someone who has no experience, make sure they have skills that can be useful at your company and once hired, then take the time to train and coach them so they can grow into the perfect person for the position. 

These skills don’t have to come from direct experience in your industry; for example, if you run a marketing company, a potential candidate could put on their résumé that they have experience working with customers to persuade them to purchase a product from working the floor in retail — they just don’t have direct marketing experience. This is still a skill that can be put to good use at your company! In fact, in this example, this gives that job candidate a unique perspective into what consumers want that may have been previously missing at your business.

They Are an Investment

One of the biggest perks of hiring someone without experience is that they are an investment. A person without experience can be a great asset to a company because it takes time for them to learn and grow. When hiring people with no experience, you invest in them and their future because they become more valuable over time. Plus, there is less turnover when you hire people who have no experience because you build trust and loyalty by showing candidates you are willing to work with them and allow them to move up in your company.

They Are Eager to Learn

Hiring someone without any experience can be a risky move. There is always the chance that they will not be able to keep up, or worse, quit after a week. However, there are plenty of reasons why it might be worth the risk. For starters, you can find people who are eager to learn and will be happy to go above and beyond what is required in order to make themselves valuable. This can lead to your company having an influx of motivated employees who have the potential for growth and education. 

They Bring Fresh Ideas

Hiring people without experience can be intimidating because you don’t know what they’re capable of. But, it also offers many benefits that inexperienced managers might not think about. One major perk is fresh ideas. If you hire someone without experience, they’ll bring a new perspective to the company and help you find new ways to improve processes and increase your creativity. For example, if you have an employee who has been working for years on a particular project or product, they may not see other solutions that could help make the work process smoother and more efficient. In some cases, having an outsider’s perspective on things can be valuable because it’s likely they won’t be tainted by old habits or assumptions that others may be stuck in.

As mentioned before, hiring someone with experience versus no experience comes down to your company culture and the position you’re hiring for. There are benefits to both, but focusing specifically on those with no experience, they can be a great investment for your company! What has been your company’s experience hiring someone who has not worked in your industry? Let us know!

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