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Trying to find a legitimate work-at-home job can be daunting. It takes time and effort to sift through all the scams to find the perfect opportunity for your skills and experience. Then you’ve got to keep track of the jobs you’re interested in, put together all of your application documents, and jump through the hoops of the application process.
Finding a job takes a lot of time and energy, no matter what type of job it is. But, these days you can use apps to help streamline the process. Here are nine apps you should install on your smartphone. They can help you find open positions, organize your documents and details, and build your network to support you in your search.
With the right apps, your smartphone can become your best tool in the job search process. These are some apps I recommend to help your job search:
Apps to Help You Find a Remote Job
These three apps allow you to quickly find potential jobs while you’re out and about. You won’t need to be tied to your computer in fear of missing out on an opportunity:
Indeed. This is a favorite job board among work-at-home agents. They also have an app available for both Android and iOS. Get notifications of new jobs. Save jobs for later. Apply by phone with your Indeed resume.
LinkedIn Job Search. Though not exclusive to remote positions, the LinkedIn Job Search app allows you to search for work-at-home jobs. After you install the app and sign into your LinkedIn account, you can begin searching for positions.
In the search bar, use words such as remote, virtual, or work from home to help narrow down your search results. You can use the X to close out of the location option to maximize your results or enter the name of a nearby city. Some remote positions do require you to live within a certain distance, so this might give you more relevant results.
You can also create a job alert so you are notified when a new job that matches your search is found. This can help reduce the amount of time you have to spend searching.
CSmart from Craigslist. Like any other job boards, there are scams on Craigslist. Make sure you do your due diligence in vetting possible jobs before sending them all your personal information. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
The biggest benefit to using the Craigslist app as opposed to the desktop version is how easy it makes it to switch between cities. Major US cities, such as New York City, Houston, and Los Angeles often have more remote possibilities listed than a less populated area. Being able to search them quickly streamlines your job search.
Once you pick which city to start with, you can look in both the Jobs section and the Gigs section. From there, the search process is very similar to the desktop version. You can use the keywords mentioned above to help find the jobs you’re interested in.
Networking & Communication
Even though you work from home, you can’t be completely isolated. Not unless you want your search to fall apart, that is! No one works in a vacuum, not even remote workers. Networking and communication are both essential — for finding the job, of course, but also after you’re working from home.
- A social media site designed with the business community in mind, LinkedIn makes it possible for you to connect with influencers in your field. You can create posts, comment on posts from other people, and start to build relationships with those who you’d love to work within the future. Make sure you get a professional headshot and take some time to complete your profile. You want to make a great first impression!
- When you apply for jobs, you’ll almost certainly need an email address. Make sure yours is professional, and not leftover from your crazy high school days with weird nicknames and unusual spellings. If you have a Gmail email, use the Gmail app on your phone. It works so much smoother than the built-in mail app. Once you have it connected to your account, you can send and receive emails easily from your phone.
- The interview process for remote positions often involves a video call. There’s just something about seeing someone that allows recruiters to get more information than they can from email exchanges. Skype is often used, so get it installed and learn how to use it. That way you’re ready to go when it’s time.
Organizing Your Job Search
When you’re looking for a job, it can become overwhelming. You have to keep track of:
- The jobs you want to apply for
- Any special requirements for each
- All the paperwork
- Due dates for applications
- Contact names
- Next Steps
- Follow-ups sent
- Dates for interviews
It’s a lot! And that’s not even necessarily every single thing you’ll have going on. But no matter how complex your search becomes, these apps can help keep everything organized.
Think of Evernote as a virtual binder system. You can easily create notebooks and store digital files. It’s a great place to store your resume, cover letters, and a screenshot of each job you apply for.
Once you create your account you can access your file across all your devices, so you’ll always have what you need. If you don’t love Evernote, you can try Google Keep as an alternative.
Trello is getting a lot of buzz these days, and I’m starting to see why! Once you find a job you’re interested in, Trello is a great place to keep track of it. You can create a card for each position, and break down the requirements.
You’ll be able to tell at a glance what you need to do for each job, and moving each card to the next position is simple and actually kind of fun. This way you won’t waste any time in your application process. Check out how I use Trello for work-at-home job search progress here.
Any.do. Job searching isn’t the only thing on your to-do list, so you need a way to keep track of everything. Any.do syncs between your devices, so you’ll always see what you need to do next.
There’s a calendar feature, making it easy to add tasks by date and quickly see what’s on your agenda for each day. It’s simple to use and will help improve your productivity so you have more time to work on finding the remote job of your dreams.