Work for Good how-to: Seeking remote jobs

(Image: Simon Abrams)

Right now, the job market is in flux. Telecommuting is the order of the day, and though some organizations are still adjusting or planning their reemergence, work is not likely to return to an office setting anytime soon – in fact, chances are that many workplaces, once decentralized, will remain that way even after stay-at-home orders are lifted and the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak is behind us.

Which means that, if you’re looking for a job, chances are you’re looking for something remote.

Currently, the opportunities on the Work for Good job board are all tied to a specific location, and position descriptions may not be updated to reflect the new reality of remote work. However, that is likely to change soon. In addition to the advice we’re giving employers in one-on-one conversations, we’re also producing an article (like this one) encouraging them to reword their listings in light of the global shift in standard operating procedures. 

With that said, you can find remote-work opportunities on the Work for Good site by following these simple steps.

1. Use “remote” in the Keywords text box. Leave the Location text box empty, and this will bring up all the listings where the word “remote” appears in the job description. Note that not all of these will be telecommute positions – some may use the term in reference to clients, end-users, or other aspects of the job. (Note: In the job search sidebar that appears next to job listings, you’ll now see checkbox options for “Nationwide” and “Work from home” listed under “Location;” because this is a new feature, it may take time for employers to begin tagging their listings this way.)

2. Widen your search. Use the keywords you would use normally (eg, indicating your area of expertise or the title you’re seeking), but leave the Location text box empty. If an opportunity catches your eye, navigate to the employer’s site, locate the “contact” page, and send a brief email or form message asking whether they are hiring for their open positions remotely.

3. Revisit often. As the emergency situation approaches the end of its second month, more and more organizations will be in a position to make new working and hiring parameters public, and thereby update their online job listings. As such, we expect a greater volume of “remote,” “work from home,” and “nationwide” opportunities will appear on the site going forward.

Also be sure to set up job alerts to reflect our new circumstances. You can view, edit, and add to your existing job alerts by clicking on your name at the top of the page and selecting “Your Jobs” from the dropdown menu. (Unfamiliar with job alerts? See our how-to guide here.)

To make sure you catch the full range of opportunities available, it’s best to set up new alerts that have the same settings as your existing alerts, but with one or more of these modifications:

• Add the word “remote” to the Keyword field.
• Clear the Location field.
• Check the “Telecommute” box under “More options.” (Note that this might not net any results as of right now, but that we expect it will be increasingly used in job listings going forward.)  

Please know that we’re wishing you the best in these uncertain times, and that we’re here to help your job search however we can. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at hello@workforgood.org.

Marc Schultz is communications editor at Work for Good.

▶ Feeling informed, inspired, and empowered? Now's the perfect time to search for your next job! Or set up a job alert, and bring the search to you.