Gone are the days when you had to spend years or decades at a company before being approved for the flexibility of remote work. Now that once hard-won advantage is expected from the start.
In a recent FlexJobs survey, 40% of Gen Z respondents said remote work options were important to them, and 73% of them consider some sort of hybrid structure as their ideal setup.
Adding fuel to the fire of remote work, 80% of the more than 7,000 respondents across Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X agreed that they were more productive in a remote working environment.
FlexJobs – a career resource site and database specializing in remote and hybrid job postings – recently revealed the Top 10 Entry-Level Remote Jobs for College Grads.
Some of the highest paying entry-level jobs, based on Payscale’s average salary, include software engineer ($93,346), data analyst ($67,302), and territory account manager ($63,617) .
Other openings include customer service, as a business development representative, accountant, recruiter, administrative assistant, bilingual Spanish interpreter and sales representative.
Toni Frana, career expert manager for Niceville, Fla.-based FlexJobs, hopes 2024 graduates will be able to land their dream jobs despite the recent 2% drop in hiring projections for their class . “While the job market remains competitive, there are a wide variety of remote and hybrid career opportunities for new graduates across multiple industries,” Frana said.
“We’ve seen a decline in the number of fully remote jobs, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” echoes Cassie Spencer, a career coach in New Hampshire known as Career Coach Cassie , who also works as a co-coach with Brooklyn-based Eliana Goldstein Coaching. “Exploring different companies, networking effectively, and using a variety of job boards can lead to great success when seeking a remote or hybrid career,” she said.
While certain fields like customer service, accounting, finance, and IT typically offer the most hybrid and remote opportunities, other fields on this list may be more surprising. “However, the increase in remote and hybrid roles in business development and account management indicates that companies recruiting for these positions are aware of young professionals’ desire for flexibility in the way they work,” said Frana.
Spencer encourages job seekers to pay attention to the technical skills associated with the positions and industries included in this list. “Computer science, information technology, data and other more technical roles and sectors are growing, but that also means the skills required to get these jobs are growing and evolving as well,” she said. declared.
If you have your heart set on not working in an office full-time, if at all, remember that you can still find many great job opportunities beyond the aforementioned fields and specific job titles.
Additionally, Spencer pointed out that job titles are incredibly varied in today’s job market and that what one company calls a “customer service” role, another company may call a “customer relations manager” or something. something completely different.
“Researching industry trends can help job seekers determine which job titles are both the most common and which best match their skills and interests,” Spencer said.
Overall, Spencer believes FlexJobs’ results for the fastest-growing and most popular remote and hybrid careers reflect growth similar to what we’ve seen in these areas over the past few years.
Working with a large number of future and recent graduates, the Job Coach also encourages job seekers to use these lists as reference points and explore other sectors, fields and roles that match their interests, skills, experience and training.
Do you want to land a remote position? Here’s how:
Do your research
“If working remotely or hybridly is a top priority, it’s important to learn about companies, not just fields or jobs, that have a strong remote or hybrid culture,” Spencer said. “Discovering companies that are “remote first” or have established hybrid or remote cultures is a great way to expand your job search outside of scrolling job boards. »
Step into the light
In today’s market, it is particularly important that new graduates are visible to recruiting professionals. “That means practicing their networking skills and building relationships with people who are doing the type of work they want to do – and with people who work at companies they would like to work for,” Frana said.
Connecting with professionals and requesting an informational discussion can give new graduates direction and advice from the people doing the work they are seeking. “This can help shape their job search activities, allowing them to be as strategic as possible, so that they can secure a position shortly after graduation,” she said. declared.
Spencer believes networking will always be key to any job search, but especially for anyone looking for a remote opportunity. “Talking with current employees can be a great way to both learn about the remote or hybrid culture the company offers and help you move forward in the job search and interview process » said Frana.
Personalize your CV or cover letter
Young professionals should be sure to tailor their resume and cover letter to each job posting.
“As a new graduate, it may be a good idea to highlight any special projects or courses you have taken that would be relevant to the position,” Frana said. “This helps showcase a skill set that fits a role, even without traditional work experience. »
Be granular
One of the biggest interview mistakes Spencer sees is candidates talking about their experiences too broadly.
“It’s important to provide specific examples and tell stories that highlight your skills and experiences,” she said. “I often work with future and recent graduates who discredit the work they have done. Own the experience you are having.
Be patient
Whatever you do, don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get a job offer fresh out of your cap and gown. Frana points out that it takes time to land a job as a new graduate.
New York Post
