Boulder, CO, August 9, 2022––According to a new McKinsey report, while the majority of workers can now work from home at least part of the time, 41% of employed workers still do not have that option. Fortunately for today’s job seekers, the remote job marketplace is growing, creating robust opportunities for people to find full-time jobs they can do from home. To support job seekers in their search for remote roles, FlexJobs has named eight fast-growing careers for full-time, employee-level remote jobs. These categories grew by at least 45% in the first half of 2022 compared to the second half of 2021.
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“Remote job growth is happening across the board. In fact, at FlexJobs, we saw a 22% rise in remote jobs when comparing the number of listings from the second half of 2021 to the first half of 2022,” said Sara Sutton, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “With job flexibility now a top priority for many professionals, we’re excited to share that remote jobs are on the rise––especially in these key industries––and will likely continue flourishing well beyond 2022,” Sutton concluded.
To determine the top careers with high growth rates, FlexJobs compared the number of full-time, employee-level remote job listings in over 50 categories in its database between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022, to the number of the same type of job listings posted in the second half of 2021 between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. These eight career categories grew at least 45% during that time frame.
- Event Planning
- Travel & Hospitality
- Nonprofit & Philanthropy
- Medical Research
- Communications
- Art & Creative
- News & Journalism
- Legal
While these eight career categories have grown substantially, the career fields with the highest volume of remote jobs currently are those that routinely dominate the remote job marketplace: accounting & finance, marketing, computer & IT, project management, HR, and customer service.
FlexJobs estimates that the average person can save up to $6,000 working at home half the time in a hybrid role and up to $12,000 per year by working remotely full-time.
According to FlexJobs’ career coaching team, full-time, remote openings are one of the most sought-after roles among job seekers. To stand out from the competition and strengthen the chances of landing a full-time, remote position, they advise candidates to stay proactive throughout their application process by using their top five best practices when following up on job applications.
Best Practices For Following Up on Job Applications:
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Time It Right
Before sending an email or calling, double-check and ensure that following up is the right thing to do. They first recommend thoroughly rereading the job listing and paying attention to dates or timelines that may be included, such as when the application window closes. If no window is mentioned, waiting about a week or two before following up on applications is a good rule of thumb. In general, this gives the hiring team enough time on their end to review received applications.
Additionally, avoid following up on Mondays and Fridays. Monday is often a busy transition day as people move back into work mode. As for Friday, if the person doesn’t see an email, it may get buried under a weekend’s worth of emails. Ideally, stick with Tuesday through Thursday for following up on job applications.
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Find the Right Email Address
Send the email directly to the hiring manager—rather than to a general “[email protected]” email address—when following up on job applications. The email address may be posted on the original job listing, but if not, finding the email could require a bit more detective work. Try navigating the company’s page on LinkedIn and clicking on “People.” From there, search for the hiring manager (or someone with a comparable title), and see if they have their email address on their profile.
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Brevity Is Key
Whether calling the hiring manager, drafting an email, or sending a LinkedIn message, try to keep contact as brief as possible. It’s important to keep correspondence short, as hiring managers and recruiters are likely receiving emails and notes from dozens of other candidates as well. A candidate’s email or note should express two key things: their continued interest in the job and a question about when they can expect to hear about next steps. An email and phone template with examples of what to say is available here.
To justify a follow-up, also consider posing a brief question to the employer. If they’re still receiving applications, ask when they expect to start narrowing down their decisions and when interviews will begin, which will give a guideline of when applicants can expect to hear back.
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Let Them Know You’re in Demand
If the company expressed interest but hasn’t been in contact since, try to speed up the process by letting them know other companies are also interested, if and only if that’s true. A candidate can simply state in a job application follow-up email that they continue to be very interested in the position but are also exploring other opportunities––a gentle way to nudge a company along, encourage them to look at an applicant more seriously, and move things along in the process.
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Make Use of Connections & Get Social
Candidates should go through business and personal contacts, including online networking tools like LinkedIn, to see if they know anyone who can help get their resume placed at the top of the pile. Be sure to mention the role and related qualifications for the job, such as education, skill set, and work experience.
Beyond personal connections, consider “liking” the company’s Facebook page and following their Twitter feed. In today’s job market, companies want to find an employee with the right professional skill set and someone who fits in with the company culture. Showing and expressing interest in the company can be done by engaging with them on social media. Follow the company page on LinkedIn and other platforms. “Like” and comment on their posts, as this shows the team a candidate is enthused about what they are doing.
About FlexJobs
FlexJobs is the leading career service specializing in remote, hybrid, and flexible jobs, with over 125 million people having used its resources since 2007. FlexJobs provides the highest quality database of vetted remote and flexible job listings, from entry-level to executive, startups to public companies, part-time to full-time.
