Sure, you’re going to have to show that you are smart and that you can do the job. But you’ll ALSO have to prove that you can handle (and excel in!) the conditions of a remote job, down to the little details. And when it comes to being the “right fit” for a remote job, it’s not so much about measuring up as it is about knowing how to make yourself the most productive and fruitful version of yourself. Without your boss walking by and the office manager checking your timesheet, it’s up to YOU to get your work done. That means you need to be an absolute pro at managing your time, prioritizing tasks, and communicating with your boss and coworkers. You’ll also have to field questions on how you’re going to handle the logistics of working outside the office, from working with your team members to managing your workload and communicating with your boss.
And, if you want to really impress your future remote employer when you answer this question – and in your remote interview in general, don’t miss Leslie’s fantastic blog post “Tech Tips for a Stress-free Video Interview”. And employers want to know because those are the questions that really determine how well you’ll do your job and fit into the team. Alright, so I’m guessing I’ve sold you on the life of the remote worker. But if you’ve been working in a more traditional job or you’ve been out of the workforce for several years, the prospect of landing a remote job might seem overwhelming. To land your dream position, you need to show that you are capable of being productive and committed to being remote permanently. In other words, working from an ad hoc space won’t necessarily work for the long term; you’ll need to show that you’ve created an environment that’s distraction-free.
Best Practices for Effective Remote Presentations (Engage!)
“Even better if you can explain that you’re willing first to seek answers…on your own before asking others,” he says. Including an example of a real project you’ve worked on remotely in the past (if relevant) may also help to strengthen your answer. As lovely as rolling out of bed and into your desk chair might sound, remote work does have some downsides. Working in your home can be distracting (think your roommate’s describe your experience working remotely loud sales calls or your cat constantly walking across the keyboard). It’s also easy to get sucked into doing just one load of laundry when you know your boss isn’t going to walk by and ask you why you haven’t turned that report in yet. Plus, you don’t have colleagues sitting all around you to serve as positive peer pressure to keep working or to provide a sense of camaraderie that keeps you going.
- Use our zoom interview tips to learn how to come across well in virtual interviews.
- Your answer should explain why you want to work from home, and at the same time demonstrate why you are a strong candidate for the job.
- Talk about some specific things that can occur—a friend calls for a chat, the sink is full of dishes, or the kids are home from school—and discuss your specific strategies to limit distractions and stay focused.
- When you’re working in a distributed team, you’re going to run into situations where you don’t know how to do something you’ve been tasked to do.
- This is another excellent example of a situational interview question and the perfect opportunity to use the STAR method.
- Leech advises including a detailed example of how you’ve resolved a conflict in the past.
- There’s no reason why you shouldn’t reach out to your existing employees for referrals, when hiring remotely.
Promising candidates are aware of the various ways colleagues can get in touch with one another and aren’t afraid to learn new methods if it means better results. Employers are looking for thoughtful answers from someone who acknowledges the positive aspects of remote work, along with the challenges. They don’t want to hire someone who will become unhappy when working from home isn’t what they expected. Since there won’t be a boss looking over your shoulder, the employer is asking how you will stay motivated to accomplish your tasks. Whatever your answer, be sure it reminds the interviewer you are a great job candidate. Keep an eye out for more remote positions as the trend continues — or make your own by asking your employer if you can work from home.
What can you contribute to this company?
Even with a great team behind you, you have to take care of your physical and mental health as a remote worker more than you would in a regular office gig. Like I said, it’s not easy for coworkers or bosses to notice the outward symptoms of problems. They don’t see you sitting at your computer until all hours or notice you dragging when https://remotemode.net/ you used to be full of energy. This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with tech, which is so important for a remote worker because you simply have to use tech to work remotely. And it also shows some of your personality and outside interests, which is one way a company can gauge how you’ll fit into a team.
- There’s a good chance you’ll be asked something along the lines of “What can you contribute to this company?” in your next remote job interview.
- Just as you would prepare answers to commonly asked interview questions, you should prepare answers for work-from-home interview questions too.
