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How to Find a Remote Job With No Experience

As remote work is becoming more and more popular, there are more and more experienced workers grabbing these job opportunities. By 2025, it’s estimated that 32.6 million American workers will work in fully remote positions. 

So where does that leave you, someone who’s looking for a remote job but has no experience? Sorry to say it, but that leaves you at the bottom of the candidate list. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want to be a top candidate, it’s crucial to know how to find a remote job with no experience. And this is what we’ll be looking at today…

Read More: Dealing With A Lack Of Experience In The Workplace: 12 Best Tips You Need To Know

9 Strategies on How to Find a Remote Job With No Experience

If you want to stand out among the crowd, here are 9 strategies on how to find a remote job with no experience:

  1. Seek out remote jobs that require no experience
  2. Gain as much knowledge as you can
  3. Get familiar with remote tools
  4. Work on the necessary hard skills
  5. Improve your soft skills
  6. Identify related experiences 
  7. Start your online job search 
  8. Build a strong resume and cover letter
  9. Be confident and prepared during the interviews

1. Seek out remote jobs that require no experience

Here’s the thing: You will never make it if you aim for a high role and you have no experience in the field. This is why, to make sure you land a job, you need to look into more entry-level roles. You’ll have to start small. 

The great news is that you don’t have to suffer with boring jobs that pay poorly. To prove that, I’ll go over some of the best remote jobs with no experience required:

  • Remote graphic designer. If you can prove that you know how to make great graphics, as well as understand common graphic software, then your work experience might not matter. The best part is that entry-level graphic designers can already earn $18.44 an hour. Not bad for a beginner role. 
  • Remote customer service representative. Companies looking for customer service reps mostly look into a candidate’s people skills and soft skills, not so much experience. Take note, however, that this is usually in a call center environment. Here, the average entry-level salary is $11 an hour
  • Remote data entry clerk. The job description of a data entry clerk includes accurately inputting and updating data into databases or computer systems. This is administrative work that’s super easy to do, so no experience is usually needed. Plus, you can earn around $18.50 an hour

For more options, read my article 30 Best Remote Jobs With No Experience Required”.

2. Gain as much knowledge as you can

When you find the work from home job you want, it’s time to gain as much knowledge as you can about it. Your goal is to acquire extensive knowledge to make up for your lack of experience. 

Let’s say, for example, you want to become a graphic designer. You already know the basics. To prove that to the hiring manager, as well as show your dedication, you should get a quick online certification. 

Showing this certification in your application will tell the hiring manager that you already know the basics and a bit more. A hiring manager may prefer that to previous experience. 

Read More: 20 Quick Certifications That Pay Well for Work From Home Jobs

3. Get familiar with remote tools

Do some research to see what remote tools are usually used for online jobs. No matter what industry you apply for, some of the commonly used remote tools include:

  • Asana or Trello for task assignments, progress trackers, and deadlines. 
  • Slack and Zoom for online communication. 
  • Clockify and Toggl to track your working hours.
  • Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets to enter data. 
  • Google Drive and Dropbox to share files. 

As early as now, start familiarizing yourself with these tools. This way, you can confidently say that you know how to use them if they’re listed in the job description. 

The team at WWR (We Work Remotely), the number one destination to find and list incredible remote jobs, says:

“While there are several virtual tools 100% remote companies use, most fall under two main categories: communication apps and project management tools. Because teams at fully remote companies don’t work in-house, they need a way to stay in touch.”

4. Work on the necessary hard skills 

This is similar to my previous point. However, the tools you’ll need to start learning have to do with the hard skills of a specific industry. Going back to our graphic design example, the hard skill tools you might need to learn how to use are Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Canva.

If you’re looking to become a digital marketer, then you need to know all about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media management, email marketing, content creation, and digital advertising.

For customer relationship management (CRM), you need the ability to use CRM software like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM. You also need to know how to manage customer interactions, sales leads, and client relationships.

One last example. For entry level programming and coding online jobs, proficiency in Python, Java, JavaScript, or HTML/CSS is crucial. 

You get the point. You may not have any experience in these fields, but you have the hard skills to succeed. This will make landing remote jobs a lot easier. 

5. Improve your soft skills

Here’s a stat you might not know: 57% of employers prefer soft skills to hard skills when looking for new hires. So if you want to stand out, you need to have the most sought-after soft skills. 

But you might be wondering, “What are soft skills?” At its core, soft skills have to do with interpersonal relationships. In other words, skills that allow you to interact effectively and harmoniously with others. 

Alison Doyle, a career expert from The Balance, says: 

“Hiring managers typically look for job candidates with soft skills because they make someone more successful in the workplace. Someone can be excellent with technical, job-specific skills, but if they can’t manage their time or work within a team, they may not be successful in the workplace.”

Here are some of the important soft skills you need to improve so that you can find remote jobs without experience:

Read More: 9 Most Sought-After Soft Skills In The Workplace

6. Identify related experiences 

Just because you’ve never worked in the industry before doesn’t mean you have no related experiences. Take internships, for example.

If you’ve done a few internships related or similarly related to the work-from-home job you want, that can be considered a sort of “professional experience”. You can even do online internships now. 

Another example can be if you’ve helped in volunteer work. Or, maybe you tried studying online and got good grades. This can be a form of remote experience, meaning you’ve tried doing independent work alone and succeeded. 

You can take these related experiences and show the hiring manager that you have a little experience, as well as BIG knowledge, hard skills, and soft skills. 

7. Start your online job search 

After all that, you can now begin your job search. But where in the world do you find little to no experience remote jobs? The answer: job boards. 

This is the best place for job seekers to find and land a remote job with no experience needed. So if you’re looking for legitimate online jobs, here are the best job search websites to check out:

These job search websites are super easy to use. You simply have to create an account, search for the remote role you want, pick from the lists upon lists of job postings, read the job descriptions, and send your application. 

Another thing you should do is create an online presence. A professional LinkedIn profile will make you look more legit. It’ll also help recruiters find you. Plus, some job applications require you to send in your LinkedIn profile. 

Read More: Where to Look for a Job in Australia? The 17 Best Job Sites

8. Build a strong resume and cover letter

Now is the time to put everything you’ve learned and gained into writing, meaning your resume and cover letter. Industry research discovered that recruiters only look at your resume for 6 to 8 seconds. So you’ll need it to stand out in the first few seconds. 

To do that, here are some tips for having a strong resume and cover letter for a remote job despite your lack of prior experience:

  • Carefully read the job description. Focus on what skills the employer is looking for. Also, do everything that you’re asked to do, i.e. answering questions, putting the right subject line, etc… The WWR team also suggests that you grab the industry-related keywords used in the job ad, and sprinkle them throughout your application documents. This will show that you read the job description and are not just mass applying. 
  • Use a functional resume format. The functional resume format focuses more on skills rather than experience. And since you have no work experience to boast about, you’ll want to boast about the relevant skills you can offer. 
  • Focus on achievements and results, not tasks. If you’ve done internships or volunteer work, it’s a good idea to list down what you’ve achieved from it instead of what you did. The same is true if you work well independently through your online studies. Remember, the task is not what’s important, but what you’ve achieved through hard work and dedication. Check here how to include volunteer experience on a resume.
  • List down your education. This is another important part of your resume and cover letter. This is where you can put down all the certifications you’ve gained. In your cover letter, you can even add a short excerpt of what you’ve learned. 
  • Keep it short but sweet. Remember, you only have 6 to 8 seconds to impress. If you send an essay-long resume and cover letter, I guarantee you, the recruiter is not going to bother reading it. But if you keep it short and have all the important details top and center, it just might catch their attention. 1 to 2 pages is the ideal number. 
  • Proofread. If you want to show that you have great attention to detail, you shouldn’t have any typos or grammar mistakes in your resume and cover letter. This could show unprofessionalism. So before you submit your application, always take the time to carefully proofread it. 

Here are some of my resume articles you can check out:

9. Be confident and prepared during the interviews

Let’s say you’re shortlisted to do an interview. Congrats! This is the time when you really need to impress. However, if you’re confident and prepared, then you should be fine. 

Here are some tips to consider before your interview day arrives:

  • Prepare for common job interview questions. This can include “Tell me about yourself?”, “Why do you want to work for this company?”, “What do you consider your greatest achievement?”, etc… 
  • Get ready to answer questions about your hard skills and soft skills. For this, I’ll suggest you write down the most relevant ones you have. From there, pick out the best examples of you using these skills to accomplish something. 
  • Research about the company and position. One survey showed that 47% of recruiters reject a candidate who didn’t know much about the company they were applying for. So to avoid this, do your research. 
  • Do a mock trial. If you’re particularly nervous, it’s a good idea to do a mock trial. Have a friend call you up on Zoom and ask you interview questions. Let them rate your performance and find ways to improve it. 
  • Prepare questions of your own. This is a good way to show that you’re interested in the job. Questions like “What is the company’s objective?” or “Can you show me examples of projects I’d be working on?” are great ways to show you’re there for more than just the pay
  • Since you’re applying for a remote job, you’ll most likely be doing a virtual interview. So always make sure that your webcam and mic work. You should test it a few hours before the interview. I mean, you don’t want to scramble to set things up while the interviewer is there already. 
  • Have a professional-looking background. Find the best place in your house that doesn’t have so much clutter. A plain, white wall for a background will do. 
  • Stay focused and visibly engaged. In a virtual interview, it’s easy to have your mind drift away. Your eyes will stop making eye contact with the camera, and it will seem like you’re not listening. So whenever the interviewer is talking, nod your head to show that you understand. Ask questions. Taking notes is also a good sign that you’re listening intently. 

Final Words

Yes, you’ll have to work extra hard to land a remote job if you’re without prior experience. But don’t worry. If you follow these 9 strategies on how to find a remote job with no experience, you’ll be able to see success. Good luck!

About Author

Founder of Eggcellentwork.com. With over 20 years of experience in HR and various roles in corporate world, Jenny shares tips and advice to help professionals advance in their careers. Her blog is a go-to resource for anyone looking to improve their skills, land their dream job, or make a career change.

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