2020 reshaped the way we think about work, for both the employee and employer. In response to government health recommendations, many companies temporarily shifted to remote work. While some companies are now starting to, or considering, asking their employees to return to on-site work, many more are making working from home a permanent fixture. This could be great news for patients and survivors looking for remote work, or those looking to continue working remotely while balancing work and cancer.

According to a recent article on Fast Company, more than half of workers in the US are currently working remotely, and the number of remote jobs available is trending up. The case for remote work is stronger than ever. Below are some recommendations we have highlighted from that same article on continuing to work remotely and looking for remote work.

Highlight past remote work – If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Having remote work experience under your belt is a very valuable asset when looking for a remote position. Make sure that experience is clearly highlighted in your resume and cover letter.

Use trusted job boards – Stay safe, and avoid work-from-home scams, by looking for work on trusted job boards and specialized remote-work sites.

Negotiate a remote work option – More and more companies are using or considering hybrid work from home models. If your employer decides it is time to return to the office, consider discussing your options. Remote work (full-time or part-time) may be something they would be open to or that could possibly be a reasonable accommodation.

Remote work is here to stay. To help you get started on your job search, Cancer and Careers offers a number of job search resources and tools, including:

• Our Resume Review Service offers free, personalized feedback on your resume from one of our professional career coaches!
• Check out our publications available for order and/or download, in particular our Job Search Toolkit, with a section on LinkedIn.
• You can submit a question to our panel of professional career coaches via our Ask a Career Coach message board. Many people also find it helpful to search through our log of past questions to see if their specific concern has been addressed before or to spark an idea.
• Currently working? Cancer and Careers offers patient-focused webinars through our Balancing Work & Cancer Webinar Series, that addresses many of the challenges of balancing work and cancer. For more information, and to register, click here.