Planning on looking for remote work? Take some time to master the most common remote tools.
There are several types of remote work tools. They vary from conferencing to chat to management tools. Ideally, you will learn at least one tool in each category. If you can learn to use more tools, that's even better. Doing so will help you appeal to employers, making it easier to get a remote job.
A Project Management Tool Like Trello or JIRA
Remote project management tools help ensure that leaders can manage projects. They are designed for when the team is in different locations. These tools help with scoping projects, prioritizing tasks, and tracking progress.
JIRA is one example. This tool was designed mostly for software development. However, its design makes it useful for a range of projects. The tool is agile-optimized, and it uses the Kanban method. This combination makes tracking tasks simple.
Trello is another popular example. It features boards, cards, and lists. It helps prioritize projects and is highly flexible.
A Chat Tool Like Slack or Microsoft Teams
Remote work also requires tools that let you communicate with other members of your team. Chat is incredibly important and replaces most in-office conversations. There are various remote work tools for chat. Microsoft Teams and Slack are the most popular.
Slack is incredibly popular. It was designed to make conversations easy to follow. It also offers extra functionality. You can share files and make calls. Slack can also connect to other apps.
Microsoft Teams combines cloud storage, chat, and online meetings in one tool. It has unlimited chat, including the ability to create multiple channels for conversations.
There are also other popular team chat tools that employers may use. These include Discord and Google Chat. When learning these tools, learn more than just how to do basic text chats. Learn the other features, such as voice chat and sharing files. If the program integrates with another app, learn how to use that integration.
A Collaborative Documentation Tools Like Google Docs and/or Sheets
** ** Another type of remote work tool is one that lets you collaborate on a document.
Google’s products are an excellent option for this. Docs offers word processing, while Sheets offers spreadsheets. They let you collaborate on a document in real-time. They also allow for features like comments and show who made each edit. The entire G Suite also includes Slides for presentations and other tools.
Think of these as Google’s versions of Microsoft Word and Excel. They have similar features, although they are slightly different. They are designed to work online and integrate seamlessly with Drive.
Microsoft also offers online versions of its Office suite. That version is good for collaboration as well.
A Video Conferencing Tool Like Zoom or Skype
While much of remote work communication is written, video conferencing is still important. These video chat tools let you view other team members. They also include useful features like screen sharing or sharing files.
The most common video conferencing tools are Skype and Zoom. Others also exist. Learn how to use the various features of these programs. You should be able to set up video calls and answer them. You should also be able to chat with the platforms. Make sure you know how to share your screen with them. Make sure you can also upload files with them.
Take this skill to the next level and learn screen recording tools as well. These are useful for quick screen-recorded videos or pictures. That is essential in remote work when you can’t show someone something right on your computer in person.
A Collaborative Note-taking Tool
There are many note-taking tools available, many of which allow for collaboration. These offer alternatives to the collaborative documentation apps mentioned.
You could use Google Docs for collaborative note-taking. Another option is Microsoft Word when connected to the internet.
Another popular option is Dropbox Paper. This is a variation for collaboration. It lets you share videos, images, and ideas. It integrates with Slack and Google Calendar. Atom is another platform with collaborative editing. It is less common, however. You will typically find it for coding. However, it is highly customizable, so some companies use it as well.
There are also plenty of other useful note-taking apps. However, most are not collaborative by nature. Evernote and OneNote are among the most popular.
What to Do With Your New Skills
Want to take your resume to the next level? See our article: Perfect your resume for remote work with this guide. You will even find tips for incorporating your skills with these remote work tools into your resume. That advice can help your resume shine and get you an interview.