About the author
Thinking back to my first resume, it was appalling. It is not surprising that it took me six months to acquire a remote job. From my mistakes, it’s time to share how to write a resume for remote jobs.
You had to learn from your mistakes because six years ago, there were no remote job coaches or anyone to guide you in the right direction. You’re reading this, so you will learn how to write your perfect resume today.
This is mentioned further in the article, but to stress the point, go for quality over quantity when it comes to applying for remote jobs.
Resume Builders
Before we get into the details, let’s look at a tool to help you create a professional-looking resume. We are big lovers of Canva, and they have an easy-to-use resume builder we recommend checking out.
What’s important is that your resume can be successfully scanned by applicant tracking systems, so make sure you are following best practices.
Highlight Remote Working Skills
Consider the personality traits and skills a company will seek in a remote worker. Good communication skills are essential. Since all of the work will be completed digitally, be tech-savvy. Have strong organizational and time management skills so you can build trust in delivering work on time.
This would be included within the skills section of your resume.
Consider your technical skills, especially your ability to use video conferencing, project management, and messaging tools. Most remote companies use apps like Google Docs, Slack, Jira, Teamwork, Asana, and Zoom.
Highlighting these skills could increase your chances because the company will be at ease knowing you have the experience and will not need to learn.
Don’t have any remote work experience? It’s best not to stress over this because you can spend an hour or two learning the apps mentioned. All of them are free or offer a trial period so that you can register and know in your own time.
Tailor the Resume to the Job Listing
This cannot be said enough times. Do not use a template email for every remote job you apply for. Instead, have a template but tailor it to the job. Thoroughly review the job listing and highlight the required skills, experience, and personality traits. Then, make sure you’ve covered it all in the resume.
It stands out when you’re taking the lazy approach to applying for a remote job. 98% of candidates will do the bare minimum to apply for a job because they opt for quantity rather than quality. Stand out amongst your competition.
Highlight Previous Remote Jobs
Within the experience section of your remote job resume, highlight which jobs were remote. Ideally, it would help if you handed these to stand out so the recruiter can see you have experience working remotely.
Highlight Other Employable Skills
While you should tailor your resume to the remote job, it is also worth adding other skills that make you more employable.
Being multi-skilled will help, and many applicants do not include experience outside of the role they are applying for.
Here’s an example: you’re applying for a customer service role but have sales experience in your last job. Include this because those skills would be valuable, especially supporting potential customers.
Include Keywords Within the Resume
You will likely be up against hundreds of candidates for the remote job, so it is a very competitive job market. Most remote companies use software to scan resumes, shortlisting the candidates with the required skills and experience.
Please review the job listing, highlight keywords based on experience, skills, and personality traits, and include them in your resume. Next, include keywords related to the role and industry the company is in.
Completing this task will drastically increase your chances of being shortlisted. Could you keep it simple?
The resume must be easy to read. While the software might have included you in the interview shortlist, the recruiter will review your resume. Make sure it is easy to scan. No large paragraphs of text; instead, use bullet points.
Do not use wild fonts, colors, and designs, as this will distract the reader from learning more about your work history and experience.
Avoid graphics and no images; only keep the information that will help you land the remote job. Do you need hobbies and interests in the resume? They add no benefit unless linked to the job you are applying for.
Stand Out From Other Applicants
What is the value you bring to the role? How can you stand out amongst your competition? What makes you unique and the best person for the job? You need to document this within the resume or, at least, within the cover letter.
What’s Next?
Before you submit your resume for the remote job, please take a moment to proofread it. Ask a family member or friend to read through it.
When you’ve spent so much time writing your resume, it’s easy to miss obvious grammar and spelling mistakes. You could use a service like Grammarly to identify issues – they have a free and paid version.
The final task is to print out the job listing and check it against the resume. Have you included the personality traits needed to be a remote worker? What about your skills, experience, and knowledge?
