Is your employer calling you back into the office? While some companies (like Airbnb) are going fully remote, others are expecting a return to pre-pandemic normal. If working from home has been life-changing for you, then you might be on the hunt for another remote working role – but how do you create the perfect resume to showcase your remote work experience?
How to Include Remote Work on Your Resume
While a lot more people have worked remotely during the pandemic, the truth is that not everyone functions well as a remote employee. Working from home requires a certain skill set, the ability to set your own deadlines and keep to them, and excellent problem-solving skills. So how do you indicate your remote work on your resume and make yourself stand out as a truly competent remote worker?
As most hiring managers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort through candidates, you need a strong resume file to stand out and impress potential employers. Use a sturdy bio & resume builder and, focus on layout format, keywords, and aim to step into the shoes of recruiters.
But how do you ensure you have a remote work resume? Follow these steps:
1. Add Remote Experience To The Job Title
The job title on your resume is an excellent way to familiarize hiring managers with your remote employment and productivity. Focusing on the title message is a method that allows you to display the exact nature of your work.
For example, add “Remote” or “Work-From-Home” directly after your position, like “Vocational Teacher (Work-From-Home).”
Similarly, if you have experience as a freelance or have worked on projects with related competencies, add to your job title, i.e., “SEO Copywriter – Freelance,” following the companies you worked for.
2. Integrate Details on Remote Work in Your Summary
This section is typically in a bullet list form and provides a concise story of your work experience and how it relates to the position you apply for.
The summary is the first thing hiring managers see as they glance at your resume. Therefore, if you wish to secure a remote job, add details about your employment experience and skills and how they are beneficial to the company.
When you list proven remote experience in your summary, hiring managers will feel confident about your candidature and know you’re a match for their remote work environment.
Examples of how to integrate remote work experience in your resume summary:
- Experienced with deadlines and high-pace working;
- Maintained a work-from-home role for four years;
- Over 5 years of technical writing experience;
- Created 50+ articles for a website with X readers per month.
3. Add Remote Work As The Location
Employment history entries normally include the company’s corporate location as part of the conventional information. Shift the typical format and add “Remote” or “Freelance” to the place where you would mention the company’s city and state. This way shows that various firms put their trust in you to work for their organization from different locations.
4. Devote A Separate Section For Remote Work Experience
If you have enough work-from-home experience, then it is best to create a new section on your resume specifically for this form of work. This allows hiring managers to view you as an experienced candidate who can handle multiple responsibilities and work in a flexible manner depending on the job’s requirements.
Additionally, we advise you to add a “Technology Skills” section that will help you pinpoint remote work tools you have experience using. For example, specify:
- Remote collaboration tools: Zoom, Skype, Google Chat, GoToMeeting, Hangouts, SharePoint, Dropbox, etc.
- Document Software: Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel Outlook), Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.)
- Extra: Salesforce, vSphere, Cisco Catalyst, etc.
❔Do you know which company you will send your resume to? If not, discover the best companies hiring remote workers at our Top 100 List.
5. Include Remote Work In Your Work History Description
Typically, in a resume, you mention what you did in your prior jobs, whereas in this case, specify the responsibilities you’ve taken off-site.
For example, with a job that became remote due to the pandemic, mention how you thrived under the challenging circumstances and how you adapted to the dynamic environment.
For instance, for a project management position, when thinking about how to write remote work on a resume, consider something like, “Managed three projects and led two teams of marketing specialists from a dedicated home office.”
6. Showcase Remote Work In Your Skills Section
Most remote recruiters look for the soft skills that potential employees need for the challenges ahead.
For example, if you are an excellent communicator, showcase your skill and stay connected through video and phone calls, or email, as these are the most popular ways of remote communication.
Also, use other eye-catching keywords to showcase why you are the perfect candidate – “problem-solver,” “natural leader,” “excellent time-management,” and more.
In this section, it is key to add notes on understanding how digital records work to illustrate what you contribute to the company from the comfort of home. These include video conferencing software, collaborative social media, task management tools, etc.
What If You Have Little Experience Working From Home?
Toss all worries aside, as nowadays, companies embrace remote-work policies and are open to inexperienced individuals. Naturally, people with experience have the advantage, but that doesn’t mean you are out of the race; you can still pull together a resume for work-from-home jobs.
As mentioned above, it is vital to present your skills and stand out from the competition. So, even though you may not have experience, you can still make a good impression by including the following in your work from home resume:
- Other professional experience;
- Key qualities;
- Academic background;
- Personal projects;
- Classes, achievements, and certifications;
- Volunteer work.
Land a Remote Job Successfully with The Right Resume
Remote work has become a synonym for flexibility, autonomy, and often less time on the clock. The first step to securing a digital nomad work-from-home position is to tailor a stellar resume. Writing a resume is never easy, but an adequate one can make a difference and help you land that interview.
We hope our tips on how to create a remote-friendly resume will make the job-hunting process easier for you. If not, you can always search for a remote work resume example, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section!
