How to Write a Perfect Resume for a Remote Job?
Remote job operations are entirely different than traditional companies operations.
Before coronavirus, remote jobs weren’t a norm but after the pandemic remote jobs are on the rise, prominently increasing the level of competition in remote working spaces.
Just as remote job and traditional office job operations are different, resume for a remote job is also different from a traditional job resume.
Usually candidates take applications for remote jobs for granted without apprehending that extra care and effort is needed to be put in while compiling an outstanding remote job application.
For achieving a remote job, resume should not only precisely demonstrate technical expertise but also focus on the applicants’ remote working capabilities.
Consider These Tips While Crafting a Remote Job Resume
Here are some tips that are to be kept in mind while crafting a remote job resume.
Tailor Accordingly to Job Description Including Contextual Keywords
Be it a traditional resume or a remote job resume, it must be tailored accordingly with the job description. Every job and company is unique and different from one another. To get considered by recruiter, applicant needs to convince recruiters that they are the right person to do the job.
To tailor a resume, thorough understanding of the job description is required. Determine the skillset, qualifications and responsibilities recruiter is looking for and highlight them for reference.
Now appropriately include these information pieces into the resume while including contextual keywords so that the resume passes Applicant Tracking System.
Evidently Exhibit Remote Work Experience
Remote working isn’t a piece of cake. Everyone is not wired to work remotely. Remote working needs a great amount of motivation and self-discipline. Hence the recruiter has to know that the applicant isn’t new to the space and has a prior remote working experience and has what it takes to work remotely.
Both in the resume title, work description or summary, emphasis clearly on how many years of remote working experience you have and how you have worked with people and companies across time zones.
Highlight Remote Skills
Apart from highlighting technical skills, highlight essential remote skills such as time management, organization, team player, self — motivation, written communication and self-starter, exhibiting you as the perfect candidate.
Acquaintance with Communication & Collaboration Tools
Remote working means working with people around the globe, hence a remote job applicant is expected to be acquainted with project management, collaboration and communication tools. The purpose is to pose as tech savvy that is familiar with the tools and can adapt to any other if needed.
Remote working tools that can be mentioned in the resume are Slack, Basecamp, Trello, Drop box and Google Drive, Zoom, Skype etc.
LinkedIn Profile or Link an Online Portfolio
For content writers and designers, showcasing their work is more powerful and effective rather than verbally stating it. Put in some effort to build an impressive online portfolio for displaying your creative work in depth. The link to online portfolio or LinkedIn is a must to mention, regardless of the fact that whether the recruiter has asked for it or not. Highlighting best works increases the chances of acquiring the job.
Easy Readability
As the content for resume is gathered, now focus on formatting the resume.
A recruiter spends an average of 7.4 seconds to review a resume and in remote working the competition is already tough. Make sure the resume succeeds in making quite an impression.
Resume should be easy read and scan. To make an easily read and scan resume:
- Choose a clear font style and size, use bullets points and clearly define sections.
2. Avoid overcrowding and leave white spaces for better readability.
3. As an ideal remote worker, resume and cover letter should be placed effectively.
In the ocean of applications, perfect candidate is that who shows sense of balance between having technical knowledge and right attitude to flourish in remote working space.
Rising Trend of Remote Job During Pandemic
As the novel corona virus spreads all over the world, business big or small has started operating remotely. Due to pandemic, remote working is a rising trend in every industry worldwide. Remote working might be a temporary but the cause behind might not be temporary. However, as the greater number of staff is operating remotely away from traditional offices has greatly impacted the coordinating and communicating tools such as zoom, slack, Google Drive etc. Used by the companies.
10 Soft Skills Remote Workers Need to Succeed
Machines have started to replace humans. To remain competitive, it’s essential for humans to work on their human skills. Experts tend to believe that rather than completely substituting humans with machines, both machines and humans should work together alongside. Whatever the scenario, it’s critical for professionals to develop soft skills.
- Learnability
The ability to learn adapt and grow is learnability. As the rapid technological advances happen, the main challenge for individuals is to learn, adapt and change accordingly with the advances. In order to have competitive advantage, professionals need to quick learners and adaptable to changes.
2. Critical Thinking & Analysis
As information and data is increasing with the technological advancement, critical thinking and analysis will be the key to success. Professionals that are able to gather understand and analyze the data and are able to formulate decisions according to the analyzed data would be successful.
3. Cognitive Flexibility
Cognitive flexibility is the ability to simultaneously switch between thinking multiple different concepts. Thinking creatively and logically at the same time gives young professionals a competitive advantage. Especially for new categories of job that requires the usage of both sides of the brain. Now — a — days, recruiters instead of focusing on candidate’s specialization, look for candidates that have this robust skill set of finding solutions from various perspectives with critical thinking.
4. Complex Problem Solving
Future problems would be complex than today as the problems will be combination regarding humans, technology, environment etc. With globalization and technological evolution, new sets of problems are emerging and with it new job opportunities. In the near future, those professionals would be considered employable who are able to overcome challenges by analyzing and considering vast amounts of available information and data. For this, young professionals need to develop complex problem solving skills.
5. Creativity & Innovation
Creativity leads to innovation. Creative thinking is the ability to look and perceive the world in a new and different angle. Creative thinking has key role in development of future job opportunities. Professionals that would be able to think creatively and lead business to success and find new products, business, services and investment opportunities would flourish. Future work requires creative thinkers as the jobs will be a combination of humans, machines and various other technologies.
6. Communication & Storytelling
In the future, more critically enhanced communication skills would be required from professionals as they would be communicating with humans and machines. In near future, it’s highly important for individuals to effectively and efficiently communicate their ideas and solutions through various channels and mediums. Under those circumstances, storytelling will be a desired skill for recruiters as it helps build brand connections and establishes sense of trust and loyalty between consumers and businesses.
7. Time Management
Presently, when the lines between work and life have been merged, time has become an expensive resource. In the near future, when traditional 9 to 5 work hours becomes obsolete, time management would be a critical soft skill to be developed as people work whenever best for them. It’s important to have a grasp on how the time is spent between work and personal life. Time management skills would help prevent stress, anxiety and burnout and help build a strong emotional intelligence.
8. Emotional Intelligence
In near future, when humans and machines would work side by side, the ability to understand, express and being aware of self-feelings and emotions and that of others as well will give professionals a competitive advantage, considering that machines still lag behind humans in this aspect. Emotional intelligence is precisely an important skill to be developed and enhanced by professionals because future work is collaborative and strong emotional intelligence would mean enhanced connections, interactions and communications.
9. Service Orientation
There is no better alternative to human interaction. Hence a lot of complaints regarding robo calls and automated chatbots. Exceptional customer service is what differentiates good business apart from great business. Dealing clients and consumers with friendliness, professionalism and empathy get businesses and professionals a competitive advantage. Therefore, consumers all over the world demand a one in a lifetime kind of experience rather than products or services.
10. Leadership
As more and more businesses are embracing remote working with flexible policies and remote teams are increasing. Strong leaders would be those who motivate, inspire and guide coworkers without being physically present at the same place. Leadership plays an important role in complex problem solving and innovation.
