5 Tips for Tailoring your Resume for Remote Work During the Coronavirus Pandemic

As many of us are practicing self-isolation and social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, you may find yourself worrying about unemployment, job security, and financial stability. You may also feel stir-crazy and desire the opportunity to work on something.

One positive outlook of this pandemic is that it creates the opportunity for remote work. While the surrounding situation isn’t ideal, working from home does give you the opportunity for more freedom. It allows you to create your schedule, forget the commute, and dress in your pajamas – if that’s what you prefer! Having worked remotely as a resume writer for Resume Writing Services, I can attest to how awesome the work from home experience can be.

If you haven’t worked remotely before, your resume most likely isn’t tailored for it. Because a remote resume is different than a regular resume, you must portray yourself as an ideal remote candidate for potential employers and clients. Here are five ways to tailor your resume for remote work during the reign of COVID-19.

1. Update Your LinkedIn Profile & Add it to Your Resume

Incorporating LinkedIn into your job search strategy has never been more crucial than before with COVID-19 on the rise.

Studies show that job applicants who include a link to their LinkedIn profile on their resumes receive a callback rate of 13.5%. This is 71% higher than the 7.9% callback rate of job applicants who didn’t have a LinkedIn profile at all. Applicants who included a link to an ordinary LinkedIn profile on their resumes only received a callback rate of 7.2%, which is slightly lower than the callback rate for applicants with no LinkedIn profile listed on their resume at all. Therefore, it’s essential to update yours to make it stand out.

When adding the URL to your remote resume, put it in the header of your resume. It follows your name, address, phone number, and email address.

2. Include Your Career Objective

It isn’t always apparent that some job listings are for remote roles. Some companies may note that remote work is allowed or allow you to work remotely if you’re qualified. Whatever the case, make it clear that you’re applying for remote work. Ensure that employers know that you understand the benefits of working from home and that you won’t slack off or only work when you feel like it. Your career objective is the perfect place to mention your ability and desire to work remotely.

Another way to do this would is to state “location independent” or “remote” instead of your physical address. This is because a remote position most likely does not have specific location requirements.

3. Showcase the Skills Needed to Work Remotely

Remote work is vastly different than working on site. It requires dedication, focus, and excellent communication skills. Many employers consider the ability to work remotely a skill in itself.

To highlight the specific skills of a remote worker, you’ll want to add to your existing “skills” section. Consider both hard and soft skills.

Some hard/technical skills employers are looking for in a remote worker are:

  • Comfortable with video conferencing
  • Experience using team and project management tools
  • Knowledge of computer software and application

A general list of soft skills to add are:

  • Great time management
  • Excellent digital communication skills
  • Well-organized
  • Reliable
  • Ability to collaborate

4. Describe Your Home Office

Describing your home office setup shows how professional you are. It breaks the stereotype that remote workers lay around in their pajamas all day. In your “work experience” section, drop subtle hints about your work environment. For example, mention the specific type of software you use on your computer to complete relevant tasks or the particular type of phone you have that allows conference calls.

There’s no need to get into specifics of the space, such as wall color or décor pieces, but merely stating that you already have the equipment and space needed to complete the job presents you as a serious and prepared candidate.

5. Use your Work Experience to Display Relevant Skills

Although you’ve already edited your skills section, you’ll want to update your work experience section to promote those skills even more. If you have worked remotely before, this is especially easy for you. List specific accomplishments that you’ve had while working remotely. For example, if you’ve managed a successful social media campaign, including the specific numbers and statistics of its success.

If you haven’t worked remotely before, don’t worry. Highlight the skills you already have that will make you a great remote employee. For example, if you frequently collaborate with others, say that. If you’ve worked with out-of-state clients that required digital communication, make it clear, as that displays the specific skills employers are looking for.

Conclusion

A resume for remote work differs from an ordinary resume in the way that it requires a particular set of skills. Your resume needs to reflect those skills and prove to employers that you are capable of working remotely. Even if you don’t have experience working remotely, you can easily tailor your resume to land you that remote job.

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