Many of us have acquired more than a taste for remote working over the last two years. The associated benefits for our work/life balance and general well-being are convincing. Add in no more long, uncomfortable commutes to the office and most of us are sold. Hook, line and sinker.
But with so many people vying for the same remote work opportunities, how can you ensure that your CV stands out from the crowd? You need to shine on paper and on-screen for a shot at an invite to today’s interview table. Fortunately, help is at hand. LinkedIn has published three tips for tailoring your CV to remote positions, as follows:
- Shout about your remote working experience and skills
Working remotely requires self-discipline, focus, excellent communication and organisational skills, and emotional intelligence. It requires strong time management and collaboration skills, a sound work ethic, pro-activity, flexibility, reliability and independent problem-solving.
Promote your skills in all these areas to boost recruiters’ confidence in your ability to do the job well. Highlight your experience with remote working to date. Reference relevant technical experience with, for example, project management and video conferencing tools.
- Shine a torch on your remote working prowess
Recruiters will be scanning your CV and deciding in seconds whether to bin it or add it to the to-be-revisited pile. So give your remote working experience pride of place in the Professional Summary section – where you list your key relevant qualifications, experience and achievements – at the top of your CV. You can also signpost remote work experience alongside each job title (where you would usually write a location) within job descriptions.
If you have extensive remote work experience, consider highlighting this in its own dedicated section. And, if you’re just starting out in the world of remote work, promote independent work that showcases how much you can accomplish with minimal supervision.
- Use the right keywords
Most companies use an applicant tracking system to quickly identify CVs containing relevant keywords. If you include popular search terms for remote jobs on your CV and cover letter – e.g., remote, virtual, work at/ from home, home-based, and flexible work – recruiting companies will find you. Fail to do so and your CV is unlikely to ever see the light of day.
- Customise your CV for specific positions
A single generic CV showcasing all your skills and experiences is not effective. You need to create a suite of CVs that are tailored to each particular role type. Save each resume with a name that corresponds to the role you’re applying for to save time later, and help you avoid sending the wrong version to recruiters.
- As with CVs for on-site roles, grammatical and spelling mistakes will sound the death knell for your application. Proofread your CV multiple times and use online tools such as Grammarly as a final check.
We hope you find these tips useful. Please let us know if you’d like any further advice on this subject or any other recruitment-related matter. ABL, your trusted multilingual recruitment partner, is here to help!
