As companies push employees back into the office, fully remote positions are becoming more competitive. More than matching your resume to each job description, you’ll want to show that you have what it takes to thrive in a remote work environment.
Tailoring your resume for remote jobs means strategically highlighting any past remote work experience (even if it was just during the pandemic) and emphasizing the skills that make you an excellent remote worker.
Why tailor your resume for remote jobs
In today’s job market, it’s important to step away from the one-size-fits-all approach to your resume. If you’re looking to land WFH opportunities, adapt your remote job resume to stand out.
- Show your adaptability. Employers need to know you can handle the challenges of remote work, from managing your time effectively to staying engaged without in-person supervision.
- Increase your chances of passing ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems). Many companies use automated systems to screen resumes. Including remote-friendly keywords like “distributed team,” “virtual collaboration,” and “self-motivated” can help your resume get noticed.
- Demonstrate your ability to work independently. Employers want to see that you’re proactive, communicative, and able to manage tasks efficiently without constant oversight.
“So, how do I tailor my resume for a remote job?”
Let’s get into the strategies for optimizing your resume for remote jobs. Open your resume and make these five key tweaks:
1. List your past remote experience
Start with the basics: make sure to clearly mention any past remote work in the experience section of your resume. Not sure how to list remote work on your resume? Here’s a simple before-and-after to guide you:
Before: Customer Service Representative, ABC Company (2020–Present)
After: Customer Service Representative, ABC Company (Remote, 2020–Present)
2. Include remote-related keywords
ATSs scan resumes for keywords, so use terms like:
- Remote work
- Distributed team
- Virtual collaboration
- Self-managed
- Time management
- Asynchronous communication
These keywords will help your resume pass through automated screenings and grab a hiring manager’s attention.
For extra guidance, read this next: How to Pick Resume Keywords That'll Get Your Job Application Past the ATS
3. Describe how you succeeded in a remote setting
Instead of just listing responsibilities, showcase how you excelled in a remote work environment. One of the best ways to do that? Quantify your impact. Numbers help show the value you brought to the team—even without in-person oversight.
“Remote work requires a ton of trust and autonomy,” says Kevandre Thompson, a talent acquisition partner at Innomotics. “So, when a candidate quantifies achievements, it shows me they can produce outcomes without micromanagement.”
Here's an example:
Before: Managed customer inquiries and resolved issues via phone and email
After: Successfully handled 50+ daily customer inquiries through phone and email while working in a fully remote, fast-paced environment, maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rating
For extra guidance, read this next: How to Quantify Your Resume Bullets (When You Don't Work With Numbers)
4. Showcase essential soft skills for remote work
When it comes to remote jobs, the soft skills you need can be a bit different from those in traditional office roles. “Please do not underestimate the importance of emotional intelligence, adaptability, proactive communication, and virtual collaboration,” Thompson says. “We look for those indicators when imagining how you’ll fit into a remote team culture.”
Recruiters are on the lookout for candidates who are:
- Autonomous: Can you stay productive without direct supervision?
- Strong communicators: Do you know how to keep your team close and participate effectively in virtual meetings?
- Excellent time managers: Can you juggle multiple tasks and meet deadlines without someone looking over your shoulder?
- Tech-savvy: Are you comfortable with collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, Asana, and Trello?
“Candidates who mention managing deadlines autonomously, organizing and prioritizing their own workload, or using tools like Asana, Trello, or Notion to track productivity stand out,” Thompson says.
Instead of generic skills, list specific ones that prove you’re a great remote worker. For example:
Before: Communication; Time management; Organization
After: Virtual communication, Asynchronous collaboration, Remote team leadership, Slack and Zoom proficiency, self-Discipline
5. Highlight relevant tools and technologies
If you’re experienced with remote-friendly tools, mention them in your resume. “Working remotely, a candidate needs to be able to pivot fast,” Thompson says. “I love when they mention learning new systems quickly or navigating a digital onboarding process.”
Some of the main technologies recruiters look for in remote candidates are:
- Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet
- Project management: Trello, Asana, Jira
- Document collaboration: Notion, Google Drive, Dropbox
What if you don’t have remote work experience?
There's still a way to build a resume for remote jobs with no experience. Even if you’ve never held a full-time remote role, you can highlight experiences that show you have the skills to succeed in one.
Mention any hybrid jobs or occasional remote tasks—every bit counts. If you’ve taken on freelance gigs or side projects, be sure to include those, too. And if you’ve worked with teams across locations, explain how you collaborated effectively across time zones.
“This lets me know the candidate understands virtual workflows, time zone coordination—if within the U.S. or global organization—and digital communication norms,” Thompson says.
How to make a resume for a remote job? Show how you excel at WFH
With fewer remote jobs available, competition is fierce. But by tailoring your resume to highlight past remote work experience, emphasizing essential soft skills, and optimizing for remote-friendly keywords, you’ll give yourself a much better chance of landing the job.
Whether you’ve worked remotely for years or are just transitioning, showcasing your ability to thrive in a virtual work environment can make all the difference.
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