6 Resume Tips That Will Help You Land a New Remote Job

Does your current resume make you shine? Are you confident it can land you a new remote job? While the pandemic triggered a remote work revolution, there are several factors making it a challenge to secure a new remote job in 2023. These include recent mass layoffs of information workers and pushback from some major employers regarding remote work arrangements. Despite this, workers are still committed to remote employment.

If you’re searching for remote employment in today’s uncertain job market, it’s more important than ever to have a solid resume based on current best practices. To help you stand out from the crowd and avoid resume red flags, below are six important resume tips.

1. Format for ATS Compliance

Most job application processes today involve uploading your resume to a website. The file is then run through ATS software (applicant tracking system) for an initial screening. The ATS software will be looking for specific information regarding the position requirements. This includes things like education, years of experience, and specific skills. So, the first challenge in creating a winning resume is to make sure that it will make it through the ATS system.

Keep the format simple. Don’t be fancy with your formatting. It doesn’t take much to throw off an ATS system and cause it to not read certain information or to read it in the wrong order. When in doubt, don’t use that table, graph, column, etc. Keep it simple and chronological.
Include keywords. Many of the skills required for the position will be used as keywords for the ATS system to identify. It’s important to refer to the job ads and make sure that potential keywords are included in your document.

2. Make It Easy to Skim

If you make it past the ATS system, chances are the next step is a quick skim by a human resources employee to confirm that your resume shows you meet the requirements for the position. There are several resume tips to help you pass the skim test.

Title your resume. Make sure that your target job is clear by using it as a title for your resume. If you don’t have experience in the position, try using a functional title or referring to the job target in the summary (in bold).
Add a skills section. A skills section in the top one-third of the first page of your resume can be very helpful to these folks. Just point out in a word or short phrase that you have all the necessary skills required for the position you are applying for.
Avoid dense text. It’s difficult to skim large blocks of dense text. Make sure to space out your information and use bold and all caps to help important information stand out, like job titles, years, and employers.
Ensure your contact information is easy to find. Don’t make it difficult for an employer to contact you for an interview. Include your phone number, email address, and website URL in your resume’s header.

It should go without saying, but if you have a cutesy or inappropriate email username, it’s time for an upgrade to a professional account. Keep it simple by using your first and last name, or perhaps your first initial with your last name.

3. Write an Effective Professional Summary

The top 1/3 of the first page of your resume is used to market you as the most qualified candidate and the best fit for the role. In addition to including a skills section as mentioned above, an effective professional summary is also key.

The summary should answer the following question for employers: How can you benefit their organization? Answer this question with a short paragraph or a statement followed by three to four bullets that provide a career overview with a focus on your outstanding skills and /or your career accomplishments.

4. Customize the Content for Each Position

With only two pages to work with and a limited amount of time to capture a hiring manager’s attention, it’s critical to focus on your job target. Your resume is a marketing document and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of everything you have done. Tweak your resume to adjust for the different keywords and required skills for each position.

It is also important to make sure the content of your entire resume highlights the skills, experience, and education required for the jobs you are applying for as well. If that course you took is irrelevant, leave it off. If that three-month contract is just taking up space, take it out. Also, make sure your job descriptions are focused on the most relevant responsibilities and accomplishments.

5. Focus on Accomplishments

All things being equal, it is how an applicant represents their accomplishments that will make the difference between who is asked for an interview and who is not. Once you have demonstrated to a potential employer that you have the required skills, experience, and education, it is up to your accomplishments to close the sale. Below are a few resume tips to help with writing your accomplishments:

Identify accomplishments for each position. You should try and include at least two-three accomplishments for each position on your resume. The number does depend on how long you were in the position. For a long tenure, add as many as five accomplishments, and for short tenures, two are plenty.
Describe how you benefited your previous employers. To help identify your accomplishments, try answering the following questions: Did you save your employer money? Did you save your employer time? Did you improve a process? Did you implement a new policy? Did you accomplish your performance goals? Use the answers to these questions to formulate a statement describing what you did, why you did it, and what the results were.
When it comes to numbers, show, don’t tell. Saying you saved your current employer money on the annual budget or exceeded your department’s sales goals for the quarter is impressive, but it isn’t as effective as providing actual figures. Sometimes the figures can be in dollars, but all numbers are impressive whether they quantify units sold, employees managed, or customers gained. Other ways to quantify your accomplishments include using percentages or words like “doubled” which also work well.  

6. Check for Typos & Formatting Errors

Of all our resume tips, this is the easiest to complete and the easiest to overlook. However, when applying to jobs, nothing will crush your marketability faster than submitting a sloppy resume full of typos and inconsistent formatting.

After you complete and review your resume on your computer, print a copy and review it one more time. Then, recruit a friend or colleague with a discerning eye to examine your resume as well. Seeking a fresh pair of eyes to review your resume is crucial because once you’ve stared at your own words for hours on end, it’s difficult to notice mistakes.

Once you’ve corrected any spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, take a step back and look at the layout of your resume. Is it cluttered? You’ll come across as unorganized. Did you use a resume template but left some fields blank because they didn’t apply to you? You’ll seem lazy. How about your font styles and sizes, are they consistent throughout? If not, a hiring manager could view this as a sign you don’t take pride in your work.

A Last Word

Your resume is a representation of you and the quality of your work. Following the resume tips above and taking the time to create a well-written and well-organized resume will save you both time and aggravation in the long run. And, if you need more help, engaging the services of a professional resume writer can be a worthwhile investment. Trust the high-quality career services offered by Virtual Vocations to get your remote job search on track!

How do you customize your resume for a remote job application? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!