Why are Remote Work Resume Keywords Important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThere are two main reasons why a resume optimized with work from home keywords is important. First, although COVID-19 showed the world that it is possible to operate a successful business remotely, there are a growing number of employers mandating workers’ return<\/a> to the office. So, while new opportunities for remote work are available, you are also likely to encounter stiff competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe second reason is that both workers and employers realize that being an effective remote worker<\/a> has its own associated skill set. It takes a combination of focus, discipline, communication, and technical skills to be a happy and productive remote worker, and not everyone is cut out for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo increase chances of a successful hire, employers now utilize a variety of techniques to weed out unsuitable candidates. The most prevalent is the use of applicant tracking software (ATS).<\/a> These software systems allow employers to search resumes for keywords that match the job\u2019s required skill set. To give you an edge, below are strategies to update your resume and highlight your remote work skill set using work from home keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Keywords](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2021\/10\/Keywords26FormattingforATS-friendlyResumesRecruitersWillNotice-1024x576.png\")
<\/picture><\/a>Find Out How to Create a Resume That Will Pass an Applicant Tracking System<\/strong> With the Virtual Vocations Premium Coaching Session<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nKnow the Lingo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t know the meaning of a word, working it into a conversation will be awkward at best. The same principle can be applied to incorporating remote terms into a resume. Clear up any confusion by getting familiar with the following terms that every remote worker should know:<\/p>\n\n\n
- Work from home:<\/strong>\u00a0Technically, work from home means just that. However, if you have flexibility requirements, confirm those options are available if the job specifies\u00a0working\u00a0from home.<\/li>
- Hybrid schedule:<\/strong>\u00a0Split schedules, where employees work part of the week in the office and partly from home, are emerging as a popular compromise with both employers and workers.<\/li>
- Flexible schedule:\u00a0<\/strong>A work arrangement that allows you to work on a varying timetable, which may alternate between shifts. Hours may increase or decrease, and you may rotate days.<\/li>
- Home-based employment:<\/strong>\u00a0Applies to work that is predominately performed from home but does not necessarily exclude travel or other on-site meetings or\u00a0training<\/strong>.<\/li>
- Independent contractor:<\/strong>\u00a0Someone who performs contract and\/or\u00a0project-based work on a self-employed basis and is not considered a regular employee; also known as freelancing.<\/li>
- Location-flexible job<\/strong>:\u00a0A position that allows the employee to\u00a0work\u00a0from any location or\u00a0one\u00a0of several specified areas. These could include co-workspaces or satellite offices.<\/li>
- Remote work:\u00a0<\/strong>Performing off-site work for an employer, away from a company\u2019s offices. However, the employer may still require work to be completed in a designated city or\u00a0state\u00a0or solely from home.<\/li>
- Telecommute:<\/strong>\u00a0Working from a location that allows you to electronically link with your employer. A more old-fashioned term that is still used by some government departments.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Identify Remote Work Skills that are Important to Potential Employers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThere are several general categories of both hard and soft skills that emerged during the pandemic as important to an employee\u2019s success in a remote position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nAbility to Work Independently<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nNearly every remote job advertisement will mention the \u201cability to work independently\u201d as a hiring requirement. Highlight professional experience and qualifications that illustrate your trustworthiness, reliability, and experience working without close supervision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nComfortable Working in Remote Teams<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAnother key area to address when applying for remote positions is the ability to work well in remote teams. While some remote positions will require minimal interaction with other employees, most involve some teamwork. Be sure to include any experience you have collaborating with virtual or hybrid teams to illustrate your skills in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"Resume](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2020\/06\/Virtual-Vocations_Career-Services_Resume-Quality-Checklist_Draft-2.png\")
<\/picture><\/a>Get Access to Virtual Vocations Resume Quality Checklist \u2014 Premium Membership Plan<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nVirtual Leadership Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nParticularly critical to an organization\u2019s ability to operate remotely is strong team leadership<\/a>. It turns out that leading a virtual or hybrid team requires a different skill set than in-person management. Including any experience that you have in this area will score big points with employers. Even if you don\u2019t have team lead experience, highlight any remote mentoring, onboarding, or training you performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nTechnical Savvy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nObviously, the key to working remotely is the technical tools that make it all possible. Since the pandemic, these tools have multiplied, and remote workers are expected to be familiar, if not proficient, in their effective use to communicate and manage workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nResearch Job Specific Keywords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn addition to addressing the major skill categories listed above, it\u2019s important to identify any keywords that are specific to the position or group of similar positions you want to apply for. This is because some positions may require a certain type of experience or technical skills. The company or industry may also use language in their job ads that is slightly different than the words you would normally use. Make sure your keywords are in the same language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To do this, simply examine each job ad before you apply. Try and identify the keywords by pulling a list of the hard and soft skills mentioned in the advertisement. Pay particular attention to those listed as required skills or experience. These keywords will be weighted more than others in the applicant tracking software. Also, be sure to highlight keywords that are mentioned multiple times. Then, take your list and search for matching keywords in your resume. You will want to try and incorporate at least 70% – 80% of your list to optimize your ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2022\/06\/VirtualVocations_CareerCoachingSlides_ReadingaRemoteJobDescription_TitleSlide-png-1024x576.webp\")
<\/picture><\/a>Reading A Remote Job Description: How To Read It Correctly & Understand Applicant Tracking Systems \u2013 FREE Membership Plan<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow to Incorporate Remote Work Keywords in Your Resume<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNow that you have identified your key remote work skills and work from home keywords, it\u2019s time to add them into your resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nProfessional Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe first place to seed with work from home keywords is in your professional summary. This is a big-picture overview of your career, and its location at the beginning of your resume will let employers know up front that you can work remotely. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
- Demonstrated<\/strong> ability<\/strong> to facilitate<\/strong> virtual and hybrid sales presentations.<\/li>
- Proven track record<\/strong> of improving the performance of virtual teams.<\/li>
- Skilled at managing workflows<\/strong> and collaborating using a variety of remote technologies.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Position Headers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAn easy place to highlight your remote work experience is to identify it in the position header. Either next to the location in parenthesis or next to your title, add “remote position” or “hybrid position” to show readers immediately that the position had an alternative work model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWork History Descriptions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIn your job descriptions, highlight specific responsibilities and duties that involved remote communication or collaboration even if your position itself is not virtual. For example, if you provided customer service on the phone or using email or chat. Other examples include if you collaborated with colleagues in different locations or work in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most impactful aspect of your work experience is in listing your accomplishments. If you can describe an accomplishment that involved remote teamwork or collaboration or project management you will be ahead of the game, especially if you can also include success metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2022\/09\/VirtualVocations_CareerCoaching_TheSTARMethod-SlideDeckCover-Updated-png-1200x675-1-1024x576.webp\")
<\/picture><\/a>Watch With Your Free Subscription Plan!<\/strong><\/strong> \u2014 The STAR Method: Using STAR Strategies On Your Resume To Stand Out From The Competition<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nSkills Section<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe quickest, easiest way to make sure your resume has the most important keywords is to include skill sections. These can be divided into “Areas of Expertise” where you can list your nontechnical skills. Keywords here can include:<\/p>\n\n\n
- Virtual Team Leadership<\/strong><\/li>
- Helpdesk Support<\/strong><\/li>
- Remote Meeting Facilitation<\/strong><\/li>
- Online Training<\/strong><\/li>
- Digital Marketing<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
You can also add a “Technical Skills” section where you can highlight the information technology tools that you are familiar with being sure to include remote collaboration software tools. Double-check against your job advertisements to ensure you list any required tools. Keywords here may include:<\/p>\n\n\n
- Slack<\/strong><\/li>
- Microsoft Teams<\/strong><\/li>
- Asana<\/strong><\/li>
- Bootcamp<\/strong><\/li>
- Salesforce<\/strong><\/li>
- Zoom<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
When applying for a work from home position, incorporating keywords into your resume will help you communicate all of your valuable remote skills to increase your potential employer’s comfort level. You need to convince the reader of your resume that you can flourish in a work from home environment<\/a>. By researching and adding important remote work resume keywords, you give yourself the edge over the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\nDo you have additional ideas for adding keywords to a remote resume? Did these keywords spruce up your resume and land you the job?<\/strong> Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and YouTube<\/a> to share your thoughts and tips. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2013\/03\/VVlogo.jpg\")
<\/picture>
Join Virtual Vocations<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tJoining\u00a0Virtual Vocations<\/a>\u00a0grants you access to our hand-picked remote jobs database.\u00a0Learn\u00a0how our service works<\/a>, browse job leads by\u00a0location and career category<\/a>, or search hundreds of hand-screened remote jobs to find legitimate work-at-home job leads that match your skills and background.\u00a0Register for free<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0contact us<\/a>\u00a0for more information on our service guarantee.
Check out our menu of\u00a0Career Services\u00a0provided by our team of certified professionals, including resume and career coaching services for remote jobseekers. Resume assessments and writing, LinkedIn profile enhancement, and cover letter writing are available to maximize the success of your remote job applications.\u00a0Discounts on all services available to subscription members,\u00a0become one now.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
The second reason is that both workers and employers realize that being an effective remote worker<\/a> has its own associated skill set. It takes a combination of focus, discipline, communication, and technical skills to be a happy and productive remote worker, and not everyone is cut out for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To increase chances of a successful hire, employers now utilize a variety of techniques to weed out unsuitable candidates. The most prevalent is the use of applicant tracking software (ATS).<\/a> These software systems allow employers to search resumes for keywords that match the job\u2019s required skill set. To give you an edge, below are strategies to update your resume and highlight your remote work skill set using work from home keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t know the meaning of a word, working it into a conversation will be awkward at best. The same principle can be applied to incorporating remote terms into a resume. Clear up any confusion by getting familiar with the following terms that every remote worker should know:<\/p>\n\n\n There are several general categories of both hard and soft skills that emerged during the pandemic as important to an employee\u2019s success in a remote position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearly every remote job advertisement will mention the \u201cability to work independently\u201d as a hiring requirement. Highlight professional experience and qualifications that illustrate your trustworthiness, reliability, and experience working without close supervision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another key area to address when applying for remote positions is the ability to work well in remote teams. While some remote positions will require minimal interaction with other employees, most involve some teamwork. Be sure to include any experience you have collaborating with virtual or hybrid teams to illustrate your skills in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Particularly critical to an organization\u2019s ability to operate remotely is strong team leadership<\/a>. It turns out that leading a virtual or hybrid team requires a different skill set than in-person management. Including any experience that you have in this area will score big points with employers. Even if you don\u2019t have team lead experience, highlight any remote mentoring, onboarding, or training you performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, the key to working remotely is the technical tools that make it all possible. Since the pandemic, these tools have multiplied, and remote workers are expected to be familiar, if not proficient, in their effective use to communicate and manage workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to addressing the major skill categories listed above, it\u2019s important to identify any keywords that are specific to the position or group of similar positions you want to apply for. This is because some positions may require a certain type of experience or technical skills. The company or industry may also use language in their job ads that is slightly different than the words you would normally use. Make sure your keywords are in the same language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To do this, simply examine each job ad before you apply. Try and identify the keywords by pulling a list of the hard and soft skills mentioned in the advertisement. Pay particular attention to those listed as required skills or experience. These keywords will be weighted more than others in the applicant tracking software. Also, be sure to highlight keywords that are mentioned multiple times. Then, take your list and search for matching keywords in your resume. You will want to try and incorporate at least 70% – 80% of your list to optimize your ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you have identified your key remote work skills and work from home keywords, it\u2019s time to add them into your resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first place to seed with work from home keywords is in your professional summary. This is a big-picture overview of your career, and its location at the beginning of your resume will let employers know up front that you can work remotely. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n An easy place to highlight your remote work experience is to identify it in the position header. Either next to the location in parenthesis or next to your title, add “remote position” or “hybrid position” to show readers immediately that the position had an alternative work model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In your job descriptions, highlight specific responsibilities and duties that involved remote communication or collaboration even if your position itself is not virtual. For example, if you provided customer service on the phone or using email or chat. Other examples include if you collaborated with colleagues in different locations or work in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most impactful aspect of your work experience is in listing your accomplishments. If you can describe an accomplishment that involved remote teamwork or collaboration or project management you will be ahead of the game, especially if you can also include success metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The quickest, easiest way to make sure your resume has the most important keywords is to include skill sections. These can be divided into “Areas of Expertise” where you can list your nontechnical skills. Keywords here can include:<\/p>\n\n\n You can also add a “Technical Skills” section where you can highlight the information technology tools that you are familiar with being sure to include remote collaboration software tools. Double-check against your job advertisements to ensure you list any required tools. Keywords here may include:<\/p>\n\n\n When applying for a work from home position, incorporating keywords into your resume will help you communicate all of your valuable remote skills to increase your potential employer’s comfort level. You need to convince the reader of your resume that you can flourish in a work from home environment<\/a>. By researching and adding important remote work resume keywords, you give yourself the edge over the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have additional ideas for adding keywords to a remote resume? Did these keywords spruce up your resume and land you the job?<\/strong> Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and YouTube<\/a> to share your thoughts and tips. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Joining\u00a0Virtual Vocations<\/a>\u00a0grants you access to our hand-picked remote jobs database.\u00a0Learn\u00a0how our service works<\/a>, browse job leads by\u00a0location and career category<\/a>, or search hundreds of hand-screened remote jobs to find legitimate work-at-home job leads that match your skills and background.\u00a0Register for free<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0contact us<\/a>\u00a0for more information on our service guarantee.![\"Keywords](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2021\/10\/Keywords26FormattingforATS-friendlyResumesRecruitersWillNotice-1024x576.webp)
<\/picture><\/a>Know the Lingo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Identify Remote Work Skills that are Important to Potential Employers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ability to Work Independently<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Comfortable Working in Remote Teams<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Resume](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2020\/06\/Virtual-Vocations_Career-Services_Resume-Quality-Checklist_Draft-2.webp)
<\/picture><\/a>Virtual Leadership Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technical Savvy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Research Job Specific Keywords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2022\/06\/VirtualVocations_CareerCoachingSlides_ReadingaRemoteJobDescription_TitleSlide-png-1024x576.webp)
<\/picture><\/a>How to Incorporate Remote Work Keywords in Your Resume<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Professional Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Position Headers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Work History Descriptions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2022\/09\/VirtualVocations_CareerCoaching_TheSTARMethod-SlideDeckCover-Updated-png-1200x675-1-1024x576.webp)
<\/picture><\/a>Skills Section<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staticblog.virtualvocations.com\/2013\/03\/VVlogo.webp\")
<\/picture>
Join Virtual Vocations<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Check out our menu of\u00a0Career Services\u00a0provided by our team of certified professionals, including resume and career coaching services for remote jobseekers. Resume assessments and writing, LinkedIn profile enhancement, and cover letter writing are available to maximize the success of your remote job applications.\u00a0Discounts on all services available to subscription members,\u00a0become one now.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t