Create a Resume for a Remote Job that Impresses Recruiters

When preparing to apply for a remote job, it’s key to create a resume that gives you the best shot at winning an interview. It can be that much more difficult to land an interview when you are competing with applicants from all over the world. Especially when you consider these stats about the job application process.

Job Application Stats: 

• More than 50% of candidates resumes are eliminated from the hiring process right away by hiring systems
• The average job receives approximately 250 resumes
• The average interview process take 22.9 days

If reading that makes you nervous, don’t be. With the proper resume and interview preparation, you can be ready to show recruiters why you’re the right person for the role. See some easy tips for creating a resume that recruiters will get excited for.

Resume Tips:

• Customize your resume to the job description and title
  • Resume screening technology looks for keywords within the resume to identify whether or not to move your resume to the next stage. Include keywords that are found in the job description and the title. Integrate these keywords in your previous job experience to show you understand the role you’re applying for using industry-specific terms.
  • Include any past experience with remote or independent projects to highlight your ability to work independently. This will help your resume stand out and more accurately fit the job description of a remote position.
  • Include verbiage about your past experience with specific communication tools (like Slack, Zoom, Trello, Jira, Monday, AirTable, etc) to show that you have experience with the communication tools that are commonly used in remote workplaces.
• Keep your statements clear and concise
  • When your resume makes it through to recruiters, they are limited in their time to review your resume. It’s said that recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds reviewing a resume. Making clear statements that will stand out or catch the eye of the recruiter are key to make them move your resume to the review later pile. Making clear statements also gives you an advantage of showing how your communication style would be in a remote job. When working at a remote job, recruiters want to know how you will communicate since you’ll be part of a distributed team.
• Make the objective statement about the company and not you
  • Many times candidates will focus on their own stories but don’t focus on the company’s culture and needs. When applying for a remote job, remember that you want to showcase yourself but you also need to impress the place you’re applying. By integrating how you’re a fit for their culture and the role, you show your knowledge of the company you are applying for. Fit for the company’s culture can be vital to be hired in a remote job since it’s important for recruiters and founders to have candidates that are a fit for the company.

Remember that focusing on your skills, excitement for the role and showing your personality will give recruiters a feeling for how it would be to work with you virtually.

About the writer:

Justin Harris is a business and career coach with over 10 years of experience. He’s helped interview, recruit and coach startup and Fortune 500 employees.