How to List Remote Work on Resume
Remote work experience is a valuable asset on your resume. It showcases your ability to succeed in non-traditional work environments, a skill highly sought after in today's job market. Here's how you can effectively highlight your remote work experience:
- Job Titles and Locations: Clearly indicate remote work by using "Remote" as the location or adding "(Remote)" to job titles. For example: "Software Engineer (Remote)" or "Company Name | Remote Work".
- Dedicated Section: If remote work has been a significant part of your career, create a "Remote Work Experience" section to emphasize it.
- Skills and Tools: Highlight key remote skills like time management, virtual collaboration, and self-direction. List tools such as Slack, Zoom, Jira, and Google Workspace to demonstrate your technical proficiency.
- Quantify Achievements: Use metrics to back up your accomplishments, such as improved productivity or successful project outcomes in a remote setting.
- Keywords: Tailor your resume for ATS by including terms like "remote", "telecommute", and "distributed team" from job postings.
How to Put Remote Work Experience and WFH Jobs on Your Resume
How to Format Remote Work Experience on Your Resume
Effectively showcasing your remote work experience on your resume can make a strong impression on hiring managers. A clear and professional format not only highlights your remote work skills but also ensures your resume meets standard expectations.
How to Show Remote Work in Job Titles and Locations
Here are some practical ways to highlight remote work in your job titles or locations:
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Use "Remote Work" as the location: Replace the city and state with "Remote Work." For example:
"Blue Mountain Agency, Remote Work, October 2017 – January 2020" [3]. -
Combine the company location with remote status: If the company has a physical headquarters, include both the office location and your remote status. For instance:
"Company Name | San Diego, CA (Remote)" or "Company Name, New York City office | Remote" [1]. -
Specify unique remote arrangements: If you worked remotely from a different time zone or under special circumstances, mention it clearly. Example:
"Company Name, New York City office, Remote - based in Toronto, Canada" [1]. -
Add "(Remote)" to your job title: Incorporate the remote detail directly into your position title, such as "Software Engineer (Remote)" [2].
These approaches ensure your resume communicates your remote work experience effectively and leaves no room for confusion.
Using Standard U.S. Resume Formatting
Stick to standard U.S. resume conventions to seamlessly present your remote work experience. Use the month-year format for dates, and ensure your resume is compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS). This means avoiding complex graphics, unusual fonts, or overly creative layouts. Maintain consistency in formatting, such as using the same "Company Name | Location" style throughout your resume. A clean, uniform appearance makes your resume more polished and easier to navigate.
Creating a Separate Remote Work Section
If remote work has been a major part of your career, you might want to create a dedicated "Remote Work Experience" section [3]. This allows hiring managers to quickly identify your remote work background while keeping your resume organized.
Balance this section with the rest of your work history, ensuring your most impressive qualifications - whether remote or office-based - stand out. You can also add a "Technology Skills" section to highlight tools you've mastered for remote collaboration. Listing platforms like Zoom, Google Chat, SharePoint, Dropbox, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite demonstrates your ability to thrive in a distributed team environment.
Using these strategies ensures your resume effectively showcases your remote work experience and the tools that support your success.
How to Show Remote Work Skills and Tools
Demonstrating your remote work skills and familiarity with relevant tools is key to proving your ability to thrive in virtual environments. With 97% of employees reporting increased productivity while working remotely and over 70% of companies seeking candidates skilled in distributed team settings [5], showcasing these abilities is now a must for career growth.
Key Remote Work Skills to Highlight
When it comes to remote work, both technical know-how and soft skills are essential. Among these, written communication is especially critical - 86% of remote team members identify communication as a major challenge [5]. Instead of generic claims like "strong communicator", back up your skills with specific examples of achievements.
Career coach Ana Lokotkova advises against relying on buzzwords to describe soft skills:
"For soft skills, it's often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating 'excellent team player', you are better off saying 'collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year'. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords." [6]
Time management and self-direction are equally important. Share instances where you successfully juggled multiple projects or worked across time zones. Highlight problem-solving and adaptability by describing how you overcame challenges in a remote setting. Finally, make sure to mention the digital tools that helped you succeed.
Remote Collaboration Tools to Showcase
Being proficient in remote collaboration tools signals that you're ready to contribute to virtual teams effectively. These tools are essential for communication, productivity, and project management in distributed environments [7]. Some key platforms to include are:
- Project management tools: Jira, Trello, Asana
- Communication tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom
- Code collaboration tools: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
- Document collaboration tools: Google Workspace, Confluence
Tailor your list to match the job you're applying for, and share examples of how these tools improved your work outcomes. For instance, you might mention how using Trello streamlined task tracking or how Slack facilitated seamless team communication.
How to Quantify Remote Work Achievements
Numbers make your remote work accomplishments much more convincing. By quantifying your results, you turn vague claims into concrete evidence of your skills. Focus on metrics that align with business goals, such as faster project delivery times or reduced errors [8].
The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a great way to frame your achievements [5]. For example, if you improved team collaboration, mention specific metrics like increased productivity or reduced response times. If you managed a remote team, include details like retention rates, project completion percentages, or efficiency improvements.
Track measurable outcomes you directly influenced, such as deployment frequency, bug resolution times, or team performance metrics. These figures not only validate your expertise but also demonstrate your ability to excel in a remote work environment.
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How to Customize Your Resume for Remote Jobs
Creating a resume tailored for remote jobs goes beyond simply stating "remote" in your job preferences. With Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scanning for specific keywords and the competition for remote positions growing, a strategic approach is key to standing out. A well-customized resume not only gets through ATS filters but also highlights the skills that employers value most in remote workers [4].
Adding Keywords from Remote Job Postings
Incorporating keywords from job postings into your resume is essential for both ATS compatibility and grabbing the attention of hiring managers [9]. Look for terms in job descriptions like "virtual", "telecommute", "work from home", "distributed team", and "virtual collaboration" [4][9]. These are the phrases that signal to employers - and their software - that you're a match for remote work.
For technical roles, focus on specific keywords tied to your expertise. For example, instead of generic phrases like "remote jobs", use targeted terms like "remote Python developer", "remote SEO specialist", or "remote project coordinator" [9]. If you're in software engineering, include role-specific terms such as "remote full-stack developer" or "remote DevOps engineer", along with tools and frameworks mentioned in job postings.
Stay current with industry trends by researching keywords through Google Trends or specialized job boards [9]. Use synonyms to broaden your reach; for instance, "distributed systems" and "microservices architecture" might both apply to the same role. Place these keywords naturally throughout your resume - in your summary, experience, and skills sections - without overloading your text.
How to Present Remote Project Experience
Highlighting your remote project experience is a great way to show that you're skilled at collaborating, solving problems, and delivering results in distributed work environments. Structure each project clearly with details such as the title, dates, your role, the technologies used, and the outcomes.
Focus on achievements that demonstrate your ability to thrive in remote settings. For example, emphasize experiences like leading virtual teams, coordinating across time zones, or solving problems independently. Use action verbs and measurable results to create concise descriptions that stand out.
For experienced software engineers, prioritize projects that align closely with the job requirements. If you're newer to the field, include a mix of professional and personal projects, but clearly separate the two to maintain clarity.
Once you've tailored your resume, it's time to explore platforms designed to connect you with remote opportunities.
Finding Remote Jobs with Remote Jobs For Software Engineers
Remote Jobs For Software Engineers is a valuable resource for finding remote opportunities while gaining insights into what employers are looking for. This platform features over 100 vetted job boards and freelance sites, updated daily, making it easier to identify trending skills and in-demand technologies in the remote software engineering market.
The platform's custom filters allow you to narrow your search based on your specific skills and experience. This targeted approach helps you identify which tools, frameworks, and soft skills are most sought after by employers. Additionally, the curated listings provide a clear picture of different types of remote work arrangements and their unique requirements.
Key Points for Listing Remote Work on Your Resume
When it comes to showcasing remote work on your resume, the goal is to present it in a way that highlights your achievements and proves your ability to thrive in distributed work environments.
Start by featuring your remote experience in your resume summary. This ensures hiring managers can immediately see your capability to work remotely. According to Julien Ciftci from Deel:
"I like to have clear information about the desire to work remotely. In my area (engineering), this represents the vast majority of candidates." [10]
Next, maintain consistency in how you present remote roles in your work history.
Use 'Remote' to clearly indicate your job location. Instead of listing a city and state, simply write "Remote" or include a brief note explaining that the role was performed remotely. This clarity benefits both applicant tracking systems (ATS) and recruiters by making your remote experience easy to identify.
Quantify your achievements to reinforce your remote work skills. As mentioned earlier, providing measurable results demonstrates the value you brought to previous roles, which is especially important in remote settings.
Highlight key skills that remote employers value. Camila Sanchez, a Talent Acquisition Specialist at Deel, elaborates on what they prioritize:
"Essential skills are the ability to self-manage, not only in terms of learning but also in terms of time and management of projects or responsibilities. Additionally, we want a candidate that can relate to any culture and context assertively." [10]
Include tools like Slack, Trello, and Zoom to show that you're proficient with platforms essential for remote collaboration. This signals to employers that you're ready to hit the ground running without requiring extensive training.
Finally, tailor your resume with keywords from job postings. This is especially important in the competitive remote job market [11]. Match your experience to the company’s remote work culture and technical requirements to stand out.
The key takeaway? Frame your remote work experience as a strength. Show how it has equipped you to achieve outstanding results in virtual and distributed team environments.
FAQs
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How can I showcase measurable achievements from remote work on my resume?
To showcase your achievements in a remote work environment, emphasize measurable outcomes that clearly demonstrate your contributions. Use specific metrics like percentages, dollar figures, or time reductions to quantify your success. Here are a few examples:
- Improved team productivity by 15% by implementing better communication tools.
- Increased quarterly sales revenue by $50,000 by refining client outreach strategies.
- Cut project turnaround times by 20% by optimizing workflows.
Employers appreciate seeing hard data that backs up your accomplishments, so whenever possible, include numbers to make your results shine. :::
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What mistakes should I avoid when adding remote work experience to my resume?
When adding remote work experience to your resume, steer clear of these common missteps:
- Not specifying that the role was remote: Clearly indicate that the position was remote. You can mention it in the job title (e.g., "Remote Project Manager") or include it within the job description.
- Overlooking remote-specific skills: Highlight abilities that are essential for remote work, such as strong communication, time management, and expertise in using collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, or Trello.
- Submitting a generic resume: Customize your resume to emphasize accomplishments and experiences that align with the demands of remote roles.
By addressing these points, you’ll showcase your remote work experience in a way that grabs the attention of employers. :::
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How can I optimize my resume for remote job applications and ensure it gets through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)?
When applying for remote positions, your resume needs to do more than just list your experience - it should emphasize key skills like communication, time management, and familiarity with remote tools (think Zoom or Slack). To make it past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), integrate keywords directly from the job description. And don’t just describe your responsibilities - show the results. For instance, instead of writing "Managed projects remotely," go for something like "Led a remote team of 5 to successfully deliver a $500,000 project ahead of schedule and under budget."
Keep your resume clean and ATS-friendly. Avoid using graphics or tables, and stick to a straightforward chronological or functional layout. Finally, tailor your resume for each role to align with the job’s specific requirements. These strategies will help you highlight your remote work expertise and make a strong impression. :::