Are remote work skills important to show on resume?
Q: Over the last three years, I have traveled and worked from various locations including working on teams from other countries. I was wondering how important it is to show my remote work experience on my resume.
Since most of my colleagues all worked from home last year, how will my experience make me stand out from the crowd? Do employers care if you have a remote-work history?
A:
In the past, working from home was a perk that interested most employees. However, most companies visioned remote work as a temporary arrangement outside of the regular work routine. Last year proved to be a test on how well a remote workforce could maintain business without being in the office.
After a year of conducting business remotely, more than 80% of leaders surveyed by Gartner, a research and advisory company, found that organizations plan to permit employees to work at least part of the time remotely in the future.
This new mindset indicates that your remote work skills may not be going away anytime soon and most likely will be needed in the future as a job candidate.
The workplace has changed, and the idea of working from home is now a reality. Your ability to produce work, participate in or lead a remote work team while being adaptable are highly sought-after skills.
Working outside of the traditional office environment could resemble a hybrid of flextime, juggling different work schedules working from home and at the office. Job candidates who can effectively show on their resume how resilient and productive they are in remote locations will likely generate attention from employers.
Regarding your remote work, here are some attributes and areas to highlight on your resume experience that employers are looking for in candidates:
• Emphasize how well you communicate with key stakeholders and various departments outside of the office. Your ability to influence and persuade is part of communication skills that can be overlooked. Communication is crucial when working remotely. Use examples of how well you communicate timelines with projects, keeping others informed of your schedule and staying connected with internal customers.
• Highlight your presentation abilities by using accomplishments that show how well you led virtual meetings and understand digital platforms. Skills used in making your presentations enjoyable while conveying information clearly and concisely are attractive to employers.
• Time management is a crucial skill needed when working remotely and within different time zones. Demonstrate how you organized your workflow by prioritizing goals. Your ability to self-manage your work routine, accomplish tasks, and attend meetings sends a professional message.
• Demonstrate your ability to establish trust by using examples showing how you helped your employer during the pandemic, such as being adaptable to new work schedules and following through on projects.