How to Make a CV That Will Help You Land a Remote Job
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As working from home becomes the norm, more people need to know how to create a cv that will impress employers who are looking for standout job candidates.
Gone are the days where you can land a job using a mediocre resume. Since more remote jobs are popping up, so is the competition.
With so many applicants, the competition is fierce, which means you will need to make a cv that will grab their attention.
Below are some tips for writing a resume for online work that will help you get started.
If you are looking for more tips, we also offer a REMOTE WORK RESUME GUIDE that will help you land an online job.
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Free Work Online Training
This training with Andrea will help you learn how to land your ideal remote job ASAP!
Read the Job Description
Think you can just copy and paste your old resume and send? Think again.
Employers have become more strict with their process and ability to be able to figure out if your resume is the right fit for the job.
That is why reading the job description before you make a cv is always the first step.
Fully understanding the job requirements will save you from wasting your time, since you will most likely avoid applying to a job that you are not qualified for.
For example, if the employer needs someone with 10 years experience and you only have one year of training, it may be a good idea to find another company to make a cv for.
Your remote work resume will likely be ignored. But instead of feeling down, use the opportunity to find work that aligns with your experience.
Another reason to read the job description fully is that HR managers and business owners often add small requests to the job description.
These requests are often simple, like inserting a word somewhere in your online resume or writing a specific subject line in your email.
When you are able to fulfill those requests, you will be able to create a cv that will stand out and they know that you have attention to detail.
Include the Value You Will Bring to the Business
If you want to stand out, create a CV that includes the value you will bring to the company that you are applying for.
This is called the PVP or the personal value proposition. Essentially, we want you to make a cv that shares what you can give the Business if you are hired.
The PVP is the knockout punch in your remote work resume, one that will hopefully impress the hiring manager or business owner. It is more effective than putting a general objective on your resume.
The PVP distinguishes you from 100’s of other candidates looking to land the same job.
Additionally, it highlights your best qualities as a professional and also shows that you can provide tangible and believable results for the company.
Ask yourself – what can you bring to the remote workplace that other candidates may struggle with?
If you want to master how to make a CV that stands out, you also have to understand the business’ needs and wants.
You can decipher these things by learning everything you can about the company before applying. It’s not enough to just read the job description.
You must know more about the actual company before you apply for the remote job.
Make a CV that is Optimized with Keywords
It can be easier to master how to create a CV, even without any experience if you know how to find the right keywords from each job application.
Companies now use specialized applicant tracking systems (ATS) that help hiring managers identify likely candidates by scanning each resume.
The ATS finds candidates through a simple keyword scan. That is why relevant keywords must appear on your resume.
The skills you write in your resume must also go along with the common keywords or terms that are included in the job description.
If none of the essential keywords appear on your resume, then it will be automatically rejected.
Resume experts believe that to create the best group of essential keywords, job candidates must begin with a master list of skills related to the applicant’s professional experience and the job itself.
Begin the process by writing down all your most useful skills, even those that are not normally associated with the profession you are applying for.
You might be surprised how frequently companies look for people with specific skills that aren’t exactly taught or developed in school.
After creating the master list of keywords, it’s time to connect them with the job.
Match your current skills with the requirements indicated in the job description. The skills to write in the resume are your experiences that align with the company’s wants and needs.
Prioritize the information found on your target company’s career page, and visit the company’s LinkedIn profile to familiarize yourself with their language.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry because this is precisely why you are doing research first before you make a cv.
Present Yourself as an Ideal Remote Worker
While companies won’t restrict themselves to hiring purely from job candidates with online work skills, experience in remote work is certainly a bonus.
Hiring managers want candidates who can demonstrate how they can tangibly contribute to the company in a remote work environment.
Would you be able to deliver great results that will equal or even exceed an onsite or office worker?
Below are two critical questions that will help you decided which remote skills to include in your resume:
What kind of positive impact did you make in your previous company?
What were your specific accomplishments while you were a remote worker?
Businesses typically look for remote workers that are:
· Self-motivated
· Great with time management
· Self-disciplined
· Excellent Communicators
· Technology Literate
Having high emotional intelligence is also a plus in most cases because it can be a challenge to work with other people in a remote team.
If a new worker does not know how to work with a team, then it will create conflict and you will not be able to last in your new online job.
Choosing the Right Format When You Create a CV
The most popular is the reverse chronological format that presents your most recent work history and proceeding backward.
The reversed chronological format is best for job candidates who already have a steady career and know exactly what they want to accomplish professionally and where they want to work.
If you have been in a remote work field for many years, use the reverse chronological format so employers can track how you have progressed over the years.
Don’t forget to include your education, work history, unique work experiences, and the most important part of your resume, the value proposition statement.
Another format you can choose is the functional resume, which focuses more on matching the job requirements to your cv.
The purpose of this format is to highlight the special skills you have that perfectly match the current job offer. We recommend the functional resume format to applicants who have gaps in their work history.
This is also the ideal format for those making a transition, so that past work history that isn’t directly connected to the job you are applying to doesn’t have to be included when you make a CV.
Also, individuals entering the workforce for the first time can use this format to highlight their professional skills rather than their work history.
The value proposition statement goes on top in a functional resume format, followed by the accomplishments, then your qualifications and education history last.
The education history is highlighted last because we want the hiring managers to be firmly focused on your value proposition statement and skills.
The hybrid format is ideal for applicants who are making a career change or are already experts in their fields. Combine the best of the two previous formats, and you have a hybrid format resume.
Below are some additional formatting tips:
· Use a spelling and grammar-checking software to make a CV that is professional. Understandably, not everyone can write at an expert level, but that’s why we have an effective software like Grammarly. Grammarly can help make your resume-writing more concise and professional in a matter of minutes.
· Having a well-designed personal website also helps hiring managers to find more information about the candidate that will help them decide whether the person is right for the job. The first step is creating a professional site with excellent web hosting like Bluehost.
· Don’t make your resume too short, but avoid being too wordy. If it’s too long, it will go off-track, and any hiring manager will immediately see that you’re just trying to lengthen the resume unnecessarily.
Remember, each resume is only given an initial six to fifteen seconds of reading time on average. If your resume doesn’t impress the hiring manager within these few seconds, there’s a huge chance that it will simply land in the reject pile.
· Don’t use fancy fonts on your resume. Use only universally viewable fonts. Calibri and Arial are good choices because they’re easily scannable and they’re always easy on the eyes. Other fonts appropriate for resumes are Trebuchet MS, Times New Roman, Helvetica, Garamond, and Didot.
As for the font size, stick to 10.5-12 points. Any value smaller than 10.5 will be hard to read. While the software will be in charge of inspecting the content, remember that a human will still read the resumes that pass the first sweep.
Be Yourself – Add Personality to Your Resume
A good resume will be incomplete without adding a bit of personality. We don’t want to add irrelevant items to your resume however, allowing your future employer to know about your professional passions will be a huge hit.
You already know that you have to showcase your education, past experiences, and technical skills. But what will allow you to stand out is also sharing your professional passions.
This means offering a deeper meaning to why you have chosen this career path. What motivates you to wake up and do your work every day? Is it learning new things from startup companies? Is it being a part of a community? Is it helping people learn and grow?
Share what moves you and include it into the bullet points for each role that you have managed, along with key roles that allowed you to find these passions.
When you create a CV that not only shares your accomplishments but also highlights your passion for the role, it will give you an edge in any competitive job market.
Resources that will help you make a CV that stands out
We know how overwhelming it can get to not only write a great resume but also make sure to land your ideal remote job.
If you need more help here are a few ways that we can guide you through the process:
- If you would prefer a professional writer to create a CV for you. Try using PurpleCV, a company that will create a personalized resume for you. No templates, you get to work with an experienced resume writer, and they have a quick 2-day turnaround! With thousands of 4.9-star reviews, you’ll be in great hands and will be closer to landing that remote job sooner than you think.
- Grab our remote resume guide that will help you make a CV that will allow you to stand out from your competition.
- Watch a FREE online Training with Andrea (a remote work expert), where she shares tips and tricks on how to find and land your ideal remote jobs! Andrea has helped hundreds of people transition from their 9-5 to remote work, so make sure to take advantage of her incredible training!
Now that you have an idea how to make a CV that will stand out, it is time to go out there and start finding the right remote work from you!
Remote Resume Guide
Before applying to your ideal online job, make sure to create a remote job resume that will stand out above the rest. If you are unsure how to get started, no worries, we have created a resume guide that will point you in the right direction.
