Five reasons to highlight remote working on your CV

To drive business growth, remote working requires a range of skills, from focus and time management to problem solving. Find out how to translate your talent into examples that stand out to employers

The traditional working day has taken a beating this year. Even firms that value presenteeism above all else, those who swore that the fixed-office, fixed-desk, nine-to-five workplace was the best and only way to manage a successful company, have had their hands forced.

Proponents of old excuses ranging from “You really have to be connected to the office Wi-Fi to access the server” to “This job just doesn’t get done unless we’re all in a room together”, have found miraculous workarounds. In an unprecedented year of change, much of the global workforce now functions remotely.

And it’s making use of a new set of skills that some of us didn’t know we had. Whereas previously more traditional companies might have looked at remote working as a ‘nice-to-have’ benefit of a company’s office culture, we now know the truth – it requires a whole new skillset.

So, when putting together your CV for a new position, here are five ways in which remote work can show off your best side.

Collaboration
Distance between members of a team means that collaboration and communication skills are more important than ever. The ability to share the load is vital here – to be able to sense when a member of your team is struggling, know that you have space to pick it up, and offer your services. The reverse is also true: remote workers need to know when to let go, and when having a swelling to-do list is likely to hold a project up. Let potential employers know you’ve got the right kind of emotional intelligence to be a strong team player, even when you’re not around your team.

Focus
Working away from the prying eyes of management gives a new kind of agency to many newly remote workers. The only person you answer to is you. This requires focus, drive and ingenuity in achieving your deliverables – all attributes worth shouting about on your CV. Highlight a productivity or success measurement process that you implemented single-handedly. Your initiative won’t go unnoticed by prospective employers.

Organisation
Likewise, the time management skills necessary to be a remote worker are valuable. The ability to organise tasks and prioritise is all the harder without a team hounding around you. If you can organise your time at home, you can do it efficiently anywhere, and highlighting your use of process and status sheets will prove these abilities to prospective employers.

Productivity
Being within walking distance of the fridge could be one diversion too many for some remote workers. Add to that the ever-present distractions of housemates, family members, pets or chores piling up around you and you need some serious willpower to stay productive. If you’ve aced your work in a home setting, it shows you’re serious, tenacious and hard-working. Give examples of achievements and obstacles that you’ve overcome while home working, and the tools and productivity tips that have helped you excel during more challenging moments.

Problem-solving
Remote working is ripe with useful examples of problem-solving for your CV. If the way that you did your job was completely turned on its head, and you were instrumental in finding workarounds and systems to make it run more smoothly, then you are a great problem solver and an excellent potential employee. Highlight case studies that exemplify how your creativity and tenacity helped you to smooth things over for a challenging client, solve a workflow problem or manage a difficult employee from afar.

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