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KEY POINTS:

• Remote work is here to stay for the time-being, as we wait out what will happen with the COVID-19 pandemic
• There are certain skills and qualities that make you stand out as a remote worker
• You can enumerate these skills and qualities in your resume/CV when applying for a job during this time
• If these skills and qualities are not your strengths, dedicate some time and effort to develop them

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Since March of this year, we’ve been on lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While a lot of companies were forced to close down, a big majority decided to embrace working from home in order to survive. Over the past few months, we have all gotten used to it until it became the ‘norm’. But as the year is coming to a close, it’s left a lot of people wondering, what will happen next?

Even though it seems like the situation is slowly improving, many are still unsure about what the work setting will look like come 2021. One thing is certain though - remote work will stay for the foreseeable future. Since many businesses will continue to implement remote work, you need to highlight certain skills and qualities when applying for that new job that will let your prospective employers know that you CAN work in a remote setting.

These are the top 6 skills and qualities you can practice while you work from home, or qualities you can highlight on your resume/CV that will help you standout as a remote worker.

 

 

 

Writing or written communication

Because of remote work, most of our communication is done through chat and email rather than verbal, “face-to-face” conversations. Yes, we still have team calls and meetings online, but other than that, most communication will be done in writing. If written communication or writing is one of your strengths, highlight it in your resume/CV. However, if it is something you know needs more work, practice or take some online courses. When composing emails, messages, or even writing your resume/CV, be sure to proofread. You can even use free tools like Grammarly to check your work. 

 

Communication Technology Knowledge

Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Hangouts, Workplace, Skype, Slack, WhatsApp… the list goes on. Each company has their own communication tools they use so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with how as many of them work. Create a free account and try them out! Sometimes, even project management tools such as Asana, Jira, or Basecamp are used for communication, so consider learning about these as well. List all the tools and software you’re familiar with and add them to your resume/CV.

 

Collaboration

Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’ll be working alone. You’re still part of a team and you’re still going to work with teammates - just without a physical space to have discussions and gather together. This is what makes collaboration just a little bit more challenging during remote work. 

Good collaboration during remote work goes hand in hand with your communication skills. You need to be able to  the right balance between messages, emails, phone calls, and video meetings. In terms of your resumeCV, you can also highlight collaborative tools and software you know how to use.

 

Time Management

Time management skills are important even when you’re working in a “regular” office setting. But this quality is more important now because everyone has realized that working from home can sometimes be more challenging when it comes to time. When in the office, you can focus solely on working. But at home, you have to juggle house work, chores, or taking care of the kids together with your work. 

 

Proactive / Self Starter

Working from home means your boss isn’t within walking or speaking distance of you like in the office. Sometimes, this makes it hard to stay motivated or start working. This is why employers will be looking for job seekers who they feel will be able to get the job done without having to tell them or having to hold their hand every step of the way. As a remote worker, you’ll need to be able to work independently and solve problems on your own while waiting on a response from an email or message.

 

Adaptability

This year has forced everyone to become more adaptable in more ways than one. Adaptability is an important trait to have, but more so now when you never really know when you’ll be called back to the office, or there is a sudden need for a video meeting, if you’ll need to pick up work from colleagues who leave/lose their jobs, or if there will be major changes within your organization, or if your company will even survive in the coming days/weeks/months.

There is a lot to take into account but it’s vital during this time to be able to go with the flow. If adaptability isn’t one of your natural traits, this is something you need to seriously consider developing.

 

 

All of these skills and qualities you can enumerate on your resume/CV, just be sure you can defend or explain how these are your skills during your interview. You’ll need to give real examples from past experiences and relate them to how you will apply those skills as you work from home. 

 

 

Not sure what career is best for you?

Explore your options on our Career Guide here.

DECEMBER 17, 2020

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