If you’ve never worked a remote job before, it’s easy to assume that you don’t have the experience necessary to land one. However, that’s not true! Not all remote employers are looking for candidates with remote experience. But, they will be looking for certain soft skills that show them you can effectively work from home.
To identify your remote work skills, start with making a list of previous work experience. This list should contain every job you’ve ever had, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Not all of this list will go on your resume, only the most relevant parts. If you’ve ever had side jobs, done any volunteering in your community, held events, wrote a blog, include those in your preliminary list.
From this list, determine what skills you had to have to perform essential tasks that you could relate to a remote work environment.
For example, as a bartender or server, your skills might look like:
- Effective communication
- Ability to work well on a team
- Flexibility and Adaptability
- Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
- Ability to maintain a high level of professionalism in a challenging environment
If you’ve ever had a hobby blog, your skills would include writing, proficiency using computers, etc. Or, if you’ve ever been a volunteer admin for a Facebook group, your skills could include community management. Get really creative here! Even parenting skills can translate into remote work skills.