You might be familiar with the layouts of resumes for job positions that are done in brick and mortar buildings. Telecommuting job resume layouts are much the same as the others, but there are some things that should be done differently. The focus should take on a slightly different path.
Jobs that are done in brick and mortar buildings focus a lot on your skills, education and experiences in previous positions. Telecommuting jobs are the same, but they also need to show that you are capable of working from a home office away from the main company.
Also, on the site jobs generally have less applicants, so an employer can read through each resume they receive. Telecommuting positions can be quite popular, so most employers don’t have time to go through the hundreds they usually receive. In this case, your resume will need to stand out so that it has a higher chance of getting noticed.
When developing a resume for your telecommuting position, keep these things in mind:
Focus your experiences or skills on what pertains to the job you’re applying for If you’re looking to apply to a virtual assistant position, then focus all your previous job positions or skills that relate to that, such as office assistant etc. Leave out anything that doesn’t pertain to the position, like babysitting.
Don’t forget to include jobs that include experience working from home If any of your previous positions allowed you to work from your home office, even for a couple of days a week, then include it. Let your employers know that you have some experience working away from the main office.
Computer skills Be sure to include your computer skills. Virtual assistants use various types of software programs, so let your prospective employer know what programs you can use efficiently. If you’re certified in any program that you might need to use on the job, let them know.
Typing or Data entry speed If you’re applying to a position where there’s a lot of typing or data entry involved, then be sure to let your prospective employer know what you’re current typing speed or Data entry speed is. You can go online to test yourself if you’re not quite sure what they are.
Have two different types of resumes Most people use word to type their resume into. That’s great for attaching to emails and sending off to the hiring managers. But, you should also have an ASCII text resume to paste into the body of the email. Some companies won’t open attachments for fear of viruses and some attachments accidentally get deleted. Having your resume properly formatted in the body of the email eliminates that problem.
When compiling your information to put into your resumes, be sure to place the items that grab attention first and work your way down. If your educational background is stronger than your work experience, then start off with your education entries. Once their attention is grabbed, they’ll want to read on to the rest of what the resume contains.
So, take your old resume for onsite jobs out and look it over. What can you do to spice it up and help land you the telecommuting position you’re hoping to land?
Author Resource:
Nell Taliercio has been working at home full time since 2004. She’s worked as a telecommuter, virtual assistant and affiliate marketer. Find jobs and virtual assistant information: http://www.justonlinejobs.com