Home / Remote-work skills
Prepare for the work, then show your evidence
Build work samples for the remote roles you want.
Start with the requirements in real job listings. Choose one of the 24 skill paths below, practice a task that appears in your target role, and build a sample that shows your process and result.
New to a field? Start with one manageable task. Already experienced? Use a project to show relevant work for the role you want next. Label practice work clearly and use fictional data.
Choose a skill that your target role asks for.
Explore six categories and 24 practical skill paths. For each path, review the tasks and tools, choose a project related to a job requirement, and save a work sample you can explain in an application.
Advertising, search visibility and campaign planning.
Facebook & Meta Ads
Connect a business goal to the right audience, creative and measurement plan for Facebook and Instagram advertising.
Core skills
Campaign objective selection · Audience and creative planning · Ad testing and performance analysis
Roles to explore
Paid social assistant, Meta Ads specialist, Paid social media buyer
Essential tools
Meta Ads Manager Campaign setup and performance reporting
Meta Ad Library Public ad creative research
Your first practice project
Draft a two-creative ad test
Choose a personal project and define one campaign goal. Draft an audience brief, two versions of ad copy, two visual concepts and a measurement plan. Keep everything in a document; no ad account, ad launch, spending or fees are required.
Create: A campaign brief, two ad mockups and a comparison sheet for the planned test.
Check your work: Both ads test one clear difference, the call to action matches the goal and planned metrics are labeled as a proposal, not real results.
Meta Blueprint: Advertising on Facebook and Instagram
Learn how Meta's advertising tools and ad formats fit together.
Google Ads & Paid Search
Translate search intent into focused keyword groups, relevant ad copy and a plan for measuring useful actions.
Core skills
Keyword intent and match types · Ad group structure and copywriting · Conversion measurement planning
Roles to explore
Paid search assistant, PPC specialist, Search advertising coordinator
Essential tools
Google Ads Editor Offline campaign editing and draft review
Google Keyword Planner Keyword ideas and advertising forecasts
Your first practice project
Build a search campaign on paper
Choose a service you understand. In a spreadsheet or document, draft two ad groups, 10 relevant keywords, five negative keywords and a responsive search ad for each group. Add a landing-page outline and the action you would measure. No paid account, ad launch, spending or fees are required.
Create: A draft campaign sheet with grouped keywords, negative keywords, ad copy and a measurement plan.
Check your work: Keywords within each group share an intent, the ad matches its planned landing page and all forecast figures are clearly labeled as assumptions.
Google Skillshop: Google Ads
Start with the Search learning path, then explore measurement basics.
SEO & Search Visibility
Understand what people search for, improve useful page content and identify technical issues that affect search visibility.
Core skills
Search intent and content structure · On-page titles and internal links · Crawl, indexing and performance basics
Roles to explore
SEO assistant, Content SEO specialist, SEO analyst
Essential tools
Google Search Console Search queries, indexing and site reports
PageSpeed Insights Page performance diagnostics
Your first practice project
Write a one-page SEO improvement brief
Choose one publicly readable page and identify its audience, likely search intent, title, headings and useful internal links. Draft a clearer title, a revised outline and three prioritized improvements. You can complete this in a document without Search Console access or changing the page. No ad launch, spending or fees are required.
Create: An annotated page review, revised content outline and three-item action plan.
Check your work: Each recommendation explains the visitor benefit and supporting evidence; the brief makes no ranking or traffic guarantees.
Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
Learn the basics of helpful content, site organization and how search engines understand pages.
Digital Marketing
Plan focused campaigns, create useful messages and read the results to decide what to improve.
Core skills
Audience research · Campaign planning · Performance reporting
Roles to explore
Marketing assistant, Email marketing specialist, Digital marketing coordinator
Essential tools
Google Analytics Website measurement and reporting
Mailchimp Email campaign drafts and audience workflows
Your first practice project
Plan a small launch campaign
Pick a personal project and define its audience, goal and main message. Draft a welcome email and a three-post campaign. Create a measurement sheet that explains which events and metrics would show progress.
Create: A one-page campaign brief, four draft messages and a measurement plan.
Check your work: Each message has one clear action, and each metric relates to the campaign goal.
Google Skillshop
Build measurement knowledge with Google's product training.
Writing, social content, email journeys and video.
Writing & Content
Research a topic, structure the message and edit useful content for a specific reader.
Core skills
Research and source checking · Audience-focused writing · Editing and proofreading
Roles to explore
Content writer, Copywriter, Editorial assistant
Essential tools
Google Docs Drafts, comments and revision history
Grammarly Grammar and clarity review
Your first practice project
Write a useful starter guide
Choose a skill you already use. Write a 600-word beginner guide with an outline, practical examples and links to three credible sources. Adapt the same idea into a short email and three social posts.
Create: One edited guide, one email and three platform-ready posts.
Check your work: A beginner can act on the guide, and every factual claim has been checked.
HubSpot Content Marketing Course
Learn content planning, audience needs and editorial structure.
Social Media & Community
Plan consistent content, adapt it to each channel and respond to a community with a clear, useful voice.
Core skills
Content calendars and channel planning · Social copy and visual storytelling · Community replies and engagement reporting
Roles to explore
Social media assistant, Social media coordinator, Community manager
Essential tools
Meta Business Suite Facebook and Instagram content and inbox management
Canva Social graphics, posts and video drafts
Your first practice project
Plan a seven-day content series
Pick a personal interest or community topic. Draft a seven-day calendar with a goal for each post, three finished captions, two graphic mockups and five sample replies to common questions. Use your own photos or simple graphics. No publishing, ad launch, paid assets or fees are required.
Create: A seven-day calendar, three post drafts, two visual mockups and a reply guide.
Check your work: Every post has a clear audience and purpose, visuals are readable on a phone and sample replies use a consistent tone.
HubSpot Academy: Social Media Marketing
Explore social strategy, content planning and ways to evaluate engagement.
Email Marketing & Automation
Build clear email journeys, group subscribers by relevant needs and plan how to measure engagement beyond opens.
Core skills
Email copy and audience segmentation · Welcome sequences and automation logic · Click and conversion reporting
Roles to explore
Email marketing assistant, Email marketing specialist, Lifecycle marketing coordinator
Your first practice project
Draft a three-email welcome journey
Choose a personal newsletter topic and write three welcome emails with subject lines, preview text and one primary action each. Sketch a signup form, an unsubscribe placeholder and the trigger for each message. Work in a document or editor preview; no subscriber upload, email send, ad launch or fees are required.
Create: Three email drafts, a signup-form mockup and a simple automation flow.
Check your work: Each message adds a distinct benefit, the sequence explains its timing and the measurement plan includes clicks or meaningful actions rather than opens alone.
HubSpot Academy: Email Marketing
Learn email strategy, segmentation and campaign evaluation.
Video Editing
Choose useful shots, build a clear sequence and polish sound, captions and pacing for the intended audience.
Core skills
Timeline editing and pacing · Audio levels and caption checks · Aspect ratios and export settings
Roles to explore
Video editor, Social video editor, Video production assistant
Essential tools
DaVinci Resolve Timeline editing, colour correction and audio finishing
Microsoft Clipchamp Browser-based editing, titles and short video exports
Your first practice project
Edit a one-minute how-to video
Record your own footage of a simple activity using household objects. Assemble a one-minute tutorial with a clear opening, readable captions and balanced audio. Create a landscape version and a short vertical adaptation, using your own recordings and graphics.
Create: A finished tutorial, a vertical adaptation and a short note explaining the editing decisions.
Check your work: Captions match the speech, audio is understandable, exports fit their intended screens and all media is your own or clearly licensed.
Blackmagic Design: DaVinci Resolve Training
Follow official editing tutorials and practical training guides with exercise materials.
Visual communication, interface research and presentations.
Visual & UI Design
Use layout, typography and visual hierarchy to make information attractive and easy to understand.
Core skills
Layout and typography · Visual hierarchy · Accessible interface basics
Roles to explore
Graphic designer, Junior UI designer, Presentation designer
Your first practice project
Design a community event kit
Choose an event theme and create a poster, three social graphics and a phone-sized registration screen. Use one consistent type scale and color system, then connect the registration screen to a confirmation state.
Create: A coordinated visual kit and a two-screen clickable prototype.
Check your work: The date, location and registration action are readable at the intended viewing size.
Figma Design Basics
Explore layout, typography, color and interface design principles.
UX Research
Plan focused research, organize observations and connect evidence to questions a product team can investigate.
Core skills
Research questions and task design · Observation and research synthesis · Separating evidence from assumptions
Roles to explore
UX research assistant, Research operations assistant, Usability research assistant
Your first practice project
Plan a library-search usability study
Create a fictional library-search prototype and write one research question with five task prompts. Make ten clearly labelled synthetic observation notes, group them into themes and prepare a study plan. Present this as a planning and synthesis exercise, without claiming that real participants were tested.
Create: A prototype, a five-task study plan, a labelled sample affinity map and a findings template.
Check your work: Tasks avoid leading questions, synthetic notes are clearly identified and the report separates assumptions from evidence that a future study would need.
Nielsen Norman Group: UX Research Cheat Sheet
Learn how different research methods support discovery, exploration, testing and listening.
Presentation Design
Turn a brief into a clear slide story using readable layouts, purposeful visuals and consistent formatting.
Core skills
Story structure and slide hierarchy · Typography and visual consistency · Charts, speaker notes and accessibility checks
Roles to explore
Presentation designer, Slide production assistant, Visual communications assistant
Essential tools
Microsoft PowerPoint Slide layouts, speaker notes and presentation exports
Canva Presentations Visual slide composition and collaborative presentation drafts
Your first practice project
Build a workshop presentation
Choose a skill you know and create an eight-slide introductory workshop. Include an opening question, a clear sequence, one original diagram, one labelled fictional-data chart and a closing activity. Add speaker notes and export a PDF for review.
Create: An editable eight-slide deck, speaker notes and a PDF handout.
Check your work: Each slide has one clear purpose, text remains readable at presentation size and fictional data is identified wherever it appears.
Microsoft Support: Create a Presentation in PowerPoint
Learn to create slides, arrange text and images, and build a presentation in PowerPoint.
Websites, data, workflow automation and security foundations.
Web Development
Turn a brief into a usable website, test the behavior and keep changes organized.
Core skills
HTML, CSS and JavaScript · Responsive and accessible interfaces · Version control and debugging
Roles to explore
Junior front-end developer, Web developer, Website maintenance assistant
Essential tools
Visual Studio Code Code editing, debugging and project files
GitHub Version history and code collaboration
Your first practice project
Build a personal project tracker
Create a responsive page where someone can add, complete and delete tasks. Save the list in the browser, include a useful empty state and keep the code in a repository with a short README.
Create: A working task tracker, source repository and setup instructions.
Check your work: Tasks survive a page refresh, controls work by keyboard and the layout fits a phone screen.
MDN Learn Web Development
Follow the beginner modules for web standards and front-end fundamentals.
Data & Analytics
Clean messy data, answer a focused question and explain the result with a clear chart or report.
Core skills
Spreadsheet formulas · Data cleaning and validation · Charts and analytical summaries
Roles to explore
Data assistant, Reporting analyst, Junior data analyst
Essential tools
Google Sheets Data cleaning, formulas and tables
Power BI Data models and interactive reports
Your first practice project
Turn a public dataset into a report
Choose a small public dataset and record its source. Remove duplicates, standardize dates and check missing values. Answer three specific questions with a summary table and two charts.
Create: A cleaned dataset, a compact dashboard and a five-sentence findings note.
Check your work: Chart totals match the cleaned data, and the note explains a limitation as well as the result.
Microsoft Learn: Power BI
Start with preparing data and building clear reports.
WordPress & Site Building
Organize website content, create clear page layouts and keep a WordPress site easy to use.
Core skills
WordPress pages and navigation · Responsive page layouts · Content and plugin maintenance
Roles to explore
WordPress site builder, Website content assistant, Website maintenance assistant
Your first practice project
Create a draft service-site kit
In a local WordPress installation, draft Home, Services and Contact pages for a fictional repair studio. Create a reusable section, plan the menu and test phone and desktop previews. Keep the pages unpublished and the contact form as a mockup with no sending.
Create: Three draft pages, a menu plan and screenshots of phone and desktop previews.
Check your work: The page structure is clear, text fits on a phone and every planned navigation destination has a matching draft.
Learn WordPress: Beginner WordPress User
Start with the dashboard, pages, themes, navigation and content editing.
No-Code Automation
Map a repeated process, connect its steps logically and plan what happens when data is missing or a step fails.
Core skills
Triggers and field mapping · Filters and conditional routes · Error handling and process testing
Roles to explore
Automation assistant, No-code workflow builder, Operations automation coordinator
Your first practice project
Map a mock inquiry workflow
Draft a workflow that takes fictional inquiries, checks required fields and routes valid records to a follow-up list. Define a missing-data route and a duplicate check. Trace five fabricated input records by hand in a local document, keeping any optional scenario draft inactive and unconnected.
Create: A workflow diagram, a field map and five input-to-output test cases.
Check your work: Each test case has one predictable outcome, and incomplete or duplicate records have a documented route.
Make Academy
Begin with the fundamentals of scenarios, data and workflow logic.
Cybersecurity Foundations
Learn how common threats appear, read basic evidence and write clear notes that help someone understand a security issue.
Core skills
Security and network fundamentals · Basic log and evidence review · Risk reporting and incident triage
Roles to explore
Security operations trainee, Junior security analyst, Security support assistant
Essential tools
Wireshark Network protocol and saved packet inspection
OWASP Juice Shop Deliberately vulnerable application for local security practice
Your first practice project
Write a mock security triage report
Create 20 fabricated login events for three invented accounts, including normal access, repeated failed logins and one unusual successful login. Review the records offline, build a timeline and draft a triage note with evidence, unanswered questions and proposed checks. Use only invented identities and systems.
Create: A sample event log, an incident timeline and a one-page draft triage report.
Check your work: Every conclusion points to a specific event, and the report separates observed facts from possible explanations.
Cisco Introduction to Cybersecurity
Explore common threats, personal protection and introductory security concepts.
Online shops, sales, finance administration and project coordination.
Project Operations
Map the work, document repeatable steps and keep people informed as a project moves forward.
Core skills
Process documentation · Project coordination · Status reporting and handovers
Roles to explore
Operations assistant, Project coordinator, Program assistant
Your first practice project
Plan a volunteer workshop
Create a plan for a small workshop. Break preparation into tasks, note dependencies and assign sample ownership labels. Write a setup checklist, a day-of checklist and a short progress update.
Create: A project plan, two reusable checklists and a status report.
Check your work: Every task has an owner and due date, and the report makes blockers and next steps clear.
Asana Getting Started Tutorials
Learn to structure projects, organize tasks and track progress.
E-commerce Operations
Organize product information, plan useful collections and understand the steps behind accurate order handling.
Core skills
Product catalog organization · Product descriptions and variants · Order and fulfillment workflows
Roles to explore
E-commerce assistant, Product listing specialist, Online store operations assistant
Essential tools
Shopify Product catalogs and store operations
WooCommerce WordPress-based product and order management
Your first practice project
Prepare a mock product catalog
In a local spreadsheet, create six fictional products with unique SKUs, descriptions, variants, assumed prices and stock counts. Draft two collection layouts and a checklist for handling a sample order from receipt to fulfillment. Keep the catalog and order records offline without opening a store or taking payment.
Create: A six-product catalog CSV, two collection mockups and a draft fulfillment checklist.
Check your work: Each SKU is unique, variant details are complete and the checklist makes each order status clear.
WooCommerce Getting Started Guides
Work through product-management and order-handling tutorials.
Bookkeeping & Finance Admin
Classify transactions, check records against a statement and prepare a readable summary of a fictional business's activity.
Core skills
Transaction classification · Bank reconciliation basics · Financial record organization
Roles to explore
Bookkeeping assistant, Accounts assistant, Finance administration assistant
Essential tools
GnuCash Local accounting files and financial reports
QuickBooks Business transactions and accounting workflows
Your first practice project
Reconcile a fictional month
Create a local GnuCash practice file for an invented stationery studio. Enter an opening balance and 20 fabricated income and expense transactions, then compare them with a mock bank statement. Draft a monthly income-and-expense summary and an explanation of one deliberately introduced mismatch. Use no bank feeds or real account records.
Create: A local practice ledger, a reconciliation worksheet and a draft monthly summary.
Check your work: The closing cash balance agrees with the corrected mock statement, and the mismatch has a documented explanation.
GnuCash Tutorial and Concepts Guide
Learn basic accounts, transactions, reconciliation and reports through worked examples.
Sales & CRM Operations
Understand a buyer's needs, keep opportunities organized and write useful follow-ups with clear next steps.
Core skills
Discovery and qualification · CRM pipeline organization · Clear follow-up writing
Roles to explore
Sales development representative, Sales operations assistant, CRM coordinator
Essential tools
HubSpot CRM Contacts, opportunity stages and follow-up records
Salesforce Sales pipelines and opportunity management
Your first practice project
Build a draft sales pipeline
Create a local table for 12 fictional leads and define four pipeline stages with entry criteria. Record an invented need, qualification note and next action for each. Draft a discovery-call outline and three follow-up emails for different stages, keeping every message unsent and using no real contact details.
Create: A 12-lead practice pipeline, a discovery outline and three email drafts.
Check your work: Every lead has a justified stage and next action, and each draft responds to a stated buyer need.
HubSpot Academy: Inbound Sales
Study buyer needs, discovery conversations and personalized sales communication.
Virtual assistance, customer care, accurate records and online research.
Admin & Virtual Assistance
Organize information, coordinate schedules and turn busy inboxes into clear next steps.
Core skills
Calendar coordination · Clear written updates · Document organization
Roles to explore
Virtual assistant, Administrative assistant, Executive assistant
Essential tools
Google Docs Meeting notes and shared documents
Trello Task boards and follow-up tracking
Your first practice project
Build a weekly admin pack
Plan one week of your own commitments. Create a meeting agenda, a notes template and a task board with due dates and follow-up actions.
Create: A shared document pack and a task board with 10 organized tasks.
Check your work: Every task has a clear next action, deadline and status.
Google Workspace Learning Center
Start with Docs, Calendar and the administrative assistant guides.
Customer Support
Listen carefully, diagnose the issue and write helpful replies that guide people toward a resolution.
Core skills
Empathetic communication · Ticket triage · Troubleshooting and escalation
Roles to explore
Customer support representative, Customer care specialist, Technical support associate
Your first practice project
Create a support response kit
Write 10 clearly labeled sample requests about account access, delayed orders and product questions. Draft a reply, priority and escalation decision for each, then turn five recurring questions into an FAQ.
Create: 10 sample ticket responses, an escalation checklist and a five-question FAQ.
Check your work: Each reply acknowledges the problem, gives a concrete next step and avoids promises you cannot verify.
Zendesk Academy
Explore ticketing basics and customer service lessons for agents.
Data Entry & Record Quality
Enter information carefully, keep formats consistent and check completed records against their source.
Core skills
Accurate entry and attention to detail · Consistent spreadsheet formats · Duplicate checks and source reconciliation
Roles to explore
Data entry clerk, Records assistant, Catalog assistant
Essential tools
Google Sheets Shared tables, record organization and sorting
Microsoft Excel Structured spreadsheets, formatting and record checks
Your first practice project
Build a fictional book catalog
Write 50 invented book records with IDs, titles, categories and publication years. Deliberately include a few duplicate IDs, blank fields and inconsistent formats. Enter the records into a spreadsheet, document corrections and keep the original sample beside the cleaned version. Use no personal or customer data.
Create: A labelled synthetic source sheet, a cleaned catalog and a correction log.
Check your work: Every correction is traceable to the sample, missing values are flagged and row totals reconcile after documented duplicate removal.
Microsoft Excel Help & Learning
Start with entering and formatting data, then learn sorting and basic spreadsheet checks.
Online Research
Search deliberately, compare public sources and summarize what the evidence supports, with clear references and limitations.
Core skills
Focused search queries and filters · Source evaluation and citation tracking · Concise summaries with uncertainty
Roles to explore
Online research assistant, Desk research assistant, Research support assistant
Essential tools
Google Advanced Search Focused searches by phrase, domain and other filters
Zotero Saving references, organizing source notes and creating citations
Your first practice project
Compare public learning resources
Choose one digital skill and compare six learning resources using their official public pages. Record each resource's topic, format, stated prerequisites, source URL and the date checked. Keep cited notes and write a short memo that distinguishes confirmed details from information the provider does not state.
Create: A six-resource comparison table, an organized reference collection and a 150-word findings memo.
Check your work: Every factual comparison links to a source, paraphrases retain the original meaning and the memo names a limitation without guessing missing details.
Google Search Help: Refine Google Searches
Learn official search filters and operators to narrow a question and find relevant sources.
Use job requirements to choose your next project.
Compare relevant listings, note the tasks employers repeat, and build a sample that matches one of them. Read each role’s experience, location and working-hours requirements before applying.
Compare remote job boards