Remote CV Checklist for Europe-Based Jobs

By 2023, almost one in five European employees worked from home at least some of the time, with around one in 10 working remotely full-time. With this growth in remote work, often across country borders, employers are looking for specific skills and qualities. In this article, we’ll discuss how to prepare a CV for remote jobs across Europe, including tips on the skills employers are looking for, and how to show you’re ready to thrive in a remote work environment.

What are recruiters looking for in a remote job CV?

While your hard skills and technical expertise may be the same whether working from home or on-site, employers will want to know how well you can apply those skills in a remote setting. If you can’t show you’re well-suited to remote work environments, you’ll put yourself at a disadvantage compared to other candidates. Here are some of the key things employers will look for in a remote-only job application:

• Evidence of readiness for remote work: If you have previous remote work experience, this will go a long way to showing employers that you’re suitable for remote positions. Showcase your ability to self-manage your workload, with evidence to support this.
• ‍Proof of ability to collaborate remotely: Highlight scenarios where you’ve worked together with colleagues in a remote setting, and the positive outcomes you achieved. Employers will be looking for examples of cross-cultural communication and asynchronous working patterns.
• ‍Technical remote work skills and setup: Experience using remote work productivity tools will show employers you’re ready to thrive in a remote work environment.Mention the use of tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and project management and collaboration apps like Asana, Slack, Basecamp and Clickup.‍
• Indicators of trustworthiness:Employers will want to know how well you can be trusted to remain productive and engaged in your work in a remote setting.Adding performance indicators and feedback from previous remote jobs, or evidence of consistent delivery in long-term projects, can help to confirm this.

Top 10 skills for remote role CVs

The following key skills are ideal for adding to a remote work CV, to show you have the right tools for success.Adding these skills to your CV bullet points will help employers decide if you’re fit for a remote working role:

• Self-motivation
• Time management
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Adaptability
• Workflow management
• Documentation skills
• Working to deadlines
• Project management platforms

Top 10 action verbs for a remote CV

Using the following action verbs in your CVbullet points will show the impact you’ve had in remote roles and your suitability for the unique demands of remote work:

• Collaborated
• Facilitated
• Communicated
• Liaised
• Presented
• Organised
• Executed
• Delivered
• Prioritised
• Implemented

Tips and mistakes to avoid for your remote CV

This checklist will help you follow best practice when writing your remote work CV, while avoiding some of the most common mistakes that could hold your job application back:

Remote CV tips:

• Highlight outcomes, not tasks: Rather than focusing on the tasks associated with your remote work experience, focus on highlighting the outcomes of the remote work and the positive impact it had, adding metrics and performanceindicators.‍
• Show evidence of autonomousworking skills: It’s essential to show your readiness for working in the sort of autonomous environment remote work demands. Focus on skills that showcase your adaptability, resilience,organisation and commitment.‍
• Keep your CV formatting clean and consistent: The presentation of your CVcan help the employer identify your remote work skills and achievements.Consider using a resume builder for a clean, professional CVdesign that’s compatible with ATS scanning.
• ‍Showcase transferable remoteworking skills: If you lack experience of remoteworking (whether at the start of your career, or when applying for your first remote role), use other experiences to showcase transferable skills.Independent work as a student, personal projects and freelance roles can all be used to show you have the necessary remote work skills.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Being vague about responsibilities: One of the keys to remote work is a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities within a team. If you’re unable to clearly specify the role you played, and the impact it made, your CVwill lack impact.‍
• Ignoring time-zone and cultural considerations: Successful remote work requires you to understand time-zone differences and asynchronous working patterns, as well as cultural awareness about working with people in other countries. Omitting these can seriously harm your chances.‍
• Not differentiating from a standard CV: Failure to adapt your CV between in-person and remote applications will result in a CV that’s lacking the necessary evidence of your suitability for remote work.
• Including irrelevant skills and experience: Listing jobs, skills or personalqualities that don’t add anything to the narrative about your suitability for remote work is ultimately a waste of CV space. If a previous job doesn’t help you show remote work skills, omit it from your CV.

Adapting your CV for remote jobs in Europe

There are a few things to look out for with your CV when applying for a remote role with a company that’s not based in the country you reside in. Follow this checklist of key cross-border remote application considerations, to boost your chances:

• CV and workplace culture: Research the workplace culture and CV expectations of the country you’re applying in, and ensure your application reflects this. This could mean adapting your CV length, personal details and overall document format to match the local conventions.‍
• Time-zone consideration: If there’s going to be a time difference between you and the country the organisation is based in, it’s worth acknowledging this and allaying any fears the employer might have, either in your CV or cover letter.‍
• Language expectations: Make sure you’re aware of the language expectations of the organisation you’re applying to. While many larger firms in European countries use English as a business language, it’s also often a requirement to be fluent in the native language.‍
• Work authorisation: Especially for more senior positions, it’s critical to be aware of any work authorisation issues, such as visas, work permits and right to work.Rules can differ between countries and the seniority level of the role.