How to Win The Battle Against Increasingly Tough Skill Tests
The ‘Skill or Be Skilled’ Edition
Radically Remote is LinkedIn’s largest community for remote leaders who want to stay on the pulse but don't have time for a snoozefest. Every 2 weeks we bring you the latest global news, trends & insights on hiring, managing & working remotely.
By Andrew Allen and Carla Dewing
In This Week's Edition:
⚡ Andrew catches up with 5 remote rockstars for our 2 year anniversary episode!
⚡ If you never plan on taking a remote skills test this week's feature is for you.
⚡ Learn how to reduce WFH distractions & we rank 12 programming languages for you.
📄 Remote Work Feature ⚡ Skill Test Secrets Revealed
😵 Remote workers: do skills tests send you into panic mode?
Reality Check: 75% of you would rather be assessed on literally anything else.
But here’s the brutal truth: running from these tests will destroy your dream of landing a top remote job.
The most in-demand remote workers CRUSH skill tests.
Neglecting them? That’s the fast lane to mediocrity.
Fact: Skill tests have become the gold standard for tech companies to uncover top talent.
In 2023, a whopping 73% of employers used them to separate the pros from the posers.
So, why are so many remote workers stuck playing by outdated rules?
Discover the secrets elite remote workers swear by and why mastering skill tests is your one-way ticket to the top.
Skills tests are getting tougher – and you can't dodge them forever!
But there's a reason so many people try: it's called the Dunning-Kruger Effect.
Take finance, for example. How many amateur investors think they've got the Midas touch? Spoiler alert: only 5% actually turn a profit.
Yet, they keep happily trading their money away, oblivious to the reality.
Believing you're more skilled than you really are? That's just part of being human.
But here's the trip: if you never put yourself to the test, you’ll never know how far you’ve truly come - or how far you still have to go.
If you don’t know how skilled you are at your job, you're playing a dangerous game. You can't compete with the best if you don't know where you stand.
This is the edge that top remote workers have figured out - and the one you’ve been ignoring.
Ready to sharpen your skills and seize the best remote opportunities?
Discover how to transform your career with these elite skill test secrets. Don't let outdated practices hold you back – it’s time to take your next leap forward.
🎬 The Latest OOO Episode ⚡ Where Are They Now?
🌍 What really happens to Crossover’s elite remote workers?
Ever wonder what becomes of the top-tier talent that lands a coveted role on Crossover? This episode pulls back the curtain on their global career evolution.
But hold on - these aren’t just any remote workers.
They’re the crème de la crème, the stars I’ve flown across continents to interview.
Some of the most popular guests on the show are back, ready to spill the beans on what’s happened since we last spoke.
🎉 All of this is to honor the explosive 2 year anniversary of Out of Office! 🎉
I catch up with Funmi, Nelson, Xavier, Gui, and Aliza to explore the wild ride of working in top-tier tech roles – from anywhere on the planet.
Let’s take a journey through the highs and lows of living the dream.
I reveal:
✔️ Who packed up everything and swapped continents for a whole new life
✔️ Who finally snagged that dream remote role in a niche only the bold dare to enter
✔️ Who’s pushing the boundaries of AI innovation in education
…and so much more.
Watch it now! 👇
These remarkable individuals crushed the CCAT, aced the job skills tests, and conquered the structured interviews. They’ve joined a club more exclusive than the Ivy League.
And they’ve never looked back.
Remember the guests?
What’s Inside?
☑️ Meet the top Crossover elites everyone’s talking about
☑️ Discover how AI propelled these five remote superstars to new heights
☑️ Get the inside scoop from global talent in Nigeria, Brazil, Chile, and Pakistan
☑️ Witness jaw-dropping transformations from those who went all-in on remote careers
☑️ See the incredible results when you embrace: “It’s hard, but it’s worth it”
🖥️ Tune in biweekly for early Out of Office episodes.
🎞️ Check out the Out of Office YouTube Channel.
😎 Have you got what it takes to be a guest expert? Apply here!
💻 Top Jobs ⚡ The Latest Fully Remote Jobs
🚨 New jobs alert!🚨
Recommended by LinkedIn
🦊 Are You Creative, Logical and Innovative? Find Your Next Remote Role Here! 🦊
📰 Breaking News ⚡ This Week in Remote Work
Ex-Google CEO Apologizes for Blaming AI Lag on Remote Work
General Motors Cuts 1000 Software Jobs in Massive AI Push
CEO Carl Pei Recalls WFH Employees in Spectacular Remote Work Roast
Business Insider Reports (Again) on a Gen Xer Who Secretly Works Multiple Jobs
Remote Workers are Lonely but The Office Won’t Cure That
👱🏻 Ask Andrew ⚡ Your Questions, Answered
💌 Send your questions here!
Ask Andrew is a way for you to write in with a question and get a direct response from me. Focus on remote leadership, Crossover insights, or about my journey across the world interviewing remote workers.
No technical or application queries please (send those here!)
This Week's Question is From Antonio Vizioli from Trento, Italy:
Which kind of skillset do I need to build to increase probabilities of being recruited for a remote job?
"Hi Antonio,
Regardless of your current field, developing AI skills will significantly enhance your remote job prospects. Here's why: AI isn't just for programmers or data scientists anymore.
It's a powerful tool across all industries and roles.
By learning how to effectively use AI to solve problems or produce work more efficiently than your peers, you'll make yourself highly valuable to potential employers. Whether you're using it for research, writing, analyzing, or coding: the key is to become an expert in the use cases where AI can add value within your specific area of expertise.
Start by exploring AI tools relevant to your field and experimenting with them.
Whenever you face a problem or complete a task, ask yourself: "where could I utilize AI to reach a high quality outcome faster?"
As you become proficient, you'll be able to showcase how you can use AI to drive results, making you an attractive candidate for all remote positions where innovation and efficiency are prized (spoiler alert: that's all of them).
- Andrew"
Have a question on your mind? 👉 Ask Andrew 👈
Andrew Allen is the VP of Content Marketing at Crossover. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand and has worked for Crossover since early 2021. His superpower is using storytelling and humor to create memorable insights on complex topics. Learn more about him (and meet his doggos) here.
🛠️ Tool Share ⚡️ Practical Tools & Resources
The best birthday gift Manuel Da Silva ever got was being fired.
It led him to the job of his dreams on Crossover. Now he earns 5X his previous pay!
👇 Watch his remarkable story below.
📊 Is Your Programming Language Making Your Life Harder Than It Needs to Be?
Discover how your favorite coding language stacks up in the ultimate difficulty ranking - because not all code is created equal.
🕵️♂️Is Your Home Office Secretly Sabotaging Your Productivity?
Remote work offers freedom, but it also brings hidden traps that can derail your focus and kill your efficiency. Learn how to recognize and combat these five common productivity killers lurking in your home office.
😂 Punchline ⚡️ Here’s a Laugh Before You Go
🌟 You Might Have Missed...
🥰 Loved This Edition?
Subscribe and share it with your friends - we’ll be back in two weeks to bring you more on how to become a better remote leader. Rebel with us!
How challenging should pre-employment tests be? Tell us in the comments.
Principal Software Engineer(SQL,PLSQL Developer)
1moLove this
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT |COPYWRITER | IGBO | NIGERIAN PIDGIN TRANSLATOR | REVIEWER |EDITOR|LQA |TRANSCRIBER/INTERPRETER/IGBO LANGUAGE TUTOR
2moIt's my dream to join your team. The skill test was brain storming but I didn't scale through. My waiting period will be over by November and I will reapply again. I just hope the postion for appointment setter will be available. You are doing well
Data Analyst | SQL, R, Tableau, Power BI, Excel, Google Sheets Expert | Eager for Opportunities
2moSounds like a must-read for anyone who’s mastered the art of wearing pajama pants during Zoom calls! 🛋️✨ Can't wait to dive into those skill test secrets – maybe they’ll help me finally conquer my fear of online assessments. 🚀