5 Common CV Mistakes Remote Job Seekers Make (and How to Fix Them)

Landing a great remote job often means facing fierce competition. Your CV needs to work extra hard to impress recruiters who might be sifting through hundreds of applications. Are you accidentally making mistakes that are holding you back?

Don’t worry, many job seekers do! The good news is that these common errors are usually easy to fix. Let’s look at 5 frequent slip-ups remote job seekers make and how you can correct them, making your CV shine.

1. Not Tailoring for Remote Work

The Mistake: Using a generic CV that doesn’t highlight skills crucial for remote success.

The Fix: Remote work requires specific traits like strong written communication, self-discipline, time management, and tech-savviness (especially with collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, or project management software). Go through your CV and specifically mention experiences or skills demonstrating these abilities. Read the job description carefully – what remote-specific skills are they looking for? Make sure those are reflected in your CV.

• How ThePerfectCV Helps: Our CV builder prompts you with relevant skills and keywords based on the job title, helping you tailor your content effectively for remote roles.

2. Vague Accomplishments

The Mistake: Listing job duties instead of showcasing achievements. Statements like “Responsible for managing social media” don’t tell recruiters much.

The Fix: Quantify your achievements whenever possible. How did you make a difference? Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to frame your bullet points. For example, instead of the vague statement above, try: “Increased social media engagement by 30% in six months (Result) by implementing a new content strategy (Action) for the company’s key platforms (Task) during a brand relaunch (Situation).“

3. Ignoring Keywords

The Mistake: Forgetting that many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan CVs for relevant keywords before a human even sees them. This is especially true for high-volume remote positions.

The Fix: Carefully review the job description and identify key skills, tools, and qualifications mentioned. Ensure these exact keywords (or close variations) appear naturally within your CV, particularly in your skills section and work experience descriptions. Don’t just stuff them in; integrate them smoothly.

• How ThePerfectCV Helps: Our tools can help analyze job descriptions and suggest relevant keywords to include in your CV, increasing your chances of passing the ATS scan.

4. Poor Formatting and Readability

The Mistake: Using cluttered layouts, tiny fonts, or inconsistent formatting. Recruiters often skim CVs quickly, especially on screen. If it’s hard to read, it might get skipped.

The Fix: Choose a clean, professional CV template with clear headings, ample white space, and a standard, readable font (like Calibri, Arial, or Georgia) at a reasonable size (10-12pt for body text). Use bullet points for lists and keep paragraphs concise. Ensure consistency in formatting (e.g., dates, job titles).

• How ThePerfectCV Helps: We offer a range of professionally designed, ATS-friendly templates that ensure your CV is easy to read and looks polished.

5. Unclear Location or Contact Information

The Mistake: For remote roles, being unclear about your location or time zone compatibility, or simply having typos in your email or phone number.

The Fix: Double-check your contact details for accuracy! For location, even if the role is fully remote, employers might have restrictions (e.g., needing you to be in a specific country or time zone). Clearly state your general location (e.g., “London, UK” or “Eligible to work in the EU”) or your primary time zone if relevant to the role’s requirements (e.g., “Based in EST”). Make this information easy to find at the top of your CV.

Ready to Fix Your CV?

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly boost your chances of getting noticed for that remote job you want. Take a fresh look at your CV today and see where you can make these simple improvements.

Why not use ThePerfectCV to help? Our builder guides you through creating a professional, tailored CV, making it easier to highlight your remote work strengths and avoid these pitfalls. Good luck with your job search!