Why You'll Never Get Your Dream Job

This is the next article from Crossover VP of Content Marketing, Andrew Allen, designed to help future Crossover Rockstars sourcing their remote job opportunities.

Let's think about a situation. You're stuck in the ocean on a tiny lifeboat. What's the most helpful thing you could find on board? It's a signal, because the best way to get rescued is to let people searching know where to find you. Getting hired for a remote job can sometimes feel like you're stuck in a lifeboat in the remote work ocean, not knowing how to signal to prospective remote work employers you're available.

What Most Companies Currently Presume About Candidates

Nearly all the “so-called” top 100 universities in the world are in North America and Europe. A lot of the world’s top companies simply presume a candidate will be a great employee given they attended one of these top schools. For a candidate, this is the same as saying to prospective employers, “hire me! I’m good... (maybe)!” This is even true for companies offering remote work.

Do you really think that every student from Harvard and Oxford is better than the top student from the university you went to? We would think probably not. This theory is actually supported by the Top Universities website which states “one in two British graduates is not in graduate work - suggesting a university degree from one of the world’s most reputable universities is ‘no longer enough by itself to guarantee success’”.

This of course gets you thinking , “why don’t companies just want the best candidate for the job - like me? I would be a rockstar employee!” But by working where you live, you don’t have the right way to let these companies know you’re available (and a potential rockstar!)

What Are The Secrets Of A Rockstar Employee?

This is where it gets interesting…. researchers analyzed over a hundred years of employment data to understand the secrets of a high performing employee, and what factors actually correlate most with job performance. 

Don’t be surprised, but the study found going to a well-known or expensive school doesn’t make an employee more likely to be a rockstar at their job. Neither does age or years of experience in a specific job or industry, or even location. 

As it turns out, specific metrics such as work sample tests and intelligence tests and a variety of tools can actually predict better who will be a rockstar employee. If you think about it, of course the best employees will be those who ace their work sample tests (imagine going to the dentist who studied at Harvard, but performed poorly on a work sample test - ouch!) If you're interested to find out more, here's one report here.

But how does a potential rockstar employee get their signal right for prospective employers?

Why Crossover Exists - Find Your Remote Job Signal

This is exactly why Crossover exists - to help candidates connect with prospective employers for remote work opportunities. 

The Crossover model is gives people a way to prove themselves across a variety of performance categories, which we call 'badges' (as in a badge of honor).  In just four steps, candidates can showcase their real-world skills: firstly performing a cognitive aptitude test, then an English proficiency test, undertake a project relevant to their role to show their real-life skills, and finally an interview. It's actually really hard to get all of these badges, but it's definitely the best way to let prospective employers you're available and a great potential employee. This way, great companies know you've got what they really need (and not just a fancy degree).

Thousands of people have already been hired through Crossover. If you think it’s time to stop paddling adrift in the remote job career ocean, see what remote work roles are on offer here. Otherwise read the next of Andrew's insights into securing a remote work role through Crossover here.

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