How to Reach Out to Companies for Remote Jobs

Are you focusing your time and effort on browsing through remote job boards? Did you know you are likely missing out on opportunities not listed online? The biggest lesson you will learn today is that many people are hired by simply taking action.

This strategy will not land you a remote job overnight but will open doors and alert companies of your availability.

Are you struggling to find remote jobs for your specialized role or within a specific industry? This guide is a must-read.

Grab your favorite beverage, find a quiet place to concentrate without any distractions, and let me teach you how to reach out to companies for remote jobs.

Research companies for remote jobs

The first step is to identify 6 companies that you would love to work for.

• Think about the role and industry/niche that you want to work in.
• Think about your passions
• Are there any companies that would be the perfect match?

One client that worked with me last year loves Disney theme parks and is a writer, so it made sense to include them in the list of companies.

It might feel impossible to reach out to an organization like Disney, but put how do you know unless you try?. Continue to read because we go through creative ways to stand out when reaching out to companies.

Struggling to come up with companies to include in your list?

It makes sense to focus on companies that already hire remote workers. After all, not every company is going to embrace remote working, even after a global pandemic.

Most remote job boards have a list of companies that have hired in the past. This list by NoDesk is a good example. It includes over 750+ fully Remote companies. Browsing this list will save you an hour or two.

You have your list of companies, so what is next?

Do not cold call companies

Firstly, you have to remember that no one has time to answer calls and have a conversation with you. So, rule out cold calling companies. There are two ways that you can engage with companies online.

Engage with the company on social media

In my opinion, the best strategy is to start the conversation is to engage with the company online. The first task is to find the social networks the company is active on. Then, engage with their content by leaving comments, sharing, and liking it.

Let us go through a real-life scenario.

The company sells environmentally-friendly equipment to build clean water wells for communities all over Africa. Your specialized area is Public Relations and, you would love to work for a company that is having a positive impact on the world.

They are active on Facebook and regularly post photos and videos about the projects they are involved in.

Firstly, show you are passionate about what they do by leaving comments, liking, and sharing content from their Facebook page. When they start to refer to you by name and engage back, it is time to take it to the next level.

Spend 30-60 minutes, and think how the company could attract positive media exposure to promote what they do. Look at what is trending and how it might fit into the business. Find a captivating story involving the founder that could be pitched.

Once you have a few ideas, send them a message on Facebook messenger. Share one of your ideas, your passion for the company, and send them your resume.

Why go to all this effort?

You are probably reading this and thinking, why waste my time engaging with them on social media and just email them directly instead?

The reason is you are going in cold. On Facebook, you have shown them that you are passionate about what they do. Your name is in their mind because of the engagement. You have opened doors by taking action.

It is possible, they do not have any opportunities for PR, but it will open up doors to other jobs with the company. Continue to engage, and you are building a network of people that might help you in the future.

Email the Recruitment/HR team directly

If you really do not want to spend time on social media, then the next best thing is to email the recruitment or HR team directly. Do not just send your resume and cover letter.

This is lazy, and it will not make you stand out.

Here is another real-life scenario

You are a writer and have a passion for technology, in particular cameras. You would love to work for the most popular tech publishing company online. Firstly, go to the website and browse the content with a keen eye.

Do you see any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or are the specifications on one of the camera reviews wrong? Basically, find mistakes, areas for improvement and make a note of them.

Make sure that the cover letter features a few items:

• Why does the company need you as a writer? What makes you stand out amongst other writers?
• List the issues you found in the content. As a writer, it is essential that the content can be trusted and is accurate.
• Tell them why you would love to work for the most popular technology publishing company on the internet.

Then, make sure you have tailored your resume to highlight the type of skills and experience that they would be looking for.

Send the resume and cover letter to the HR/Recruitment section, or if this is not possible, read out to the editor of the content.

Best practices for reaching out to companies

As you have probably realized, this strategy is not a quick win to landing a remote job. The truth is, there are no quick wins. You have to stand out, get creative and take action to increase your chances of landing a job.

Let us have a look at the best practices for reaching out to companies.

Make it personal

Spend time researching who the Recruiter/HR person is at the company. The best place to start is by looking for a careers section on the website. You might also find a list of employees on the “About us” page.

Search for the company page on LinkedIn. Firstly, click on the People tab. Then search for specific roles, like recruitment, to find employees. A lot of people do not realize that the company/employee search is free.

When you send the email, make sure to address them by their name, rather than a generic, sir/madam. If you have been active on their social networks, including a reference that will make them remember you.

Check out their blog and see if there are any stories that you could use to make them realize you have done your research and are keen.

Stand out on social media.

On social networks, use your full name and include an eye-catching photo for your profile. Write your bio and include keywords for the role that you are looking for.

If you can, include a link to download your resume too.

As you engage with the company, they will notice you and see the reference to searching for a remote job.

Why do I know this works?

Building a network within your preferred industry might not help you land your first remote job, but in the future, when you are looking for new opportunities, it will open up new doors.

My first remote job was because someone within my network recommended me to a company. They were looking for a Quality Assurance Analyst and, they hired me because of the recommendation.

If you are serious about landing your perfect remote job, you cannot rely only on applying for opportunities online. You have to make an extra effort, especially if you want to work for a specific company due to your skills and experience.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you learn how to reach out to companies for remote jobs. Any questions? Please send them our way.