About the author

Darren Cronian, the author of this guide, has spent nine years securing remote jobs and building a successful freelancing business. His goal is to help people find remote work. Read more >
Last Updated: 30 July 2023

When applying for a remote job, your cover letter often acts as your first introduction to a potential employer. Since competition is tough, you must stand out among other applicants by writing a unique cover letter.

It’s more than just a formal job application requirement; it’s a chance to highlight your qualifications, express your interest in the position, and convince the employer that you’re the perfect fit for a remote job. Here are strategies to help make your cover letter for a remote job application stand out:

How Do I Make My Cover Letter Stand Out?
Emphasize Your Remote-Working Competencies

Unlike traditional job applications, remote jobs require certain specific skills and competencies. Apart from your professional expertise, it’s crucial to show that you have what it takes to work remotely:

Tech Savvy: Remote work often means using various digital tools. Emphasize your familiarity with project management software like Asana, communication tools like Slack or Zoom, and other tech platforms related to your job field.

Self-Discipline & Time Management: These are pivotal skills for remote work. Draw from your past experiences to show how you’ve efficiently managed your tasks and met your deadlines.

Communication: Remote work relies heavily on written and verbal communication. Highlight your ability to communicate effectively through emails, chat, video meetings, etc.

Problem-Solving: When you’re working remotely, you need to be able to troubleshoot and solve problems independently. Give examples of when you’ve done this in previous roles.

Personalize Your Cover Letter

One-size-fits-all doesn’t work with cover letters. Personalization goes beyond addressing the hiring manager by their name or correctly naming the company. Show that you have put effort into writing your cover letter.

Research the Company Culture: Read up on the company’s values, recent projects, and work culture. If the company champions a particular cause or has a unique working style, reference how your values align with theirs.

Identify Key Requirements: The job description is a gold mine of information. Highlight essential requirements and emphasize how your skills match these. Use their language to demonstrate that you understand what they’re looking for.

Tell a Story

A narrative can be an effective way to engage your reader. Instead of merely listing your skills, tell a compelling story about how you acquired them, applied them, and planned to bring them to this new role.

Is there an experience you had in previous employment that turned a negative situation into a positive one? Think about the company goals and look at ways to share how you helped your previous employer achieve their goals with your skills and experience.

Showcase Your Ability to Work Independently

Employers want to know that you can handle the autonomy of remote work. Provide examples of projects or roles where you’ve worked independently with minimal supervision. Demonstrate your ability to take initiative and your reliability in delivering work on time.

Discuss Your Flexibility

Remote work often transcends traditional 9-5 office hours and might involve working across different time zones. Do mention it if you have experience working in different time zones or are open to flexible working hours. Flexibility is needed and helps you stand out.

Highlight Remote Work Experience

If you’ve worked remotely before, even if it’s not in the same industry, mention it because it demonstrates your ability to handle the challenges of remote work.

Show Enthusiasm

Having enthusiasm may seem obvious, but it is often overlooked.

Conveying genuine enthusiasm for the role and the company can set you apart. It shows you are not just interested in working remotely, but you’re excited about the specific position and the company.

Include a ‘PS’ Section

A postscript is a great way to end your letter and make your application memorable. It could be an impressive achievement, a mention of a mutual connection, or a compelling reason why you’re a perfect fit for the role.

Review and Edit

Proofread and edit your cover letter multiple times. Use online grammar-checking tools like Grammarly to help you with this. A clean, well-written letter makes a strong impression.

Use a Professional Format

Design can set your cover letter apart. Use a professional, clean format. Use bullet points for readability, and ensure your font, headers, and layout match your resume for consistency.

How Do I Make My Cover Letter Stand Out?

Writing a cover letter for a remote job can be daunting. However, by highlighting your remote working skills, personalizing your cover letter, and using a compelling narrative, you can grab the hiring manager’s attention and set yourself apart. Best of luck with your application!

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