Tip #3: Wait! Don’t Put That On Your Cover Letter!

Alrighty, you’re really pumped now! Your keyboard is set and you begin by typing out an “opening statement.”

You begin with:

“To Whom it May Concern,”

Ouch! Did you hear that blaring horn? It’s basically stating you have instantly signaled the “death knell,” of your remote job prospects with that employer.

Why? Because you’re telling the reviewer: “I don’t care enough about this remote job to even check who is the hiring manager.”

Remember, a cover letter is meant to be a personal message to the company and to the hiring manager. Thus, whenever possible, try to personalize it and address it directly to the hiring manager to develop an instant human connection and build trust with your potential employer.

Don’t know the hiring manager’s name? The great thing about the internet is that you have an amazing resource of information to pull from!

Go on a site like LinkedIn, to the companies page and try to determine who will be reviewing your cover letter.

If worst comes to worst and you absolutely cannot locate a specific name? Start the cover letter with:

“[Company Name] team.”

At the very least, you are showcasing your commitment to the company and its team and getting the hiring manager’s attention.

On a similar note, make sure your cover letter is genuine and authentic. Remember it’s your personal letter to the company sharing your interest in joining their team. Thus, avoid at all cost using any online cover letter templates, as after a while they all look the same and the hiring manager will see that right away…and that will quickly send you to the rejected pile.

So, each time you go to apply for a remote job you need to create a new cover letter. If you try to go the “quick” route, the employer’s going to see it. In return, they will be questioning your work ethic. “Will they slack off on the job as well?”

Therefore, be proactive by submitting a customized cover letter for each position. That way, you’re increasing your chances of getting a phone call for an interview.

Lastly, review your document for typos and grammar errors. While it is difficult to spot all the errors upon the initial reviewing due to being “blind” to your own writing mistakes, I suggest, as a writer myself, doing the following tips:

• First, step away from the 1st finished draft for a little bit.
  If you have time, sleep on it and review again in the morning. If you’re strapped for time, I suggest between a half-an-hour to an hour before looking over your document again.
  
  
• Change the entire font or text size of your document.
  Granted, you might have edited the headings and fonts already, but changing the overall “look” of your document makes it easier for your eyes to spot mistakes. Again, the key here is for it to look “fresh” and “new” and, therefore, easy to catch those errors.
  
  
• Have someone else review your cover letter. Nothing works better than to have a friend or colleague review your work. They might have some insight that you would have never thought of. In fact, you can have request 1-1 personalized resume or cover letter review here.
  
  
• Review your document in “Read Mode.” Again, this changes the look of your document, making it easier to spot mistakes.
  
  
• Read it aloud to yourself.
  
  
• Or print out your remote cover letter.
  
  
• Lastly, you can use online applications that are more efficient than Microsoft Word, such as Grammarly, Ginger, or Hemingway (for tightening your sentences) to really give your cover letter that professional “edge.”
  
  

Okay, I understand if all these critical pointers can be a bit intimidating.

But, if you don’t spend the time and effort to make your cover letter shine, how will you impress that hiring manager?

“What’s the saying? You attract more bees with honey than with vinegar?” Or something like that…? Meaning if you put in poorly directed effort, you get dismal results.

Again, have faith that Pangian has your back! We wouldn’t be telling you all this if it wasn’t going to benefit you in the long run.

So, read on toTip #3.

For, it’s really going to help you stand out, introducing an overall premise that will give you the right mindset to create an amazing cover letter!