Moving a significant distance from your current home and life can present a range of challenges, and finding a new job may be just one of them. One of the best pieces of career advice for people seeking to get a new job ahead of relocation is to write a persuasive relocation cover letter. A cover letter can make all the difference in landing a job interview before you even leave your current location.
Regardless of the industry that you work in,your relocation cover letter needs to show hiring managers that you stand out among local candidates in the new location that you are moving to.
If you want to make the process of creating your cover letter and resume easier, you can use the ResumeNerd cover letter builder and resume builder to create well-formatted, editable documents. Your cover letter should have the following format:
It is best to open your cover letter with a personalized salutation, and the hiring manager’s actual name. Using the “Dear Mr./Dear Ms.” salutation rather than “Dear Hiring Manager” is an easy way to show you have put effort into your cover letter. Once you have greeted the recruiter, you need to quickly introduce yourself and find a way to gain the reader’s attention by impressing with your qualifications. Give a brief but powerful overview of your background with emphasis on your relevant experience. Your goal is to convince hiring managers that you are the perfect fit for the role.
When you are competing with the local talent you have to show recruiters that you are not desperate for a job due to the relocation but instead that you are a great candidate for the role. You want to convince the hiring manager that you are the perfect candidate and worthy of a job interview. This example provides information about the candidate's years of experience, an example of a recent achievement using specific metrics with numbers and percentages and an indication of their leadership style. Follow this example by being your own biggest fan. Be firm and clear about your strengths and abilities.
Your cover letter should finish with a strong call to action if you want to land a job interview for the new job opportunity. The example is very clear and offers options for both remote and in-person interviews as well as finishing with the gentle call to action, “I hope to hear from you soon.” You can opt for a more robust closing and finish with something like, “I look forward to speaking with you.”
Yes. A cover letter is a great application tool for any type of job. If you’re planning to relocate, it can be an effective way to tell your story. Applying for a job opening when your current address is halfway across the country may seem confusing to hiring managers. By including some information about your relocation in your cover letter, as well as discussing the new city you’re moving to, you can soothe those concerns and indicate why you’re as qualified for the job as any local candidate.
When writing a cover letter you should aim for half a page to three-quarters of a page in length or about 250-350 words. A longer cover letter may put off potential employers by being hard to read and scan, and a cover letter longer than a single page will typically include too much irrelevant information. The best cover letter should be short enough for a hiring manager to read through easily, but long enough for you to show off your skills and qualifications.
This specific cover letter format can work for any level of experience. While relocation jobs may seem easier to land for people with significant experience, even entry-level job seekers can send their cover letter ahead of relocation and start job hunting in advance. Don’t let a lack of experience deter you from sending a relocation cover letter. To show that you are qualified for the position, emphasize your skills and any education you do have, instead.
