Relocation Cover Letter: How to Stand Out From the Crowd

Helene Kelbaugh of Keller Williams Legacy Metropolitan

You’ve been pouring over job listings for months, and you’ve finally found a position that really excites you. The only problem is it’s in a different city. How will you make yourself stand out from the local talent? When companies are recruiting, they look first at the candidates who are locally available. Why should a company hire someone from outside the city, when a person with the same skills is available locally?  Is mentioning relocation in a cover letter even a good idea? You will need to find a way to make yourself look like a more attractive job applicant than your competition.

Relocation costs companies money, so if you are able to afford the costs, a relocation cover letter that says you will pay for your own relocation might be just the thing to get a hiring manager’s attention.

Selling Yourself in Your Relocation Cover Letter

When you are in a different city, the company may not have an opportunity to see you, which can make it harder to create a great first impression. All they have is your cover letter and your resume. While your resume is important, your relocation cover letter is where you really need to convince a company to consider you over other applicants. This is where you really sell yourself. Think of the company as your customer, and you are the product that you are trying to convince them they need. Let them know how you will benefit the company, and make sure they know that they will not incur any additional costs or hassles by choosing someone from another city. The last thing you want is for a company to feel as though hiring you might be a burden. You want them to put your relocation cover letter and resume on the top of the stack that is accumulating in their office.

What is a Relocation Cover Letter?

Your resume should always be accompanied by a formal business letter known as a cover letter. The cover letter is used to highlight the specific reasons you feel a company should consider you an attractive job candidate. Therefore, if you will need to relocate to accept the job for which you are applying, you should send a relocation cover letter along with your resume. In it, be specific about your intent to relocate to the city where the job is located without any hassles.

A company will be interested in the following points, which should be included in your cover letter. Use these as the main points in the body of your relocation cover letter template.

Why Should They Hire You?

The most important part of any cover letter should be to include details about your skills, your qualities and how you intend to benefit the company. Talk about your qualifications, your specific talents, and aspects of your personality that will make the hiring manager see you as a top candidate for the job. Remind them that you may not be in the city in which they are recruiting, but good companies select top talent regardless of location.

Let Them Know Why You Want to Relocate

Typically, it is not a good idea to state that you will move only for the purpose of the job. For a company, this looks like you’re not too sure you want to make your new location permanent. It is better to say that you’ve decided to relocate to the city where the job is located anyway, as opposed to stating that you are moving just for the sake of the job. You should state in your relocation cover letter that you’re looking for jobs in that city and looking to permanently shift there. This gives the recruiting company more assurance that you will actually move.

The Costs of Relocation

If you are willing to pay your own costs of relocation, you must state this in your relocation cover letter. This is an important thing for the company to know. If you leave this information out, the company may assume that they will incur the costs of you packing, moving, finding a house, finding new furnishings or getting temporary storage, and they are less likely to consider your application over local talent. The company needs to know if you are willing to pay for these relocation expenses yourself. If you are, communicate that in your cover letter, so the company will notice.

Relocation Cover Letter Sample

Writing a compelling cover letter that sets you apart from other applicants can be an arduous task. Deciding between writing a full relocation cover letter versus just mentioning relocation in a cover letter can be a hard choice. Either way, your cover letter should deal with the topic of relocation in a clear and concise manner.

Here is a relocation cover letter sample that addresses the issue of paying for your own relocation:

Your Name
Street address
City, State Zip

February 21, 2011

Mr./Mrs./Ms. (name of the person)
(street address of the office of the company)
(City, State Zip of the office of the company)

Dear Mr. Surname:

Self-Motivated Advertising Executive with Excellent Marketing Skills Wishes to Make Meaningful Contributions to a Growing Organization. (Use your own specific skills as they relate to the position for which you are applying.)

This letter is in reference to your job listing for (specific position for which you are applying) that was advertised online (provide the name of the specific website.)

I have (number of years) of experience in the (name of industry) industry, working with (name of previous company). (Use this paragraph to highlight your specific skills and qualifications.)

I will be relocating to (name of the city to which you want to move) as my spouse has been transferred there to manage an entire branch of his current organization. (Insert your own reason in the last sentence, but be honest. You could also say that you believe the job opportunities will be greater for you there.) I am presently located in (name of city) but am willing to incur all the expenses that might be involved in relocating.

I will be in (desired city) between (date) and (date). You may call me at 123-555-4567 to arrange a meeting to discuss the position in accordance with my experience and your requirements. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Lisa Hayes