How Africans Can Apply for Remote Jobs: Tips to Stand Out and Succeed

With remote jobs breaking down barriers like visa restrictions, it’s essential to understand how you can apply for remote jobs and stand out in the competitive landscape as an African. Now, more than ever, African workers can access well-paying jobs in developed countries that pay in strong currencies such as USD and Euro.

The advantage for employers overseas is mainly two-fold: access to a global talent pool and more affordable talent. However, despite remote work opening up a world of opportunities, it also presents some challenges.

The main one is competition.

Because remote work offers lucrative opportunities, more workers in developing countries are increasingly seeking remote jobs for better prospects than those available locally. As a result, employers are overwhelmed by the boatload of applications they receive per job listing. Today, it’s not unusual for a remote job to attract 500+ applicants.

However, this should not deter you. More Africans are working remotely now than ever before.

So how do you stand out among a sea of applicants? By submitting the best possible application. In this article, we dive into how to write and tailor your CV and cover letter for remote jobs to increase your chances of landing a job.

Join a growing community of African remote workers who are helping each other figure out remote work.

The Remote Work Landscape: How Africans Can Apply for Remote Jobs Successfully

Remote job employers demand high-quality work. This means you need a strong portfolio, fluency in English, self-motivation, and time management skills.

For these reasons, a generic application won’t cut it in the remote job market. Think about it: unlike a physical job where your boss can get to know you personally – remote job employers rely on how you communicate and present yourself through your application to assess your suitability for the job.

In addition, Employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter out applications that don’t meet the requirements.

With this in mind, it’s crucial to learn how Africans can apply for remote jobs by crafting their remote job application for the specific job they’re targeting.

What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

Due to the volume of applications remote jobs receive, employers utilize ATS to track candidates throughout the recruiting and hiring process. An ATS automatically scans and sorts job applications based on certain criteria such as skills, experience, and keywords.

This means most applications are usually discarded before they reach an actual human for further evaluation. ATS is another reason why generic applications don’t cut it anymore. Your resume and cover letter need to meet the requirements of the job as much as possible to be approved by the ATS.

Research the company and role

This should always be the first step when applying for remote jobs. Once you identify a remote job you’re interested in, you should always find out more about the company and job before applying.

Here’s what to look out for.

1. Is it an African remote job?

Just because a job is marked remote does not mean you can apply for it as an African. Remote jobs target different countries and regions. For example, most remote jobs target the US only. The same applies to the UK, etc. In other cases, remote jobs target entire regions such as Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC), and others.

As an African looking for a remote job, you should target jobs that are marked “remote worldwide” or “EMEA”. For more insights on how Africans can apply for remote jobs, visit Remote Jobs Africa and find job listings tailored for African talent.

2. Company research

Don’t rush to apply before you find out more about the company. Research the company to craft a compelling cover letter and set appropriate salary expectations.

So, how can you find out more about the company?

• Visit their website: Visit the company’s website to learn more about their products and services, mission and values, and any other information you can leverage in your application.
• Glassdoor: Google “[company name] glassdoor” and find out what current and previous employees have said about the company regarding its interview process, reviews, salaries, and more.
• Latest News: Google “[company name] latest news” and gather insights from current news about the company.

3. Role analysis

You should carefully read and understand the specific requirements and responsibilities for the role. Most applicants skim through or don’t pay any attention to the requirements listed. If you do this, ATS is likely to block your application.

4. Align your skills and values

After researching the company and understanding the job requirements, the next step is to align them with your skills and values. How?

1. Edit your resume to include the skills required by the remote job.
2. Match the requirements of the job with your accomplishments in a previous role. For example, if it’s a customer service job, mention your experience and achievements in previous customer service roles.

Once you have done your research, it’s time to leverage this information in your resume.

5. Crafting a Killer Remote Job Resume

A killer remote job resume should be simple (preferably one page) and aligned with the specific job requirements. Reddit’s resume subreddit has a fantastic resource for crafting a killer resume. Here’s a quick rundown:

1. Resume format

You don’t need an over-stylized resume to appeal to employers. In fact, a simple resume that communicates your experience, skills, and achievements clearly and effectively goes a long way. Google Docs is a great resource for free resume templates that you can edit to include your information. You can also take a look at this remote resume format that Redditors highly favor.

The main sections to include in a killer remote job resume are:

• Full name and contact details
• A resume summary (60-100 words) conveying your value
• Work experience: highlight your present role and two previous roles you’ve been in. Focus on highlighting responsibilities and achievements while in those roles. Present them in bullet form for easy perusal.
• Education: highlight the level of education achieved, year, and distinctions if any.

6. Showcasing Your Portfolio

When it comes to remote work, your portfolio is king. So it’s essential to have an organized portfolio before applying for remote jobs. Even if you’re starting out and your work isn’t as professional as you’d like it to be, it’s important to have a portfolio.

Creating a remote-specific portfolio is an essential step to how Africans can apply for remote jobs and showcase their ability to succeed in a remote work environment. Since remote work requires unique skills and adaptability, your portfolio should reflect more than just your professional accomplishments; it should demonstrate your capacity to work independently, manage your time, and collaborate across distances.

For this reason, it’s essential to pick the right platform to showcase your portfolio. Opt for an online platform, like a personal website, GitHub, Behance, and more, depending on your skill.

A portfolio helps a potential remote employer familiarize himself with your work. Hence, if you have a huge portfolio of projects to showcase, always submit the ones that match the requirements of that particular job.

For example, if you’re a content writer applying for a nutrition-focused writing job and have experience in various fields like fitness, cybersecurity, and nutrition, it’s best to include only your nutrition-related samples in the application.

7. Addressing Potential Red Flags

Depending on your situation, there a red flags that should be swiftly addressed to not mess up your application. Some of them are:

1. Gaps in employment

The global economy is in a challenging state. This means a lot of people are out of work, and the majority have been for a long time. In some cases, employment gaps may be voluntary. In any case, you should be prepared to address it to a potential remote employer.

2. Lack of remote experience

Lack of remote experience can be a red flag to a potential employer. Remember, due to the nature of remote work, employers seek a “true-and-tested” candidate. They prefer someone who has worked and succeeded in previous remote roles.

Leverage past experience to show your capability for remote work. Here are some examples.

• Self-management: Highlight roles where you manage tasks autonomously. Even in an office, if you’ve worked autonomously, this shows you can be trusted in a remote setting.
• Communication skills: Mention that you can communicate effectively in verbal and written English. You can prove this by mentioning instances where you used email, video conferencing tools, etc.
• Familiarity with remote tools: Even if you haven’t worked remotely, chances are you’ve used digital collaboration tools. Mention any experience with software like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace, Trello, or Asana.
• Freelance projects: If you’ve done freelance work, treat this as a remote work experience. Freelancing often involves working independently, communicating with clients, and managing your own time, all key remote work skills.
• Courses or certifications: If you’ve completed online courses or earned certifications remotely, mention them. This demonstrates self-discipline, motivation, and comfort with virtual tools.

These tips play a significant role in how Africans can apply for remote jobs successfully.

8. Overcoming Location-Based Bias

African remote workers are often penalized the most for their location. I’ve come across cases in Remote Job’s Africa community where members were denied a job due to their country of origin. This is astonishing, but it is the reality we have to face.

All is not lost. You can employ strategies to navigate this bias and increase your chances of landing a remote job. First, try to determine why the employer has a bias for your country: is it due to your time zone? Does your country have a bad rep internationally? Do they question your performance capabilities? Whatever it is, address it and assure the potential employer that it will not be a problem. Use specific examples from your experience to back up your claims.

9. Nailing the Application Submission

It takes some time to put together a solid application. For this reason, make sure you follow the submission instructions carefully. Some employers require you to write the email subject in a certain format, others test how well you pay attention to detail by randomly placing a word in the job description and asking you to include it in your application.

Failing these tests can lead to elimination from the application process, even if your application is stellar. So, to be safe, carefully read and follow the application submission instructions.

Finally, ensure your application is error-free and polished, then submit it with confidence!

10. Follow up

In most cases, the employer receives a high volume of applications leading to a bloated inbox. In other cases, the employer may have come across your application but forgot about it. Whatever the reason, it’s a good idea to always follow up on your applications.

Here’s a remote job application email follow-up you can use.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding how Africans can apply for remote jobs with tailored applications, strong portfolios, and research will significantly improve your chances of landing a great opportunity. The whole point is to customize and align your experience and skills with the job requirements as much as possible. Otherwise, your application may not pass through the ATS and reach a human for further review.

This applies to cover letters as well. As much as it’s not always a must to include it, I encourage you to anyway. It’s a fantastic opportunity to go beyond your CV to state why you’d like to work for the company, present your skills, and why/how they match the job you’re applying for. Finally, after you’ve put in the work, polished, and sent your application, remember to follow up on it.