Why Location Still Creates Friction
Last week, I wrote about the pros and cons of listing your physical address on your resume. The next logical step is to understand how to pursue jobs outside your local area and how to reduce the friction location creates in the hiring process.
Despite the downsides companies often worry about, I’ve hired many candidates who lived outside the local area.
Those concerns usually include:
Relocation costs
Whether a spouse will adapt without a job or social network
Children leaving schools and friends
Longer or less predictable start dates
Bias against non-local candidates
Most candidates struggle when applying outside their region because doubt creeps in. That doubt leaks into how they present themselves.
You don’t need a fairy tale. No dragons. No damsels.
You need a credible story that signals confidence and removes concern before it arises.
Do that, and you’re suddenly treated like a local candidate.
Eat Your Own Dog Food
Mrs. HRNasty and I both live more than 30 miles from our respective employers, well outside what most people consider “local.”
These aren’t freeway miles. These are dog miles.
Many colleagues had never even heard of the country town where we live. When they found out, the reactions were predictable:
“You live where?”
“How long is that commute?”
“How bad is it?”
“Seriously?”
And yet, over the years, we both landed multiple roles outside the local area. This wasn’t a one-time fluke.
If Mrs. HRNasty can pull it off, you can too.
Want Help Getting This Right?
This post shows how location concerns are evaluated, not how to argue against them.
In the Cover Letter Guide, I break down how recruiters read between the lines, including:
How small wording choices reduce perceived risk
How to signal intent without overselling
How cover letters actually influence whether a resume gets read
It’s not about sounding enthusiastic.
It’s about making the decision easier for the person on the other side.
If this helped, the guide goes deeper.
Learn how cover letters are evaluated
How We Preempted the Concerns
What MR. HRNasty Said
“After HR, my biggest passion is fly fishing for steelhead. The Pacific Northwest is the epicenter of steelheading, and I live on a river at the center of that universe.
In Seattle, most commutes run 20 to 25 minutes regardless of whether you drive, walk, or take transit. Adding another 15 minutes so I can live where I love is an easy trade.”
“I drive a truck with a good stereo and Sirius radio. I listen to podcasts and foreign language lessons. The commute becomes productive time.”
Mrs. HRNasty’s Explanation
“It’s a reverse commute. It may be 40 miles, but there’s only one stop sign on the entire drive. I can travel 40 miles faster than most people travel 25.”
Framing the Commute Positively
I also explained it this way:
“The commute is quiet time. At home, I feel pressure to check email, do chores, or multitask. In the car, I can focus. Upbeat music on the way in, mellow music on the way home.”
Say that with a smile, and suddenly people wonder why they don’t live where you do.
If You Don’t Fish (Or Drive)
Your story doesn’t have to look like mine.
Here are other credible angles:
Reading and Learning
“I read business books related to my field and occasionally fiction. My commute gives me uninterrupted time I wouldn’t otherwise have.”
Public Transportation
Some cities offer Wi-Fi on public transit.
“I get 40 minutes of uninterrupted work time. That’s often more productive than 90 minutes in the office. I clear email or prep decks on the train.”
“My phone is a hotspot. I’m fully caught up before I arrive.”
Employers like hearing that.
Some companies even subsidize transit. You save on parking, reduce emissions, and arrive focused.
It’s the new black.
Applying Out of Area Starts With Your Resume
If you’re applying outside your local area, do not list your mailing address on your resume.
Location bias is real.
Your goal isn’t to prove anything yet. It’s to get the recruiter to pick up the phone.
Use Your Cover Letter to Remove Tension
The last paragraph of your cover letter should quietly reassure the reader about relocation.
You don’t need to convince anyone.
You only need to reduce uncertainty and create curiosity.
Here are examples that work:
“I’ve been planning a move to the Pacific Northwest and am actively relocating to Seattle.”
“As an avid cyclist, hiker, and runner, Seattle aligns with both my lifestyle and career goals.”
“As a parent, Seattle’s school system and diversity were key factors in my relocation decision.”
“To continue growing in technology, I know relocating to Seattle is the right next step.”
“I’m relocating to the West Coast to be closer to family.”
You’re implying movement. Plans are in motion.
There’s a big difference between:
“I want to apply at Acme Publishing.”
and“I’m relocating to Seattle and am interested in Acme Publishing.”
One creates friction. The other reduces it.
And that’s all you need at this stage.
If this post helped, the guide goes deeper.
Learn how cover letters are evaluated
See you at the after party,
HRNasty
nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.
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