Most job search advice assumes a massive, undifferentiated talent market. Cast a wide net. Play the numbers game. Apply to everything that looks vaguely interesting and let the chips fall.
That advice will sabotage your remote job search.
It’s not great advice for any scenario; it’s an appeal to our jaded side. Usually to sell AI application tools or resume services.
But it is absolutely fatal when you’re looking for a great remote job. Remote work flips the equation in ways most job seekers don’t realize until they’ve already burned through their best options.
The Math Problem
Remote roles make up only 8-12% of job postings, yet they attract over 40% of all applications. This supply and demand imbalance creates 2 problems we can't ignore:
1. With 4x application volume, it's almost impossible for a low effort application to land an interview.
2. If you burn through your best options with generic, low-effort applications, you run out of good options fast.
There’s no infinite pool of great remote companies to fall back on. When you’re fishing in a small pond, you can’t fish with dynamite.
Effort vs Reward
The other problem with a volume based approach is the grind. Looking for work is exhausting. You have to find a job, apply in the ATS (some of which are a nightmare) and if you want to have a decent shot, you need to customize your resume too. Throw in jobs that ask for CVs, tests or quizzes… it’s a time sink.
The fact is, most job seekers spend a lot of time applying to jobs that they don’t even want.
The Company-First Approach
Here’s how most people search for jobs:
- Open a job board
- Scan titles until something looks interesting
- Apply
- Repeat until exhausted or employed
This is backwards. The company-first approach inverts the process:
- Identify employers that resonate with you
- Watch for openings that match your skills
- Apply with precision, demonstrating you understand their specific environment
- (Okay yeah, step 4 is still rinse and repeat but... like 10x less)
This takes more time per application, but it doesn’t mean more time overall. By being selective and only applying to jobs you’d actually want, you spend less total time and get better results. Quality applications to a curated list beats mass applications to a random one – especially when the pond is this small.
This is exactly the problem we're building Remotivated to solve -- a directory of companies vetted by how they actually practice remote work, not just what they claim on a careers page.
We're getting close to opening early access. More on that soon!