Ideas and Advice For a Long Distance Job Search

In My Humble Opinion
1

In about 6 months I am moving across the country. 1500 miles across the country to be exact, from Dallas to New York. My current employer may or may not be able to transfer me to New York as they may or may not be opening an office there after the new year. It is all very hush-hush within the company right now, but I know for a fact that they will be opening an office in the North East somewhere, just not sure of the exact location.

Given that I may not be able to transfer my current job I know I need to have something else lined up. I have read several books about finding work long distance and am following the advice in them as best as I can. I have been applying online through monster.com and other such job banks, I am going to New York again in January for a job fair and to do some other things to get prepped for moving, I have told everyone in my life that I am going and that if they know anyone where I am headed that might need to hire someone to let me know so I can apply there, but so far leads are few and far between. I know I have a lot of time between now and when I move but a job search always takes a lot of time and I would like to avoid stepping into the city without employment (though I could if I have to since I have saved up quite a lot of money in anticipation of moving. I don’t want to do that though.)

So tell me, dopers who have moved across long distances before, how did you do it? What processes did you go through to find work? What was effective and what was a waste of your time?

2

I’ve had to do that and it sucks. One thing I tried that helped–I sent out a batch of resumes with a cover letter stating I planned to be in the area on specified dates, and request an interview during that time. I got a higher response rate than previous attempts that did not indicate I was travelling at my own expense, and that lead to several interviews during the week, and a job offer.

3

Look for one or more online job postings sites which are particularly associated with your field, and with your hoped-for location (as opposed to Monster which is pretty generic). And keep in mind that there is a very real degree to which companies that might be interested in you may show interest in you in direct proportion to the degree of effort you expend trying to get their attention.

So, hitting “apply for this job” on Monster.com, 1 pt. S
Sending a paper resume 5 pts.
Sending a paper resume with cover letter which suggests you’ll be in the area the first week of March 20 pts.

The point values are made up so don’t take them too seriously.

and remember, sending out resumes is a numbers game, so send out lots.

4

Thanks for the advice guys, I need as much help as I can get! How soon is too soon to send out resumes to companies and tell them I will be in town on a certian date? I want to set up an interview, but I don’t want to send something so early that they discard it.

5

I’ve done the cross-country move twice, and moved to another country, each time finding work when I got there.

I’ve never had anything come from sending out a resume to a job posting. Nothing except a waste of paper, time, and stamps. What does get me employed is talking to someone in my field, and talking to someone else they know, meeting with people to find out what opportunities they know about, getting their advice about which companies/departments to look at, and eventually being asked to apply for a job.

6

I just did this last spring. I started looking at the beginning of February, sent out over 80 resumes, contacted a handful of companies, finally got 3 interviews in the beginning of April (let me tell you, two months of looking feels like a loooooong time), landed a job in late April, and started the day after Memorial Day. It can be done, but it’s tough and very discouraging.

Look for local job sites. Either from local newspapers or something like NYJobs.com (don’t know if that’s real… I just made it up, but there are usually sites like that for major cities). Those are a lot more productive than sites like monster.

IF they’re the kind that get paid by the company and not you, send your resume to head hunters/job placement agencies/recruiters. That’s how I found this job. The guy I worked with was REALLY helpful: he critiqued my resume, which I then used for all the jobs I was looking at, and I think that’s why I got 3 interviews at once when I’d had only 2 in the previous two months. He also talked to my new company and found out that they had positions other than the one they were advertising for, which fit my background better. So go in with caution - and don’t use anyone who wants you to pay - but staffing companies can be very helpful.

Look for lists of companies from the local business journal. They usually have lists of the top 25 fastest growing companies or something like that. Those are usually good targets because if they’re growing, they’re probably hiring. Also keep your eye out for articles in the business paper or business section for companies that are hot in that market.

Call the Chamber of Commerce for the area and/or look at their website for a list of companies. Once you’ve got a list of companies, look at their websites to see what they do and if they’re hiring.

If you can, have someone review your resume. Preferably someone who looks at resumes for a living so they know what will stand out. At the very least have someone edit it for grammar, spelling, etc.

Send out lots and lots of resumes. With good cover letters (i.e. research the company, mention specifically what they do and how your background relates to that). Don’t give up. There will be discouraging days. Don’t give up. It may take a long time. The rejection letters start to sting sometimes. Don’t give up. Just keep repeating that.

Good luck!

7

Thank you so much to everyone who has posted! Everyone has such different experiences…some people got jobs from mass mailings, some people didn’t get so much as a rejection letter from the companies they applied to, some people say monster is a waste of time, some people got every job they have ever had from monster or career builder.

Does anyone have any thoughts about temp companies…good way to be employed in a city far away, don’t go there because they are evil, etc?

8

When I relocated to a new city after college I relied on temp agencies. It worked well. For an entry level job I would definitely recommend registering with several temp agencies. If you are more experienced it depends on your field.

Also, especially when it gets closer to the time you will be moving, get a local address you can list on resumes and applications. See if your cell phone will let you get a number in your new area code. It is a sad but true situation that many companies will only look at local resumes for some positions. Even saying you are traveling to the area or willing to pay your own travel won’t always get you looked at.

9

I worked for temp agencies some while between semsters in school. It’s not great, but it can generate some income to tide you over. In some cases, you can also get a temp-to-hire deal, sort of like an audition. You work as a temp for awhile, and then if the company likes you they can make an offer.

The way it worked when I did it was I was employed by the temp agencies. They conducted some skills testing, and then put me in their database. When they had a gig that matched my skills, they’d call, tell me about the job details and ask if I was available. I could accept or decline. No benefits, and my paycheck came from the temp agency, not wherever they sent me to work. The agency charges the company an hourly rate, and pays you a lower hourly rate.

The work itself was generally pretty dull…data entry, answering phones, filing, general office type stuff.

10

How early would y’all suggest the search start?

I’m moving to Toronto in June or July. I’m planning on starting to send resumes in March, with a visit in late April/early May. Is this in line?

I’m in IT, if that makes a difference.

11

I am of the opinion that you can’t start too soon, but I am the one here asking for advice so what do I know? :stuck_out_tongue:

12

First off: I GOT A JOB! I just got hired! I start Tuesday!
<happy dance happy dance drunken revelry>

Second: my advice: Find anyone you can in your target city and target field, and go ahead and call them now. Tell them that you are moving to that city and x date. They’ll probably tell you to go ahead and call back when you’re in town. If you’re planning to visit ahead of time, you should be able to get a meet and greet at that time.

Frank, are you a Canadian? Or do you already have a work permit? Those will be big concerns for you – they were for me when I went to New York.

13

Congrats on the job Barbarian! I am really excited for you and I hope it all goes well. I hope I can say the same before I move myself across the country!

14

The good news is, the job market in NYC is pretty positive right now. What field are you in? My SO moved from SE Michigan and had 2 offers within 9 days of arriving. He is in the IT sector and worked with a couple of recruiters who called him off a Monster resume.

We noticed that many listings said “local candidates only.” If you have a local address you can use (a friend or family members address) I think it can be a little helpful. But overall there wasn’t much traction until he actually arrived in NYC.

Do you have a place to live lined up?

15

I am in the insurance field right now and I really enjoy it, but I also have a bit of media experience and my bachelor’s degree is in radio/television, so I have more than one resume that I am sending out. I am setting a meeting with an apartment hunter in January and checking out my different options of places to live. I have a roommate coming with me so that helps some, but she is also looking for a job long distance. I figure if I absolutely have to I can wait until I get there and just spend all of my time applying once I arrive in the city. I am saving money knowing that I may have to do that, but I would like to have something lined up before moving.

16

I’m good - I hold dual citizenship.

17

Just speaking for Las Vegas (a very transient city), they don’t even consider you for a position unless you have an address and phone number here. Period. Some even want to see your driver’s licence to see exactly how long you have lived here!

Granted, if you have some really special skill that is in demand, they might make an exception.

The best route is to be there, knock on some doors and have your LOCAL address and phone number on the resume.

18

I totally get that I really need to be living in the city to find a job there. However, I would like to not have a panic attack every day when I wake up and think to myself, "I am unemployed. I haven’t been unemployed since I started working. WHAT

19

THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO? HOW AM I GOING TO SURVIVE?!?!" I am really hoping someone has some kind of solution that falls between start looking when you get there and have your current job transfer you to your new location.

Would it be safer to get a part time job at someplace like Starbucks before I go in hopes that you can transfer because they are everywhere (if it gets down to the wire and you know you have to have something going to not die?) Would I be better off trying to interview with a local Dallas temp agency in hopes that they can line some interviews up for me when I get there?

(Damned caps lock being so close to tab and making me post early)

20

OK - as you can see from my location, when I move, I don’t just move across the street. So I know what I am talking about with moving really far away and starting over.

My rule of thumb was to save enough money so you don’t HAVE to work for two months. This gives you at least a few weeks to get the lay of the land, to see what the opportunities are and to get a feel for the new location.

My other trick is to immediately start networking. Find a local cafe and go there every morning for coffee with the paper. Then find a place for lunch every day, and if you like, find a local bar for a drink or two (only) every night. Eventually you become know to the others and when you talk to the waiter/waitress or other people you see everyday, let them know you are new in town and LOOKING FOR WORK.

You will be amazed how helpful people can be…“my roommate works at soandso and they are looking for people” or “my cousin owns a place and is always looking for people” or “I have a friend in Human Resources at soandso corporation…”

This has worked for me in Chicago, in NYC, in Berlin and in LA! (I found the jobs in Las Vegas by myself.)

But hold off moving until you have that 2 month financial cushion to look - even if it means putting off your move for a few months. Trust me on this. It will make everything a lot easier. If you are a real risk-taker, 1 1/2 month’s money might work, but stick to a tight budget. Anything less is a recipe for disaster.