Job Seeker On The Move? 6 Tips For Relocating Effectively

culled from:careerealism.com

1. Get on all the networking sites you can.

Use LinkedIn, Google+, and industry-specific professional groups. You can do a geographic search within LinkedIn and look for companies close to where you will be living. You can do the same on pretty much any social or job-related network. Check out online job aggregators as they have thousands of jobs in your new location.

2. Build professional relationships with people in your industry.

Build relationships with people in your industry and let them know you are relocating. You never know when one of your contacts might know someone who has a job opening in a company near your new locale.

3. Research your new home by looking at local news sites.

Also start talking to real estate agents, and visiting forums. Check out local business organizations, community groups, and so on. See when their meetings or lunches are. Make it a point to attend a couple of them. Better yet, visit a Works! agency near your new home (or go online and check it out). Works! agencies are loaded with job search information and are given insight into local company job openings and have access to the ‘hidden’ job market.

4. Work on your resume and make sure it is stellar.

Make sure your resume is perfect, and highlights your unique contributions to a position. Does your professional or executive resume have a clear focus of what you want to do? Is it accomplishment-focused? Is it current? Be sure your resume is up-to-date and contains your relevant information.

5. Make sure your cover letter states you are relocating to the area at a certain date.

It can be as simple as one line located near the bottom of the cover letter, “I am relocating to the Houston area within the month and can be available for a meeting in three weeks.”

6. Brush up on your video conference skills.

You might need video conferencing skills for an online interview. Skype is a way many interviews are taking place these days. If you aren’t familiar with Skype or other voice-over IP services, start researching them now. It can save you thousands in plane fare.
Your job search is hindered a bit because you are non-local, but that’s not a reason why it can’t be successful. Most of the time a company is vetting all the candidates for a position online at first, so the issue of your address is what can cause a problem. This can be addressed by using a temporary PO box in some cases, but it’s generally best to just tell them in your cover letter that you are relocating to the area and what you have to offer. Or, if you have a friend or family member already living in your desired location, use their address until you’ve officially moved.