Looking To Relocate? 5 Effective Strategies For Pursuing Work In A Different City

Are you looking for a job in another city?

When it comes to hiring, time is of the essence, and employers may prefer to focus on finding local talent so that they don’t have to deal with the time and cost associated with interviewing, hiring, and relocating out-of-town candidates.

If you’d like to continue your career in another city, here are 5 strategies you can use to accelerate your search and increase your chances of snagging the job of your dreams.

1. Localize your resume. One of the very first things an employer does when looking through resumes in their applicant tracking system is filter the results by geography  in order to zero in on candidates who already live in the area (in the United States, this is usually done by Zip codes). If you’re targeting a move to, say, Chicago, ask a relative who lives there if you can use their address on your resume; alternatively, you can rent a local mailbox from the UPS Store or another mailbox service provider. Also, secure a phone number with your target city’s area code by using a free service such as Google Voice, which will route calls to your cell phone.
    
2. Localize your LinkedIn. If feasible, change your address in LinkedIn as well. Recruiters comb the system to find talent. This way you’ll increase your chances of appearing in their searches.
    
3. Schedule a visit. If you have the time to do so, plan a trip to target destination with the goal of securing interviews. If employers have reached out to you and have demonstrated hesitancy to schedule an interview because you’re not local, reach out to then and let them know you’ll be in town and would love to meet them. Be proactive – identify recruiters and hiring managers at your target companies (LinkedIn is a great tool for this), introduce yourself, and (graciously) request a meeting for during your trip.
    
4. If applying internationally, spell out your work authorization status. If you’re a Greek citizen applying to a job in Spain, your European Union work authorization enables you to work there without restriction. Spell this out in your resume and cover letter. Consider doing the same if you’re following a family member to another country and will be able get work authorization due to their work status and local law.
    
5. Tell potential employers you’re already planning to move. Have you set a move date? Do you have a place to stay? Make this known, and you’ll quickly alleviate concerns about  timing and cost.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.