Advice for applying in a different city?

Mide

So my spouse got a job in another city but it won't start for a few more months. I've been applying for jobs in said city, but the callback rate is lower than I've expected. I've been 4 months into it and my rate is 11% callback, 11% autodeny email and 78% black hole.

I do understand that me not being a "local" candidate doesn't bode too well, but even after my spouse does move down there, we get a place established, and I use that address as my staging ground, I will still be employed in my original city so my resume will look more/less the same. I'm hoping that I'll get more hits afterwards by just having an address change since I can make it clear that I will not require relocation, but it's kinda a downer that 16+ years in IT and many degrees later, I'm still like a fresh noobie trying to scrounge around for a job.

srabiee

I'm also very interested in hearing the replies to this thread. I will be in a similar boat soon and require feedback. Interested in moving from Charleston, WV to either SLC, UT or Denver, CO. Will be applying out of state and curious how to go about this seeing as though my physical address is half-way across the country. I could theoretically articulate in a cover letter that I am interested in relocating, however many of these jobs are online applications and don't allow for the exchange of this type of information. Frustrating indeed.

As for your own situation, changing your physical address to something local should help tremendously with your job prospects.

alias454

You can get a Google voice number in that area and possible get a mailbox that will forward to your regular address. I too have been looking at relocating and while I have not put out any resumes yet I will be interested in the process too.

Good Luck

srabiee

Is that really the best process, to "hide" the fact that you live outside of the city or state that you are applying? Not judging, just exploring options.

wtrwlkr

srabiee wrote: »

Is that really the best process, to "hide" the fact that you live outside of the city or state that you are applying? Not judging, just exploring options.

To add to that, what happens when they want to conduct a round of interviews? Sure, you could luck out and get interviews with multiple companies scheduled on consecutive days, or they don't mind doing a Skype or phone interview, but I would imagine that wouldn't be too common. Flying out to multiple interviews would be expensive. If it were me, I'd try to get some short term contracts lined up and start the job search in earnest once I'm actually there.

alias454

srabiee wrote: »

Is that really the best process, to "hide" the fact that you live outside of the city or state that you are applying? Not judging, just exploring options.

I don't really know if this is a good idea or not. I have seen it suggested on multiple forums when looking in to moving to another state and it was recommended to me by a friend who moved out of state. I think it depends on what you do after the initial contact is made. I wouldn't try to make like one lived there but since the contact is made then would be a good time to discuss it. You may get a few that feel like they were duped but those would be the same companies that would sort you out because of the address anyway.

A few other things popped into my head while thinking about your question. I wonder if the percentages would be any different if applying in the ops home area, maybe that's just a normal percentage of replies? It's hard to judge since the area is unknown. I suppose another option is to work with a recruiter in the area, which could find something temporary. then find more permanent work after the move like wtrwlkr said. Maybe working Linkedin for contacts in the area would be beneficial too.

Codyy

I'm in the same position, transitioning out of the military in 3.5 months and relocating to Colorado, currently in VA. I've applied for several positions and only received a reply from 1 or 2, I also wonder if it's due to my location.

The best thing I've done by far though is posted my resume on every major job board out there. I get around 3-4 calls and emails a day. I'm almost tempted to not even apply for positions anymore and just pursue the opportunities that come to me.

Also, if you haven't already, do a search on LinkedIn for "recruiter *city name*" and add every one possible. Make sure your profile shows that you're relocating to their area.

srabiee

Interested in hearing from forum members who have been in similar situations. What strategies did you employ, and what were your results? How did you ultimately secure a job position outside of your city or state? Did they pay for the costs of relocation? How much time were you given to relocate and establish yourself before reporting for duty? Lots of questions.

GreaterNinja

I recently moved from Chandler, AZ to San Francisco, CA. Distance is about ~780 miles.

There are TONS of logistics when planning a move like this to a super urban city. Transportation, costs, traffic, where to live, job, etc.

Most employers in San Francisco do not like out of state people because it is seen as quite a hassle to relocate, etc. Very few employers offered me relocation and when they did there was a hit in salary.

I ended up saving $11,000 for moving and quitting my job...finish classes, throw all my stuff in a u-haul and drive to my SF apartment.

It cost about $820 to tow my car and haul my stuff in a u-haul. Rent here for my 600 sq ft studio is about $1800/month.

So far I've gotten two actual offers but I've declined them because I think I can do better with my time.

Whatever you decide, make sure you have money set aside for Plan B.

cshkuru

Get a skype or google voice number that forwards to your current phone and don't list a physical address (other than the city / state you are applying for) when they call to schedule an interview either tell them you are currently out of town on a project but will be back in X days and that you are available for a phone or skype interview OR explain the situation and go from there. There really aren't a lot of other options other than waiting until you have relocated.

BTW - it has been my experience that only the real big companies or the government will offer relocation.

Mide

I do understand the theory of keeping one's address off of a resume, but usually most companies require you to fill out their online form where an address is mandatory so either way I would need to reveal my location. On top of that I am still employed at my company and that question always comes up in an interview, so that would immediately reveal my present location as well.

As for phone numbers, I know of very few people who have "local numbers". Most people I know have kept the same numbers they had since college. Perhaps I'm in the minority here? Anyway, when it comes down to it, it seems like it's just a roll of the dice to see if employers want to give a remote candidate the time of day. I did have a few interviews and 1st round was a phone screening, the second was a Skype/VideoConference screening, and I haven't made it to round 3 yet unfortunately.

Yes I know the logistics of any move are insane, especially if you have a family of any size. I got most of that squared away...just waiting for an offer.

markulous

I wouldn't worry about the phone number. People move all the time and typically only use cell phones so that's not going to raise any red flags. You COULD change it to that area code that you're moving too, but again I don't see it as a requirement.

I know for a fact that some companies will just toss your resume if they see you're out of state. I'd get a PO Box or give them a friend/relative address (if they are near there). Like someone had mentioned though, you need to be prepared for a face to face interview. If it's on the other side of the country, it's going to be difficult to make multiple trips.

Priston

The last two jobs I got I applied for while I was living out of the state. These were both entry-level jobs and I didn't do anything special to get them.
First time I was living in state X and was unemployed. I told them my family was in the process of moving to state Y.
Second time I was living in state Y and I told them I wanted to move back to state X.

srabiee

markulous wrote: »

I know for a fact that some companies will just toss your resume if they see you're out of state. I'd get a PO Box or give them a friend/relative address (if they are near there). Like someone had mentioned though, you need to be prepared for a face to face interview. If it's on the other side of the country, it's going to be difficult to make multiple trips.

That's probably my biggest concern, getting the resume or electronic job application tossed out by default.

Also, making trips back and forth across country for interviews just isn't feasible right now, monetarily speaking. I would love to relocate before securing a new position, but that isn't really feasible either from a money standpoint.

A family member suggested that I relocate and secure a job position and housing while my wife stays behind and continues to work for a short period of time, but my wife said "absolutely not." She has separation anxiety and a fear of being alone. Plus we have a rambunctious 2 year old, so that idea is a no-go.

Sigh.

Robertf969

I'm currently in Hawaii. I use my inlaws address in Arizona. So far they don't seem to concerned about my physical location because I have a hard date on when I will be in Arizona. One company even conducted all of their interviews over the phone with me. The only hiccup is that if they find a qualified candidate before I am available I will lose the position. Fingers crossed they don't.

srabiee

I'd like to hear from more forum members regarding their experiences on this topic. Surely more of you guys have dealt with this situation at some point during your IT career. Or perhaps most people tend to stay put and not move around at all. :

idk

proxima

I am just beginning my IT career, just finished my A.S. and have been searching for my first IT gig. I have been applying everywhere I can think of and I have been using a relative's address in California. I've applied here in Jacksonville (love the avatar markulous, I am lucky to work with the team in a support role!), I have also applied in California among a few other places. What is funny, I have received more calls from California than I have from Jacksonville. I had five calls this past week from Cali, and one from here. Unfortunately I do not have much professional experience working, but I have been tinkering with things long enough that I know what I am doing and have been fixing other peoples computers for over ten years, just not professionally.

My friend did this when he moved to Las Vegas, he called up an UPS store and asked if he could use their address to apply for jobs out there and they were cool with it. That is one route you can use if you do not have a friend or relative living at the place you want to go to.

If I have the opportunity to leave, I would take it if the price is right.

N2IT

I had an interview with Dish last year and a data company in both in CO. The data company loved my skills and my experiences, but was risk averse to bringing in an external candidate from another state. They thought there was a high probability I would bail if extended the offer. This was for a 3rd shift ETL Administrator.

I was told by the HR generalist gal at Dish, she thought I would of had a better chance if my address was in CO somewhere. This was after having a screening and a phone interview. This was for a PM position

The only people who I have seen get relocated are people with skills in real demand. Some .net developers and a few PM's in specific niches.

Mide

srabiee wrote: »

That's probably my biggest concern, getting the resume or electronic job application tossed out by default.

Also, making trips back and forth across country for interviews just isn't feasible right now, monetarily speaking. I would love to relocate before securing a new position, but that isn't really feasible either from a money standpoint.

A family member suggested that I relocate and secure a job position and housing while my wife stays behind and continues to work for a short period of time, but my wife said "absolutely not." She has separation anxiety and a fear of being alone. Plus we have a rambunctious 2 year old, so that idea is a no-go.

Sigh.

I'm totally in a similar situation as you. I can get an apt and setup camp for my wife in the new city, but she has made it clear that she would not be happy if I wasn't with her in the new place. I'm sure we could get by on weekend visits but I know there would be more stress placed on me. By the end of this month I'll start looking for an apt and changing my address. Hopefully there will be a difference in callbacks.

GreaterNinja

My gf of 6 years got a job January 2014 in San Francisco. I however, had a business to run and a day job in Phoenix area.
Around January of 2015 I finally decided to 100% put forth effort to move to San Francisco as I had to choose either my lucrative living in Chandler, AZ or my loving girlfriend in San Francisco.

After applying to hundreds of jobs on dice, monster, and indeed, I noticed maybe 15%-20% were interested. Of those 15-20%, half of them would realize I was out of state and they did not care that I had an apartment in San Francisco with my name on the lease...they would hang up the phone and never call back. Maybe 1/100 would offer relocation. Others would ask me to get back to San Francisco ASAP on my own dime and time.

I finally decided to quit my job in March 2015...put away $11k just for moving and rent/bills. I had a plan C (retirement / investment savings + cookie jar cash)too.
I told my employer its not you, its me and quit.

After applying to hundreds of jobs I've only received 3 offers: A contractor lab-admin for Cisco. A perm tier 2 Techstop position at HP. And a low paying Windows System Admin job.

Conclusion: Starting over sucks and costs quite a bit of money sometimes. In the long run I think we will both be doing really well.

If I were in your guys position I would get a UPS box address or a studio or 1 BR or a SRO (single room occupancy) apartment. This will allow you to have a base of operations or physical address in the desired city. I would keep your job for fault tolerance (in case hers does not work out). On your resume you can say your current job is at place X and place Y because you float between both locations once or twice a month. Maybe also get a prepaid phone # that matches the city area code.

Blackout

Make a friend in that City, if your expecting relocation from a company that is pretty difficult. But if you are a couple hours away from said city, I would use a friends address as a means to show you are local. I have done this for several friends, the issue is a lot of companies will **** your resume as soon as they see you aren't local.

Mide

GreaterNinja wrote: »

After applying to hundreds of jobs on dice, monster, and indeed, I noticed maybe 15%-20% were interested. Of those 15-20%, half of them would realize I was out of state and they did not care that I had an apartment in San Francisco with my name on the lease...they would hang up the phone and never call back. Maybe 1/100 would offer relocation. Others would ask me to get back to San Francisco ASAP on my own dime and time.

Conclusion: Starting over sucks and costs quite a bit of money sometimes. In the long run I think we will both be doing really well.

Thanks for the story. Your results are very similar to the feedback I'm getting from employers down here. I'm curious...did you search for any IT job or did you only apply for the ones you knew you would be an OK fit and/or salary would be acceptable to you? (I just can't picture myself going all the way back down to desktop/HD and getting salary axed by half just to be employed in a particular city vs staying put.)

Yeah I have an ongoing spreadsheet and right now I'm at a 7% callback percentage...half of those were from HR (direct hire) and the other half were from recruiters who wanted me to go with a contract-to-hire (3 mo). "Good fit" jobs have not been appearing all too often so I've been applying for positions outside my realm of expertise. I've saved up around 15k in preparation all moving/setup expenses, but yeah it's a downer to be in the slow hunt.