Do long-distance job searches really work?
January 21, 2009 2:17 PM Subscribe
I hate where I live to the point it is making me depressed. I want to move but I feel pretty pessimistic about finding a job in a different area.
I have never found a job or gotten a contract "cold," that is, without knowing someone who recommended or hired me. Worse, I want to make a career change from writing to social service-type work. I've applied around here with no luck, despite having connections. I'd even still take a writing or editing job if any were available. But the truth is I really, really don't want to live in the area that I live anymore. I just hate it. I hate the climate, the fact that it is a "party town," the endless suburbia, and the dearth of an indie scene and a community of intellectual artists. You have to drive 30 miles just to take a walk in nature from where I live. It's just killing me.
I have the idea that, to find a job long-distance, a person has to be absolutely stellar in their field. I also have the impression that hundreds of people are vying for available jobs in this economy. If an employer posts a job on Craigslist or another site, what's going to make them even look twice at a resume from someone hundreds of miles away when there are tons of people in the area who've applied?
How can I make this happen?
I have never found a job or gotten a contract "cold," that is, without knowing someone who recommended or hired me. Worse, I want to make a career change from writing to social service-type work. I've applied around here with no luck, despite having connections. I'd even still take a writing or editing job if any were available. But the truth is I really, really don't want to live in the area that I live anymore. I just hate it. I hate the climate, the fact that it is a "party town," the endless suburbia, and the dearth of an indie scene and a community of intellectual artists. You have to drive 30 miles just to take a walk in nature from where I live. It's just killing me.
I have the idea that, to find a job long-distance, a person has to be absolutely stellar in their field. I also have the impression that hundreds of people are vying for available jobs in this economy. If an employer posts a job on Craigslist or another site, what's going to make them even look twice at a resume from someone hundreds of miles away when there are tons of people in the area who've applied?
How can I make this happen?
A lot of people resolve this by moving to a desirable area first, then looking for work. This is hard if you don't have much of a nest egg, or if you have a family.
Consider taking a leave of absence from your place of work, getting a short term place in the new location, and taking a stab at it.
If you have no idea where you would prefer to live, this becomes harder, unless you believe that anywhere is better than here. And I would be suspicious of that feeling.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 2:53 PM on January 21, 2009
Consider taking a leave of absence from your place of work, getting a short term place in the new location, and taking a stab at it.
If you have no idea where you would prefer to live, this becomes harder, unless you believe that anywhere is better than here. And I would be suspicious of that feeling.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 2:53 PM on January 21, 2009
I have the idea that, to find a job long-distance, a person has to be absolutely stellar in their field.
If by "stellar" you mean "lucky" then you are 100% correct.
It is a crappy time to be looking for work, of course, but it will be for a long time so that should not stop you. You sound young and unattached, so this is a good time to jump and take a chance.
You need a nestegg of some kind, even if you get it by selling most of your stuff. Then you make a list of 10 places you want to live. Then you sort them by most-available-jobs (by searching remotely.)
Then you take a road trip.
posted by rokusan at 3:07 PM on January 21, 2009
If by "stellar" you mean "lucky" then you are 100% correct.
It is a crappy time to be looking for work, of course, but it will be for a long time so that should not stop you. You sound young and unattached, so this is a good time to jump and take a chance.
You need a nestegg of some kind, even if you get it by selling most of your stuff. Then you make a list of 10 places you want to live. Then you sort them by most-available-jobs (by searching remotely.)
Then you take a road trip.
posted by rokusan at 3:07 PM on January 21, 2009
Hmm, I was really ready to sympathize with you. A couple of years ago, I was miserable where I lived and I wasn't close to depressed. I was depressed. I could barely make it through a day without crying. A great deal of my problem is that the place I lived was making me physically sick (NYC-cockroaches everywhere and constant asthma that led to constant colds that were more like weeks and weeks of pneumonia than just a cold.) My doctor finally told me I should just move.
But! Many years before that I was bummed out by living in an obnoxious, plastic suburbia with no cool people ( I wanted to find artists and a good music scene). After a couple of years though I was fine and after making friends I didn't want to leave.
So I'd say in this economy and ambivalent career goals, you might reevaluate just how miserable you are and consider holding onto your crummy job and hunker down. In the meantime, you could take some classes that would help you transition to a new career after the market turns around and you might meet some new people you like.
posted by i_love_squirrels at 3:09 PM on January 21, 2009
But! Many years before that I was bummed out by living in an obnoxious, plastic suburbia with no cool people ( I wanted to find artists and a good music scene). After a couple of years though I was fine and after making friends I didn't want to leave.
So I'd say in this economy and ambivalent career goals, you might reevaluate just how miserable you are and consider holding onto your crummy job and hunker down. In the meantime, you could take some classes that would help you transition to a new career after the market turns around and you might meet some new people you like.
posted by i_love_squirrels at 3:09 PM on January 21, 2009
I have the idea that, to find a job long-distance, a person has to be absolutely stellar in their field. I also have the impression that hundreds of people are vying for available jobs in this economy. If an employer posts a job on Craigslist or another site, what's going to make them even look twice at a resume from someone hundreds of miles away when there are tons of people in the area who've applied?
You never know until you try. You have (1) a desire and (2) a belief keeping you from pursuing that desire... so use science to test that belief. Test it rigorously -- relentlessly. See if it's really true. "I'm gonna see if I can do it" might be a better attitude to take into it from the beginning than "I probably can't, cause..."
Just a tip you may want to try: Once upon a time, a professor of mine who really is pretty stellar in his field (business) told me that you can be in business within a year in almost any industry by networking with an average of 250 people. Maybe you can apply that to your job search. Yes, that means you have to cultivate contacts, but I think you can do this by tapping your immediate surroundings ("Do you know anything about social service-type work in City A?"), asking for leads, following the leads and mentioning your referrals, and "hopping" social networks until you find someone who can give you access to what you want. At the very least you will probably gather valuable information from people who have been where you want to go.
posted by Theloupgarou at 5:01 PM on January 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
You never know until you try. You have (1) a desire and (2) a belief keeping you from pursuing that desire... so use science to test that belief. Test it rigorously -- relentlessly. See if it's really true. "I'm gonna see if I can do it" might be a better attitude to take into it from the beginning than "I probably can't, cause..."
Just a tip you may want to try: Once upon a time, a professor of mine who really is pretty stellar in his field (business) told me that you can be in business within a year in almost any industry by networking with an average of 250 people. Maybe you can apply that to your job search. Yes, that means you have to cultivate contacts, but I think you can do this by tapping your immediate surroundings ("Do you know anything about social service-type work in City A?"), asking for leads, following the leads and mentioning your referrals, and "hopping" social networks until you find someone who can give you access to what you want. At the very least you will probably gather valuable information from people who have been where you want to go.
posted by Theloupgarou at 5:01 PM on January 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
Prioritize. You may be able to move, and keep working freelance, or you may be able to stay, and move into social services.
Plan the job change. Start reading books/magazines, join professional organizations and/or take classes in your new field. Volunteer to get experience and contacts. Volunteer to make sure this is what you want to do. Entry level social work jobs do not pay well.
Plan the location change. Research locations to find where you want to go.
Set goals. If you have a goal to get to your chosen location in n years, and to move to your chosen field in n years, and you work towards it, it can help you not feel so bleak.
posted by theora55 at 5:17 PM on January 21, 2009
Plan the job change. Start reading books/magazines, join professional organizations and/or take classes in your new field. Volunteer to get experience and contacts. Volunteer to make sure this is what you want to do. Entry level social work jobs do not pay well.
Plan the location change. Research locations to find where you want to go.
Set goals. If you have a goal to get to your chosen location in n years, and to move to your chosen field in n years, and you work towards it, it can help you not feel so bleak.
posted by theora55 at 5:17 PM on January 21, 2009
Where do you live? It kind of sounds like Los Angeles.
posted by trotter at 6:39 PM on January 21, 2009
posted by trotter at 6:39 PM on January 21, 2009
which is more important to you?
seriously - because if it's location, then the answer is simple. either way, you're going to be starting at the bottom of the food chain in social services -- so why not do it someplace where you're happier? as you point out, finding a job long-distance seems unlikely with little experience. what you need is to locate yourself where you want to be, find a temporary gig to pay the bills, and then find an organization that you like to do entry-level or internship work for. Then, once you've got some experience, you can figure out where you want to go from there.
which is just to say, if I were you (young, unattached, and incredibly dissatisfied?) I'd follow rokusan's advice. right now, you have three things you don't like -- a bad location, a dissatisfying job, and poor employment prospects. why not change it? it's easy to live on not so much money -- resign yourself to being broke until you're satisfied (making sure you've got basic expenses covered), temp, wait tables, save up enough to get by, and figure out what you really want to be doing.
that's my advice. which I'd take, if I weren't mostly (insufferably) satisfied with my town / job / life. It's easier to make a break when things get drastic, and your situation sounds pretty far gone.
posted by puckish at 6:43 PM on January 21, 2009
seriously - because if it's location, then the answer is simple. either way, you're going to be starting at the bottom of the food chain in social services -- so why not do it someplace where you're happier? as you point out, finding a job long-distance seems unlikely with little experience. what you need is to locate yourself where you want to be, find a temporary gig to pay the bills, and then find an organization that you like to do entry-level or internship work for. Then, once you've got some experience, you can figure out where you want to go from there.
which is just to say, if I were you (young, unattached, and incredibly dissatisfied?) I'd follow rokusan's advice. right now, you have three things you don't like -- a bad location, a dissatisfying job, and poor employment prospects. why not change it? it's easy to live on not so much money -- resign yourself to being broke until you're satisfied (making sure you've got basic expenses covered), temp, wait tables, save up enough to get by, and figure out what you really want to be doing.
that's my advice. which I'd take, if I weren't mostly (insufferably) satisfied with my town / job / life. It's easier to make a break when things get drastic, and your situation sounds pretty far gone.
posted by puckish at 6:43 PM on January 21, 2009
Yes, you can do this. I've done it, just by posting my CV on Monster and applying the hell out of jobs in the areas that interested me. You'll get a lower reply-to-application ratio than you would if you were applying locally, but if you have some real skills and stability in your current CV and a decent cover letter explaining that you're interested in relocating to the area, recruiters will get in touch.
I also went to job sites, looked up names of recruitment companies advertising jobs in my field and my preferred area, and contacted the recruiters outside the site. "Hi, I'm interested in moving to your area. I have x experience. I'm also going to be in your area on Y date. Would you like to see my CV, with an eye to meeting me when I'm in the area to discuss any roles you think might suit?"
Everyone understands the desire to move someplace else and start again. That said, you need to underline what will make you stay, once you move. There's a fine line between "I want to move someplace that has a better quality and cost of living than where I am currently" and "I am unhappy where I am and I want to run away with the circus" That's where things like being willing to pay part of your own moving expenses, being willing to fly out to meet with recruiters and see the place, or having friends/family in a reasonably close area will make you sound more serious and worth the recruiter's time and effort.
posted by Grrlscout at 12:05 AM on January 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
I also went to job sites, looked up names of recruitment companies advertising jobs in my field and my preferred area, and contacted the recruiters outside the site. "Hi, I'm interested in moving to your area. I have x experience. I'm also going to be in your area on Y date. Would you like to see my CV, with an eye to meeting me when I'm in the area to discuss any roles you think might suit?"
Everyone understands the desire to move someplace else and start again. That said, you need to underline what will make you stay, once you move. There's a fine line between "I want to move someplace that has a better quality and cost of living than where I am currently" and "I am unhappy where I am and I want to run away with the circus" That's where things like being willing to pay part of your own moving expenses, being willing to fly out to meet with recruiters and see the place, or having friends/family in a reasonably close area will make you sound more serious and worth the recruiter's time and effort.
posted by Grrlscout at 12:05 AM on January 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
No need to repeat so I'll just add this:
I've done it several times over three continents in under eleven months.
Save up enough to survive for a few months and pick up a job as soon as you get there.
While you're saving, start seeding your resume out to all the potential cities you'd like to go to. My company has hired plenty of people that we interviewed over the phone and email who were looking to relocated.
Doing this will also give you a better idea of your job prospects in that particular city (because having no job is also depressing).
Anyway, it's no big deal to move. Selling a bunch of your stuff and lightening your load can get you a little cash (I got about $1000 out of my garage sale and that floated me for the first month in Seattle).
If you're looking to get into social work, I hope you've checked out idealist.org. You can also seek out companies you'd like to work for (I contacted Sesame Street once) to see what openings they have and how to apply.
You can go through the usual agencies like Teach For America and such - they have a lot of projects going; the pay's not great but it's for a good cause and that often makes up for it.
My ex moved out to Seattle with me and started working for a group that campaigned for better health care in the state. Once again, wasn't great pay but it was enough to pay rent and live pretty happily and he liked the gig. So check out the non-profits. A lot of cities that have a thriving indie and artist scene tend to be progressive so there are a lot of non-profit orgs that can always use members (canvassers especially).
Best thing about moving to a new place is that it gives you an awareness of how free and adaptable you are. So switching jobs and trying new things becomes an adventure rather than a burden.
posted by HolyWood at 2:45 PM on January 22, 2009
I've done it several times over three continents in under eleven months.
Save up enough to survive for a few months and pick up a job as soon as you get there.
While you're saving, start seeding your resume out to all the potential cities you'd like to go to. My company has hired plenty of people that we interviewed over the phone and email who were looking to relocated.
Doing this will also give you a better idea of your job prospects in that particular city (because having no job is also depressing).
Anyway, it's no big deal to move. Selling a bunch of your stuff and lightening your load can get you a little cash (I got about $1000 out of my garage sale and that floated me for the first month in Seattle).
If you're looking to get into social work, I hope you've checked out idealist.org. You can also seek out companies you'd like to work for (I contacted Sesame Street once) to see what openings they have and how to apply.
You can go through the usual agencies like Teach For America and such - they have a lot of projects going; the pay's not great but it's for a good cause and that often makes up for it.
My ex moved out to Seattle with me and started working for a group that campaigned for better health care in the state. Once again, wasn't great pay but it was enough to pay rent and live pretty happily and he liked the gig. So check out the non-profits. A lot of cities that have a thriving indie and artist scene tend to be progressive so there are a lot of non-profit orgs that can always use members (canvassers especially).
Best thing about moving to a new place is that it gives you an awareness of how free and adaptable you are. So switching jobs and trying new things becomes an adventure rather than a burden.
posted by HolyWood at 2:45 PM on January 22, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Pick an area you want to live in. Research companies that are located in that area. Go to their websites and look at their employment page. Look at it at least twice a week. Listing that appear on Monster.com or Craigslist are often last ditch efforts to find employment. If you find a fresh listing on their site and apply that day, you show the the employer that you are interested in their company and have enough ambition to go through the trouble of looking them up.
best of luck.
posted by munchingzombie at 2:40 PM on January 21, 2009