How to be considered a local candidate for jobs anywhere in the US?

September 3, 2009 7:12 AM

How do I make it clear to potential employers that I am literally willing to drive anywhere in the united states for a job interview, and instantly relocate there if I get the job? I would like to be considered a local candidate for open positions anywhere in the US.

I am currently unemployed and looking for work (I do pharmaceutical R&D). Right now I live in Los Angeles, CA, but am going to leave town in 2 weeks. I have already made arrangements to ship my important possessions back to my parents house in Michigan, and to sell, donate or trash the rest of my possessions except what I'll be taking with me in my car. I'll be traveling with camping gear, food, clothes (including a suit for interviews) etc.

My first destination will be Seattle, WA, where I'll be staying with a friend for an indeterminate number of weeks. Then on to Denver, CO where I'll be staying with my brother for an indeterminate number of weeks. From there I'll make my way back to Michigan where I can stay with my parents or some close friends rent free for a while until I find employment.

In preparation for this I've been applying for jobs throughout the country but especially in Seattle and Denver, hoping to get interviews in both cities while I'm there.

The problem is that almost every job I apply for asks me for my address. I'm using my parents address as my permanent address, but a lot of companies only consider local candidates for their open positions.

I would like to be considered a local candidate for positions anywhere in the continental US because, if I were to secure an interview anywhere in the US I would drive myself (camping along the way or staying with people I know) to wherever I had the interview and either stay with someone I knew in town or put myself up in a hotel. If I were to secure the job, I would drive from wherever I was back to the the job location, find an apartment and move in, have my parents ship what I need back to me and use the money I have saved up to buy the furniture I need. Thus, I can become a local candidate anywhere in the US with just a few days notice.

The problem is that the system is not set up handle that. I've explained my situation to recruiters / recruiting agency's asking them to look for jobs for me anywhere in the US but they all say that they need my address, and that my file will be handled by their office nearest my address (looking for positions near that address). Jobs I apply for online ask for my current address.

I'm looking for any advice on how to overcome this problem. I've changed my resume so that it has no address, only my cell phone number and email address. The only solution I can think of would be to make a separate resume for each city that shows that I live at a fake address in that city so that I look like I'm local. This would probably work but it's dishonest and doesn't sit well with me.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

posted by ender6574 to work & money (7 comments total)

At the risk of stating the obvious...why can't you use your friend's addresses in Seattle and Denver?
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:15 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

The problem is that almost every job I apply for asks me for my address.

This is odd to me. A firm doesn't really need your address until hiring you (for tax purposes).

I would leave those fields blank, claiming privacy if necessary, leave your address-less resume as-is (it's very very common to have only e-mail and phone on a resume), and simply deal with the issue in each cover letter, whether paper or e-mail, as a very minor but clear point.

"I am available for interviews in Chicago at any time."
"I am seeking employment in the Miami area and am available for interviews."

Don't make a large issue out of it. Don't protest too much.

If questioned or called on it somehow, you can always say "Well I was moving to Seattle anyway, so I didn't want anyone scared away, thinking they'd have to pay for my own relocation."
posted by rokusan at 7:18 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

For mandatory address fields in online systems, could you type "currently relocating to TheirCity/permanent address undetermined"?
posted by Houstonian at 7:24 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Find all the friends you have in the US and ask them if you can use their address. As a practical matter, I doubt that any business would actually check the address. If they do and question you, you can simply say that you're temporarily staying with them or that you just relocated there.
posted by saeculorum at 7:31 AM on September 3

How about:

ender6574
General Delivery
Chicago, IL 60699


If you use a general delivery address, any bureaucratic or computerized process will categorize you as living in the city you specify. And it's not a lie - it says, in effect, "this is the best place to reach me by postal mail when I am in city XXX", which seems pretty accurate.
posted by ManInSuit at 7:32 AM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Rokusan's suggestion makes sense.

However you also need to understand the company's perspective on this. The company may not be willing or able to pay relocation expenses for people from another city, and so says they want local candidates only in order to discourage people from applying to a job and then saying in the interview that they need to relocate from City X.

I understand you say you will relocate on your own but the company doesn't know you from a hole in the wall and doesn't want to waste its time.
posted by dfriedman at 7:36 AM on September 3

Any reason you have to leave LA? I know of an R&D position or two here in LA. Memail me if you're interested.
posted by kamikazegopher at 7:39 AM on September 3