Job hunting from afar.

May 9, 2005 1:54 PM

I left my heart in San Francisco. Now I want a job there. Problem? I'm in Philly.

My girlfriend's in San Francisco. I'm in Philly. We're both pretty tired of having a long distance relationship. While we agree that in a perfect world we could meet half-way, she has joint custody of her 5-year-old daughter, so a distant move for her is out of the question. On the other hand, I'd be willing to head out tomorrow... if I had a job lined up.

You've heard the story before. I'm gainfully employed here in Philly, make a decent salary, have a good job history and a list of glowing professional references. Problem is, I've been sending resumes -- through companies' web sites, Craigslist and HotJobs/Monster/etc. -- and they're just not getting responses. I write custom, targetted cover letters for each resume that, I'd think, would "wow" the people receiving my resumes. My girlfriend and I have both networked with friends and aquaintances. It doesn't seem like anything's happening. I'm looking for product development/project management roles in the tech space, but I'd settle in a second for IT support or similar positions. (I work for a medium-sized phone company in the mid-Atlantic region.)

My big suspicion is that employers are scared off by my Philly address. I've started saying that I won't require a relocation package in my cover letters, but that hasn't made a dent. I'd use her address if I was closer, but flights from Philly to SF are typically neither cheap or convenient, and trying to figure that out when called for an interview worries me, too.

Is there any other venue I'm missing that might be able to help me find a job in the Bay Area? Any tips from those who have successfully done this type of job hunt from across the country?

posted by eschatfische to Work & Money (17 answers total)

we're having the same problem (different markets, he's in DC; I'm in Chicago; different field--he's an art director/publications editor). he has my address on his resume/website. and gotten one phone interview where the woman told him upfront that she wouldn't have called him if he'd had an out-of-town address. he expained why he was using my address and they set up a phone interview. still waiting to decide if they want him to fly out.

several recruiters have told him that he should take a short-term/contracting/freelance job and just move here and then look for a job, but he's really not comfortable doing that. so if you have the werewithall for that, it might be your best bet because the economy still sucks. the people i know who've been looking for jobs are seeing 12-16 months before they find something (and these are all people with 5-15 years work experience in their field, good references and frequently graduate degrees).

anyone in chicago think they might be able to hire my better half? drop me an email! crush @ onastick dot net
posted by crush-onastick at 2:11 PM on May 9, 2005

You should customize your resume as well as your cover letter. You'd be suprised how often and how quickly resumes are detached from their cover letter when they move upward from HR to the people with hiring authority. You definitely should put your girlfriend's address and a 415 or 650 cell phone on the resume.

I would argue that all of the above is perfectly honest and ethical. Resumes are highly redacted advertising documents; it is only sensible, and natural, that you put a somewhat different copy when selling into each different market. The address is basically a representation that you have a local establishment and that you're ready, willing and able to come to work without relocation delay or (company) expense.

I presume that by "San Francisco" you're also including East Bay and Penninsula jobs. San Francisco proper really narrows your range. Tech employers in the city tend to be small and over-reliant upon who knows who. That said, it has always been very difficult for out-of-towners to get jobs in the Bay Area. There's California parochialism, but also a suspicion that people just want to come for the lifestyle. That the Bay Area's still working, in 2005, to digest the tens of thousands of techies left unemployed and underemployed in the mass layoffs of 2001 and 2002 doesn't help.
posted by MattD at 2:29 PM on May 9, 2005

'm looking for product development/project management roles in the tech space, but I'd settle in a second for IT support or similar positions

not sure about the former, but keep in mind that SF is a very tough job market right now for the latter.

my guess is that most companies you are applying to are already getting hundreds of qualified applicants that are local.

one thing i would suggest is expanding your job search to the sacramento area (i assume you're already looking at ALL of the bay area, including San Jo) -- it's slightly easier to find openings here, and i've heard the reverse commute isn't terrible. Once you get settled in SF, you can look at either telecommuting or trying to find a closer job.

if you're already doing that, then my only other advice is "good luck" and "keep trying".
posted by fishfucker at 2:29 PM on May 9, 2005

I did that (relo from Seattle to Boston). Took me a good year of looking (sometimes harder than others). Eventually I landed a position that understood my situation, but it took persistence and luck. That's about the best advice I can give - it's tough, even if you state upfront that relocation costs aren't an issue.
posted by kokogiak at 2:35 PM on May 9, 2005

The Central Valley (Sacramento, Stockton, etc.) is a good suggestion as an added market. Note that the Central Valley isn't a practical commute from San Francisco or the western portion of the East Bay, but you could have a very good compromise over the hills in the Diablo Valley. Still on BART for a convenient commute to the City for your girlfriend, a reasonable drive to work for you.

The Diablo Valley also offers real California weather -- something that San Francisco, for all its charms, does not.
posted by MattD at 3:01 PM on May 9, 2005

On another board I read, a poster was trying to find out-of-town jobs, and several HR people on the board said they pretty much never call out-of-towners for interviews, especially for lower-level jobs (that is, anything under CEO). It's not even an issue of relo costs -- they've simply had too many people change their mind about moving at the last minute.

Even listing a local number on your resume might not work, however -- they'll probably wonder how you're working in Philly and residing in SF.

It's scary, but it might be worth just moving and getting a temp job while you look for something more permanent. From everything I've heard, it's just 3,000 times more difficult trying to look for job when you're not local.
posted by occhiblu at 3:02 PM on May 9, 2005

there are a LOT of jobs right now in the bay area, esp in the valley. have you thought about working with a recruiter? at any senior level in the tech space, they're going to be able to get you into places you might not be able to get into yourself...
posted by judith at 3:15 PM on May 9, 2005

When I moved from Boston to San Francisco a year and half ago I made only a half-assed effort to look for jobs before I left. Since I didn't have any real debt and some savings, I just picked up and went, with the naive faith that I would find something when I got there. It ended up taking me three months, but I ended up finding a job that I really like.

I'm not sure if I'm recommending this approach, but I guess it worked for me. It is not for the faint of heart. My perception, for what it is worth, is that the tech job market is not as bad as it was when I started looking.

Also, I second what MattD said about looking outside of SF. I'm working further away than I had hoped (Santa Clara), but it's not really so bad.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 3:15 PM on May 9, 2005

I just did this. I tried and tried to get a job across the country, but couldn't.

I finally gathered my courage, quit my job, packed the cats and moved.

I got a temp job within a week that turned into a permanent position a few months later. There is no way I would have this job now if I had applied before moving.

Good luck!
posted by Sheppagus at 3:25 PM on May 9, 2005

Technical IT positions are essentially unobtainable, since there is such a tremendous glut of workers and you apparently don't have an "in." IT support resumes are a dime a dozen, available in convenient rolled format in most San Francisco restrooms. You'd likely have much better luck obtaining a PM position, although obviously it wouldn't be as lucrative.

You may find some jobs available in the Deep East Bay, the south bay or the central valley, but if your girlfriend is living in the city, you might as well be on the moon at that point. Forget Sacramento -- by the time you navigate the traffic idiocy on 80 (around Fairfield) and 880 (from Richmond to the bridge) on a weekend, you've spent half the time it would take you to fly from Philly and expended far more of your soul.
posted by majick at 3:29 PM on May 9, 2005

Ditto the discouraging words about the Bay Area tech job market. I spent nine months last year not getting many replies to my resume, and I don't think anyone was being put off by my Berkeley address. I don't think things are quite as bad as they were, but I expect employers are still being deluged with resumes for every position.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 4:02 PM on May 9, 2005

I would imagine that in a place like San Francisco there isn't much need for employers to look outside of the area to find good employees. Your Philly address is probably getting you tossed straight into the trash. I say just pick up and move... you only go 'round once ya know.
posted by spilon at 4:09 PM on May 9, 2005

The contradictory views about the availability of jobs here in the Bay Area probably comes about because of the wide range of jobs covered by "IT" I'm seeing tons of jobs right now and nobody I know has had much trouble finding one. Caveats: They are all at fairly senior levels. They all have had *some* connection to the job that they got (i.e. at least friends of friends or professional organization/college connections; not one got a job from a blind resume send.)

So, yes:

1) Use your girlfriends address and phone number. No reason to get instantly disqualified early on
2) Consider (as others have said) just taking a leap and moving here and supporting yourself anyway you can so that you can make some connections and get an "in" as majick points out. Life is about that risk/rewards tradeoff in many ways :)
posted by vacapinta at 4:46 PM on May 9, 2005

I second what Lazlo said. It really is worth saving up for a while and then just take the plunge. I did this about 8 months ago (LA to SF). After searching from LA for about three months without result, I just went ahead and moved and found a job within three weeks.

I think a big part of why this works is because your livelyhood depends on it, so it gives you that extra kick in the rear to find something good and fast!
posted by menace303 at 6:19 PM on May 9, 2005

I realize that this doesn't help you much, but if you need to go back to school/ switch careers or for those who are thinking about moving here... the Bay area is having a TERRIBLE nursing shortage. It would take you about 3 minutes to find a decent job.
posted by puddinghead at 6:26 PM on May 9, 2005

Use my address and phone number wherever you'd like, move out here, eventually find a job you love and live happily ever after. If it doesn't work out that way, well, agencies are hiring in the Chicagoland area.

Opportunities, like relationships, seem to appear when/where you least expect them and I tend to hope for the best, brace for the worst and enjoy the moments along the way.

Although I *so* don't see you in nursing.
posted by Gucky at 11:12 AM on May 17, 2005

There's all kinds of nursing. Mine (at the moment) is in front of a computer. A computer job that has to be done by an RN.
posted by puddinghead at 5:30 PM on May 20, 2005