4 Ways to Improve Your Success in a Long Distance Job Search

I often hear from people who want to relocate--some want to stay in the same field, others are looking for a career change--but can’t figure out how to expedite a long distance job search. 

Their questions are usually along the lines of:

• How can I keep my current job and still search somewhere else?

• Is an out-of-area address an immediate rejection?  

• How do I network in a place where I don’t yet know anyone?

Conducting a job search long distance isn’t easy. But often clients go about it in some low probability ways--sending out resumes before they're requested, asking for leads before laying the ground work. When they don't get immediate results, their frustration can create a problem all by itself. They lose perspective. They want this whole thing to end fast, and end NOW. But like any job search, it's still going to be a process, when you do it right. And it’s a lot of work.  

The following four points can help improve your odds at landing a job in a new location.  

1. The Out-of-State Address
First, let's get rid of that address problem. It’s true that adding the possible relocation expense might be a problem for a prospective employer – although you will try to negotiate that when you get an offer.  

Many of the people I've worked with have, as a matter of course, dropped addresses from resumes. It seems to be a trend among younger members of the job force. An email address seems to be enough. A telephone number with an out-of-state area code doesn't seem to be a problem anymore; people take their cell numbers with them everywhere they move. So . . . no home address necessary.

2. Understand Networking
Second, you need to fully understand what networking is. It is not just asking everyone you know if they know of openings or jobs. That's a sure-fire way of scaring them off, because people feel guilty when they have to say, "No, not at this moment." And that means you've burned through a contact, making it difficult to stay in touch. 

Networking is all about maintaining relationships over a period of time, a form of indirect marketing-–not cornering your valuable connections and pressuring them into a yes/no answer (usually no).

The point is to build business relationships, maintain them by staying in touch, so that when your contacts hear of appropriate situations, you’re on their mind. That's how the vast majority of people find jobs, either by circumstance or by design.  

3. Set Up Phone Meetings
Since you can't be constantly traveling to your intended destination, you set up phone meetings instead of in-person meetings. They may be a little less effective than personally meeting others, but if you cultivate the relationships through following up regularly, you can make that relationship work. 

In addition, if you find some of your targeted people are amenable, you might say to several that you will be in the area during the week of ____________, and hope that you could meet them in person. Believe it or not, this works better, most of the time, than asking someone in your home area for a more open-ended time slot.  

4. Use LinkedIn
For building networks in an area where you don't know many in your profession -- try LinkedIn groups. Assuming your profile is up-to-date and promotes your skill set well, look under "Interests" on the top of the home page. There is a subset called "Groups." Then, look for affinity groups. Punch in your field and see what comes up. Maybe a professional group you’ve already joined. Maybe 10 others that are related. Maybe one in your intended geographical area. Join. Get involved in the online conversations. If someone sounds interesting and knowledgeable, try to link in (with a personal invitation, not the LinkedIn template). If he/she responds, then perhaps you write a skillful introductory (brief) email requesting a short conversation because you're researching the market in their area and want to learn more about it.  

It always comes back to: Technique, Discipline and Consistency
This is just a beginning. Clearly, there's much more you can do. I can think of a recently published book (mine!) you might read which will thoroughly take you through the process -- In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies That Work, on Amazon. 

Looking for work long distance is eminently doable, even with the tough market conditions. Great search technique, coupled with discipline and consistency, will usually trump the difficult market

Or pick up a copy of Networking: How to Make the Connections You Need to get the short course on how to make the contacts that lead to the job you want. 

Photo: wojciech_gajda 

Changing Jobs - Too frequently or not often enough?

I get asked about this issue as much as any other--and the questions come from both sides. Do I have a problem if I’ve moved around every other year or so? OR . . . Do I have a problem if I’ve stayed in the same place for ten years?

Hoppers
Usually, people in career transition are more concerned about the perceived problem of changing jobs every year or two.  

Since the 1980s or thereabouts, the paradigm of lifetime employment has pretty much disappeared, for a wide variety of economic reasons. That’s why we hear more about the job hoppers than those who stay for long periods in one organization. Current research shows that the average job lasts around 3-3.5 years, and an expected career will consist of 12 jobs and three separate careers. If that is understood by both employer and employee, then the “jumping” issue won’t come up as much.

But what about those who, for various reasons, have had to change maybe twice in three years? Maybe there was an acquisition. Maybe bad chemistry. Or maybe it was the wrong job from the start. 

The key for job seekers is to be able to present the reasons for leaving jobs in the best possible light, and to never cast aspersions on the former employer, no matter what.  They need to focus on the skills attained, even if the job lasted less than a year. There has to be a compelling reason for the change, one that makes the candidate look good--and never defensive. It’s never for “more challenge;” it’s about the opportunity to more fully utilize skills and experience and find the right fit (one of my favorite expressions in transition language).    

There will be employers who will look at a resume, see multiple changes, and immediately disqualify the candidate. To me, that usually suggests an employer who doesn’t get the work culture changes over the past several years. So, it’s up to the candidate to present a resume that may group various employees in a framework that may suggest consulting, with a focus on skills attained. Or maybe even functionalize the resume somewhat, to focus on the skills, rather than the specific jobs. While many discourage that format, it’s often better than listing multiple jobs over a short period of time.  

But, since I strongly urge clients to not lead with resumes, the verbal response will clearly be more well-crafted than any resume can be--and the applicant can address and tailor responses accordingly.  A resume can’t do that as well.  

Essentially, the job hopper should be able to position the moves as positive, skill- building experiences. There should never be any acquiescence to the concept that this is a liability or weakness. That’s the interviewer’s issue. 

Even with all that preparation for dealing with the hopping issues, job seekers need to realize that creating multiple options and targets increases their chances of finding prospective employers who will be able to see past the multiple changes.  In other words, high numbers create a higher probability of success, and the opportunities to connect with employers who will recognize the skill set and be able to get past the history.

Dinosaurs
On the other side are the “dinosaurs,” as I like to call them. Dinosaurs, because the long-term or lifetime employment paradigm is becoming extinct, unless there is self-employment. (And even then, many will change back to organizational structures or switch back and forth between the two work styles.) Those job seekers are always worried that prospective employers are going to see them as limited in skills and experience, having worked at one organization for so long.

Sounds like you can’t win, right?

Almost right. There will be employers who don’t like long employment, those who don’t like short terms of employment, and finding what’s “just right” is sometimes elusive.  

That’s why it’s so important to create multiple options and targets, as mentioned above.

But what about those dinosaurs? How do they deal with the perception that they haven’t learned much in their long stints?

Easy. They should focus on changes within their employment, even if official job titles haven’t changed. They need to prepare explanations of how the job evolved from one skill set to another, and to be conscientious about providing examples to explain. 

Both situations can be addressed, but creating a winning numbers game will be the best solution.  

To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work

Holiday Job Search - Why it's a great time to be looking

Now that the holidays are here, many job-seekers take a step back from their hunt, thinking hiring takes a back-seat during the holidays. I’ve heard from clients and students over the years that, “No one’s doing anything between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, so I’m going to take the time off and get revved up in January.”  

Wrong. Not only wrong, but also frequently just another excuse to avoid the search.  

Here are some compelling reasons for doing the exact opposite of sitting out the season:

1) Your competition is disappearing 

Because other people believe this myth of inactivity during the holiday season, you’re competing against a smaller group of candidates. So the odds your phone call, email, or social network outreach get attention are that much greater.

2) There's no time like the holidays to build relationships 

In general, people are less focused on their own work. More time on their hands means chatting with someone else about their career or meeting a new face might be a welcome distraction. It’s called “networking.”  

In addition, you can find creative ways to reconnect with people. Use a holiday card to remind old friends and business acquaintances about you. Then follow-up later on when that seed has been planted. But . . . don't use those cards to discuss your career or job search. Tacky. Not as bad as those impersonal broadcast communications some people send out--filled with vivid, detailed descriptions of everything they've done in the past year--but still not a particularly good search technique.  

3) Party . . . with care 

Accept the holiday party invitations. But remember, parties and other social events (professional associations and the like) are not the time to corner people, give them a long pitch, and try to get information and possible leads. Your sole purpose at any social function, where the attendees are definitely not there to be hit on by job seekers, is to build a bit of a social acquaintance, and collect business cards--for future meetings.

4) January is usually NOT a good statistical hiring month 

And usually not a time when many feel like building new relationships. Think about it: when you get back from the holidays, do you feel like doing much of anything at all? This is another reason why there should be strong emphasis on a December all-out self-marketing. January shouldn’t be the start; it should be a continuation of what was built in December.  

Good luck!