Monday, October 13, 2008

Job hunting from out of state

I moved home several months ago after graduating hoping to find a job out of state, particularly where the publishing business is prevalent. However, although I have enough, if not more, relevant professional and education experience I've had a tough time catching a break-- most likely because of the economic situation and my out of state address. What can I do to stand out in this competitive industry and land a job out of state?

1 comment:

USDCareerBlog said...

It is true that finding entry level positions from out of state can be very challenging. This is especially true in a tough economy like the one we are currently experiencing. Organizations are less likely to recruit out of state candidates because (a) they probably have plenty of qualified local candidates, (b) they may be familiar with the colleges from which local candidates graduate, and (c) they will not cover the expense of a candidate flying or driving in from out of state for an interview.

So how do you apply for out of state jobs?

Put a local address on your resume and cover letter. This can be the address of a friend or family member. There is no need to advertise that you are hundreds or thousands of miles away. If you are contacted and asked to interview, be prepared to drive or fly to that city at the organization’s convenience. If you can not provide a local address, then simply put your name, email address and phone number on your resume and cover letters.

Ultimately, what many candidates do is actually move to the city where they hope to work and simply find a “survival job.” Once in the city, they begin the process of “knocking on doors,” participating in local networking events, attending professional association meetings, and arranging information interviews with professionals in their field of interest.

USD Career Services provides job search assistance to alumni as well as students, so feel free to schedule a phone appointment so we can discuss your particular job search situation.