Question Proposed on LinkedIn:  How to land a job from out of state?

Others’ Responses:

– It wouldn’t hurt to convey your interest on both the cover letter and your resume. To show your commitment & how serious you are about relocating on your own, you may even think about planning a trip and let potential employers know you will be in town with your dates of availability for face to face interviews and available for Facetime, Skype, etc before you arrive to town. On your resume, you have a few options. In your summary you could include a statement like “Moving to Boston, Massachusetts summer 2014. Able to relocate and start work by date” (or something like). It shows you’re not there yet, but you’re plans are to be there with a rough timeline and willing & able to get there sooner if hired. Back to some people recommending using your families address. Using Chicago as your target, you could use one of the following formats and tweak accordingly for positions you’re applying to in Boston:
Orlando, Florida & Chicago, Illinois or
Florida & Illinois or
Orlando, Florida postal code & Chicago, Illinois postal code etc.
Keep it broader and remove your physical street address. If you have a set area within each state you want to work, you may not be found as easily by a recruiter if you don’t include a city or postal code and have your resume posted to a job board like indeed, Monster, Careerbuilder, etc.

– I’m with you, Susie. I’m in Florida also, and I’m trying to relocate to Wisconsin. I’m still employed and my move is contingent on getting a job. My reason for moving is family-related, and I’ve been using my in-law’s local address on my resume and cover letters, but had to explain current Florida employment. I’ve been after opportunities for the last 14 months. About two months ago, I removed, based upon the recommendation of a recruiter, my in-laws Wisconsin address. I was told the reason you don’t want to do it is because you’re not being materially honest with your prospective employer (yet, it is very difficult to not get your resume thrown out because you’re not local). Unfortunately, I haven’t had any hits since doing that, but I’ve also not seen any job opportunities in the last 45 days to submit my resume to see if there is a difference. I am and always have been very honest in my cover letter, explaining that due to family reasons, I’m in the process of relocating to Wisconsin. I mention “due to family reasons” because I’m trying to avoid employers dismissing me thinking they’ll have to pay for relocation as well.I can offer you one piece of advice to make you seem local. Get yourself a Google Voice telephone number. They’re free, and they’ll automatically forward to your regular telephone number. I took a 608 area code (Madison) so I’d at least have a Wisconsin-based telephone number to put on my resume that was legitimately mine. With you trying to look in two different areas of the country, you might look into whether or not Google (or some similar service) can get you two local numbers. Don’t let yourself get frustrated. I had a recruiter tell me about 30 days ago that I should consider just working the rest of my life in Florida because it is going to be too difficult for me to find something at my level out of state while I’m competing against locals. My opinion is that’s hogwash. Sure, we’re at a disadvantage, but it’ll happen. It takes dedication, a positive attitude, and not giving up. For what it is worth, if any recruiters are aware of someone who needs a Customer Service Manager, Customer Operations Manager, or Director of Customer Service/Operations in Wisconsin, I’d greatly appreciate the referral or your assistance.

– Certainly convey the information in your cover letter. However, I would suggest a couple of extra steps. One connect with recruiters on LinkedIn, agency or corporate side. Both will be an asset to you.  After applying, find the mainline number to the company (data.com, zoominfo, etc) and call one of their corporate recruiters to have a real live conversation.  Then, plan week long trips to both areas and give your contacts for each area a heads up (2 weeks prior) that you will be in the area interviewing. That way they don’t have to pay for your travel accommodations. Which will increase your chances for interviewing.

– In terms of posting your resume to job boards, you might want to think about using an address/zip code for Chicago or Boston because most recruiters search by radius to a certain city (i.e. – find candidates within 30 miles of Chicago). If you are using your current Florida address, they will never find your resume. Most job boards also allow you to provide your current AND desired areas but not all recruiters will take the extra step to search for candidates who desire to work in a given area…more likely than not they will simply search for local candidates. I also agree that you should definitely mention your situation in a cover letter or even just in the objective portion of your resume.

– I was told that it was materially dishonest to have an incorrect address on your resume. It isn’t how you want to start off the relationship. However, if you can explain that as you’ve said in the Objective Statement (which a lot of resumes don’t have), then that would certainly cover it.

– I would suggest that above your actual address you put: “Seeking to relocate to Boston or Chicago.” No relocation expenses needed. You might also list a local address as well as your permanent address. Companies that seek to hire locals are hoping to avoid costly relocation and travel expenses. if you are prepared to foot the bill then say so, or suggest in your cover letter that your relocation costs are anticipated at no more than X dollars.

– One problem that I’ve run into with relocating is that they are concerned about the amount of time it will take me to get there. I’ve had several interviews and this has always been a concern for the recruiters and hiring managers. You may want to mention that you can be there within a certain amount of time on your cover letter just so they’ll have some idea.

– Connect with a recruiter with connections in your space. It should not matter to most companies if you are willing to pay your own relocation and you can get there by the start date. I have no had any problems due to location if someone is willing to make the move, with out making it the burden of the company as then they would just hire someone local. You have to stand out above the rest and using a recruiter in your space might help get you that one level above the local resumes.

– I’m having similar issues except I’m in the northeast trying to move to Florida! I’ve made a few connections down there that I speak with regularly. My job activity has been coming to me that way and I was also told to use a local address and to give myself at least a week before flying down to interview. I’ve added in cover letter no relocation necessary but it hasn’t worked for me and many companies won’t pay for you to interview depending on your level or skill set.

– I’m always open to hiring people from out of state but they must be available for interviews. If a company is not willing to pay for travel etc., it may be a good idea to send your resume with a cover letter letting employers know that you will be in Boston (or whatever city) from June 5th – June 10th. That way, at least they have an opportunity to take you seriously. That is one step better than being in the “no” pile. Once you get your foot in the door and they like you… the process will likely get easier.

– I am in California and would love to get out of here. The experience that I am having is that I can get that first round screening interview but cant get to the hiring manger. I am offering to pay my own relocation cost. On my resume it says that I am willing to relocate. What response I am getting is from small banks outside of the big markets. I suspect that hiring managers think about hiring someone our of state but end taking someone local. They most likely see it as the safe thing to do.

– Agree, Tonya – great questions and comments. I’ve been working on networking with agencies and specific companies in the Coeur d’Alene, ID (near Spokane, WA) area and have a trip up there planned next month. Fortunately, I’ve got a large camper, so if I can find a contract spot or (even better) a full-time position, I can be available within about 48 hours. In addition, I’ve already adjusted my resume to reflect both locations – Denver and Coeur d’Alene. Keep the suggestions coming!!

My Response:

– You must include your location preferences on your cover letter. It’s also not a bad idea to reference it somewhere within the SUMMARY section of your resume. I agree also with taking off your physical address and just leaving cell/email information. When applying to jobs out of state, finally, mention you are open to traveling for the interview process and that you don’t require relocation expenses.