How do I move to a different job market?

Ben, great question. When I was applying to jobs, I also was interested in getting out of where I went to school (Washington D.C.) but encountered some of the same hurdles that you seem to be facing. Now I do not know if you are applying to large firms and companies that do advertising, but I would encourage you to do so if you are looking into breaking into other job markets across the country. While smaller boutique firms can be a great experience, chances are that they do not have as many locations and internal mobility will be difficult. Large firms and companies have locations all around the country/world and mobility geographically and within the company is much easier to do as they are more familiar with the process.

When you apply to jobs, be sure to note on the application your willingness to travel and relocate. On all the job applications that I filled out, there was a question about willingness to relocate as well as willingness to travel. Always fill out this question as it is one of the ways that companies gauge your flexibility; the more flexible and adaptable you are the better. I told my company that I am willing to travel up to 100% of the time and am willing to move anywhere geographically; this doesn't mean that I will travelling all the time, it just affords me the chance to do so if an opportunity comes up.

If you get contacted by a recruiter via phone/email, be sure to tell them your desires. The recruiter is the person who is going to be advocating for you so there is no way for the company know your desire to break out of the Bay Area unless you tell the recruiter. If possible tell your recruiter multiple times your wishes so as to really get the message across; don't call and harass your recruiter daily, but if they call you be sure to emphasize your willingness to relocate. I had 4 phone calls with my recruiter at PwC and I told him every time about my willingness to travel and move.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!!

Best,

Austin

Hi Ben,

It takes some moxi to make it happen but the confidence you get from doing it is fantastic:) I've moved to live and work in 4 different countries and each time it happened differently.

Firstly - do some research on the recruiters in your field in the market you want to move to.

Second - Do the same for the companies you might want to work for in your area of expertise. Look for companies who are growing as they typically have the most openings and are more flexible about hiring people from other locations.

Call the recruiters and companies to ask for time. If you explain why you want to move, why you want to work there then you're already a better candidate than most:) With this proactive approach I think most people will like it and take a meeting, it worked for me.

Set up calls with the companies, understand if they are hiring, what they a re looking for and tell them what you can offer.

Follow up in person and show them why you're the person they should hire:)

Best of luck!

Great question. I've relocated 3 times for a job and have used the following techniques to help me move past the barriers and challenges that previous answers talked about with companies preferring to hire locally.

1. Include details about your relocation in the cover letter - Be detailed here. Why are you moving, and more importantly how can this company trust that you will want to stay there long term? Do you have personal ties, are your specifically targeting that particular city? A company and hiring manager will want to have confidence that you will be worth the time, effort and cost to interview, hire, wait for you to move, and then onboard you once you start.
2. Plan a trip out there for some period of time (ex 1 week) so you can set up some interviews - Include this plan and the dates in your cover letter. This will not only convince them that you are serious, but that you are already taking the initiative to interview, look for housing, etc. It also helps the company eliminate the need to set up lodging/flights for you. However, also let them know that you are flexible on timing should they want to fly you out at some other time. It's also possible that you'll have one or more interviews before you go for an in-person interview anyway.
3. Be open to the possibility of working remotely - Although I haven't used this strategy, you can always look for a job that lets your work remotely. Then you will be free to move to any location you want.

Most people I have known applied for jobs where opportunities were. Take in account the cost of rent, transportation, and groceries when figuring out a suitable salary to live on.

Dear Ben L,

Glad to give you my perspective on this.

You seem to have an intuitive idea of what you want to do, a general idea but not a specific one and do not seem to have not a definite direction. It would be very easy for me to tell you what and how, but you must be the one to set the direction. To do this, you must dig deeper into your psyche. If you don’t do the ‘thinking it through work’ you might find yourself in a spot that you did not really want. “If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up anywhere” (Wizard of Oz)

If you make a ½ degree error on your navigation systems or on a map, you will end up 100 miles away and on a long journey. Your navigation system is your own mind and thoughts. Your deep ‘me’ that tells you what your life is meant to be.

Find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted or distracted and ask yourself the 7 layer questions, to clarify your ideas about your future.

#1. Make a plan. And write it down.

And ask yourself the basic questions; All the interrogatives: Where, Who, What, When, How much, How many. Repeat this 7 times to go 7 layers deep.

The most important one is: Which job? - What company?

Where exactly in those cities? Closest to work? most convenient? most affordable? Most private? Most comfortable? Safest? where?

Your # 1 priority is to save money NOW, for the ideal future place. In this way you have options and do not act under pressure.

Your # 2 Task is to make a timeline.

Once you know where you are going. Break it down from months to weeks to days, and know exactly when to pack, what to give away, what to sell (need time for this one too) and when to call the moving company or to haul it yourself.

Your # 3 Task is to start searching for the perfect job,

Not what is out there, but what you are looking for. The ideal job, the perfect company, and the position where you will be the happiest and can contribute the most.

Be honest, tell the truth, and say you are open to relocation. Don’t settle for what is offered. Be frank and candid up front, many companies are willing to wait for you if you are the right fit and understand you need advance notice to move and settle down.

In fact, this is nothing new, people already do this all the time.

Next is # 4 on the list, Discover the City. find out as much as you can about the cities you intend to go. Seattle is so beautiful and coastal, but it also rains a lot and I hear it’s dark and dreary. Are you ready for that ? Austin is very hot in the summer and Los Angeles has their annual drought and scorching fires every year. Apartments are expensive in all three areas.

Do your homework and all this work, online, online, online. The fastest, and with a broad radar. Check out : Linked-IN, there are always job postings there, as there are many other websites, careerbuilder, indeed, quest, monster and many others.

About the tips. Don’t haul the entire mansion, it is very costly and time consuming. This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of some old stuff you don’t use or need anyway. Pictures, and memories keep them, anything else, lighten yourself up, so that the move is less cumbersome. Packing fragile items is the most fastidious, and valuables, always carry them in your bag with you.

Once you start paying for plane tickets, hauling, storage and put a down payment on a place, you will have to fight hard to get any of it back or make changes if you change your mind.

Let me know if this helps OK, and if you need clarification or have any other questions, remember we are always here for you.