Recently a college graduate was talking to me about relocating to a city where her family was located and she was concerned about finding a good job without really knowing anyone who lived there. There are several times in life where you get a perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself, and graduating from college is one of them.
Setting your sights on a new location can bring a sense of freshness to your career goals but it also can be like walking on a shared pathway of excitement and anxiety.
If you’re moving before you have a job in the new city, you should start the preparation phase before you move. Here are some ideas that will increase your success of landing a great opportunity.
Research will always be a part of your career plans all through your work life and you can start by researching your new hometown. Read the local newspaper, visit corporate and community Internet sites, review chamber of commerce and other publications that offer information about the local business market or your field.
Use your local network to link you to contacts in the new area. You can start by using your family and their contacts. It can be a mistake to focus only on contacts within your field of interest so keep an open mind. Your job during the preparation phase is to develop as many contacts as possible in your future home.
Networking long distance actually can be easier in some ways than networking locally only because you are new and are focused more on gathering information. Most people like to help people, especially if you get a referral contact from your local network.
Even though you might be renting or moving back to live with your family, a good networking example would be to talk with a local real estate agent. By doing so, you will receive an accurate picture of the cost of housing and discuss local top employers. Be sure and ask for references, which will increase your contact list.
Ask open-ended questions. Start with more general questions when making contacts in the new location, such as the largest employers and the state of the job market in general, and then move to specific questions such as who you should talk to so you can move your job search forward. Looking for a job in a new area tends to make you more focused with your listening skills, and the time you spent searching companies will pay off with good discussions with new contacts.
Before moving, make several trips to the area if you can. These trips give you a good reason to follow up in person with the contacts you have been given. A bold approach to cold-calling contacts in the new location would be to research professional associations of members in the area and contact them for information about employers in the field.
One job seeker did this, and decision-makers’ names were shared with him. He followed up on the leads, explaining the need to relocate and the desire to learn more about the company and services or products provided. The key link that helped him was his membership in a professional association. As a result, he developed rapport with five employers, and he received two job offers.
Don’t underestimate the help you receive from others. As always, ask what you can do to help them; return the favor.
Replace anxiety about relocating with a plan of action. Rarely will your fears come true and to most job seekers, surprise. They gain more information and help than expected.
Keep a realistic perspective of the marketplace you’ll be moving to. You may need to consider taking a job that doesn’t exactly match your ideal job in to get your foot in the door. Being too specific with job titles can be more of a barrier when transitioning to a new community. Focus on your interests and the employers that could benefit from your background, and don’t be too tied to a job title.
After you’ve moved, and you’ve got a job, the contacts you established while searching might be a great basis for developing relationships. Continue to keep in with the friends you left, as well. Moving doesn’t equal forgetting — it just means there is more distance in between you.
What strategies did you use in relocating to a new city after college to find a job?
