How to Get a Job in a New City After a Long Distance Move

There may come a moment in your life when you want to look for employment opportunities outside of your current location. But you probably believe that the question of how to get a job in a new city is not easily answered. Hunting for jobs is never easy, but doing the same thing during a cross-country moving process makes this change in your career even harder.

Perhaps you have always wanted to follow your dream and move to another place. Whether your reasons to move are to advance in your career and gain fresh skills and experiences, or you fell in love with another place, finding employment before or after the move should be one of your priorities. Let’s see what it is that you can do to land safely in unfamiliar surroundings.

A Guide on How to Get a Job in a New City

It’s common knowledge that great changes in life are really stressful, and both relocating and going for different employment positions count as huge changes. If you are planning to move, you are probably going to feel that moving stress, and adding the anxiety of finding a job in a new city can make the task seem especially hard. The best solution would be to find a position in your industry before you relocate, but if you can’t pull that off, it shouldn’t discourage you.

It may seem next to impossible to get hired when you don’t have a local address in your resume, but nonetheless, you should start your search beforehand. There are many things you can do before you actually relocate to ensure that getting a job in a new city goes swiftly and with ease.

A hand holding an airplane ticket
Relocating and switching workplaces are big changes for everyone

Researching the Market and Finding Opportunities

While you are preparing for that planned move and doing research on which cross country movers would suit your needs, do thorough homework on the desired city’s job market. This may be the answer to an important question: What is the fastest way to get a job in a new city? You can do this through the local Chamber of Commerce and Offices of Economic Development, just to scout out the current employment opportunities. Besides, some cities are known for certain industries, like LA’s entertainment industry, which makes hunting for jobs a bit easier.

A hand holding a phone in front of a laptop
Search the internet for information on the market

Ask Around Your Current Network Before Moving

Networking is essentially one of the most important parts of a career. You should use your current one to find out if you could gain access to any connections in your desired location. Use both your personal and professional contacts for help. If you’re not keeping your relocation a secret, ask around and see what you can find out.

If you are not willing to share your plans with your current employers, it can still be possible to use networking to your advantage; you just have to be more discreet. Also, alumni networking may be just the thing that you need when hunting for work. Tap your college connections and find out if you can get in touch with someone living and working in your desired area. Skipping this step would be considered one of the moving mistakes you should try to avoid.

Use the Right and Suitable LinkedIn Groups

Using LinkedIn groups has made it easier to scout for desired positions, even if you are moving internationally. Try changing your geographical location to the one you want to relocate to and find suitable groups. Large metropolitan areas have groups that are both industry- and geographically-focused, so you should join the one that suits you best and start contributing. It will help you get noticed and make a way to introduce yourself to the people you would like to know. You shouldn’t hesitate to do this: it may mean that you get referrals when you decide to apply for the desired position.

Creating a Fresh Network Beforehand Is Very Helpful

Besides tapping into your personal and professional network, as well as alumni and using the benefits of LinkedIn, a good idea is to reach out to people in person. Local meetup events and conferences focused on your field of work are a great way to learn your way around the working community you aim to get into. Reach out to hiring managers and tell them you want to set up an informational meeting to find out more about their work on your next visit. This is one step further in your quest on how to get a job in a different city and should be considered as one of those awesome moving hacks.

Some Additional Steps to Do Before You Apply

After the initial steps that you’ve taken, and having some idea of how the market landscape there looks like, here are a few things more that you should do:

  • Decide on 3 to 5 companies that suit you best and start applying. Start contacting the people you’ve connected with, so they can help you stand out or notify you of a position that fits you.
  • Don’t fake your address, although some may advise you to do so. It will be hard to explain later on when you are interviewed, and you start talking about your experience and professional background.
  • Reach out to a recruiter in the place you want to live in. This is advice to take even if you’ve already relocated without work.
  • You shouldn’t count on a relocation package from your future employer, so plan on a budget enough to cover you. If your skills are really needed for a position you’ve applied to, they might offer to pay for the expenses.
  • Consider working temporary and part-time jobs. It will help you get some fresh skills and get through financially while you search for full-time employment. This is a great tip for those relocating without a job waiting for them.

In the following video, take a look at the steps that can get you results:

Send in Your Resume and Cover Letter

You are probably wondering how can I get a new job immediately after the move? It’s needless to say that your resume and cover letter should be top-notch when hunting for a company that’s hiring someone with your professional background. There are, however, a few things to do to overcome some of the obstacles that may come in your path. If you’ve decided to send in an application before you relocate, some employers will consider your out-of-town address a problem. First of all, there are not many companies that would gladly pay for your relocation expenses, and when they see your remote address, they will take you out of consideration.

The Address May Be an Obstacle for Finding Jobs

If you’re applying before the move, what you should do is either remove your current address and put away the question of your relocation for later, or you can simply mention that you’re planning to move. It would be a really good idea to write the planned date of your relocation under your current address (ie. Moving to Portland in August 2021). This will give your potential employers a possible time frame when you will be available to start working or be available for interviews. Moving to a new city alone may seem much less stressful when you expect to be contacted for work positions.

A Good Plan May Land You a Job – Customize Your Cover Letter

Your resume may list your professional skills and past experience, but the cover letter is there to convince hiring companies that you’re the right person for them. Besides pointing out how passionate you are about the position you’re applying for, your cover letter should include that you are planning to move and perhaps offer a short explanation why (ie. I’m looking forward to moving closer to my family). All of these tips should open doors on your career path and make it easier to be recruited even when you’ve decided to move before finding employment.

The Interview Day

The day has come and you are contacted for an interview. If you are already a local, since you have moved beforehand, there are no additional tips, just show yourself in the best light possible. If you still haven’t relocated, you must be flexible with time, because you and your employer may be in different time zones. If you have to come in for an in-person interview, be sure you are their final candidate, so you don’t have to invest in traveling several times. Prepare a budget to cover these expenses and plan accordingly so you have enough time to get there and leave an impression.

Working people shaking hands
Be well prepared and stand out

Transferring Your Position or Taking It With You

Asking yourself how to find a job in a new city may not be necessary if you are able to take your current employment with you. If your employer thinks you are valuable and would hate to lose you, they may be open to negotiating your remote work location. This way, you can add your current position to the new apartment checklist, and set up a home office.

This other option may not be possible if you work for a smaller organization, but also take into consideration that your company may have offices in your desired location. It opens up the possibility of working in the same position from another place, or in a different position. Either way, you would stay with your current employer, and wouldn’t have to worry about how to get a job in another city, or even if you are considering hiring an international moving company to take you abroad.

A woman with a laptop and a cup of coffee
Working remote may be the answer for you

How Do You Move to a New City With No Money or Job?

We are all aware that landing a position in your industry before you change your place of living is a smart move, but it’s no easy task. If you’ve decided on relocating to another state alone and without employment, you should think about your moving out for the first time budget. You’re asking yourself – how do I move to another state without a job? There’s a big difference between a local move and a relocation to a place a thousand miles away from where you currently are. If you have savings, use them to hire moving services and move to that place you always dreamed about. You should also have enough to be covered for a few months until you manage to get some work. If you don’t have any money saved, ask your parents to help you, or a friend that lives there could lend you a couch to sleep on while you’re out looking for employment.

A stressed man sitting at a desk
Finding employment after you relocate can be difficult in any industry

Move Before or After Finding Work

Whether you manage to find a suitable position before you relocate or not, that shouldn’t be an obstacle on your way to the place of your dreams. How to find a job in another city may seem tricky to answer, but with these tips, it should be much easier to land on your feet. Before you start organizing everything, consider investing in packing services. The hours that you don’t spend packing are the hours you can use to hunt for work. After all, people relocate and change paths in their careers all the time, so make that the first step, contact long-distance movers, and be on your way to the next chapter. You can only benefit from taking a huge leap of faith towards your set goals and dreams.

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