Advice & Resources

Landing a Job Long Distance is Not Impossible
by Leylanorman - 2015-04-18

When the economy is slow, it might seem that looking outside of your geographic area for a job is a bad idea. All the out-of-work people in a given area will be competing for the same jobs. You, as an outsider, don't seem to stand much of a chance in landing an interview or a job. However, all this might not necessarily be true. With a targeted job search campaign in a particular area, you may find that you are just the candidate that an organization has been looking for.

Not every geographic area will have the talent pool a specific organization needs. Coming from a different area, you have just the right qualifications for the job. A new face may be very welcome since employers have seen the same resumes.

When you apply for a position, let the employers know exactly when you will be in town and available for an interview. For example, you might say, "I will be in (name of city) and available to interview on 21 and 22 May. I look forward to meeting with you.?"

Plan to travel to the city where you would like to interview at least two or three weeks ahead of time to give the interviewers time to sift through all of the applicants. Check the job description to see when the application date closes, and plan your trip for well after that date. Also, avoid overbooking interviews on the same day. It might be best to just have one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Arrange your hotels, flights, car, and any other reservations well in advance so that you can be sure to arrive to any interviews on time, or, preferably, with time to spare. Map your route from the airport or hotel to the potential interview locations to allow yourself enough time for travel. Familiarize yourself with different routes to and from the interview location as well in case traffic or construction slow you down on one route.

With a bit of planning ahead of time, you just may be able to land a job in a different city, despite a down economy. You may be just the right candidate for the job.