Be sure to discuss relocation with your family prior to pursuing out of town positions follow this blog post

posted by Jeff Schwartzman on Nov. 2, 2009

Opening your job search to include out of town and out of state locations is a great way to increase your chances of finding the best positions available - especially in today's tough and uncertain job market. Many companies are open to filling positions with out of town applicants and in many cases will offer comprehensive relocation packages.

It is easy to apply to all suitable jobs nationwide and say yes to recruiters who may present out of state positions. Unfortunately many job seekers do not consider what locations are suitable for themselves or their family until it is too late in an interview process. It is unfair to a potential employer to realize prior to an interview, after receiving an offer, or even worse, after accepting an offer that the location of their position is not suitable for your family. It's even more unfair to your family members to figure this out after engaging interest in a position and not discussing the position's location beforehand.

If you are open to considering out of state opportunities, be sure to have an open discussion with your spouse or family members to determine a list of acceptable and unacceptable geographic locations. Factors to consider include career opportunities for family members, housing prices, recreational activities, weather, schools, and friends & family in the area. Go to sites like Monster.com, Indeed.com, or ResuWe.com to get a feel for what positions are available for family members. Search real estate sites such as Realtor.com, Trulia.com, and Zillow.com to get a feel for actual home prices. This is a much better way to get a feel for the primary factor of the region's cost of living and a more accurate snapshot than a "cost of living" calculator.

If you are beginning or in the middle of a job search and open to relocation, simply make a Yes/No list of desirable and undesirable geographic locations prior to submitting your resume to any positions or companies in these areas. Doing so beforehand will save you a tremendous amount of headache and inconvenience.

 

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•  Sara Davey-Schmidt

  1 point 17 days ago

  Having recruited in one of the most expensive regions in the country (San Francisco), I did a negative sell to candidates pursuing jobs from out of area. Before I would interview them for the position, I would send them to similar sites as the above-mentioned, and ask the direct question as to whether they have discussed this as a real possibility with "anyone else who will be directly affected by this move" (children and in-laws can be very influential, too; plus, you avoid any EEOC violations). 

  I spend time talking about the reluctance that hiring managers have with out-of-area candidates; that many have been burned. It can be a huge investment of time and it falls through. The candidate needs to consider his/her professional reputation if they flake because they hadn't done their professional due diligence, and moved all the way through the possibility to make sure they have considered everything.

  In their convincing of me, they are committing and re-committing to the seriousness of their job search. It's still a time investment that I wouldn't spend with local candidates, but for harder-to-fill positions where the client is considering relo candidates, it is worth it. I would rather them waste an hour of my time, than many hours and lost love with my client or hiring manager. 

  Still no guarantees, but I hope that helps weed out those who are the tire-kickers from those who are serious about a move.

  Best,

  Sara Davey-Schmidt

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•  Maureen Sharib

  1 point 17 days ago

  There are some comfortable spouses, Jeff, who will nod and absent-mindedly say, "Whatever you want, honey," and then when the push comes to shove firmly put their foot down and say "no".  Would-be employees need additional counseling on how to recognize this beforehand and how to deal w/ these situations.  Any suggestions?

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