Have you been following the 90-day job search challenge?
That’s the push I put out to my readers in March and April with steps for being employed by June 20. Reader mail continues to arrive, with questions about adapting the process to specific situations.
One reader wrote, “I am very pumped to try this as I have recently graduated and would like to invigorate my job search with this plan! I currently live in Michigan but am eager to move to Atlanta. Do you have suggestions for someone looking for a job out of state who would like to use the 90-day job search challenge to secure a job?”
Yes, I do! I’ve been planning to write about relocation job search, so this is a good opportunity to show how a combination of the two processes can work.
First, as a review, in the 90-day job search challenge, the emphasis has been on a targeted job search, which, by definition, depends on having a job target in mind. Without a job goal, job seekers are forced into a responsive, “what’s-being-advertised-today?” mode, which can stretch a search for months while you wait for the right postings. But knowing your job goal lets you identify potential employers who are not advertising, giving you a quicker path to an offer.
Coincidentally, the best relocation searches are also targeted, because they rely on building networks in one’s career and geographic areas. The variable, of course, is that much of this network-building must happen from a distance. Happily, people today seem very comfortable building professional links via the Internet, which means you can develop a network in a new place months before you move there.
So here, in a nutshell, are the steps I recommend for a relocation job search:
1. Identify your job goal.
2. Identify your target city.
3. Match the two choices to be sure they’re compatible. Dog sled operator in Atlanta? Not so much. Health care professional? Yes, that could work nearly anywhere.
This step can be frustrating, depending on your research methods. For example, if you look for posted openings and find none, you might conclude the field isn’t a good choice for that area. But that could be wrong if those employers happen to use other methods for their hiring.
A better idea is to identify the type of companies who would use someone with your skills, then search directories and chambers of commerce to see if those employers exist in the area. If they do, rest assured, they’re using workers to get the job done. If they can’t be found, you may have to reconsider either your target work or your target city.
4. Once you’ve identified potential employers, dig deeper to find the department managers who would be your supervisor if you worked there. Yes, this step can be tricky, especially when your local network isn’t developed yet. But with social media, you’ll find it isn’t impossible.
5. When you have some names, send a resume and a letter with this introduction: “I’m in the midst of a relocation to Atlanta and would like to talk with you about potential openings in your department for a ... .” Continue with a brief synopsis of your strengths and conclude with: “I plan to be in town for meetings the week of ... and wonder if you’d have time for a conversation. I’ll call to see if this will work, or if you have others you might recommend I talk with.”
6. Plan your trip, while trying to book meetings for both job search and networking. This, of course, is the major difference in a relocation search: It requires you to visit the new location in advance, both to meet potential employers and to build contacts in general. You can job hunt without doing the trips, but you will almost certainly extend the length of the search. This is the balance between budgets and timelines that relocators are always juggling.
7. Consider moving without a job. I’m not saying that’s a great idea, but it’s not crazy either. If you can find a place to sleep and have funds for a couple of months, things might go faster this way.
So that’s the relocation version of a 90-day job search, with this caveat: It might be more like 120 days, given the extra time for travel. But you can shave off time if you are able to take part-time work in your new town while you continue searching for permanent work. Watch for the 60-day checkup in a couple of weeks for more ideas on a Plan B search.
Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com or at 626 Armstrong Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102.
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