The Cross-Country Job Hunt

Moving to a new city without having a job lined-up is a tricky thing. You can either burn through your savings while looking for a job or get a low paying temporary job to get started there. The best case scenario is to have a job waiting for you in your new town. But, cross-country job hunt is a tricky thing and requires a little bit extra work and creativity. In order to make the whole experience as painless as possible, you need to have your “battle plan” ready.

Pros and cons of cross-country job hunt

Like everything else, cross-country job hunt has it’s good and bad sides. On one hand, you will be changing your surroundings which can be tough in the beginning. But on the other hand, you will get that fresh start you always wanted.

The pros

On the positive side is that fresh start we talked about. You get a clean slate and you have a unique opportunity to reinvent yourself. It’s a great opportunity to change your old habits. You can start living a little bit healthier, start going to the gym and find the perfect apartment you always wanted.  Looking for a job in a different city is the perfect time to find your courage and make all the positive changes you always wanted to make.

The cons

Making such a big change is not easy for everyone. And it’s quite ok if you find it hard at first. If you haven’t already found a job that satisfies you, you might need to find something temporary at first. That might be a job in a restaurant or a bar. Something that doesn’t pay nearly enough but will sustain you for the time being. And with that lower paying job comes lower living standard. At first, you might not be able to afford that big apartment you wanted. You might not be able to buy those new shoes or go out every weekend. Another hard thing about cross-country job hunting is the fact that you are out of town. And if you don’t want to move before you get a job you might need to travel back and forth a few times to do job interviews.

Job hunt like a pro

There are two ways you can do your cross-country job hunt. First is to start the job search before you move to the new city. And the second one is to move first and burn through your savings for a short while. Or get a temporary job that can help you survive the first few months for job hunting.

Looking for a job before moving

If you are not interested in finding a low paying temporary job before moving you need to get creative. Landing an out-of-town job is a lot harder than the one in your hometown. You are still unfamiliar with the economy of the city. And you don’t have the exact idea on how the job market works there. There is no home team advantage.
Fortunately, there are a few tips you can follow that will make it easier for you to land that high paying job you were aiming for.

Select a few companies you want to work for

Knowing exactly where you want to work for will help you a lot in landing a job. That way you can familiarize yourself with the targeted company. You can add a few of the employees and managers to your LinkedIn network and maybe chat with them a little bit about open positions.

Set an approximate moving date

That way, when you apply for a job, you can tell them exactly when you will be able to start to work. Start by looking for available apartments to rent. You don’t have to actually rent an apartment. Just familiarize yourself with what’s available and where. See how hard it would be to make the big move. Start by searching for moving companies. Look for moving companies NJ and get in touch with them. Ask them about their availability and cost.

Consider travel expenses

Take into account the cost of going back and forth a couple of times. If you are a professional in a higher paying field, some companies might be willing to pay for your travel expenses. So before booking your flight, talk to them first. It might not be a good idea to ask for it outright, as it will lower their opinion of you. But if they offer, who are you to say no.

Looking for a job after moving

If you are willing to move before landing that perfect job then do it. It will be much easier for you to find a job once you are already there. You will get to know the city first.  If you don’t have enough saved up to sustain you for at least three to four months you will need to find a temporary job. Just a little something that will pay for your apartment and food. There are a few things you can do to get out the best of the situation:

• Even though you might want to relocate as soon as possible try and schedule moving a few months earlier. Most long distance movers NJ can give you some really good prices. As long as you flexible with the date and schedule in time.
• Find a cheap apartment that you can rent for a short amount of time. Don’t commit yourself to a year-long lease. Once you find that perfect job you are looking for you will be able to afford something better.
• When looking for temporary job hotels, restaurants and bars are great options. You usually don’t have to sign a fixed-term contract and tips can go a long way.

Bonus tips

When doing a cross-country job hunt contact a recruiter in the town you are moving to beforehand. In the worst case scenario, they will tell you what the job market is like. The best case scenario is that they might actually find a job for you. Make sure you communicate to your potential employer that you are not looking for any compensation for moving. Some companies might be reluctant to hire you because it might cost them more.