Finding a job in today’s economy is tough if you’re looking locally, but it can be particularly challenging if you’re seeking work in a far-away, unfamiliar city.
If you’re a long-distance job seeker, you face several disadvantages. First, some companies anticipate that bringing you in for an interview will be a hassle and that you will expect them to pay for travel expenses. Second, they don’t know whether you’re serious about relocating to their city. Third, you’re an unknown entity. When going head-to-head with more familiar candidates, it’s often easier and less risky for employers to select the locals and toss your application aside.
Even if you’re able to secure interviews and gain some traction in your search, the process of landing a position in a new city can involve a significant investment of time, money and resources on your part.
The good news is that social media can help with the process of long-distance job seeking. Whether you’re looking for a job 300 or 3,000 miles from home, here are some tips for using social media in your search.
Stay On Top of Local News
When interviewing for positions in a new locale, you don’t want to seem like an outsider. It’s important to get acquainted with local culture and to stay on top of important happenings in the news. Though you probably won’t be grilled on local politics, sports teams or economic development during the interview process, being aware of these things can help with small talk. It also shows that you’re serious about relocating and invested in the process.
Grow Your Professional Network
Most jobs today are found through networking, so you should leverage any and all local connections you may have. Facebook is a great platform for warming up relationships with old friends, family or former colleagues who live in the location where you’d like to be. Beyond that,A LinkedInA can help you identify new contacts – such as people working at your target companies – and get introduced through mutual connections. Here aresome tips on the etiquetteA of reaching out via social media.
Tap into local professional associations on LinkedIn, too. If you’re relocating to Boston to work in marketing, for instance, you have plenty of opportunities to network: The Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association, the Boston Marketing Group, and the Boston Interactive Media Association, just to name a few. Being part of these groups will keep you in-the-know with local industry happenings and increase the likelihood that you’re invited to networking events.
Find Job Postings
Increasingly, companies are using LinkedIn and Twitter to publicize job openings. LinkedIn is more useful than a typical job board because it allows you to see who posted each job and to pinpoint how you are connected to individuals at the company.A FollowA @EresumeX for the latest job listings or post your available jobs and EresumeX will RETWEET them free of charge.
Save Money on Travel
In most cases, you’ll need to make at least a couple trips to your desired new location before making a permanent move. If you’re lucky, your prospective employer will offer to cover the costs of travel or give you the opportunity to conduct preliminary interviews via phone or Skype. Even with these accommodations, the costs of hunting for a job in a far-away location can add up quickly – especially if you’re looking in pricey markets like New York City or San Francisco.
To learn about opportunities to save, connect with travel providers and hospitality companies through social media. Often, these organizations will provide promotional codes or discounts to their followers. United Airlines has been known to advertise special fares (or “twares”) viaA their Twitter account. Virgin America has also offered discounted rates via TwitterA promotions, such as “Fly Forward, Give Back.” Amtrak, Greyhound and Megabus all use Twitter to share news or special offers, as well.
When you will need to find lodging in your desired new location, it never hurts to be acquainted with local hotels. This past summer, theA Bryant Park HotelA gave away a free two-night stay to a lucky Twitter follower. Many hotels are using social media to communicate with prospective guests, announce special rates and articulate their brand values. For a comprehensive view of hotels on Twitter, take a look at thisA listA organized by Resideo.
Show That You Mean Business!
When a prospective employer receives your job application from across the country, he/she has no way of knowing how serious you are about moving. Are you applying to the company on a whim? Are you applying to positions all over the country? Would you really be prepared to make a quick move if offered the job? Use social media to show that you’re committed to relocating.
You can start by customizing your LinkedIn profile. In your LinkedIn headline or summary, state your plan to look for jobs in “X field” in “X location” by “X date.” This clarifies your intentions and shows that you mean business. Not all job seekers can be this forthright (especially those who have to keep relocation plans a secret from their current employers), but this is an excellent way to reinforce your seriousness about moving.
Looking for work in a new location can be a daunting task, but with the help of social media, it doesn’t have to be quite so difficult. When you make use of all the resources at your fingertips, you may be surprised how easy it is to make connections, identify opportunities, and ultimately land your dream job in a new location!
As always, you can count on EresumeX as your free job search portal.
~Dawn Krovicka