One of my high school friends is packing it up and moving South.
She and her fiancé have decided to leave the North East’s cold winters, high
taxes and home prices for an easier lifestyle. They are not quite ready to
retire yet so they need to have the income to live comfortably. My friend asked me for some job search advice.
Here is what we talked about.
1.
Before the physical move, search for the names
of companies within a certain radius. For example, in the search area of your
search engine type, “Names of pharmaceutical companies within 25 miles of
Charlotte, NC”.
2.
In LinkedIn use the search area to type “Banking
Jobs in Richmond, VA”. Type people too and connect with some in your field or
the field that interests you. Send them a personalized invitation to connect.
3.
Use you networking contacts both in person and
in social media.
4.
If you are on Facebook, ask your friends if any
of them know a contact in the new city that may be able to help you. Moving to
Seattle? Ask your college friend if he knows anyone who might assist you or
give you some guidance.
5.
If you have found a place to live, on your resume,
swap out the name of your old town with the new one. Don’t worry about your
cell phone. These days, with our transient workplaces, cell phone numbers are
from all over the place. You might live and work in Boston but still have your
New Jersey cell phone number.
6.
If you are switching careers or staying in the
same field, match your personal skills and competencies to the open position. As
always, include specific, measurable accomplishments (who, what, why, results)
as you update your resume. Include the accomplishments from both your former
job and any volunteer activities.
7.
Look for places where you can update your skill
set such as libraries, community colleges, universities, or other training and
development organizations.
8.
Look for professional groups. There are professional
groups for just about every position.
9.
Use a site such as Glassdoor to get specifics
about jobs, companies, workplace culture and salary.
10.
Speaking of salary, don’t expect your salary in
the new state to match your previous salary.
I am excited for my friend and her new adventure. While
these ten steps may help her in her job search, the networking contacts and
friends can also share points of interest, new restaurants and fun things to do
in the new area.
