Q: I live and work in South Carolina and want to relocate to the North East for family reasons. My spouse and I have family in New Hampshire, and, for the sake of our two children, we would like to find solid positions in that general area. I feel as though my resume keeps getting screened out because of my address. Help! What can I do?
A: Employers can and do favor local applicants for a variety of reasons not the least of which that it is convenient to hire someone already familiar with and located in a particular venue. It is just easier. Also, when a local is hired, there is an inference that the new hire has community contacts, working networks in the area and familiarity with the culture, history and sense of place. These intangibles may also have value for the role in question. As well, it has become increasingly costly and to relocate professionals. For these and a host of other credible reasons, employers often balk at interviewing and/or hiring someone from out of state.
In your case, you may have interesting ammunition to counter this impulse. First, you state you have family in the areas of interest to you and your spouse. Can you legitimately use an address in that area to conduct your search? Are you, for example, part owner or heir to a property in the area? Do you parents live there? There are often good, documented reasons where you can legitimately use an address closer to the venue you seek to inhabit. Communicate them if you have them. This will at least give you a fighting chance in those hiring pools.
Second, does your current organization have ties to the region where you want to work? If you are working for a national organization, one strategy might be to work within the organization to get relocated. That is, in your case, let the powers that be know you are most interested in being in the North East, then help them help you get there.
If these options do not work for you, and if your family can afford to live on one income for an extended period, consider actually relocating by yourself (temporarily without a job) and seeking employment in the venue of choice. This option not only satisfies the local address problem, but it also gives you opportunity to scope the area for future, permanent relocation options rather than trying to do so in a hurried response to a job offer and from a distance.
When you are in a long-distance job search position, it is time to get creative to take potential hurdles out of the way so prospective employers can focus on what you have to offer and not on your address. Good luck with your process!
Contact Karen Alphonse at Karena@execSearches.com or visit ExecSearches.com for more information about our career coaching services.
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