Tips for a Successful Remote Job Search
By Jeanine Tanner O'Donnell
J.T. O'Donnell Career Insights
When buying a home, the phrase “location, location, location” is used by agents to stress the importance of a property’s location. When looking for a job, the same phrase can apply. The best way to narrow a job search down is to pick where you want to live. But what do you do when the location is chosen for you (i.e. relocation with a spouse), or, when you choose a location that is far from where you currently reside? Does this mean the job search will be harder to manage?
Not necessarily. Just because you need or want to find a job a good distance from where you currently reside does not mean a difficult search is in store. With the help of a few resources, and a proactive effort on your part, you can make a “remote job search” a successful one.
To begin, you’ll need to make sure your resume is up-to-date and that your Career Story is ready to go. What’s a Career Story? It’s a short summary of who you are professionally and why you are looking for a new job. In essence, it’s your personal sales pitch. While many people cringe at the thought of ‘selling’ themselves, the reality is you are marketing your services. Therefore, you should draft and rehearse a brief description of your background, strengths, and interests with respect to your next job. Why is this particularly important in a remote job search? Most likely, you will be doing all your initial screening, interviewing, and job inquiries via phone or e-mail. Having a well-developed Career Story will enable you to respond quickly and effectively.
Next it’s time to tap into your chosen location’s job resources. Contact the local Chamber of Commerce and ask about relocation resources. Often, these organizations have pre-made kits of information to help someone coming to the area. And, if they don’t, they most likely know which organizations in town offer such resources. You’ll also want to contact the local staffing agencies and let them know your plans to relocate. These organizations not only provide temporary workers, but also have a great handle on which companies in the area are hiring full-time employees. They may even offer to represent you, if your skills are in alignment with their core business.
Once these resources have been contacted, it’s time to hit the job posting web sites – but not in the traditional manner. Monster, CareerBuilder, and many other national job search databases offer the ability to scan job postings by location. HOWEVER, I do not suggest applying on-line. Instead, jot down the names of any companies that look interesting in the area and locate their phone number. Then, contact their HR department by phone directly and ask to speak to someone about job opportunities for people relocating to the area. When speaking to an HR representative, you can use your Career Story to explain your situation and to inquire about the best way to apply for opportunities with their company remotely. Why bother to contact them instead of just submitting via the internet? Because your resume will be buried in a large pile of on-line applications, and possibly even put in the ‘no’ pile due to your current address. Moreover, your proactive effort and sincere approach to learning more about the company can help set you apart from a large stack of candidates and even help you make a good enough first impression to let you bypass the process and get an interview. So make the extra effort and see who you can speak to. If they can’t help you, they may be able to direct you to another company in the area that’s currently hiring someone with your talents.
Finally, if possible, try to schedule a visit to your new living location prior to your move date. That way, as you speak to people about job opportunities you can let them know when they might be able to meet you in person. In fact, I suggest you try to schedule Informational Interviews with all the companies in the area that fit your preferred employer profile. What’s an Informational Interview? It’s an interview you set up with someone who has a position that interests you, or who works at a company you find appealing. To set up these interviews, you will need to do some research on the companies in the area. (The local Chamber of Commerce can usually send you a directory of all the local businesses or direct you to a website where they listed.) A little internet research on interesting companies can produce enough information for you to be able to call these organizations and ask to speak to someone in a position you want to learn more about. Then, you simply share your Career Story and ask if you could set up an Informational Interview by phone or in person (when in town), to learn more about the company, their industry, and what their role is like. Rest assured, you are not asking for a job, only the opportunity to learn more about a company or job you may wish to pursue someday. However, one of the great advantages of Information Interviews is that it allows you to network with potential employers and let people get to know you better. Often, after a pleasant Informational Interview, the person you’ve met with will offer to pass your resume in personally, or refer you to someone who is hiring. I know many people that have completed an Informational Interview with someone who wasn’t actively hiring, only to have a position suddenly come available and have their name put at the top of the list. So do your homework and start dialing. The more people you reach out and share your Career Story with, the better chance you will have of finding a new job before you relocate.
A job search can be stressful; a remote job search even more so. The key is to remember this simple fact: in order to get hired, hiring managers must know you exist. Moreover, they must feel you are professional and clear in your decision to relocate. By incorporating the tips above in to your remote job search, you will dramatically increase your chances of finding an exciting job opportunity to welcome you to your new town.
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Jeanine Tanner O'Donnell
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