How to Avoid Hassle During an Out-of-State Job Search

How to Avoid Hassle During an Out-of-State Job SearchHow to Avoid Hassle During an Out-of-State Job SearchThink the job market is hard now? Try searching for a job in abedrngnisher state. Job seekers who are looking long-distance will tell you that the search is exponentially harder when youre not a local candidate.Many employers wont even bother to talk to nonlocal job applicants. That might seem unfair, but their reasons make sense from their perspective. First and foremost, if they have plenty of well-qualified local candidates, they dont have any particular need or incentive to take on the hassles of long-distance candidates. And there are hassles unlike local candidates, long-distance job seekers cant generally come in for an einstellungsgesprch tomorrow, often expect travel expenses to be paid by the company, typically cant start as soon as local candidates can and sometimes require relocation assistance. Whats more, long-distance candidates sometimes change their mind about m oving at the end of the hiring process (or even after theyve already accepted the job) or worse, have trouble adjusting to the new area once on the job and leave to move back home just a few months into their employment.So its not surprising that many employers simply choose not to deal with long-distance candidates. But then where does that leave you, if youre trying to find a job somewhere else?Finding a job long-distance isnt impossible, but it will usually be harder. Here are five ways to improve your chances.1. Gird yourself for a longer search. Unless you have a strongly in-demand skill set, or youre very lucky, a long-distance search is going to take longer. Prepare yourself for that in advance, so that you dont become frustrated and demoralized.2. Explain yourself upfront. Offer some context in your cover letter to explain why youre seeking a job in this particular area, so that employers have some context for your application. For instance, you might explain that youre in the process of moving to their area to join your partner, who took a job there, or that youre from the area and excited to move back where your family is. Offering some type of explanation will help employers see you less as a long-distance candidate and more as a candidate whos in the process of becoming local. Speaking of which3. The more that you can make your move sound like a done deal, the better. Employers are skittish about out-of-town candidates for all the reasons discussed above. So the more that you can make the move sound like something that is already in the works, the more you mitigate that disadvantage. Explaining that your move is already in process or specifying a date or time frame by which you hope to be living in the area can help in that regard.4. Put the new location on yourrsum. Many employers read rsums before they even look at cover letters, so take steps on your rsumto fight the out-of-town candidate stigma there too. For instance, you can put (relocating to California) directly below your address, or even use a local address if you have friends or family already living in the location youre targeting. (If you do the latter, though, be sure that youre prepared for the possibility that youll be called and asked to come in for an interview as soon as tomorrow.)5. Make it as easy as possible for the employer to interview and hire you. Since one reason employers are wary of dealing with out-of-town candidates is the hassle involved, do everything you can to minimize that hassle. That can mean covering your own travel expenses, paying higher prices for last-minute plane tickets, forgoing relocation assistance and figuring out how you can start as soon as possible if youre offered the job.