Submitting an online application may not seem difficult at all and online platforms have made it easier to apply to jobs out-of-state. Having said that, it’s the little details such as your home address that can automatically make recruiters discard your resume. Actually leaving out your address could help you land an interview and give you a chance to show off your talent before being kicked off the application stack as hiring managers narrow their search by location. The following resume writing tips are a few aspects to think about when applying to jobs in another city.
1. The Position You’re Applying for is Entry Level
Bigger and more successful companies are willing to invest in retaining the best fit for their new job position. A budget might even be appointed to fly in specific candidates for interviewing. However, if the position is entry-level, chances are the company won’t want to spend on out-of-state candidates. No one on the human resources team will want to end up being responsible for investing in you if anything goes downhill at some point. Individuals who have just recently graduated from college usually have around the same skill sets. Hiring someone who already lives in the same city is easier and less of a risk, which is why they pay attention to home addresses in online applications. To get an opportunity to interview, you either have to have an amazing resume or offer to pay for your own flights and relocation expenses. Be sure to perfect your resume, research resume writing tips to improve the quality and clean-up all typos.
2. You Need Local Familiarity and Insight
With many jobs you need to be familiar with the town where the position is located and even more importantly, you need to have connections. This might even be a plus for in your situation because you could possibly have referrals from inside the company itself. A word of advice is to establish and intensify connections in the city where you are planning on moving before going forth with your online application. You might know someone who lives in the city whom you could talk to about jobs in your field or who could give you some guidance. Another solution can be looking through your LinkedIn to see if anyone you know, such as college or highschool classmates, work for the company you want to work for or in the city you want to live in. If these two options fail, an alternative to this can be joining a club, networking group or an association that has to do with your job field.
3. The Job is in High Demand
The way companies have recruited top talent has become more innovative throughout the years. Thanks to the Internet, there are now numerous job posting platforms and professional networks for companies to get noticed and connect with potential job candidates from, literally, all over the world. It’s good for them, but for us applicants, the more a post is shared, the more individuals will apply making it harder to score an interview. According to CareerArc, “job seekers rank social media and professional networks as the most useful job search resource compared to job boards, job ads, recruiting agencies, and recruiting events.” Searching through these platforms for a job is an optimal choice but even if you tell recruiters you are willing to transform your life to be able to work in the city, the fact that you don’t live there will subtract points from your online application and will be a big reason why you're not getting a call back. You might be a better fit for the company but investing in you is a riskier move for recruiters so chances are they are going to hire a local job applicant.
The best way to go when being an out-of-town applicant is being transparent with the hiring manager about your reasons of relocating to that specific city. You could include it in your cover letter or explain it in person to him or her if you happen to land an interview. Let the recruiter know what ties you have to the city. Better yet, enhance on how you can bring the knowledge and experience from other cities to their own. This way, you’re proving how you’re the best fit for the job and for the area. Be sure to put all the resume writing tips to good use. Having a clean, perfected resume will help your chances, improve your visibility and portray your professionalism well.