Anyone who has moved house will tell you it’s one of the most stressful things you will ever have to do, especially if you’re relocating to somewhere completely different! You’ll spend weeks (even months) securing a rental property / house purchase, have to pack up everything you own and then spend hours unpacking it all as well! Hardly sounds like a day in the park does it? Sadly for many people relocating they have the added stress of finding a new job! If you fall into this category and want to know the best way to get hired when you’re relocating then take note of these 5 steps:
- Research
Probably the most important part of the job search! If you are moving to a specific area then start researching what companies in you’re sector are located there, what sort of skills they require and any vacancies available. You may find that the area you are moving to isn’t very buoyant in terms of vacancies but the next town that is a short commute is! If you are submitting applications then doing that bit of extra research to tailor your CV can make the difference between getting an interview or not so get Googling!
- Update your Social Media
Many recruiters avoid people who say they are ‘willing to relocate’ as it can be risky if the candidate changes their mind after a deal has been agreed. If you know you are definitely moving then update your Social Media TODAY with your new location! It will give people confidence in you if they are considering you for a role AND it will make you more searchable for anyone headhunting for a job role under the radar!
- Reach out to your network
OK so you may not think you know anyone in the area you are moving to, but with the world of Social Media your network can expand further than you think when you consider how many connections all of your connections have! Reach out to people you know by updating your status on LinkedIn / Twitter / Facebook / Google+ with your skills and what job opportunities you are looking for and encourage people to share! You never know who you might reach!
- Explain why you’re moving
As mentioned earlier recruiters are often wary of people relocating as they are a higher risk of pulling out part way through the process. The other reason is it often poses a question as to why you are relocating! Add a short explanation to your cover letter as to why you are relocating to reassure the hiring manager that you weren’t sacked or running from the police in your current location! We don’t need a life story but a couple of sentences will do enough to instil confidence!
- Be available
Job roles get filled pretty quickly so make yourself as available as possible for phone / Skype / face-to-face interviews. If you are relocating from Glasgow to Brighton it may not be easy to attend an interview at the drop of a hat, but understand that there are probably people who live locally that are so you don’t want to miss a good opportunity!
Sophie Heaton (Digital Campaign Manager)
