I *HATE* job searches out of city!

[dderidex]

Living in Bend, OR right now. Looking for an IT job. Okay, so there are no IT jobs of any kind in town, ever (no IT industry, it's a tourist town). Fine, looking at the other major cities in the state.

Problem is, I'm only a mid-level IT worker ($40k-$55k salary range), and all companies I interview with presume the move expenses will need to be covered, and that's just not worth doing at my salary range. They can get marginally less skilled and much less experienced workers for a little less locally, without having to pay their move expense (they wouldn't HAVE to pay for mine, either, but how do you bring that up in the interview? "Do you live in town?" "No, but you wouldn't have to pay my expenses to move here!" isgust

On top of that, of course, there is the concern companies have about hiring an employee currently out-of-town...what if the move goes badly? What if he doesn't move at all? Etc. I mean, I can try to assure them as much as I can that I AM serious about moving, and DO want the position...

But, again, they have local candidates who are already there and will work for less.

Very frustrating!

[/post-75th-resume-sent-out vent mode]

 

Just tell them that you're willing to cover moving expenses. That's not such a difficult thing to do.

Otherwise, start looking in another area of the country (Northern VA, Seattle, etc.). Tons of IT jobs there.

 

[dderidex]

"Other areas of the country" opens up another whole can of worms - at least with Portland, Salem, Eugene, etc I can take a day off during the week and drive up and back reasonably.

Seattle means plane tickets needed to get up there, and that starts getting pricey for no sure thing (so far, been on 6 interviews from first 60 resumes or so - first in town, and they made an offer at about half what I was looking for, the next 5 were in Portland...and didn't even get a second interview from them. If I'd had to fly to Seattle or - worse - across the country for each of those? *ouch*!)

 

[cmv]

Originally posted by: jumpr
Just tell them that you're willing to cover moving expenses. That's not such a difficult thing to do.

Otherwise, start looking in another area of the country (Northern VA, Seattle, etc.). Tons of IT jobs there.

I agree. Tell them you want to relocate and are planning on covering the cost to do so.

 

[dderidex]

Originally posted by: cmv

Originally posted by: jumpr
Just tell them that you're willing to cover moving expenses. That's not such a difficult thing to do.

Otherwise, start looking in another area of the country (Northern VA, Seattle, etc.). Tons of IT jobs there.

I agree. Tell them you want to relocate and are planning on covering the cost to do so.

That only goes so far. Without a house in (or near) the city, how much risk are they going to take - to fill a position they need filled right away - in my ability to buy a new house, sell the old house, and move myself?

I'd guess that just buying a house and doing a job search from there would be best (still employed for now - company hasn't gone out of business YET)....but buy it where? Without knowing what city I'd find work in....!

 

[StageLeft]

You could sell your place and move to an affluent area, or simply move there and keep your house...rent it out or just pay a month or two mortgage on it. Don't buy a new one. You have lived in an apartment before and you can do it again.

 

[dderidex]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
You could sell your place and move to an affluent area, or simply move there and keep your house...rent it out or just pay a month or two mortgage on it. Don't buy a new one. You have lived in an apartment before and you can do it again.

Ummm....actually, I haven't. Married + bought a house at 18. Moot point, though, can't be that difficult to do.

I suppose that makes the most sense to do, just hate to throw SO MUCH money at the task when even that won't guarantee - or, indeed, even improve - my attractiveness to a company. It'd just eliminate a potential disadvantage to employers considering my application.

*grumble, grumble*

Probably will end up doing that, just too discouraged to think about it right now. Been a while since I've been shot down so comprehensively. Got something like 12 calls, letters, and emails from various companies I'd applied to this week saying they had chosen a candidate that fit the company's needs better. Top that off today with one of the companies who said I had made it to the final two candidates telling me they filled the position with the other applicant without even having me come back for the second interview.....

*sighs*

BAD fvcking week.

 

[DT4K]

I'm in a similar situation living in the Medford area and looking for jobs in Portland and elsewhere around the country. It is tough because while most large companies will pay travel expenses, many smaller companies won't, so it limits the number of jobs you can interview for. If you are really set on Portland, maybe you should look at contract jobs in the area. I've had quite a few calls from temp agencies and recruiters looking to fill contract positions in Portland. For those positions, it's pretty much assumed that they won't be covering relocation expenses, so that shouldn't be an issue.
I've only gone on interviews where the company paid for the travel, but then again, I'm open to moving anywhere in the country and I'm not in a huge hurry to leave my current job.