Jobs in CO? (Denver, Boulder, Fairplay: fit in, transplants, home)

[Kat1996]

Where would my husband start to look for an IT job in CO? He has an undergraduate degree and a ton of certifications and also has an LPN degree. Monster.com kinda sucks for job hunting so I was hoping that someone knew of a decent site.

Thanks!

[dj32]

many associations for IT in Denver/Boulder. He should do a google search and join those groups- often better but Monster is still the most widely used by employers. He also definitely needs to be on Linkedin.

[Charles]

Also try Careerbuilder.com

[NatureCoastFL]

And dont forget dice.com which is a tech focused job site.

[ssaxt0]

I have been looking for an IT job in Colorado since July actively but I did not have much luck with my resume because of my address being in California. I changed my address to my land address that I have in Fairplay/Hartsel area and got a cell phone with a colorado area code and got more activity than before. My prospects have seemed to dry up now after getting a few calls but I believe that it may be due to the holidays.

I am sticking to that reason because the alternative may disappoint me. Have your husband setup alerts to send you listings from dice.com, careerbuilder.com and post your resume at these sites as well. I wish you luck in your job search and if you have the perserverence, you will make it to Colorado.

[jazzlover]

I have hired a quite a few people over the years here in the Rocky Mountain region. Several posting here have commented that there seems to be a bias towards hiring of locals versus outside people or recent transplants. To a certain extent that may be true, and I will tell you why. First, some people relocate just to take a job that is offered to them. They don't bother to think about whether or not they will like the area. If they don't, or their spouses or families don't like it here (and not everybody falls madly in love with the place), pretty soon that employee is moving on to somewhere else--the employer is stuck with going through the whole hiring and training process again. So, some employers figure that someone who is from the area and has his or her roots there at least knows the place and is less likely to leave for that reason.

Second, a lot of jobs in the Rocky Mountain region pay less than comparable jobs in other areas. So, people who relocate here often find out that their income does not match what they think they can make elsewhere and, in many cases, does not match local living expenses. "Greener pasture syndrome" hits and another job is vacant for the employer. Once again, locals often have deeper roots in the area and are more likely to resist the temptation to move elsewhere for a little bigger salary. A good example: I hired a guy with great learing skills and qualfications. He was a quick learner. But he had moved into the area only a few months before. I was concerned when I looked at his resume, seeing that he had relocated several times in the last 10 years, but I took a chance on him. Sure enough, after a year he quit, saying he liked the job, but "this area" just wasn't for him and he had an offer for "a little more money" elsewhere. I doubt that he will ever find his "paradise."

Finally, some transplants just never adjust to the local culture and that may extend to the workplace. There is no denying that there is an "informal organization" within any workplace. If people can not or will not adapt some to the local culture, they may find themselves isolated in their workplace. That can make work miserable, and lot of employees wind up moving on because of it. For example, you will hear a lot natives and long-time residents of the Rocky Mountain region talk about someone who has "an Eastern attitude"--usually meaning someone who is abrupt, fast-talking, in-your-face. That kind of demeanor will not sit well in most Rocky Mountain workplaces, especially if that work centers on customer service for local clientele.

One can argure 'til the cows come home as to whether such hiring "biases" are right or wrong, fair or unfair, but they are out there--and I doubt that they will go away.

[BDGFN]

Jazzlover, I am very interested in your reply. I moved to San Diego 9 years ago from the Midwest. My wife was born and raised in LA and has lived her entire life in SoCal. But, the cost of living, especially housing, has just gotten too out of control, to the point that we will never be able to afford to buy there, unless we somehow become multi-millionaires overnight. Thus, the decision to move to Colorado. I've always loved Colorado, and my wife actually chose the Boulder area because of the diversity and progressive nature of the area. She has been to Boulder several times, and loves the place. So, my question for you, as a hiring manager, is how do I overcome this natural bias to hire locals? My credentials will speak for themselves, when the time comes.

[Katarina Witt]

Two more reasons empolyers are hesitant to hire non-locals:

1. The applicant may just be looking for a ticket out to Colorado, and continue job-hunting once he/she gets here and quit the original job quicly.

2. The applicant may say, when asked "Why do you want this job?", "I like to ski (hike, whatever)". Believe me, the employer is interested in why you want to work for him/her, not what you want to do in your spare time. If asked about a hobby, it's probably OK to say skiing or whatever, but make sure they know you're looking for a job, not a place to pursue your hobby.

[BDGFN]

Good points. I am actually working in the Middle East right now, and will be here for at least six months after my wife moves us, and probably more like a year to a year and a half. So there won't be any concerns about me looking for a free ticket to Colorado. But I do understand what you're saying. Thanks.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Two more reasons empolyers are hesitant to hire non-locals:

1. The applicant may just be looking for a ticket out to Colorado, and continue job-hunting once he/she gets here and quit the original job quicly.

2. The applicant may say, when asked "Why do you want this job?", "I like to ski (hike, whatever)". Believe me, the employer is interested in why you want to work for him/her, not what you want to do in your spare time. If asked about a hobby, it's probably OK to say skiing or whatever, but make sure they know you're looking for a job, not a place to pursue your hobby.

Good points.

To help answer the original poster's question:

1. If you've have moved around quite a bit, you'd better be able to explain why from a job standpoint. "I've always wanted to live in Colorado" may not buy you any points in the employer's eyes, as pittnurse alluded to in her #2.

2. Know the culture and atmosphere of your employer before you interview. Dreadlocks and body hardware might be fine at some Boulder whole food store, but probably wouldn't be wise if you're interviewing with the Farm Bureau.

3. Make sure your prospective employer knows that you are committed to work there. If you can't be truthful about that, you're in trouble. They (the company, agency, whatever) is going to be investing a lot of time and money in you. If the employer feels that you are not committed, may not fit in to the organization, or have priorities elsewhere--well, you'll probably get passed over.

4. Understand that competition for many jobs is stiff, and if it isn't in a particular field now, it probably will be. The job market over the last 8-10 years in this region has been overall a pretty easy one in which to find a job. I think those days may be ending--probably for a long time. Ask somebody (like me) what it was like trying to find a job in this region back in the mid-1970's. It was pretty rough--for a long time. When times get like that, employers probably will be more likely to hire people who already own a home, have family connections, or have long histories in the area. They know those people have reasons that they would like to stay if they can--not move on to whatever greener pasture seems to be out there. One job that I got that led me a long ways in my working career I never would have gotten had I not lived in the community for years--I was a well-known quantity to every single person involved in the hiring process. I doubt most of them ever even read my resume.

4. Never underestimate the "good ol' boy" network. This gets a lot of people in trouble who move from major East and West Coast cities to the Rocky Mountain region. The region is still small enough in population that people tend to know each other from all over the state and region. I can honestly say that I know people in virtually every county in Colorado and Wyoming, along with a number of counties in neighboring states (for you geographers, those two states' areas together are bigger than New England, right about 200,000 square miles). Your reputation, good or bad, will definitely precede you. Business and professional affilitiations can span over hundreds of miles, and often across seemingly unrelated businesses and industries. The informal "gossip network" is well-developed and sometimes can operate lightning fast. Employers are often more than willing to tap into that network to get the "skinny" on a prospective employee--stuff that wouldn't show up on a resume or letter of recommendation. Even places like Denver metro, that seem so big, still have some of that "small-town" way of doing business, like it or not.

I don't know whether that helps--I'm sure others will have additional and differing suggestions and opinions.