Job search for out-of-towners (Denver, Vona: apartment, lease, movers)

[csqui523]

Hi there,

My husband has been looking for a job (accounting) in Denver for a couple of weeks now. I know that it's not a very long time, but we have noticed that quite a few employers state that they want locals only and/or they won't pay relocation expenses. Has anyone else noticed that? We aren't too concerned if they don't pay relocation expenses... we weren't expecting them to pay any. I was just wondering if it is difficult to get a job in Denver if you are not actually living there yet.

Cindy

[Charles]

Someone suggested getting a Vonage phone account with a Denver area code to make it "appear" as if you lived there....I don't know anything more than that. Not sure how you get around not putting local address on a resume though.

[High Altitude]

Companies are usually only willing to talk to people out of state who have skills and experience that they can't find in Denver.

When it comes to accounting, most companies are only willing to talk to out of state candidates that have Big 4 experience etc.... and even then they will spend a considerable amount of time looking for a local candidate first.

The good news though.............

There are lots of accounting jobs in Denver. If you lived here, you would have no problem getting interviews.

[ColoWeb]

Cindy,

Yes, I have noticed that. It is not just accounting, it is most jobs. I am looking for IT jobs and it is the same thing most of the time - employers wantonly locals to apply.

Do you know anyone in Colorado? If u can get a local phone number or a least a local address to use, that should make it a little easier.

[csqui523]

No, we don't know anyone there. The problem with using a local address/phone number is that if they want to interview you, they will expect you to be able to go with no problem, whereas we'd have to get flights, hotel, etc. For an interview for a job that we might not even get! I think we may just have to go and pray that we get something right away... That's the only way around it that I can think of. Unless anyone has any other suggestions???

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by ColoWeb

Cindy,

Yes, I have noticed that. It is not just accounting, it is most jobs. I am looking for IT jobs and it is the same thing most of the time - employers wantonly locals to apply.

Do you know anyone in Colorado? If u can get a local phone number or a least a local address to use, that should make it a little easier.

For IT, you can use a headhunter who can help you with the out-of-state issue. I don't know about accounting.

One reason employers are hesitant about hiring out of staters is that many seem to want a ticket to Colorado. I can remember being on a hiring committee and we asked someone "Why do you want this job?" and the person answered "I like to ski". Wrong answer! You should say why you want to do that job. If asked about hobbies, you mignt include skiing in a list that includes other things.

[mrlucero2002]

Csqui523, I'm not sure what your situation is... (age, kids, homeowner, etc..), but I totally feel your pain. I called a recruiter in Denver this morning and was told that with out-of-state applicants, they usually put our resumes aside until they find a company that is looking for our specific qualifications, etc... Hmmm. Yeah, that's not going to work for me.

So here's what my wife and I have decided to do (both 32, no kids, and no house). It’s risky but I think it will work. Keep in mind, I'll have my resume circulating from now on, not anticipating any bites until March when we've relocated. Also, we've got a down payment and some reserves saved up.

My Plan
We've broken our lease with our landlord and will be out of our apartment at the end of the month and we plan on living with my mother-in-law (rent free) through the end of February ($cha-ching$). Late February / early March we will quit our jobs and fly to Denver to find a room or basement we could rent out for 10 - 12 months (approx $500/mo, $Cha-ching$). Once we find a place, we'll fly back home to get our cars, our clothes and few of our favorite things and drive back to our new location in Denver. Btw, we chose Denver because it is central and we'll probably end up working there anyway. Once we've relocated, we’ll have a Colorado address, I’ll get a Go-Phone with a Denver phone number and then, the real job search is on and I should be able to find something within 3 months. In the mean time, I'll consult or work for a temp agency. My background is Corporate Finance.

About the moving situation.
We are having a container dropped off on our move date (1800pack-rat) and are hiring movers to put our stuff into our container. Then, the container will remain in storage (here in Orange County, CA) for 10 - 12 months, until we purchase a house in Colorado. Once we settle on our house, we'll just make a phone call to 1800pack-rat and have them deliver our container to our new home.

Contingency Plan
If it doesn't work out, we can always drive back home to Southern California and start over. But honestly, if we have jobs in Denver, we'll continue to save and our down payment and reserves will only increase.

Anyway, it all looks good on paper. Good luck to you. I hope this gave you some ideas.

[dj32]

I'm a recruiter in Denver.

I would do exactly like mrlucero is planning on doing. the only companies I know of that will relocate you are looking for unique skills or unique industry experience (industries that aren't too plentiful locally). I tried to help a friend get an accounting or senior financial analyst job last year and every Finance recruiter I knew told him to wait until he was local. people are still hiring, and if you have a great resume you will set yourself apart. You either need to do the local phone number thing or set up a safety net and just move and give yourself 3-4 months to find the right thing. Also, temp accounting/analyst jobs are plentiful, many are also temp-perm.

[City Girl]

My husband must be really fortunate. He is an operating engineer and there is a local in Denver. He called them over the phone and told them we were thinking of moving to Denver. The guy told my hubby to come on down and he'd give him a shot. My hubby has been an operating engineer for 10 years and can drive most anything. That could be why he offered him a job straight away.

I think I will have a harder time finding a job though. Right now I am a helpdesk coordinator in IT at a large medical clinic in California. I started in Medical records and worked my way up through the company. I have no formal training or degrees. I never needed them. I was fortunate enough to learn on the job. I haven't had to look for a job in 10 years so, it should be interesting to see how employers react when they see my resume with all this experience and no education except for a GED.

[dj32]

City Girl,

That is great news for your husband. I don't think you will have a hard time, but you may have to settle for less pay than you think you may be worth. I see several IT Spec and Coordinator type jobs out there. Ironically, I see more IT Director/ Managers having a harder time out here currently.