How do you move out-of-state? (relocation, jobs, U-Haul, truck)
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Hello all I'm sure this question has been posed before on numerous threads but I'm selfish so I wanted to start my own. I'm relocating to New Jersey in the summer and I just wanted some tips on things I should be doing to make the transition easier.
A little backstory is that I'm a single mother with a very small family. My mother lives 2 hours and has a very active life and my only sibling lives in Texas and has a busy family of his own. So I'm moving to NJ to be closer to my son's paternal family. I already know that NJ is a crazy expensive place to live and how hard it is to find a job, so please no one lecture me.
I basically just wanted to know if anyone could share tips on things they did when they moved to another state. I'm not sure if I should job hunt here or wait until I move. I feel like there's something I should be doing that I'm not doing....but I don't know what that is. I'm being totally vague so if you have any questions please feel free to shoot them off and I'll respond as soon as I can.
About a month before you leave, send out resumes and include a cover letter letting companies know when you'll be in the area and letting them know you're moving to be closer to family. Depending on the field you're in, you could contact a head hunter to try to get your foot in the proverbial door in your new area.
About a month before you leave, send out resumes and include a cover letter letting companies know when you'll be in the area and letting them know you're moving to be closer to family. Depending on the field you're in, you could contact a head hunter to try to get your foot in the proverbial door in your new area.
Thanks for the advice --- what's a head hunter?
Sorry but I figure if I don't ask I'll never know!
A headhunter finds jobs for you. A bit short on detail there but actually all I know. We are moving this summer as well, out of state, and I plan on getting in touch with a temp agency or two when we move. I'm working for one now, so I have that reference to bring with me, and I'm hoping that will help me find work sooner. Perhaps that could help you?
Also can the paternal family help you with anything? I have no idea how friendly you are with them, but if possible see if they can help you network for a new job, daycare, etc.
There is a post on moving kids during the summer- read that one as well.
For the move... pack early. Declutter with a passion: Do you really want to haul (whatever it is) halfway across the country, or can you live without it? Mark things CLEARLY. Don't use U-Haul. Have a first-things box (paper towels, toliet paper, soap, ...) for the new place. Research your new home - read the local paper online, listen to the local radio online, etc.
Hey, I was searching online for a guide to moving by myself across the country. Upon coming across this forum and reading, I was immediately drawn to posting on here! I currently live in the Atlanta area, and I have grown quite tired of this place. I have fallen in love with a particular area of the country; Madison, Wisconsin. I adore the real seasons it has, real solstices is you will. I am going to attend school and move out of my current residence. I just wanted to say thank you for this awesome thread and see if there were any things that people have run into when driving across the country. Not sure what all there is to consider, I have been crunching numbers for my apartments, and bills so I am not sure I have much brain juice left. Any ideas would help! Thanks again!
if you can't find a headhunter and you do have a family member or friend with an address in the city you're moving to, then I suggest using that address on your resume. I tried to find a job prior to moving to a new state and no one would respond until I began using an address for that city. I don't know why but that was my experience.
Good luck!!
Dream Weavin has got that right....the best thing you can do is use a local address. Employers want to know/think that you are settled in & not going to be working short days to settle in. This was my experience from an employers mouth. Once she heard I already owned the house as a second home, things changed drastically...for the better. It seemed to reassure her of my stability and commitment to the new locale.
I'm on a fixed income, so the job part doesn't apply but I am moving 1400 miles and across three/four states.
First thing, get a local phone book. You can call the important places directly, and ask what you need to ask rather than getting answers through someone else. This is how I've gotten all the info on how to get things set up after my move.
Second, check replacement value of your stuff against cost of moving. Make a list of stuff you must have, want to have and can live without. Prioritise accordingly. I'm leaving almost all the furnature behind, as otherwise there is little but boxes and no need for a big truck. Use it as an opportunity to never have to see that piece of furnature you don't like again.
Ask yourself if you've touched/needed/used "stuff" in the last year. If not and if there won't be a need for it where your moving (like warm clothes you generally don't need where you are now) leave it behind and don't drag all the baggage with you.
Pack by area. If there is a bunch of "stuff" that lives in the corner of the living room, pack a box for the corner of the living room and label. That way you know where to look. and always label the boxes, though it can be fun sorting throught the last minute mystery boxes.
Pack slowly and orderly. Its a lot easier than rush to get it in boxes, say goodbye and all the other things that happen at the last minute if most of it is ready to go. And make sure when the truck shows up that its all ready.
Make a list of everyone to notify (cable, utilities, phone, etc) and when you need to do it. Put it where you see it and check it off. In the rush its easy to forget.
Keep a notebook of everything you have researched about the move. That way even if you may have to look, you can find it.
True, I haven't moved yet but have before. One thing to add... use the state forums here to ask any questions you have and just read through them. Its amazing what info you'll find that you wouldn't even think to ask.
One thing to add... use the state forums here to ask any questions you have and just read through them. Its amazing what info you'll find that you wouldn't even think to ask.
You should definitely start a thread in the New Jersey forum with your questions. You will find a wealth of information and dozens of new-found friends there, with far more specific details than folks can provide in a general thread like this one. I could give you all sorts of links and suggestions for Madison, but I can't help you at all about New Jersey. And for Mattieus, if you haven't searched the Madison, Wisconsin threads yet, check those out soon, too. I know there's lots of good info there.
As to general relocation questions, while it doesn't hurt at all to do advance scouting for jobs, don't be surprised if you don't get nibbles until you actually have a New Jersey address. Think about it from the point of view of the hiring manager: he or she needs to get the new hire on board and training as soon as possible. You're probably at least a month away from arriving in NJ, and even then you'll need some time to find a place to stay and get settled in. And often people moving from out of state expect to be compensated for their moving costs. Hiring someone local, on the other hand, means that they'll probably be ready to start within a couple of weeks, and the company won't have the expense of paying to move them. It's good to do plenty of research in advance, but you probably won't actually land a job until you're living there.
Definitely check the area where you'll be living for the online version of the local newspaper. You can not only get leads on jobs and places to live, but also start to get a sense of what's going on in your future community. You'll be able to read stories about the local issues, controversies and politicians, and it'll be easier to assimilate when you arrive.
You should also do a search for the local chamber of commerce or other civic entity that works to attract interested residents and businesses to town. That could be an excellent way to connect with potential future employers, as well as learning about resources available to you in the community.
Since you have a youngster, ask your pediatrician if they can give you any referrals to physicians in the area where you'll be living. And be sure to get the paperwork to transfer your son's records (and yours, for that matter) to the new physician in NJ. That goes for the dentist, too.
Good luck to you in your move! I hope that you find a wonderful place to live and to raise your son. It won't be easy, but I hope it proves to be worthwhile.
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so I wanted to start my own. I'm relocating to New Jersey in the summer and I just wanted some tips on things I should be doing to make the transition easier. 
..but I don't know what that is. 
Moving 800 miles....
