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Looking to move to Delaware from NJ. States border each other, and I am about 2.5 hours away from where I want to move too.
I have a job currently (have since college, make decent money, but has nothing to do with my degree, and its not a position i want long term).
I get Fridays off and I now have my degree. So I am applying out of state, but I have no problems with driving down and interviewing in person. And I always have Fridays free, so I think that is pretty reasonable.
The city i am looking to work to is only 10 miles from the NJ/DE border. So I would imagine that they get a handful of NJ residents from towns near the border applying (as well as some PA and Maryland applicants near the border since they are also within 20-30 minutes away)
What do you think? Will this be an issue, and if so how much of an issue will it be?
Last edited by GiantRutgersfan; 08-21-2010 at 11:11 PM..
I guess in short, it will probably be less of an issue to fewer employers than if you were applying from California or Nigeria.
But at 2.5hrs away, you're beyond a reasonable daily commute distance, which means relocation. And regardless of how far the distance is, relocation is a hassle for most employers.
Any chance you could use an address just a little bit closer, just for your resume? Maybe a friend or relative's? Or even a vacant lot would suffice. Just something to put on your resume to keep it from being discarded. Then if you land the job you can endure the commute if you have to or relocate quickly before your start date.
The key to applying to jobs outside your immediate vicinity is to never make the process more of a burden for the employer than if you were living on their doorstep.
I guess in short, it will probably be less of an issue to fewer employers than if you were applying from California or Nigeria.
But at 2.5hrs away, you're beyond a reasonable daily commute distance, which means relocation. And regardless of how far the distance is, relocation is a hassle for most employers.
Any chance you could use an address just a little bit closer, just for your resume? Maybe a friend or relative's? Or even a vacant lot would suffice. Just something to put on your resume to keep it from being discarded. Then if you land the job you can endure the commute if you have to or relocate quickly before your start date.
The key to applying to jobs outside your immediate vicinity is to never make the process more of a burden for the employer than if you were living on their doorstep.
I am going to be moving down to DE as soon as I get a job. If I got an offer, I would need to put in 2 weeks notice at my current job and be available to start immediately afterwards. They would not notice any difference. I would spend first weekend finding a place to rent and second weekend moving in. I am mid 20s and not married so I am really not picky at all.
I am going to be moving down to DE as soon as I get a job. If I got an offer, I would need to put in 2 weeks notice at my current job and be available to start immediately afterwards. They would not notice any difference. I would spend first weekend finding a place to rent and second weekend moving in. I am mid 20s and not married so I am really not picky at all.
Most employers want you local BEFORE you are hired, though, so your explanation doesn't really reassure them.
And no matter how much you try to say they wont' notice a difference, most employers do. You're making calls during the day to hook up your utilities or shutting off your old ones, or trying to figure out the best commute route because you're not familiar with the area, or taking a day off to stand in line at the DMV to get your new license plates and driver's license and parking stickers, or staying up late to unpack, or stressed because two weeks isn't that much time to find a new place, pack, and move, and so you moved to a place that's more expensive than you can really afford and now you're worried about money....or just stressed moving and new jobs are two major life events and its really stressful for someone to deal with them at the same time.
Employers don't know from reading your resume that you are in your mid-20s without family and not picky (nor should they!), so they will make their assumptions based on their many many years of experience, and may just toss your resume in the trash without taking the time to find out the story behind it. Remember they've got hundreds of resumes from people who are already local.
Sorry, I know its not the answer you want to hear. I'm just explaining it the way every employer I know thinks. If you could find a local address to use on your resume, that would at least get you to the interview. And since you had a local address on your resume, the issue of relocation won't come up in the interview and you shouldn't bring it up and then they won't be worried about relocation hassles and you have a better chance of getting the job. Then, even if your move does turn out to be a hassle for them, they're more likely to accept it after the fact of hiring, than they are before hand if you disclose it on your resume.
I hope I am not hijacking the OP's thread here, but let's say I want to move to another state and I have an uncle/aunt that live there. My company has an office near where they are, but it's not prevalent as the state I am in currently. Could I use my uncle/aunt's address on my resume and then not disclose any details about my current work location? I could work at my new job within a month, maybe even earlier.
Most employers want you local BEFORE you are hired, though, so your explanation doesn't really reassure them.
And no matter how much you try to say they wont' notice a difference, most employers do. You're making calls during the day to hook up your utilities or shutting off your old ones, or trying to figure out the best commute route because you're not familiar with the area, or taking a day off to stand in line at the DMV to get your new license plates and driver's license and parking stickers, or staying up late to unpack, or stressed because two weeks isn't that much time to find a new place, pack, and move, and so you moved to a place that's more expensive than you can really afford and now you're worried about money....or just stressed moving and new jobs are two major life events and its really stressful for someone to deal with them at the same time.
Employers don't know from reading your resume that you are in your mid-20s without family and not picky (nor should they!), so they will make their assumptions based on their many many years of experience, and may just toss your resume in the trash without taking the time to find out the story behind it. Remember they've got hundreds of resumes from people who are already local.
Sorry, I know its not the answer you want to hear. I'm just explaining it the way every employer I know thinks. If you could find a local address to use on your resume, that would at least get you to the interview. And since you had a local address on your resume, the issue of relocation won't come up in the interview and you shouldn't bring it up and then they won't be worried about relocation hassles and you have a better chance of getting the job. Then, even if your move does turn out to be a hassle for them, they're more likely to accept it after the fact of hiring, than they are before hand if you disclose it on your resume.
I'd imagine the "how is the 3 hour commute every morning from Deleware to New Jersey" question is going to be an uncomfortable one to answer in the interview.... This strategy is more realistic if you are unemployed not if you are currently working.
I hope I am not hijacking the OP's thread here, but let's say I want to move to another state and I have an uncle/aunt that live there. My company has an office near where they are, but it's not prevalent as the state I am in currently. Could I use my uncle/aunt's address on my resume and then not disclose any details about my current work location? I could work at my new job within a month, maybe even earlier.
If you are going to present yourself as a local candidite they will want you start after your two weeks notice...Not in a month..
I hope I am not hijacking the OP's thread here, but let's say I want to move to another state and I have an uncle/aunt that live there. My company has an office near where they are, but it's not prevalent as the state I am in currently. Could I use my uncle/aunt's address on my resume and then not disclose any details about my current work location? I could work at my new job within a month, maybe even earlier.
It could work for you, but I think you really need to think about the logistics of it and only use this approach if you think you are able to accept an offer immediately and start within two weeks. Most employers aren't willing to wait a month.
I've done it twice. Both times I flew out for interviews with enough clothes to stay if I got the job. The issue of my living situation never came up since the employers thought I was already living there. The first time, they needed me to start the following week and I did so. It meant I had to survive with just that one suitcase of clothes and live in a hotel for a few days and then an empty apartment with just an air mattress for a few months. The second time, they didn't need me to start for three weeks and I had more money to go back and pack up my things quickly, sublet my apartment, find a new place to live, and get settled before my start date. In both cases I didn't know when I flew out for interviews what was going to happen. There were a lot of hassles--arranging movers, scheduling utility hookups and repairs, opening a bank account, etc and they took forever to resolve because I could only deal with them on the weekends, I couldn't use worktime to resolve them. It also wasn't cheap. There were last-minute travel arrangements, hotels, lots of takeout food, replacing wardrobe and toiletries, plus all the moving expenses themselves. But I knew that these might be the consequences when I embarked on my relocation adventure and I was prepared to accept them because I wanted to move there so much.
So I think it could work for you to use your relative's address, if you think you could accept such conditions. But if you are going to accept an offer and then say "Oh, well I need more time to pack and move and find an apartment...." or try to negotiate a higher pay to cover your moving expenses, then don't do it.
BTW--I have also tried using my real out-of-area address and tried explaining my intent to relocate in my cover letter. I got zero response from this, even in the boom economy years. It just doesn't work. Employers have too many other options.
It could work for you, but I think you really need to think about the logistics of it and only use this approach if you think you are able to accept an offer immediately and start within two weeks. Most employers aren't willing to wait a month.
I've done it twice. Both times I flew out for interviews with enough clothes to stay if I got the job. The issue of my living situation never came up since the employers thought I was already living there. The first time, they needed me to start the following week and I did so. It meant I had to survive with just that one suitcase of clothes and live in a hotel for a few days and then an empty apartment with just an air mattress for a few months. The second time, they didn't need me to start for three weeks and I had more money to go back and pack up my things quickly, sublet my apartment, find a new place to live, and get settled before my start date. In both cases I didn't know when I flew out for interviews what was going to happen. There were a lot of hassles--arranging movers, scheduling utility hookups and repairs, opening a bank account, etc and they took forever to resolve because I could only deal with them on the weekends, I couldn't use worktime to resolve them. It also wasn't cheap. There were last-minute travel arrangements, hotels, lots of takeout food, replacing wardrobe and toiletries, plus all the moving expenses themselves. But I knew that these might be the consequences when I embarked on my relocation adventure and I was prepared to accept them because I wanted to move there so much.
So I think it could work for you to use your relative's address, if you think you could accept such conditions. But if you are going to accept an offer and then say "Oh, well I need more time to pack and move and find an apartment...." or try to negotiate a higher pay to cover your moving expenses, then don't do it.
BTW--I have also tried using my real out-of-area address and tried explaining my intent to relocate in my cover letter. I got zero response from this, even in the boom economy years. It just doesn't work. Employers have too many other options.
Well, I live alone in an apartment and really don't have all that much stuff. I have money to deal with relocation, so that's not an issue either. So I guess really my only issue is time. When using my real address, I've gotten one call before out of state and even got an interview out of it. I could refrain from disclosing any details about my real location on my resume. It would kind of suck though if I got the interview, traveled all the way out there, and then they ask me where I work right now, etc. etc. Guess I better have a B.S. story ready for them. I guess if I really had to I could probably pull off the two-week thing and just live with my uncle/aunt for a while.
Well, I live alone in an apartment and really don't have all that much stuff. I have money to deal with relocation, so that's not an issue either. So I guess really my only issue is time. When using my real address, I've gotten one call before out of state and even got an interview out of it. I could refrain from disclosing any details about my real location on my resume. It would kind of suck though if I got the interview, traveled all the way out there, and then they ask me where I work right now, etc. etc. Guess I better have a B.S. story ready for them. I guess if I really had to I could probably pull off the two-week thing and just live with my uncle/aunt for a while.
Be sure to talk to your aunt and uncle before you do this! Obviously living with them needs to be discussed, but you shouldn't just use their address without their permission.
You should also consider that you might go out for an interview and not get the job. You may spend all of your money going to interviews and have nothing to show for it in the end.
You can do some advance work so you are prepared if you need to start right away. Research extended stay hotels, short-term apartments, landlord/property management companies, transit maps, shopping areas, utility services. Imagine you are already there, with a suitcase in hand, standing on a streetcorner--what do you need to do? I did this, and it was a lot of work, but it paid off because when I landed the job I was at least able to dive right in and work on getting myself situated.
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I guess if I really had to I could probably pull off the two-week thing and just live with my uncle/aunt for a while.
