[techienomad]

Man, I've been applying to jobs in OK, but have had absolutely no luck. I'm not sure if OK companies are just hiring locals only or if these jobs really exist? I'm 4 classes away from an MBA in Tech/Finance and getting an A+ cert. The A+ cert is just a distinction for me because I already know this stuff and have experience in it. Just wondering if jobs in OK are really there for the taking. We're trying to relocate from CA to be closer to family and friends. Any suggestions?

[Synopsis]

Hi techienomad,
Welcome to the forum! Well, a lot of it has to do with being out of state, but not because they don't like people from other states. It's just easier to hire locally. However, if you have applied and are not getting any results, perhaps you can state in your application that you will pay for travel to and from the interview. I know that's not always easy, and to be honest, it might not be necessary. If you show how much you are willing to relocate perhaps that will be enough to attract attention.
Try this website also..

Job Search | one search. all jobs. Indeed

Good luck!

[techienomad]

Again, I appreciate the response. It would be wise to explain that I will cover all relocation costs.

[LadyRobyn]

Not sure which area you are considering but Oklahoma Job Link is another good site.

Best of luck! The jobs ARE out there.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by techienomad

Man, I've been applying to jobs in OK, but have had absolutely no luck. I'm not sure if OK companies are just hiring locals only or if these jobs really exist? I'm 4 classes away from an MBA in Tech/Finance and getting an A+ cert. The A+ cert is just a distinction for me because I already know this stuff and have experience in it. Just wondering if jobs in OK are really there for the taking. We're trying to relocate from CA to be closer to family and friends. Any suggestions?

We are relocating to OK at the beginning of March. DH is a network administrator and he's had no luck with a job search, either. His two headhunters feel being out of state (NJ) is a detriment. We close on our house in OK on Thursday, and on Friday he's putting out his resume with a local address and phone number. He also stated to the headhunters as well as in the cover letters with his resume that he would assume all transportation costs for interviews, but still no luck. I do think the jobs are out there, but being out of state is definitely a hindrance.

[techienomad]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

We are relocating to OK at the beginning of March. DH is a network administrator and he's had no luck with a job search, either. His two headhunters feel being out of state (NJ) is a detriment. We close on our house in OK on Thursday, and on Friday he's putting out his resume with a local address and phone number. He also stated to the headhunters as well as in the cover letters with his resume that he would assume all transportation costs for interviews, but still no luck. I do think the jobs are out there, but being out of state is definitely a hindrance.

My wife has the same thoughts that being out of state is the problem. Either that or there's IT people running wild in OK. It just makes me laugh though because I read somewhere that OK was losing many college grads that were leaving to other states and the article stated OK was having trouble getting college grads back into the state. I thought to myself, are they kidding? I've been emailing, faxing, and sending resumes without any luck. We plan on moving in June, no matter what, as soon as the school year is over here. We would pick up and move if a job offer came along sooner than that. Doesn't look like that's happening, but you never know. Anyway, I thank everyone for the advice and info. BOOMER SOONER!

[Jammie]

Oh Colleen, good luck to you and your husband. Sorry~hit button too soon and all I got was a "G" posted on rep.

Techie, are you moving to OKC or Tulsa or one of the smaller towns? Every once in a while I browse through the Tulsa World and look at the classifieds. I really don't know if they have anything that you're looking for, but they have a LOT of job openings there.

Good luck to you.

[briansgi]

Just like all jobs, it's best to be networked to get into these companies. Possibly your best bet is to contact one of the numerous indian tribes. They have many large casinos throughout the state and are hiring like crazy, IT positions being one of them. I would think they would have a need for a person with an MBA as well. I work in the computer industry, mainly on the hardware side. EDS (Sabre) in Tulsa is a very large employer and hires hundreds of IT professionals. Their business stays fairly constant, they are adding on to one of their large data centers off of Lakewood. You might also try QuikTrip, they have a fairly good size data center:
Convenience Stores - QuikTrip Convenience Store
Jobs at EDS in Tulsa:
All eds jobs in Oklahoma | Indeed.com

[TheComputerGuy]

I've done a bit of research into the OK tech employment market,
and it looks pretty good from what I can see from here.

But I am concerned that some of you seem to be having a hard time breaking into it.
Hopefully it's only because you're from out of state at the moment...

It doesn't appear that the IT employment market is over saturated in
OK like it is on the 2 coasts.
But as we all know, appearances do not always match reality.

I wish you guys the BEST of luck.
Please keep us posted.

[colleeng47]

I don't think the IT market is saturated in OK. DH has been on the web numerous times and there are LOTS of IT jobs. I really think it's the out of state thing. Peggy pointed out at our lunch that companies feel that you may THINK you want to move to OK, but once you check it out, you may change your mind. DH says at his company if they get an out of state resume, then usually put it aside unless nothing else comes in. There is a "slight" chance he may be able to keep his same job when we move, doing it long distance and reporting once a week or so to the Dallas office, at least for a few months, because he's not going to be easy to replace. He and his boss are talking about it this week. We close on our house Thursday, and we're moving the end of February, with or without jobs. We can both work temp for a while. I know that's the best way to get into companies for the permanent jobs. Our only concern is we will have two mortgages for a while, but our expenses are pretty low overall, so I think we should be OK. Ok, get it? haha