To be considered ... (Portland: layoffs, universities, to live in)

[Caver Girl]

Is there truth to this theory ... my mom may not be getting called back for applications she's put in because as soon as they see we're not in Oregon yet they dump her from the list of potentials?

[Ms_Christina]

Depends on what kind of job she is applying for. It is a possibility.

[Caver Girl]

She's looking for work at a college or university, in management or administration, not as an instructor.

[crisw]

One data point does not a truth make, but I got hired for my job (at an educational software company) while I still lived in San Diego. I also got at least two callbacks from colleges on other jobs. I made it very clear that I would travel for interviews (at my expense) and that I had a set date/address of when I would be available.

[wanderbygrace]

It wouldn't surprise me if they shied away from non-Oregon people. When I first started looking out here for jobs (Fall 2010), I got few bites with my address & phone number listed as being in Ohio, even though I was clear in my cover letter that I was ready to move out there with just a two week notice). But once our move became more imminent (family health matters here in OR got worse and worse) in Spring 2011, I began fudging a bit, and putting my wife's relatives' address on my resumes, along w/my Ohio cell phone number. Not sure if that was the magical touch, but within a month or two of doing that, I was brought out here by my current employer for an interview and was hired. I moved here three weeks later.

Although I did have several phone interviews after switching my addresses, my company was the only one that progressed to the point of actually flying out here (and they picked up the tab, yay me!), despite me being very candid with each of the other interviewers that I'd be willing to pay the travel costs for a face-to-face AND that my move was a done deal - that I wasn't just fishing for greener pastures.

[Minervah]

With so many applicants for jobs, there is no saying why one person gets hired and another doesn't. One very important factor in being successful in obtaining a job in Portland is networking. I have had quite a few jobs in the years I have lived in Portland. Sometimes I sought work due to layoffs sometimes because I got word of a better opportunity. In all cases but one, I got these jobs through friends and/or former coworkers. This is a very common occurrence in Portland. So it would stand to reason that it's possible that resumes from out of state don't come with that all important networking when it comes to jobs for which there are many applicants.

This of course would not necessarily apply to those jobs for which there are not many qualified applicants such as those in higher academia or the sciences or high tech. Things like that. So a lot would also depend upon what type of job your mom is going for. What is her profession and what type of job is she going for?

I know there are out of towners who feel that they are being discriminated against because they are from out of state but you have to look at the situation from a practical point of view and that would be from the employer's side. Speaking as someone who was on the other side of the situation and was a participant in the hiring process, I can tell you that there are so many good, qualified people out there already looking for work that quite frankly waiting for someone to fly in for an interview and then waiting for them to relocate, it just wouldn't have been worth my time to hire them when there was someone local who could begin next week.

[Steve Pickering]

Positions such as your mom applied for are hired just as often out of state as in state. It is more likely she is not meeting their needs, or there is an abundance of locals looking for the same job. Keep trying, but what ever you do don't move here without a job.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by crisw

One data point does not a truth make, but I got hired for my job (at an educational software company) while I still lived in San Diego. I also got at least two callbacks from colleges on other jobs. I made it very clear that I would travel for interviews (at my expense) and that I had a set date/address of when I would be available.

I believe that is was both your profession and the fact that you had a the date and address that helped you find a your job before your move. It showed your stability.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

It's common for universities to bring in administrators from out of sate. But you must understand that people who are super over-qualified for the position will fill those jobs because they want to live in Oregon. Once someone has one of those jobs, they hang onto it with all they've got. That means there are very few vacancies.

I suspect that your mom is not getting hired because there are no positions open.

[Caver Girl]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

It's common for universities to bring in administrators from out of sate. But you must understand that people who are super over-qualified for the position will fill those jobs because they want to live in Oregon. Once someone has one of those jobs, they hang onto it with all they've got. That means there are very few vacancies.

I suspect that your mom is not getting hired because there are no positions open.

It's not that there are no positions- she has been applying.