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Out of state recruiters seem to ignore my applications. I've only had four interviews since graduation and they've all been in Southwest Ohio. I studied a pretty unique major as an undergrad so naturally I'm having trouble landing interviews. I'm tired of waiting for local opportunities.
How can I get the attention of out of state employers? I've been using a postscript in my cover letters hoping to catch the eye of a recruiter. Usually something along the lines of.....
"P.S. I love to travel and would gladly finance a trip to CityX for a visit"
Do you think this is wise? It hasn't to worked yet.
I Just graduated college and have very little professional experience. Local companies only seem to want interns who are still enrolled in college courses. Anything I can do to improve my chances? Should I keep trying the PostScript strategy?
Out of state recruiters seem to ignore my applications. I've only had four interviews since graduation and they've all been in Southwest Ohio. I studied a pretty unique major as an undergrad so naturally I'm having trouble landing interviews. I'm tired of waiting for local opportunities.
How can I get the attention of out of state employers? I've been using a postscript in my cover letters hoping to catch the eye of a recruiter. Usually something along the lines of.....
"P.S. I love to travel and would gladly finance a trip to CityX for a visit"
Do you think this is wise? It hasn't to worked yet.
I Just graduated college and have very little professional experience. Local companies only seem to want interns who are still enrolled in college courses. Anything I can do to improve my chances? Should I keep trying the PostScript strategy?
I appreciate any and all advice!
There have been a few posts lately on this subject. Since you are fresh out of college - it will be difficult to find a job out of state with no experience. This usually happens, as you noted, with someone who has done an internship out of state, then gets hired permanently. I wouldn't put "I love to travel" but something more like "I am very interested in relocating to (insert city here) and plan to do so on my own in the next few months" or something that shows that you are already planning on a relocation, and are willing to fund it. Companies aren't going to be likely to fund a move for someone fresh out of college unless they have something special about them.
Also not sure what you mean by unique - unique as in something new and in demand, or unique as in something that is fun to study, but useless on the job market? That could be causing you trouble as well.
You need to leverage local opportunities to get more experience - whether its taking a lower level job than you want, volunteering, finding an internship that doesn't require being in school, etc. Find people who work in the field you desire locally and get their advice on how to make advancements in your career.
Also not sure what you mean by unique - unique as in something new and in demand, or unique as in something that is fun to study, but useless on the job market? That could be causing you trouble as well.
Geographic Information Systems...not great, but could be worse. A lot of civil engineers and government agencies use GIS. I'm pretty proficient with mapping software but unfortunately I'm lacking experience in engineering and programming.
I guess I could put my efforts towards obtaining local CE internships. Easier said than done.
I agree with cloud8- what you have kind of sounds cheesy. Rephrase and see if that gets you anywhere. Of course, if your cv shows jobs, internships, and education in several dif places and not just one, that would be a good top to anyone looking at your cv
I can understand what you are going through. Being held hostage in a stagnant location is not a good short term strategy. So long as you are willing to eat the costs of traveling to interview(s) including gas/flight, hotel rooms, food and so forth, you might be able to find better luck elsewhere. I believe employers like to see drive and initiative in young candidates, and this is one way to put that on display. Of course, these trips aren't cheap, and there is no guarantee that you will find success in your pursuit. When I traveled for interviews in the past, each trip cost around $250. For what it's worth, this is tax deductible. You might also want to spend some time after interviews to explore your potential new stamping ground, so factor that into the equation.
There is quite a bit of information available here from other posters who did the same thing you are contemplating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cloud8
I wouldn't put "I love to travel" but something more like "I am very interested in relocating to (insert city here) and plan to do so on my own in the next few months" or something that shows that you are already planning on a relocation, and are willing to fund it.
This is a good idea. Tailor each resume towards each local market you are applying to. Focus on 3-4 different cities and go from there. So long as you are willing to fund the trips required to interview, this might net better results than waiting for your local market to hand you an opportunity.
Thanks everybody! I agree, "love to travel" does sound a bit cheesy. I could certainly do better.
There's a company about 10 minutes from my parents' house that specializes in geospatail techniques. I applied for an open position back in January when my resume was a complete mess. I haven't seen an open position that I'm qualified for since then. They state that their internships are only for students who are currently enrolled in school. I might as well bight the bullet and apply anyway, see what happens. I have absolutely nothing to lose.
Geographic Information Systems...not great, but could be worse. A lot of civil engineers and government agencies use GIS. .
See if your university has access and knowledge regarding the quantity of applicable jobs by city/region. You may want to visit a few of them for perhaps a week or two, pre-arranging appointments at staffing firms that deal with those positions, in those cities.
I will be another voice that agrees the "I love to travel" is cheesy and should be edited. In addition, there are very few geographic markets out there that are open to hiring someone without ties to the city. A few that will do it are New York, LA, DC, and maybe Dallas and Chicago. Other than that, it's fighting an uphill battle.
I would concentrate on cities where you do have some sort of tie, even if it's a cousin or other distant family member. Then you can at least say you have family there. Employers are skeptical of hiring people without ties out of fear that they will relocate it, hate it and move home.
Employers are skeptical of hiring people without ties out of fear that they will relocate it, hate it and move home.
This is very true. Where I live, prospective newbies think that finding a job to support laying on a pristine beach under the palms is going to be a piece of cake with the added attraction of our being under the US flag so "just like home but warmer". Dead wrong () but, anyway, because of the reasons you listed above employers don't even respond to off-island overtures unless the position to be filled is in a very specialized field.
OP, before you apply to an out-of-state position, try and get at least a rudimentary knowledge of the area in which the job is located. Obviously don't go so far as to gush about how, "I've always dreamed of living in Boringashecksville", but at least try and make some mention of the area which honestly appeals to you. Good luck!
i just got a job out of state (it took me a LONG time though) and i agree with the consensus on the thread. beyond the "love to travel" thing sounding kind of hokey, a P.S. is a bit unprofessional and not everyone is going to read all the way to the bottom of your cover letter.
when i first started looking for a job, i put a bit about my willingness to move in my closing paragraph and of the places that got back to me, TONS of them were like "you didn't say why you are looking long distance". so i started putting it in my first paragraph. i said that i was moving to the whatever area (i was looking in several) to be closer to family and that i could relocate very quickly. i also put "and without assistance" if i was really sure they wouldn't offer it, but i usually left that out on the off chance that they'd offer it.
since i am moving to be closer to my family, it's easier to convince employers that i'm serious, but definitely come up with some kind of reason for moving to that specific place. also put "relocating to (city)" under the address line on your resume, so they see it no matter what they look at first.
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) but, anyway, because of the reasons you listed above employers don't even respond to off-island overtures unless the position to be filled is in a very specialized field.
