RELOCATING TO ATLANTA~Having trouble finding work (Douglasville, Douglas: rent, how much)

[NMCKENZIE511]

Hello Forum,

I am looking to relocate to Atlanta. I currently live in North New Jersey. I am about a 30 min drive outside of NYC and I honestly love it here because of the diversity and convenience to things. The reason I am leaving is that the cost of living is just becoming too much. I am just paying to live here...I am not living (If you know what I mean). All my money goes to paying high rent and bills, so there's nothing left to enjoy myself.

My boyfriend has family in the Douglasville area and they have a beautiful home. We have been told we are welcome to come stay in their guest room as soon as we find work for as long as we need to, so living conditions at first will be fine. The problem I am seeing is finding a job. I have over 10 years accounting experience and I am currently employed as an AP manager. My boss loves me and understands my cost of living situation (his hands are tied with corporate on how much they can pay me or else he would give me a raise) so he even wrote me a letter of recommendation for future employers.

The fact that I have been applying for jobs and I only got one bite is kind of worrying me. Here in NJ, if you lose a job you can find another one fairly easy. It appears that the job market is saturated in Atlanta or maybe it's my out-of-state address that's making potential employers reluctant to consider me.

Can anyone elaborate on this for me and let me know your opinion? I just want to make sure I am making the right choice.

My boyfriends cousin, whom lives there, told me to put her address on my resume because some employers don't like to hire people coming from another state. Is this true?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[bUU]

Originally Posted by NMCKENZIE511

It appears that the job market is saturated in Atlanta or maybe it's my out-of-state address that's making potential employers reluctant to consider me.

The latter.

Originally Posted by NMCKENZIE511

My boyfriends cousin, whom lives there, told me to put her address on my resume because some employers don't like to hire people coming from another state. Is this true?

Yes.

[NMCKENZIE511]

Originally Posted by bUU

The latter.

Yes.

Thank you, But how do I get around the fact that I am all the way in NJ if they want to interview me? I think that will be a little deceptive don't you think?

[noah]

There are tons of accounting opportunities here, of course that number is less the higher up you are (mgr, controller, VP etc) and credentials like a CPA obviously help a lot.

[flyonpa]

Originally Posted by NMCKENZIE511

Thank you, But how do I get around the fact that I am all the way in NJ if they want to interview me? I think that will be a little deceptive don't you think?

Most 1st interview are on the phone, So it really does not matter where you are,

Having a out of area phone number is not a big thing now, Lots of people are cell only now, and keep there cell number the same regardless to where they physically live.

BUT you need to be prepared to Fly/Drive.... Down to Atlanta on very little notice, to do 2nd in person interviews. Walk up fare can be costly for last minute flights.

There are a few "Cheap" buses that do that run from NYC to ATL. But never ridden on them nor, do I know anyone who has.

[bUU]

Originally Posted by NMCKENZIE511

Thank you, But how do I get around the fact that I am all the way in NJ if they want to interview me? I think that will be a little deceptive don't you think?

If you think it is deceptive then it is. If instead you are using the local address to communicate your commitment to relocate, then it is less deceptive than the New Jersey address.

How you deal with the in-person interview is critical: By all rights if you put a Georgia address you're saying your available for local in-person interviews. That means that part of the commitment is the commitment to travel to Georgia on your own dime for necessary interviews. You don't need to explain why you aren't available to drive right over - your resume shows you have a current assignment in New Jersey. But you cannot fall back on "I live in New Jersey" as a basis for asking for any accommodations in this regard, by prospective employers.

[afdinatl]

accounting jobs in Atlanta, GA - Indeed Mobile


Over 4000 accounting jobs here

[Tarzanman]

Only part of it is your address. Unemployment has been bad in Atlanta for a long time (I think it only recently started matching the national average in the past month or two), so employers are used to:
1. Being able to take their own time to screen applicants
2. Getting a deluge of resumes for most positions that they post

I had a friend who was in the job market for a few months and kept very good logs of his response rates. For every 100 jobs he applied to online, he would get 6-12 responses and land 3-5 interviews.

He decided to cast a very wide net after his initial efforts didn't yield fruit.

I am in a similar boat. About 50-70 applications since the new year applications and 2 interviews. I am now thinking very hard about looking in other geographic areas (which I have done some of already).

I did get one offer, but it wasn't attractive enough for me to make a move.

It still an employer's market here.

[NMCKENZIE511]

Originally Posted by Tarzanman

Only part of it is your address. Unemployment has been bad in Atlanta for a long time (I think it only recently started matching the national average in the past month or two), so employers are used to:
1. Being able to take their own time to screen applicants
2. Getting a deluge of resumes for most positions that they post

I had a friend who was in the job market for a few months and kept very good logs of his response rates. For every 100 jobs he applied to online, he would get 6-12 responses and land 3-5 interviews.

He decided to cast a very wide net after his initial efforts didn't yield fruit.

I am in a similar boat. About 50-70 applications since the new year applications and 2 interviews. I am now thinking very hard about looking in other geographic areas (which I have done some of already).

I did get one offer, but it wasn't attractive enough for me to make a move.

It still an employer's market here.

Can you tell me what field you are looking for work in?

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by NMCKENZIE511

Can you tell me what field you are looking for work in?

I think in a previous thread he'd made on the topic he said Chemical Engineering. Not exactly apples to apples with Accounting. Atlanta is a good city for corporate finance - not necessarily for chemical engineering, I think.