Long distance job search in Boston? (Worcester, Quincy: to rent, houses, find a job)

[RedMoonLily]

Hello,

I would appreciate some advice on an issue

I currently live in upstate NY (near Albany ) and am planning to look for work in Boston. I know long distance job searches are difficult, but will this be considered as a long distance job search in the eyes of employers?It's about 3 to 4 hours (depending on traffic) from where I live to Boston, so I can drive there for an interview and back in one day.
My general plan is that once I get a job offer to let employers know that I can start work two weeks after. Then I will spend the two weeks looking to rent a room in the area on Craigslist or other room-seeking websites. I currently live with my parents, so I won't have any furniture to move.

I know Boston is expensive to live in, but I'm hoping that I can find a room for under $1000 a month in a safe, clean area that is walking distance to a metro
Am I being realistic? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you!

[bostonguy1960]

Yes, there are rooms in Quincy, near the red line subway, advertised on Patriotledger.com, the South Shore's paper.

Not sure of the quality or the clientele, but they're well under $200 weekly. Even CL has listings for Brookside Manor (or similar name) in Quincy often, better than most rooming houses I think, as it's not a rooming house.

Quincy has a nice library and a newish YMCA with pool.

It's convenient to downtown, less than 30 minutes to Park St. station.

[such sweet thunder]

I would figure out some way to obtain a Boston address for your resumes. Do you have any acquaintances in town that would allow you to use their home address? Nobody uses physical addresses for communication during an employment search anyway so it would just be for paperwork if you received a formal offer. My experience has been that HR departments will look for any way to quickly narrow their giant stack of applicants and that location offers an easy out. You're probably not going to be considered for many of the places you apply with a New York address, even if it is not a real barrier that would stop you from being able to interview or even work a job.

[RedMoonLily]

Thank you for your replies!

This gives me a lot to think about.

[scorpio516]

Just for a counter point:
It took me 2 months to find a job with a Michigan address.
It took me 9 months to find another job with a Worcester address.
Then it took me 3 weeks to find yet another job with the same Worcester address.

It depends on what you do and how mobile that profession is.

[RedMoonLily]

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of serious professional work experience. The type of jobs I would be qualified for would be lower level accounting/bookkeeping/office type of work, along with customer service, retail, receptionist, etc.

[bostonguy1960]

I made a very modest living in parts of the 80s and 90s doing temp office work (word processing/secretarial/adm. assistant/medical transcription).

However, I don't believe there are any or many temp firms specializing in that now. Everyone answers their own phone and knows how to type and use office software.

But Fidelity and Massachusetts General Hospital (Bulfinch Temps) and some colleges and hospitals did have their own in-house temp office staffing....not sure anymore.

And of course, sometimes those jobs could go permanent.

Of course, Panera is always hiring.

[RedMoonLily]

BostonGuy: Thank you for your reply.
So based on my low level of experience and the fact that I'm not local, is Boston even a smart option for me, or should I reconsider?

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by RedMoonLily

BostonGuy: Thank you for your reply.
So based on my low level of experience and the fact that I'm not local, is Boston even a smart option for me, or should I reconsider?

Here's the deal - you'll find a job. It won't be a great job but it will be a job. The problem is the cost of living in Boston is so high that you'll probably struggle to get by. Do you have a bachelor's degree or higher? If not, you'll be competing against people who do which will make it that much harder.

[RedMoonLily]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Here's the deal - you'll find a job. It won't be a great job but it will be a job. The problem is the cost of living in Boston is so high that you'll probably struggle to get by. Do you have a bachelor's degree or higher? If not, you'll be competing against people who do which will make it that much harder.

Thank you! I have a BA in liberal arts field and a Masters in a business field but was unable to find employment in those fields