question about applying from out of state for a job (2013, lease)

[BarqCider]

I know most posts regarding this is usually for some sort of post B.S and relocating, however i am talking about retail/sales kind of job.

i figured it's too late to look for anything here in va and might as well focus on PGH, however im not sure how employers look at resume with addresses from a different state.

within the next couple of weeks i will be up there and signing a lease, but until i get a concrete address i'm listing my current VA.

on a side note: if anyone knows of any openings in retail/cs/sales i'm looking for one

ideally i'd like to have things lined up and not waste my money driving up to an interview for such a thing until i'm there (costs between $200 each time to go up there and back).

[Hopes]

If you're not willing to drive up here for an interview, wait until you move here to start your job search.

You'll discourage employers from giving your application a second look once you've arrived. They'll see your name and think, "Oh, that's the guy who wouldn't come for an interview" without noticing that you live here now.

If you can find a job at a national chain in VA, you could possibly transfer here. You won't get hired if you tell the VA manager interviewing you that you're moving.

[Bong477]

Like a lot of things in life, individual results vary a lot, but I think for this sort of job most employers will ignore unsolicited applications from out of state. If you are able to submit a cover letter that briefly explains your situation it may help.

[BarqCider]

well i applied for a job that has their training beginning in september, and i mentioned i would be moving in early august to the area. hopefully they figure i'd be living there in a few weeks and might want to do an interview then.

and reason i dont want to do an immediate drive is because gas/food/tolls adds to $200 or so. dont have that kind of cash laying around when i need to save up 1400 for dep/1st rent

[okaydorothy]

Dont waste your time online. HOnestly, both my dh and I moved here in June and tried the online applications. Luckily, we had enough saved that we could afford to be out of work. I started looking in earnest in early Nov with agencies and had a job in two weeks.

Dh has still to even get an interview. So He is heading back to school. Online applications just didnt work for us ; and I have a degree in accounting, my dh has one in IT.

[groar]

i recently got a job long distance - about 500 miles from pittsburgh. i had to be prepared to drive up for interviews though. it wouldn't have worked otherwise. i tried to cluster interviews together so it wasn't as much of an expense. and i had people to stay with for free.

however, you're close enough to moving that i'd just start applying if i were you. definitely explain in your cover letter that you are moving and when. first paragraph. i had employers asking why i didn't say anything about my intention to move when i had it in the last paragraph, so i moved it up. you can also put "moving to pittsburgh in august 2013" under the address line in your resume.

if you get a call for an interview before you are here, just explain the situation. you may lose out on the opportunity, or they may be able to do a phone or skype interview with you as a first step, and follow up with an in person interview. or they might be able to wait a week or two to interview you. a couple of weeks is really not very long and many employers take longer than that to get back to candidates anyway. the job i got took a month to start scheduling interviews. they started with phone interviews and offered to do one of the 2 in person ones via skype, but i was able to go in person which is always better.

i also don't think most places will hold it against you if you have to turn down an in person interview and then apply again when you are actually in town. not if they're reasonable, anyway, and do you really want to work for an unreasonable employer?

good luck!

[groar]

oh and everyone's results are different, of course, but my job search was almost exclusively online (1 job out of hundreds that i applied for i found by networking, and i interviewed but didn't get it) and i had tons of interviews and 2 offers.