How Should I Approach My Job Search After Relocating?

I am relocating and need a new job! How should I approach my job search in a new market?

Honestly, there is no difference in looking for a new job in a new city or your home town. You should still follow all the basic steps.

Invest the time and energy in crafting a resume that best reflects on your career experience. You only have one shot at a first impression, and the importance of a good resume cannot be overstated. Make sure your resume focuses on keywords, emphasizing all of your skill sets and experience. Focus on job accomplishments as opposed to job descriptions. I never think it is worth leaving out valuable information to keep a resume at one page, so if you have a 20+ year career, feel free to have your resume consist of two pages. Just remember that most recruiters spend roughly 30 seconds reviewing a resume because of the sheer volume of resumes we receive on a daily basis, so focus on making an impact on the first few paragraphs. There is a saying in marketing where they call the top half of a page, or resume for that matter, “prime real estate.” You want to make sure to grab the viewer’s attention on that top half because if someone is not liking what they are seeing “above the fold,” or prior to having to scroll down, chances are they will not.

After your resume is polished to perfection, spend some time making a targeted list of your ideal companies that you would like to work for. Submit your resume to your targeted companies’ websites, and sign up on their careers page if they have one, to be notified when new jobs are added. Then go to ExecuNet and search all of their posted openings. Add your resume to their database, and set up alerts for the types of roles you are interested in hearing about. You can also set up Google Alerts so you will be notified whenever a job is posted in the geographic area that you will be living in.

Now start to harness social media to get on your targeted hiring managers radar screen. It also pays big dividends to reach out to recruiters that work in your niche, and let them know that you are looking for a new role, and ask if you can send them your resume. Offer to help with suggestions of potential candidates for their current searches that you are not a match for. For all of the people on LinkedIn that may be able to help you, be sure to help them. Like and Share their posts, and add insightful commentary when appropriate.

Study up on interviewing skills, and practice via role playing so you will be prepared to dazzle them with your brilliance once you get your first interview. Good Luck!