How to Get a Job in a New City – The Best Strategies and Approaches

May 26, 2021 / Posted in How-to
Daisy Wilson

Daisy was born in Salt Lake City and in her free time, she writes about moving and watches Charmed.

Work-related moves are topping the lists in the last 20 years. In fact, 21% of Americans are relocating specifically for this reason. But how to get a job in a new city before your move? Or should you move first and then start hunting for a paycheck?

People shaking hands at the meeting
More and more Americans decide to seek employment opportunities away from their hometown

Finding a job in a new city is a challenging but also exciting process. If you wish to be among the professionals who are taking this step, check out these pieces of advice we gathered for you from other people’s experiences about getting a job in a new city.

How Do I Get a Job In a New City Before I Move? – Things To Consider Before Your Relocation

No matter what your reasons to move are, there are a couple of things you need to consider when relocating for work, and one of the most important things is your move out of state budget. So it would be good if you could save some money on the side for your long-distance moving just in case you don’t find employment before your relocation. You should also start applying for jobs a couple of months in advance. This way, you will have plenty of time to choose a position you find most appealing, and there are better chances you will end up working in your field of interest. However, if you don’t see something you like, take any available work – even a part-time position is better than none.

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Ask Your Employers About Remote Jobs Opportunities

If you are considering relocating from a small town to a big city or maybe moving in with your significant other before you start searching for a suitable employer in a new state, talk with your current company about your plans. Maybe your old employer plans an office move to this particular town or perhaps already has one, so you don’t need to quit, but only to transfer. Also, ask them if you can work remotely, maybe even in a different position, at least for a couple of months until you’re all settled in.

Woman sitting on the couch and working on a computer
If you can continue working remotely at the same employer, don't hesitate to ask for this option

Explore Local Work Market

If you haven’t set your mind on a particular company yet, you should start searching for an employer in that town right now. Find out which companies are the biggest employers in the town. Go online and go through the news, especially business news. When you pick, say, ten companies of choice, do your homework and research everything you can find about them online. You can go to the Glassdoor website and check out employee reviews about these companies. Here you can also see if there are any career openings. There are numerous websites where you can search for jobs, and here are some of them:

  • Glassdoor,
  • Indeed,
  • Monster,
  • Linkedin,
  • The Ladders,
  • Scouted.

Sign Up for Job Alerts

If you have enough time on your hands, that’s fine. But how to find a job in a new city if you’re relocating at the last minute and you are too busy to scout for work and reach out to employers? This can be tricky, especially if you’re not hiring cross-country movers and their cross-country moving services to help you with your relocation. You will be preoccupied with your move and all the arrangements you need to make. Even if this is not the case and you have a stress-free cross-country moving with your long-distance moving company, it would be good to start your search in advance.

Most of the websites we mentioned above have an alarm option for your career of interest, so if any of the potentially interesting employment openings appear, a notification will be sent to your profile. So you will have to make some effort and create a profile that describes you and your aspirations in the best possible way. Once notifications start to pop up, apply for everything. You surely know that getting to the interview is only halfway to your newly discovered employment.

A resume, planner, coffee, and keyboard
Do good research and apply on every platform available

Do Some Networking On Your Own and Through Social Media

Now that you are familiar with your target town and its business market, it is the right moment to do some networking. If you’re relocating to a city alone and do not know anybody there, one of the best relocating tips is to start telling people you do know about your plan to relocate. Ask your friends and family if they have somebody living there or someone who is hiring. Ask your colleagues if they can recommend you to some company or an acquaintance working in your professional field or even your target company. Even your barista can give you someone’s contact – you never know who has needed connections and where, so ask around wherever possible.

Use Facebook and LinkedIn as Best Resources For Networking

If your relocation must be a secret for a while, and you can’t reach out to your friends and colleagues, use Facebook and LinkedIn as your means to get in contact with your target company and professionals. Go on Facebook and search for groups connected to your career and your town of choice and engage in conversation with people. You will get great insights into the place itself and employment opportunities. LinkedIn is another excellent way to reach out to people working in your field. Find an alumni network or friend of a friend and message them. Keep your message brief and simple but still informative about your interest and the reasons you seek employment.

Computer with logos of Facebook and Twitter
Use social networks to your advantage

Refresh Your Resume

If you have a resume on some particular website, now it’s the moment to update it with fresh information. If you do not have any, make one. It’s crucial for advancing in your career. Start by updating your address. It would be best to find a place to live before you relocate, but if you have nowhere to stay, do not put someone else’s address. Wait on this information and put your address later on. However, if you organize your move early, you’ll likely have a home when you arrive in your town of choice.

When writing a resume, don’t be modest. Write everything you can do. Even if it seems irrelevant for you or like it’s implied, you should still write that down. You will be surprised to learn how much a little detail can distinguish you from the competition. For instance, if you worked part-time during your studies in a local coffee shop, write that too. This detail will show your employer that you’re hardworking and responsible and probably good with people and communication.

Prepare Cover Letters and Send Them

This is probably the most annoying part for everyone, but it has to be done. So sit down with your friends and start writing a cover letter that you can later on change and adjust for a particular company. Here you should mention that you are planning to relocate to that particular town and that this company has caught your eye among many others. Add that you think your experience and knowledge will be a plus to their team. Speak from the heart but still be professional. Employers do not like when people send them generic messages that you can find online, so try to be original. Once you’re done with this letter, you can modify it, depending on where you’re sending it. It will be easier than writing it all from scratch. And of course, send as many letters as you can. Check out this video. It will help you on how to write a good cover letter.

Be Available For Interviews

One of the biggest challenges on how to get a job in a different city while relocating is to create space in your schedule for your interviews. If anything, the coronavirus pandemic taught us that online interviews, conferences, and other work-related activities could be done from any place with an internet connection. So getting on time for interviews shouldn’t be a problem, although there is still a possibility that you will have to wake up in the middle of the night because of the time zones. So the best advice on “How do I get a job when relocating” is to be organized and to plan every step along the way, for these purposes, make a calendar or notes of things you need to do and write down every appointment you may have.

Plan Your Answer About Your Move

One of the best tips on how to find a job in another city is to be well prepared for your interviews. Your newly-discovered employer will probably want to know why you’re relocating, so do not be surprised if they ask you thoroughly about that. They do this because of their security. They will want to find out if you are relocating because you have trouble with the law or some problems with your old employer. This is why it’s important to honestly answer these questions and be prepared, so you don’t get confused. For instance, if you are moving out for the first time, just be honest and say that you want a fresh start and better opportunities for yourself. There are no wrong answers here, only honesty. If you get all defensive and confused, they will think that you are hiding something.

Woman with headphones on a computer
Do not turn down an interview - if you can't make it, just ask for a different appointment

How To Get a Job In a New City After I Move

Once in your chosen location, the question is, how do you start in a new city without a job? Being unemployed in a strange environment can be scary, and you probably do not know where to start and how to get a job in another city. Yes, this can be challenging, but so many Americans were in this same situation, and they made it. So will you. Just stick to your plan and keep on searching. Something will come along. And when you settle in, you will have more energy to focus on your hunt. Our advice is to explore the town, go to a local bar or restaurant and try to make some friends. They can maybe give you some guidance and help you to find work. If you are relocating with pets like dogs or cats, take them to a local pet park and start connecting with other people there – pets are excellent conversation starters.

Consider Seasonal or Temporary Employment

What is the fastest way to get a job in a new city? Well, the answer is to get any available work. If your savings are coming to an end and you are still unemployed, start considering some seasonal or temporary employment. Don’t be picky. Any position is good as long as you get your paycheck regularly and it covers your essential needs. And bear in mind there is a huge difference if you are relocating in winter or engaging in the summertime relocation. There are more seasonal emplotments in the summer, but it doesn’t mean there is none in winter, only that your choices will be limited. For example, suppose you are relocating during the holidays. In that case, you are aware that everybody is super busy and on the lookout for brand-new employees, so this could be a good opportunity for you to make some extra money on the side.

Uber driver in a car
If everything you planned goes south, you can always drive an Uber

What Is the First Thing To Do When Moving to a New City?

First thing first, you will have to learn how to move efficiently. When it comes to interstate relocating tips, the most important advice is to find long-distance movers because most things will be hard to do without them. You will have to think about auto transport, for starters. Then there are storage units if your home is not ready yet, renting a truck, and many other things. So if you are already hiring long-distance movers to transport your belongings, hire them for other services as well. Usually, full services, where you get even a packing service, are a cheaper and easier option than finding different long-distance moving companies for different services. This way, you will have plenty of time searching for a place to live and find employment.

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