Relocation & Job
For many recent fresh graduates of college and university, the job hunting is just beginning. After the tests, papers and projects are completed, graduates must find a job, preferably in their chosen career fields, and make the transition from students to working professionals. To add more pressure to the job search, many graduates are finding that relocation is necessary to find jobs.
For decades, graduates have known that work in films or technology, they needed to live in California; to pursue theater or broadcast and print journalism, New York was the best bet. Now, more industries are following suit. A growing trend of industry-specific regional employment means that returning home or finding work where graduates went to school is unlikely.
Relocation is rarely an easy thing for even a seasoned veteran. Compound that with a lack of current income, fewer companies offering relocation costs, and more graduates competing for a handful of jobs, and you have a sticky relocation situation. There are some things you can do to improve your chances of finding the perfect job and successfully relocating to a new city.
Planning is key to a successful relocation job search. You must look at the job market to see where the jobs in your industry are concentrated, determine the cost of living in that area, explore the area to see what it has to offer someone in your age group with your likes and interests, and consider what would be involved in searching for a job and relocating to that area.
For advertising designer Tinna Jorge, relocation was the best option. “Being from a small city in Iowa, I knew I had to look for jobs in another city,” said Tinna. “Career opportunity was bigger in New York.”Tinna used the Internet and the career services office at her school to locate her job at an advertising firm.
“When quantifying the number of people who actually obtain their jobs through the Internet, one survey has placed the number as high as 40 percent, but most surveys say there are 4 and 6 percent graduates finding jobs by relatives or friends recommending,” Said Sandy Smith, a editor of the job seeker.
As you consider relocation, the Internet is a great place to start your job search. While it is highly unlikely that you will get the jobs you locate through Internet job searches, it offers a great opportunity for conducting research about the job market.
Once you have found some companies for possible future employment, use their Web sites to conduct research. Contact someone in the human resources departments to gather more information about the companies. Find out what relocation resources they provide new hires. For Sandy Smith, the relocation resource is a key for her applying a job.