Seeking guidance on landing an out of state job

Sigh. I am at my wits end and desperately need some of that community loving and support one can always find among fellow Bizniks.

I recently moved to TX from Miami and setup a small creative development studio with a friend. To make a long story short, things aren't working out and after heavy research I have my sights set on Seattle. Industry wise there seems to be tons of work relating to my field, and lifestyle/personality wise it seems like a perfect fit for me.

Over the last 4 months or so I have been aggressively sending out resumes, signing up with IT recruiters, trolling job posting sites, networking (as best as a non-local can), and all the other logical approaches to finding a full-time work.

I've heard back from quite a few who were impressed with my experience and abilities, which is re-assuring, however they all give me the same line in one form or another. "We don't hire out of state." or "We would really need you to come in for a face to face."

Financially speaking, I can't exactly afford to be flying back and forth to WA in hopes of landing something. I also have some apprehensions about just picking up and moving out there, while blowing my savings throughout whatever time-frame it takes me to find work.

Should I face the possibility that landing an out of state job is pretty much impossible in a region that has such a huge local pool of job applicants?

I just want to make sure I have covered all my options before I bite the bullet and take a huge risk in re-locating without a guaranteed income.

If anyone has any insight or guidance to offer I am all ears and greatly appreciative.

Thanks for reading.

3 Bizniks have posted replies

Posted by Joe Hage, Seattle, Washington | May 04, 2008

Steve, share your website or some of your work so we Bizniks can determine how to best help you.

With that background, we can figure out who best to connect you with.

Joe
Posted by Kaya Singer, Portland, Oregon | May 04, 2008

Steve

I think it is a NW quirk that people don't hire people who are not local unless it is a high powered corporate upper management position or professors.

If you want to move to Seattle it will be a risk. I am not sure anyone can tell you what to do. I have taken those kinds of risks my whole like but it has been stressful as well.

You may have to be willing to work at temp jobs while you are job searching unless you have savings.

Business coaching services, Portland, Oregon
Posted by Laila Atallah, Seattle, Washington | May 14, 2008

Steve: perhaps you could find a sublet on Craig's List and come to Seattle for 2 to 4 weeks. If possible, change the address on your resume to reflect a local address. Many locals have out-of-state area codes, so you may not need to get a temporary local telephone number. Once you've set up a place to stay, you could tell the prospective employers who've expressed interest in you that you've decided to move, and that you'll be in town on such-and-so a date. If the interview goes well, you can let them know that you still need a few weeks to tie up loose ends, and complete your move from Texas. The key may be deciding how many interviews you'd need to set up to make it worth your while to fly out, pay for temporary housing, and leave your affairs in Texas for a while.

Also, if you're able to make money in other ways down in Texas, you could purposely start cutting expenses and saving aggressively to support a 2 to 4 week stint in Seattle and/or your ultimate relocation.