Comments on: Finding a job far far away…

By: rebecca

rebecca — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 00:14:41 +0000

Hi.
I d like you you said,it s completly true.the new generation love moving in our job;meet different people open on the world ect…
actually;i have a big problem because i m looking a job but i m living in corsica far from everywhere.this small fantastic island is great in the summer time but nothing to do in the winter.all different kind of job evolution is impossible.i m want absolutly moving around the world in my job.the problem is to find a employer…i have experience in design; follwing different kind of production(clothes shoes furnitures)i had my own shoes collection ect…but i have no special qualification…just in music because i use to play nearly for 15 years.i would love to find somebody who ll trust me to make a job where i can travelling a lot.i m a big worker dynamic with ambition but in france also the mentality of people is not the same as uk or us ect…employers need a lots of papers qualifications and all the human part not exist any more.
if you have any ideas about how to make me find a jobplease send me back a message and i will send you my cv you will see my experiences and maybe with that you will help me to find my happiness.
i put my CV in a lot of sites but it s never in adequation with my profil.i m really tired and desesperate.
hope to speak you soon.
*rebecca.

By: Norma

Norma — Sat, 12 Mar 2005 17:20:22 +0000

Having been on a lot of search committees, I’d say that sometimes it is the total cost of
the interview process if they are looking at 3 candidates. Relocation expenses? Never heard of that because we didn’t offer it. Second, if a candidate is not familiar with the locale or does not have some ties there, she could be gone in a year, and then the expense starts all over again.

Good luck in the interview.

By: Jill Hurst-Wahl

Jill Hurst-Wahl — Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:52:30 +0000

I would encourage you to mention in your cover letter, perhaps in the first paragraph and in bold, that you are willing to move. For example “I do not live in your region currently, but am willing to relocate in order to accept an opportunity with your organization.”

Good luck…keep us appraised of how things go.

By: Meredith

Meredith — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 18:40:03 +0000

Well, it’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one who has problems with this (though I was encouraged by TangognaT’s experiences). In many cases, like Trish wrote, it really is a case of tunnel vision. Hopefully when we’re on search committees in the future, we will be more flexible and understanding. Yes, having someone visit for an interview is expensive, but is it worth hiring a lesser candidate than taking the risk of bringing a great candidate up/down for an interview? It just perpetuates mediocrity. Dorothea, that sucks that you may have to pay for part of the expense of your interview. Before I moved to Chicago, I paid to fly up here for an interview out-of-pocket (including hotel and car rental), and ended up spending about $700 when all was said and done. And I didn’t get the job in the end. For how many job prospects can one pay to fly to interviews? That experience taught me a lot.

I agree with personalizing the cover letter and writing that you’re interested in relocating there (which isn’t a lie if it’s true — even if there are also other places you’re interested in relocating to as well). Thanks for the advice, all!

By: Trish

Trish — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 17:22:00 +0000

I think it’s generational, but also a function of simply how long the person interviewing you has been in the area. I’m in NJ, and recently interviewed for a position in NYC. It’s 2 hours away, but I was willing to do the commute for about six months and then move to the city, to not have to break my lease. Hell, if they hired me I would move sooner than that, although that wasn’t my first choice.

I was turned down because of the commute, even though I know many from my area who do it, and some who travel every day from even farther south. I think anyone who would be willing to make sacrifices by moving are viewed with suspicion because it’s so far outside the realm of where the people interviewing you are right now.

We’re all somewhat susceptible to tunnel vision, but for employers, it’s safer to stick with their tunnel vision, and very little will convince them otherwise. It’s a consequence of being human and staying with what we’re comfortable. Great cover letters will help (to get the interview), and being eager, but not too eager, therefore acknowledging the non-perfect nature of moving, but that you realize this, have fully thought through it, and are still totally willing to do it (to get the job) will also help. I recommend both.

By: kath

kath — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 06:55:10 +0000

I think omething in your cover letter could touch on something about the library system (a program they’re doing, a special interest community they serve) or that city that shows that even if you don’t live there, you’ve taken a serious look at it and the job itself and seen how you fit in. This may not be possible in all situations, but it may be helpful.

kath

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 07:25:56 +0000

well, all I can say is that this has been the biggest problem in my own job search, and for my line of work there’s no reason why I would need to “know the community”. What’s more, flying me in for an interview is a small expense for some of the companies I have looked at, so I don’t think it’s the money. Besides, when I have phone interviews, I always tell the company that I’m willing to pay for my own flights and relocation expenses, yet my out of state status still seems to cause them problems. I think it’s what you said, Meredith, that employers just don’t think you’re a serious candidate if you don’t live in the same city. Which makes no sense to me, but like you said, maybe it’s a generational gap.

What I would suggest is that when a library asks you why you’re interested in a given position, just tell a white lie, and say it’s because you’re looking to relocate to that particular area, wherever it might be. At least, this has impressed employers when I tell them that my desire to relocate to Denver is motivating my job search. Guess it makes them think I’ll be less likely to move.

By: tangognat

tangognat — Sat, 05 Mar 2005 17:43:50 +0000

In my experience both applying for academic libarian jobs and serving on a couple of search committees, geography isn’t really a factor for those types of positions. People were happy to fly me in for an interview, and pay a large portion of my relocation expenses. I think the out of state issue would be much more of a problem for public libraries in general or academic libraries in the midst of a budget crisis. I don’t think there is any harm in mentioning that you mentioning in relocating. If you happen to have local ties in the area, it might not hurt to somehow mention that in either the letter or a phone interview, if you get to that stage.

By: Dorothea Salo

Dorothea Salo — Sat, 05 Mar 2005 16:33:40 +0000

Heh. I’ve got the opposite problem. I’d love a job locally — there just aren’t any! But then, I am looking for academic-library positions. (Not that there’s anything local in the public-library sphere either. There isn’t. There is very not.)

If you’re not willing to tell a white lie, then just say you’re looking to move. If you are willing, say you’re looking to move to that area.

FWIW, I’m not sure I’m going to get any relocation expenses paid either. This interview I’m going on in a couple weeks may even be partly paid for out of my pocket!

Which is another thing, actually. Flying somebody in is a major expense for a library. (I cost Ruritania rather more than a kilobuck, I think.) I suspect that accounts for a lot of the desire to look at local candidates. Not sure how to fix that problem; all I can suggest is to be aware of it.