In today's age of shifting economic conditions, being flexible about where you work can make you much more competitive in the job market. Back in 1999 and 2000, most people couldn't have imagined that Silicon Valley, which back then was booming with tech jobs and in other professions that support that industry, would today have higher than average unemployment. The increasing trend to outsource jobs to other areas has also contributed to shifts in local economies. Being flexible about where you work will give you an advantage in building your career. Often, the softness in the job market can be attributed to certain levels of professionals and not to all types of employees. Therefore it is quite possible that if you decide to relocate now, you could be able to come back in a few years once you are at a different level in your career.

Being willing to relocate is just a first step. Successful "remote" job searching really requires research and preperation. First, it makes sense to research potential new locations to find out both about job opportunities and living conditions. Costs of living vary from one location to another and they should be considered. The Wet Feet web site provides a good way to research areas with their City Profiles. These profiles let you read about employees' perspectives on all aspects of living in the area. You can also use their site to research companies in the area and hear from real people who work at those employers. Wet Feet can be accessed by visiting this link:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/wf.htm

To quickly find out what kind of salary you could expect in a different area, we recommend getting a Personal Salary Report. The Personal Salary Report takes into consideration your experience and skills and maps that to the salaries paid for people with your background in the target area. Visit this web address for more info:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/salary.htm

Once you have decided on an area that seems like it would be good to relocate to, you can then start focusing your efforts in that location. We recommend setting up a mailing address in that area for use when corresponding with recruiters and employers. You can do that either by networking to find a friend who would be willing for you to use their address, or you can get an address through a virtual office space company or a Mail Boxes Etc. store (now called the UPS Store). If you're a highly sought-after individual who is well-known in your industry, this is probably unnecessary. But for most people, an employer's first instinct is to consider only local candidates for their job openings. It seems easier to them. Most employers would rather not have to deal with the cost and logistics of helping you relocate. If you are willing to deal with relocation costs and logistics on your own, this can put you on an even playing field with local candidates.

Getting a local address will also show that you are committed to relocating, not just flirting with the idea. Employers and recruiters would rather deal with serious job candidates. With your local address, you can post your resume on job boards and send your resume to recruiters in the area, and you will be considered in the same way as local candidates there. When you speak with employers and recruiters who are interested in you, you can tell them that you are planning to relocate to the area soon. It would be a good idea to have a schedule made up of when you plan to be in the area for interviews. Having restrictions on when you are available will help make you a more attractive candidate because you'll be a rare commodity. Employers and recruiters will feel special that you took the time to meet with them during your visit.

To quickly get your resume in front of the recruiters in your target area, we recommend using resume distribution services. ResumeDirector is a service that will get your resume posted on over 90 job sites at once, including Monster, HotJobs and CareerBuilder. For more info or to sign up for that service, visit this web address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/rd.htm

You can quickly get your resume in front of thousands of recruiters in the area by using ResumeArrow. ResumeArrow instantly sends your resume to the inboxes of recruiters. To sign up for that service, visit this web address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/dist.htm

One of your goals when talking to recruiters in your target area should be to establish an ongoing relationship with one or two of them. Even if you're not interested in what they offer you at first, keep in contact with them to build the relationship.

Once you have landed a new position, check out the Monster Moving web site to get information about moving to the area including quotes from movers and other relocation services:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/mm.htm


This article was provided by JobSearchInfo.com.  For additional career resources, please visit http://www.jobsearchinfo.com.