Location, Location, Location - Copeland Coaching

Location, Location, Location In my lifetime, Ive never seen a time where we were more divided as a nation. Oddly, the job search has also become geographically divided. It is becoming increasingly common for certain jobs to cluster in large cities within the U.S. You probably noticed it when Amazon picked their new headquarters. The cities that made the list were the usual suspects. And, its the same for other big businesses. Many are located on the coasts, in cities like New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Im beginning to see a trend of job seekers that are looking to relocate to these large markets. Their goal long term is to create career stability. They assume that being in a big city, theyll have an easier time finding their next job. This thought process makes sense in todays professional environment. Many people switch jobs every three to five years. Forty years ago, you would stay at a job until youd retire, but sadly, this is no longer the case. The thing thats a bit odd is this. Many companies are demanding local candidates. You might even notice on some job postings the words, Local candidates only. Ive seen many instances where a candidate has a positive phone screen with human resources. In the last five minutes of the call, the company will realize that the candidate isnt currently living in their city. They plan to relocate. It is not unusual for a company to end the phone screen and to reject the candidate on location alone. They will say, We have enough local candidates. We dont need to consider people from other regions of the country. At first blush, many people assume the company is trying to save money on relocation expenses. But, Im not sure that explains the full situation. Even when a candidate offers to relocate themselves, the companies dont take the bait. Some hiring managers say that out of town candidates are more risky. The job seeker might not like the new city. But, isnt everyone risky? I suspect that part of the issue is that its logistically more work to hire an out of town candidate. You have to plan in person interviews ahead more. Plane tickets must be booked. Hotel rooms must be reserved. The start date may be further in the future. The candidate could move themselves first. But, quitting your existing job and moving to a new city where you have no connections is a big risk. The cities I mentioned are quite pricey. They arent a great place to be if youre not going to have a stable paycheck. Im not sure what the solution, but, were one country. Landing a job in a new city should be easier than it is today. Companies, take more time to consider out of town candidates. Hiring managers, if your recruiter is mysteriously only presenting you with local candidates, find out more. I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here. Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If youve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Happy hunting! Angela Copeland @CopelandCoach