Long Distance Job Search

Although some Rollins students choose to stay in central Florida, many students will want to apply for work outside of the area. Students often return to their hometowns, but other students want to live in Los Angeles, Boston, or another popular city.  The reason for the move may be career opportunities (the entertainment industry in LA or investment banking in New York), a desire to live near ski resorts (Denver), or a desire to be near a significant other (you pick the city).

No matter what the reasons for moving to another city, here are some suggestions for improving your chances of landing a job in that city:

Move to that City
This is not a joke. Your chances of getting a job interview will greatly increase if you live in that city. If an employer in LA has a choice between interviewing a student from LA and a student from Orlando, the employer will almost always interview the local candidate because they do not have to pay any airfares or hotel fees to interview the candidate. Employers in popular cities often hear from students who plan to move to that city after graduation. The employers will usually tell students, “Once you move here, contact us and we’ll try to set up an interview.”

Catch-22: If you cannot afford financially to move to that city, how can you convince employers you are serious about moving there? If you are definitely moving back to your hometown or you have friends or relatives you can live with in the city you want to move to, ask them if you can put their address and phone number on your resume, along with your Rollins address. By placing two addresses on your resume, employers will know you have a local connection and are more likely to return to that city. Make sure your parents and friends relay the messages from employers. Of course, if an employer calls, you still have to find a way to get to that location, so this technique can be financially risky if the employers are not willing to pay for your travel costs. A good tactic is to set up interviews with employers over Spring Break. You can use your time at Spring Break to meet with prospective employers and shop for apartments.

Plan Ahead
If you know ahead of time where you want to live after graduation, be sure to work, volunteer, or intern in that city during summer and winter breaks.  The contacts you make through these internships and summer jobs will be invaluable to you when you seek full-time employment.

Internet
Check out online job listings (many can be linked to through the Career Related Web Sites page), company web pages, and newspaper listings for that city.

National Companies
Companies with multiple locations are a great opportunity because students can be interviewed in Florida, but referred to another location. Employers usually pay the interview costs for students who have been referred.  You can also apply directly to these companies through their web pages, but be interviewed in central Florida by a local representative.

Networking
Students may ask faculty, staff, internship supervisors, friends, and family for the names of prospective employers in that city who can offer them a job, advice, or additional connections.

Books
How to get a Job In (Atlanta, Washington, DC, etc.), Biz Books, and (Tennessee, San Francisco, etc.) Job Banks are three series that offer listings of employers in a particular city.  The local Chamber of Commerce also offers a directory of employers.

Reciprocity
Many private colleges offer reciprocity agreements. What this means, in a nutshell, is that students at a college in Atlanta (Emory) can look at the job listings in Rollins Career Services in return for Rollins students being able to look at job listings in the Emory Career Services office.  Some colleges may charge a fee and you have to look at the job listings in the office, not online.

Temporary Employment Agencies
Temp agencies are great if you need to find a job quickly to pay the rent, but they can also help you find a full time job. Just make sure the agency charges the employer the placement fee, not you.  Many employment agencies, like Kelly and Manpower, are national, so you could interview with an agency in Orlando and get a referral for another city.