How To Look for Jobs in New Cities
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Happy Wednesday! If you are new to LMents of Style, Iāve been doing a Women in the Workplace Wednesday series for almost a year now! My own professional life has seen ups and downs since then, from getting let go, to moving across the U.S. This post is kind of an extension of an older article I wrote on where to look for jobs, but I felt like it was an important topic, as it is very different than just looking for a position in a place youāve lived for a while. Hope it helps!
Madewell Huston Pull-On Pants | Madewell Central Shirt | Black Ankle Strap Sandals | Senreve Aria Beltbag with gold chain ( I bought this chain on Amazon. Get $50 off your Aria Beltbag w/code ELLEMULENOS)
NOT THINKING ABOUT MOVING YET?
Before moving was even on our radar, I took two interviews that were pretty far from Texas. If youāre reading this blog post, I doubt this is your situation, but I wanted to cover it just in case. Even if you donāt think you want to move, Iād take the interview and just see what happens! You arenāt obligated to take it. It is 100% a 2 way street. I wrote about being flown in for an interview here. Another tip is to reach out to brands and companies that you already love, that are based in an area youād like to go to. I did this for LA and San Francisco and was able to stop by offices in places we were visiting for pleasure. Putting a face to a name is always good!
LOOKING FOR WORK BECAUSE YOU ARE MOVING?
Nick and I were both considering Los Angeles, because he can find work anywhere, it is a huge apparel hub which is good for me, and we have friends and family here. Nick got a job before me and we had a little over a month before we actually moved. I was able to use this to my advantage and say we were 100% moving. It might be different depending on where you are moving, but if you tell businesses that you are moving to Los Angeles, they literally do not believe you until you are there. I guess it makes sense, because a lot of people want to move to LA and then never do. Also, they would probably have to pay some sort of moving fee, which is easier to avoid, but I digress. Put your new address on your resume once you get it and even before that, go ahead and change your LinkedIn location! Chances are you will be in and out of the new city to find a place to live, etc, so just mention that on your cover letters / emails for jobs and see if you can drop by. Again, putting a face to a name is key.
ALREADY MOVED?
This is me right now. I feel a little bit odd writing this, as I havenāt landed a job yet, but I do think it is partially because we moved during Q4. Hopefully will have better news come 2020 ;) Here are great options to consider when looking for jobs in a new city, after you have moved!
LinkedIn. Seems obvious, but continually check LinkedIn! They have āeasy applyā options, which are great, but always look and see if they have a way to apply directly on the companyās website instead. Those applications often get higher priority. Another way to get yourself ahead of the stack is to reach out to connections on LinkedIn who work there, as having a foot in the door of business is super helpful. Sometimes companies have referral bonuses, so some people have more of an incentive to help. Try connecting with someone who has a couple shared connections with you via the message option when you choose to āaddā them. Itās also great to reach out to those people you already have connected with and have them forward your resume or put you two in contact. The worst people can do is say no / not respond!
Recruiting Agencies. These people literally work for you! I recommend finding one that is in your niche. For Apparel merchandising, I am using 24 Seven Inc, Fourth Floor, and Creative Circle. If itās possible, try and have a face to face interview with someone at the firm. This ups your chances of being matched to a job, as they get to know you better and see your initiative. If you donāt have a local office, try asking for a phone call or skype interview! At least for LA, Fourth Floor wouldnāt schedule an interview with me until I actually lived here. Just wanted to say that, so you can keep that in mind.
Industry Specific Websites: Not trying to knock LinkedIn (I think it is great), but often times, businesses will tier applications from elsewhere hire, as LinkedIn is so broadly shared. For apparel, I love looking at jobs on Business of Fashion. Create and Cultivate is a good one too!
Network: Iām so bad at this, but getting out and meeting people is a great way to find a job. You actually make organic connections with people, which lead to them being able to refer or even hire you themselves. Iām trying to be better about this, but as an introvert it is kind of hard. Now that our apartment is more in order, Iām looking forward to getting out more. A prompted/easy way to do this to search for local networking groups. One I just discovered in Los Angeles is The Quilt. I havenāt been able to go to a meeting, but I plan to when I get back in town after Christmas. There are also chapters in SF and NYC. In Dallas, thereās something called Dallas Girl Gang that is similar. Search for something like this! I know that women only groups are easier for me, as co-ed ones can often feel like a dating season. Women have their own problems, buuuut yeah.
Regarding, my outfit, it is one of my fave workwear looks Iāve shared! The pants are super practical, but also chic! Did I mention that they are an elastic waist band, so they are comfy too? You can 100% wear them to work, but slip on a sparkley top and call it an NYE outfit! They would also work well with a bodysuit and a night out. Grab them while they are on super sale w/code ACTFAST. The top is one of my favorites too. I wear it all the time with jeans and shorts, but it is for sure workplace friendly andddd can also be worn as a layering piece with a tank underneath. Last but not least is my purse. Itās actually a belt bag and I changed out the strap! Try it for yourself w/code ELLEMULENOS for $50 off. All about practical shopping that can be worn in the workplace!!
Happy to tack this onto a deeper topic today. Come back next week for more Women in the Workplace topics!
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