When your long-distance search hits a snag

Zelda asks:
Great! I was picked for a phone interview out of 20 short-listed resumes. My phone interview went well and the hiring manager asked for a face to face and wanted to schedule a lengthy mock presentation for the next day which was Friday. I asked to schedule the face to face for Monday or Tuesday as I needed to contact the agency and have them make preparations for me to fly. The manager was “surprised” and concerned that I was not local. I expressed flexibility an attributes of great freedom and capability to relocate quickly and pointed to prior professional assignments where you could see that I relocated and performed successfully for both short and long-term projects.

WorkBuzz, how do you handle situations of relocations? Couldn’t the manager see that I was on the east coast? Shouldn’t my agent have advised that I was a potential relocate? Or, should I have said nothing, glad that I had gotten the face-to-face request, scheduled a mid-morning interview, and left all the details to the agency? (I had researched relocation details and knew the first two weekday early AM flights and corporate housing options.) Should I place, “Relocating to…” on my resume? I thought the truth was best?

Hi Zelda,
Thanks for your question and congratulations for making it that far in the interview process!

Relocations can be tricky. It’s kind of like the chicken and egg: Should you move and then secure the job, or secure the job and then move? Given today’s economy, more job seekers are willing to relocate anywhere if they can land a job that’s right for them. Those job seekers are not only competing against a larger pool of job seekers,  they are also locationally disadvantaged. There are employers who will pay for relocation, but these days that might be even less of an option.

The answer to your question is two-fold. First, you did the right thing by registering with job search agency because if it has offices in other cities, your recruiter can reach out to colleagues in those branches. It seems the recruiter dropped the ball in this case. The recruiter who submitted your application and set up the phone interview should have clarified your location and desire to relocate. Have a conversation with that recruiter and make sure they are letting the hiring manager know your situation. The recruiter should help ease any reservations the hiring manager has about you as a long-distance candidate.

Second, you should do your due diligence as well. On all your application materials, indicate your willingness to relocate and the dates you would be able to do so. Be prepared to pay for the moving expenses yourself and make sure hiring managers know you don’t expect them to foot the bill. If you do pay for your relocation, guess what? It’s tax deductible. Also, tell the hiring manager that are willing and able to visit the city for a face-to-face interview. If the hiring manager is well-informed up front about your flexibility, she most likely will be, too.

Best of luck in your job search.

Kate at TheWorkBuzz