How to get hired from another state in Chicago (Lincoln: rent, hotel)

[sportsguy1981]

Im a 30 year old with a business administration degree and would like to move to Chicago, I plan on looking for a job ahead of time, alot of people on this forum strongly suggest looking first. Whats the best way to get hired out of state? I know some people on here have had to get hired from another state as all people who live in Chicago arent from Illinois, how do you go about doing that? I wont be able to interview in person much because its about a 6 hour drive to Chicago from where I'm currently at. What websites offer the most oppourtunities, besides careerbuilder, monster, yahoo jobs? I have alot of contacts on linkedin and some in the chicago area which I will try to contact and see if they have any oppourtunities. I would like to attend a business job fair but dont know of when they are in the area and if they are any help. I have 4 1/2 years experience at a company in office manager/accounts payable work. I have about $5000 saved up that I could move on, the rest I want to save. What areas of Chicago should focus my job search? I would like to be close to Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Lakeview or Bucktown because that is where I like to spend alot of my free time. I would also like to purchase about a 1000 square foot house eventually and not rent if possible because I feel that renting would be a waste of money in the long run, and I already have some money saved up for a house, or is that just a suburb dream? I could rent for the first year or 2 thats it. I dont know how common it is to get hired from another state so I guess this question is best for those people.

[skorch101]

Line up some interviews and devote a week here in the city. Get a hotel on Hotwire and go hardcore job hunting for a week. My company is hiring right now but wouldn't hire without meeting the person first. You will need to decide if moving here is worth a week's expense to you. Of course, you aren't guaranteed anything, but it beats trying to get a job from several hundred miles away.

[Lorielicious]

The good news is most first round interviews will be held over the phone. The second or third rounds, however, will be face-to-face. You're going to have a problem if you're not willing to travel. I'd second trying to line them up for the same time period. The job I have now is one of three I interviewed for in a two-day period.

Thing to know: A lot of employers, for whatever reason, are wary of out-of-state candidates. Thems just the breaks. I actually had a recruiter flat out tell me she would only help me once I was in Chicago. Great, but by the time I got here, I fully intended on having a job already. Good luck.

[sportsguy1981]

Alright thanks for the advice, I know its probably one of the worst times to be looking for a job, which is why I may stay at my job here in Michigan for as long as I can before I decide to look. Also I have some contacts on LinkedIn which live in the area, and I could always try to ask them for their input on any openings. That seems like a great site, LinkedIn but what other sites would help network me in Chicago more?

[Vlajos]

You stated you won't be able to interview in person. That will likely make getting a job here nearly impossible.

[sportsguy1981]

Alright I guess I will try to make a trip to Chicago then and hopefully have some interviews lined up, more then 1, since it doesnt sound too promising to get hired over the phone. I'm trying to network online with linkedin and just curious what other sites would help me network?

[Lorielicious]

Do you know anybody in Chicago who's not on LinkedIn?

[Babydoll9983]

I am in the same boat, but trying to move from Connecticut to Chicago. I only recently started my search and haven't gone to the major job search engines yet. As of now, I am looking at my LinkedIn groups, alumni networks, professional organizations, and finally the Chamber Of Commerce directory.

I hope that I am not being too picky, but I really want to work for a company that I care about this time around. I am five years out of college and have a engineering degree. The Chamber of Commerce directory has helped me see what types of industries or companies are in the Chicago area. I have also tried other website that have specific job postings for what I am interested in (Green Jobs, Sustainable Products/Lifestyle, Lean/Efficient Process).

Good luck! My goal is to find a job by next summer!

[sportsguy1981]

Thanks for your info, I will try those websites that you just listed, I also sent you a message on here. For other people on here, I think networking weather it be through people who also graduated from the university you did, or people who have worked for the same company you do, and transferring within the company you work for are the best bets at landing a job and im sure alot of people agree with me. But what about job fairs in the Chicago area are there any and are they worth checking out? Or career fairs at universities in the area?

[djkkt6]

If you're not willing to come interview in person, you're not going to get a job. Why would a company offer a job to a person that they've never met, and particularly who isn't even willing to invest the time to come in and meet with them?

Further, would you even WANT to work for a company that didn't see the value in actually meeting a person before deciding to hire them?