Employment ? for those who relocated from out of State (Denver: real estate, to rent)

[krb740]

Hey All,

I have been following the threads on this site for a few weeks and everyone is really nice with some good information. That is refreshing when it comes to some of these boards.

As I am in the soon to be relocating to the Denver area boat I have a few specific questions. What were your experiences finding a job in Denver while living in another state? Did you need to obtain a local address in order to get interviews or your foot in the door? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Bob

[2bindenver]

I think Bob, it would depend on the type of job.

My husbands company regularly flies in top level prospects. I know because I am asked to do a 'cooks tour' of the area. Help them get a feel for what Denver offers and why they should join the company.

If they accept the job offer, they already have a relocation package, have an idea of the types of housing available and sometimes we set up corporate housing for the short term.

[oceankidz]

Hi 2bindenver - that is so interesting - doing a 'cooks tour'. My sister in law does something similiar in Hong Kong and loves her job. Getting people settled in a new environment with a quick introduction to the area. Is that something some of the larger companies would hire for? I love doing research and am looking for an outlet to share what I learn!

[krb740]

Thanks for the reply 2bindenver.

I am a systems administrator with 10 years of experience. I read a good article on Rocky Mountain Times today that said the tech market is picking up, so that is positive. I have relatives in Boulder whos' address I can use. Since we are looking to move in the spring of next year I have plenty of time to Job hunt. I am just trying to get a game plan together that will give me the best chance to aquire a job in the greater Denver area.

[2bindenver]

Spend a month or two trying it with no local address, then with it, see what if any the difference is.

And no, sadly, I do not get paid to do an area/housing orientation by the company, I get paid by the transaction, if any, as a real estate broker.

I think of it as opportunity time. I get to meet someone I wouldn't have known, answer questions about the area, sharpen my housing knowledge, library of experience, and learn something new.

[Baltic_Celt]

krb -

One easy was to resolve this issue is to rent a Denver postal box at a mail/packaging store & use the address on your resume. I believe you need to have a local address for a box at the P.O., but I had a box in Seattle thru "Mailboxes, etc." (don't know if the company exists anymore, but I'm sure there are others) when I was in-between addresses, so that I could present a professional image while sending out resumes. In following with that concept & preserving the image of those beginning home businesses, etc., the company required that we never use our box # listed as "P.O. Box #123" on our mail, but to list it as "Rm #123" or "Ste. #123". In 1995, it cost me approx $11/mo to rent.

Good luck! Baltic_Celt

[krb740]

Thanks for the insight Baltic. Have you noticed whether having a local address increased your call backs on resumes sent out? I think in the long run it is better to have a local address as opposed to out of state. I have been told by recruiters I know that if a candidate has an out of state address they go to the bottom of the pile or do not get call backs for interviews.

[Buck]

I am desperately trying to get back to Colorado. It strikes me that in this day and age of high speed communications allowing people to "tele-commute" from anywhere and yet we are still faced with having to be geographically correct to be considered for employment.

One of these days patient persistence, networking and some luck will payoff and I can once again enjoy my morning coffee looking at the sunrise on those beautiful mountains.

[BabyBoomers2]

The Health-Care industry here is pretty darn big.........that is what I'm in (Purchasing/Materials). There are also a number of Distribution Centers on the east side of Denver. Some "high tech" jobs are here, but Denver certainly isn't the area for computer stuff.

[krb740]

I couldnt agree with you more Buck. With the advancement of technology you would think that would break down some ofo the geographic barriers. It is frustrating that you can actually get job interviews by "pretending" to live in an area however if you are up front with your real location you wont even get a call back. I guess that is just the way big business works. I beleive persistence is key. You just cannot give up!

I have seen plenty of Job postings in the tech field for Denver. While there are not nearly as many as there are in Silicon Valley, there is enough to be encouraging.

Does anyone out there have an experience to share where they were able to get a job while being out of state? A job where they did not just transfer, one where they had to search and interview while not in Denver or the location they were moving to? You have to be out there