Breaking in

Wanted to hear some other stories about how job searches are going right now at the end of the year. I have been looking/applying for a few months at firms in locations that have a significant industrial design popluation with mixed success. Some people are really excited about my skill set and are setting up interviews, requesting more work…etc. So who knows where that will go. But the vast majority dont even respond, which would make me question my skill level however the firms that are interested are really excited?
Which leaves me thinking that these firms have some many people beating down their doors to work, that they have no need to look at someone like me that would require relocation. Is anyone else finding it difficult to “break in” to a market with significant compeition right now, i.e. California, New York, Chicago? On one hand I totally understand the situation, i am in a position to hire desingers as well and if we can find them local, all the better…but on the other hand the main thing we are searching for is talent, location is a distant second. After all, isnt the talent/skills more valuable than finding some that will work just because they are close? Makes me question some firms that are capitalizing on the local talent just because they are there as opposed to searching out the best person for the spot?

Any ways to get around the situation? comments, suggestions?

Being local can be considered an asset. A potential employer doesn’t have to deal with covering travel expenses for the interviewee or negotiating relocation packages, or waiting for the employee to move and get set up before starting work, or waiting while his or her spouse or significant other figures out a new life in the area. Companies, in general, have so many candidates, and many of them qualified, and sticking with locals is one way to shorten the whole hiring process.

depending on your situation, this could be an extreme solution but I have known people who wanted to work in a particular city, or for a particular company and moved to the location first, got settled and then began the process of knocking on doors and being visible. It made it much easier and made a difference for the employer - more often than not resulting in getting a good job.

Yes, one of my jobsearches took me to chicago and the interviews I had there were good, but they always asked if I lived in Chicago or not - like they would give me some freelance work to test me out before bringing me on (this was at places that weren’t advertising openings) - In hindsight I would have done well to move to Chicago first, but I wasn’t in a spot where I was desperate.

That is the whole big sticking point. Job right now is really good, people are awesome, projects are so/so but my family and I are want to be closer to home (with the rest of our family). Pay is good…etc. Just looking for cooler projects in a great location close to home.

But me and my family really want to be closer to home which makes me think I’m crazy for leaving for something that is so uncertain. Thought has crossed my mind just to relocate and then look for a job there…freelance to start and then hopefully fulltime at a spot after they see my abilities. Such a big leap of faith…my mind goes crazy thinking of the cash I need to have saved to do that. But it would be totally worth it to me.

Wonder how a potential employer might look at that, i.e. I am crazy for doing relocating without a job? Or would they even care. Scared about being out of the “loop” for an extended time frame, so hopefully the process of freelancing would be short lived.

how about backing yourself up first with some freelance and then thinking about moving?

being scared of uncertainty is understandable but there’s uncertainty in almost everything nowadays.

if you have your family’s full support then you should ok and therefore i’d go for it.

If I had a family I would not quit my job and move - unless you have tons of freelance work - I would be patient and keep applying wherever you want to go - if you have no job you lose any leverage to negotiate a better, or equal salary. To even consider quitting and moving without a commitment I would want to have at least a years salary saved up (If I had a family, and a decent job).