Out-of-State job hunting woes

ShaunM · Jul 15, 2019

I'm here looking for experience and/or advice on finding a job out of state. Please excuse my lengthy post.

My wife recently graduated with her Master's degree and took a great opportunity with a company that is moving us west (of Iowa). She will be working in technical sales and will be covering a large area consisting of 5 states including Wyoming and Colorado. Her employer has requested we live anywhere in those two states or even in a part of a state bordering them. The point is they are flexible, which I thought would make this process a breeze.

I have BS in Mechanical Engineering (2017) and currently work as Project/Maintenance/Manufacturing Engineer, a role I've had for 2.5 years professionally as well as a combined 12 months as an intern. My professional experience includes welding certificates, manual mill and lathe machining, conversational CNC programming, industrial maintenance, mechanical design, electrical troubleshooting/repair, ABB robotic repair/installation/commissioning, facilities planning and maintenance, pneumatic system design and repair, etc, etc.

With all that said, I'm struggling to even land an interview with many companies. So far I've been on Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, USAJobs, and some local sites applying to just about any job that is remotely close to something I've done. States I've applied in include Colorado, Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western South Dakota. I've written custom-tailored resumes to suit the job I was applying for, custom-tailored cover letters, the list goes on. One of the most frustrating experiences is the (lack of) help from recruiting agencies in those areas. There is more than one that has flat-out ignored any of attempts to contact them.

I fear I am over-looking something crucial and I would love to hear some of your experiences of finding a job somewhere you've never been (maybe that's my problem?). It would seem one of my biggest down-falls is lack of experience as most companies are looking for candidates with 5+ years - not much I can do about that though.

I've been reading this forum for years and the wealth of knowledge here never ceases to amaze me. Thank you.

Guest · Jul 16, 2019

At a quick glance you are under 30 and list a boat load of skills, either you are the most amazing person ever in the field or your resume is a bunch of fluff and exaggerations. Like putting lathe machining as "professional skill" when all you have done is make spacers. Back when I was working for the man and involved in the hiring process a resume from a 25 year old that looked like it should come from some 40+ hit the trash can. I am just making an assumption here, don't shoot the messenger.

Mike1974 · Jul 16, 2019

ShaunM said:
I'm here looking for experience and/or advice on finding a job out of state. Please excuse my lengthy post.

My wife recently graduated with her Master's degree and took a great opportunity with a company that is moving us west (of Iowa). She will be working in technical sales and will be covering a large area consisting of 5 states including Wyoming and Colorado. Her employer has requested we live anywhere in those two states or even in a part of a state bordering them. The point is they are flexible, which I thought would make this process a breeze.

I have BS in Mechanical Engineering (2017) and currently work as Project/Maintenance/Manufacturing Engineer, a role I've had for 2.5 years professionally as well as a combined 12 months as an intern. My professional experience includes welding certificates, manual mill and lathe machining, conversational CNC programming, industrial maintenance, mechanical design, electrical troubleshooting/repair, ABB robotic repair/installation/commissioning, facilities planning and maintenance, pneumatic system design and repair, etc, etc.

With all that said, I'm struggling to even land an interview with many companies. So far I've been on Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, USAJobs, and some local sites applying to just about any job that is remotely close to something I've done. States I've applied in include Colorado, Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western South Dakota. I've written custom-tailored resumes to suit the job I was applying for, custom-tailored cover letters, the list goes on. One of the most frustrating experiences is the (lack of) help from recruiting agencies in those areas. There is more than one that has flat-out ignored any of attempts to contact them.

I fear I am over-looking something crucial and I would love to hear some of your experiences of finding a job somewhere you've never been (maybe that's my problem?). It would seem one of my biggest down-falls is lack of experience as most companies are looking for candidates with 5+ years - not much I can do about that though.

I've been reading this forum for years and the wealth of knowledge here never ceases to amaze me. Thank you.

I'll post more when I get home. I moved out of state (twice actually, both paid by the same place) and the entire process can be quite time consuming.

gustafson · Jul 16, 2019

When I was 25 I could do all those things, and did not have a degree. Why would anyone assume he did not? When I was 25 I was in charge of an engineering prototype shop. Before I was 28 I ran my own shop. I know 20 year old engineering students that can do much of the above.

That said, there is something that is causing your resumes not to get picked up.

I have an intense dislike for the computerized hiring model.

gustafson · Jul 16, 2019

Wondering, what are you putting as your address, perhaps the location info is flagging the resume, thinking you are not serious

J Gilles · Jul 16, 2019

You have a ton of skills that are really useful in the engineering world, but the hardest part will be getting in to talk to somebody that make decisions. You are in the right place though for help.

I would recommend finding your top 3 cities/town that you WANT to live in that falls in that area. Then start researching manufacturing/engineering companies in those locations. Start digging up all the info you can on the interesting ones and then do whatever you can to get in the door. Find people that work there, ask for a tour, and go from there. In the world of just submitting applications and cover letters, you are playing a numbers games with way too many people. If you can make it in and talk with a shop manager or senior engineer and show your interests/skills/knowledge, they will be beating down your door.

thunderskunk · Jul 16, 2019

J Gilles said:
In the world of just submitting applications and cover letters, you are playing a numbers games with way too many people. If you can make it in and talk with a shop manager or senior engineer and show your interests/skills/knowledge, they will be beating down your door.

You’re a hundred fold better off making a real relationship in a prospective company than just blasting out resumes on linkdeed.

I had one job in particular I got using indeed, which seemed very convenient at the time. Went from locomotive mechanic to engineer, thought it was a great jump. Terrible company, toxic leadership, and turns out I really didn’t have the experience they needed. It was a terrible relationship and neither party saw it coming.

On the other hand, I’ve landed work with a company by calling and asking advice from them, like “hey, how did you get ISO certified as a small business?” Or “Who do you use for CMM calibration in this state?” Etc. Not only does it open up dialogue, but you actually get a chance to see if it’s a company you want to work for. In such a case, I did, and it’s working out great I’d like to think.

kctallguy · Jul 16, 2019

Gustafson makes a good point. You make want to try putting "Looking to relocate to (put places here)" above your address line on your resume. Me personally I have never used a cover letter when applying for a job. I've found that cover letters are passed over by perspective employers. An employer wants to get to your actual skillset and experience and the more reading they have to do to find the information is just more time/labor they have to spend. This is just my opinion but I've had human resource managers tell me the same a couple different times. Just a thought. Wish you well in your search.

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gustafson · Jul 16, 2019

Guys, you are old. OK, we are old

In todays world one applies to a faceless droid and hopes it gets into the right hands.

i have seen personally qualified people who actually know upper management not get hired because it has to go through the search firm

I am unsure the answer, but for every company with more than 100 people, it does not involve the personal touch

J Gilles · Jul 16, 2019

gustafson said:
Guys, you are old. OK, we are old

In todays world one applies to a faceless droid and hopes it gets into the right hands.

i have seen personally qualified people who actually know upper management not get hired because it has to go through the search firm

I am unsure the answer, but for every company with more than 100 people, it does not involve the personal touch

You guys* are old! I'm 26.

What I described is much more applicable to small companies, which is all I know. It is still possible at a larger entity, but it is difficult. If you can convince someone in a position with any clout to champion for you, the process will go through eventually.

DrHook · Jul 16, 2019

Messaged you.

Mike1974 · Jul 16, 2019

J Gilles said:
You have a ton of skills that are really useful in the engineering world, but the hardest part will be getting in to talk to somebody that make decisions. You are in the right place though for help.

I would recommend finding your top 3 cities/town that you WANT to live in that falls in that area. Then start researching manufacturing/engineering companies in those locations. Start digging up all the info you can on the interesting ones and then do whatever you can to get in the door. Find people that work there, ask for a tour, and go from there. In the world of just submitting applications and cover letters, you are playing a numbers games with way too many people. If you can make it in and talk with a shop manager or senior engineer and show your interests/skills/knowledge, they will be beating down your door.

Kind of hard to do out of state. I tried that, had one (out of only a few times I will admit) really bad experience. I probably spent a month talking with and emailing one shop out of state. Guy sounded like he was damn near ready to hire me the first time we talked at length, then he got kind of wishy washy, then back to "oh you sound like a great fit" blah blah. Well we cut our vacation a couple days short so we could hit a few of these interviews on our way back home. I had arranged interviews with a few places well in advance letting them know I was traveling and had xxxx limited window to see them, no problem. Well I show up to the interview at this place, talk with him (the guy I had been conversing with) for maybe 10 minutes, then he has me do an interview with his top guys or whatever. Whole thing might have lasted 40 minutes. Didn't get the job and didn't even get a call back like WTF!? Whether I was right for the job or not (I thought it went fine btw, I answered their questions, asked my own questions, etc) I would think a minimum common courtesy would have been an email or call saying they were going with another candidate or whatever*. :angry:

* I know in todays world it may not be practical to call back everyone who interviews with you, BUT considering the circumstances (I was 700 miles from home) it would have been nice.

Mike1974 · Jul 16, 2019

Also, keep in mind this might take some time (months). I think I did 3 interviews on a summer vacation (from my last post) driving home, and also flew to 6 others before I got/accepted a job out of state and actually moved.

J Gilles · Jul 16, 2019

Mike1974 said:
Kind of hard to do out of state.

True. I guess from my perspective I wouldn't be moving anywhere that far away with visiting and planning ahead first. Take a trip out to look at places to live, find where the nice areas are, and bundle that in with some job hunting. It is never going to be a guarantee, but I feel like it will always be better than just shotgunning applications out online.

ShaunM · Jul 16, 2019

Something I should have mentioned is that I am certainly not an expert in any one of those fields, but they are all day-to-day tasks at my current job. Most of my machining experience has come from prototyping parts and break-down repairs like making shafts, plates, brackets and the like.
Due to really only having one job in the field of engineering I felt I had to list as many relevant skills as possible to 'fill up' my resume.

ShaunM · Jul 16, 2019

gustafson said:
Wondering, what are you putting as your address, perhaps the location info is flagging the resume, thinking you are not serious

At first I was only putting my current Iowa address. Later on I began to add that I was 'willing to move' or 'looking to move' to the area in question. I kind of wondered if the computer saw the Iowa location and automatically dumped it.

gbent · Jul 16, 2019

You are from Iowa. You don't begin to understand how remote Wyoming is. Yea, both lie on I80, but that is where the similarity stops.

Colorado's front range is booming, and the rents and housing prices reflect the good times.

You need to research what things you want in your new location and pick a few places you think you want to live. Then you need to get boots on the ground. Go look at those places, try commuting, see how long it takes to get to the airport.

You may need to rent a post office box in one of those businesses that forward your mail. Most contact will be by email, but the address may help you pass the smell test.

What does your alma mater have for placement help? Some help recent grads, others don't.

McClure Machine · Jul 16, 2019

I am on the other side of most of the advice given. I have been the employer for 30+ years.
If I got a resume with what you have listed and the way you have it written here. I would have just round filed it.
If you take your statement about welding cert. What kind of certs do you have? AWS walking papers? ASME ? What type? Mig, tig, stick? You need to state your capabilities.
When I read willing to relocate, first thing that comes to mind is a short term drifter.
Technical hiring people are looking for specific things, usually they are trying to fill a specific position.
Don't be generic in your resume, if you are looking for a job in the shop of a oil refinery then make it apply to the job.
If you are looking at doing plant layout on a cad platform then they don't care if you can weld.
Almost every out of town person I have hire was introduced to me in person by a employee, customer, or supplier.
My best advice is go to the area you want to work in and knock on doors. Skilled technical people are so rare today you will get a chance to talk to people. But be warned if you are claiming to be a machinist, they might hand you a drill bit and tell you to sharpen it for drilling brass or copper.
Good luck

JS · Jul 16, 2019

Kurt manufacturing in Lyman Nebraska, located in the panhandle had a machinist position open.

All that being said ......try [: Mining Jobs & Mining Employment - Careermine :]

Tony Quiring · Jul 16, 2019

Try a manpower company like Aerotech, they fill positions from office to aerospace.

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