New City? New Resume?

How to Maximize Your Resume for Relocation

My resume client Matthew had just gotten the word that his wife was being offered a fantastic promotion to her company’s national headquarters in Chicago. Despite his misgivings about the icy cold winters in Chicago and that he was a Yankees fan (as opposed to a Cubs fan), he had to admit, the positive change in his wife’s salary and career would make it a no-brainer for them to make the big move.

Now came the challenge… Matt would have to resign from his current position as a building supplies sales manager (his company had no Midwest operations), retool his resume to gear up for similar opportunities, and “hit the pavement” on the job search circuit once they arrived in Chicago.

My first advice to Matt was to secure a Chicago address to place on his resume. In my 14 years as a resume writer, I’ve seen, both in clients newly arrived and those relocating elsewhere, that having a local address near your desired job target is crucial. Prospective employers pick up a resume, see an out-of-town address, and often toss it aside. Obviously, in super high-need or skilled positions, such as physicians, nurses, academics, high-tech positions, certain engineers, etc., this is generally not the case, and outsiders are welcomed with open arms.

But in sales positions, where knowing the lay of the land and understanding the local client base can be essential, and in other positions where the supply of talent is far greater than the demand, locals are generally preferred. Why waste time with candidates who may or may not actually “make the move,” or why consider paying relocation expenses if there are sufficient local candidates, and finally, why take the chance on candidates who are unfamiliar with the local area and culture?

I explained to Matt that there are several fairly easy techniques to, at least on the surface, at least partially overcome the “outsider” prejudice. First, we could put his cousin’s Chicago address on his resume (with her permission, of course). That would, at least at first impression, make him seem “more local” and indicate that no relocation expenditures were likely to be requested. Also, since the Builder’s Association he belongs to also had a Chicago chapter, he could phone them, transfer his membership, and we could then put that under his “professional associations” section. We also did the same with his YMCA membership (Member, Lakeview YMCA, Chicago, IL).

Since Matt told me that he was planning on getting their apartment settled in and would have several weeks to gear up his job search after their unpacking, I urged him to also contact and volunteer at the Chicago chapter of a Girls & Boys Club non-profit he had volunteered with back home. Again, that was another item that could go on the updated resume to make him appear more local. Could any hiring director or HR person with a brain realize that, despite these techniques, he was an out-of-towner? Of course… It’s simply that in their first glance at his resume, in those first dozen seconds or so, we wanted them to glean something, anything at all that would give Matt a “Chicago connection.”

Finally, I urged Matt to spend a couple of hours each day making the rounds at local building supplies businesses, introducing himself, and beginning the all-important task of networking. As he did that, I urged him to keep notes on the names of people he had met, referrals he received, and conversations he engaged in. It’s incredibly powerful to meet someone (especially when you’re in a new city), and bring up the name of another person that individual knows.

Based upon his successful networking (he even went to several Kiwanis and Chicago Chamber-sponsored business mixer meetings), Matt landed a few interviews. In those interviews, Matt not only conveyed the value and skill sets he could bring to the company, he also related his Chicago experiences, the local contacts he had made, his recently acquired knowledge of Chicago culture and local flavor, and his deepening connection to his new “hometown.” Matt accepted a sales management position with a Chicago-based regional tool distributor at the end of his fifth week. Although it paid slightly less than he had made in his previous position, it offered significant opportunities for future advancement, and with his foot in the door of a great new company, he was thrilled.

Grant Cooper is a Certified Advanced Resume Writer, author of numerous career-related articles published in journals, newspapers and online, and is the founder and president of Strategic Resumes, certified resume writers New Orleans. For more information visit www.strategicresumes.com.