Long Distance Job Search? Confused!

Dractonis

Hi there :hello:

I am looking for advice on a 'long distance job search'. In short, I'm in a long distance relationship and hope to be moving about 200 miles away from my current home to Cheltenham in September. The problem I am having is that moving without first having a job is far from ideal, however trying to get a job far outside of my locality without having a house there is also near impossible. I am pretty stressed about this but it is something I really want to do and don't want to get wrong.

Although I am moving to the area that my boyfriend lives in I won't actually be moving in with him into his current residence as he currently lives with his mother - we would be renting a new home together which also makes the situation more difficult since we would both need to find a new job. We have around £14,000 in savings currently and by September this should be about £17,000.

Some of that would obviously go towards the upfront costs of renting such as deposits, moving costs, buying new furniture etc, so I am not sure how much would be left over from these savings but I would expect there to be enough for a fair few months expenditure in a worst case scenario.

My boyfriend only lives 50 mins from this area so has already begun handing out CVs and approaching businesses there (he is a chef and often the direct approach works best for him), so we hope at the very least he will be set up for a job. However I'm not comfortable with the idea of quitting my job at home without having something lined up in the new area. We have chosen this city as it is closer to his daughter (currently he has to travel for 3 hours every other week to get to her), has better job opportunities and he currently lives in the middle of nowhere pretty much.

My living situation here is not ideal and the distance is difficult so we do want to close the gap ASAP; thus I'm not keen to delay it more than necessary either and am just wondering when is the best time to 'take the plunge'.

Cutting past all the rambling now, I just really want to know if it is possible to start looking for work now in a new area and making connections. Do any of you have experience in doing this? Did you contact the companies in the area, give your details to the local recruitment companies etc? I'm not really sure how it would work. I'm currently working as an Accounts Assistant so would be looking for something in the finance/admin field but would be open to anything really.

I could theoretically make the 3-4 hour journey for job interviews at a cost of £45.00, however even if I was offered a job it'd be a case of "ok, but I don't live here yet, can you wait 4 weeks?" I don't think most employers would be happy with that. Do you think it would be best to wait until a couple of months before the move date, and as we are looking at flats etc, try to tie in job interviews whilst submitting a CV with a cover letter that explains the circumstances?

Also, regarding credit checks for renting a flat it would be best to have this done whilst still in my current role wouldn't it, would I have to tell the landlord that I don't live in the current area? My worry is that if I did this they would immediately reject us even though I do have savings and intend to get another job/hope my partner would already have one.

It's a bit of an awkward situation but people relocate all the time and I am hoping there will be some way around it so any advice will be much appreciated!

DomRavioli

Dractonis wrote: »

Hi there :hello:

I am looking for advice on a 'long distance job search'. In short, I'm in a long distance relationship and hope to be moving about 200 miles away from my current home to Cheltenham in September. The problem I am having is that moving without first having a job is far from ideal, however trying to get a job far outside of my locality without having a house there is also near impossible. I am pretty stressed about this but it is something I really want to do and don't want to get wrong.

Although I am moving to the area that my boyfriend lives in I won't actually be moving in with him into his current residence as he currently lives with his mother - we would be renting a new home together which also makes the situation more difficult since we would both need to find a new job. We have around £14,000 in savings currently and by September this should be about £17,000.

Some of that would obviously go towards the upfront costs of renting such as deposits, moving costs, buying new furniture etc, so I am not sure how much would be left over from these savings but I would expect there to be enough for a fair few months expenditure in a worst case scenario. Is there scope to buy instead? Might be a more secure investment? you need to research the local market, have a look at the Local Housing Allowance (housing benefit for the private sector) rates in case it all goes pear shaped and you're stuck 200 miles from home, locked into a 6 month rental agreement (always prepare!)

My boyfriend only lives 50 mins from this area so has already begun handing out CVs and approaching businesses there (he is a chef and often the direct approach works best for him), so we hope at the very least he will be set up for a job. However I'm not comfortable with the idea of quitting my job at home without having something lined up in the new area. We have chosen this city as it is closer to his daughter (currently he has to travel for 3 hours every other week to get to her), has better job opportunities and he currently lives in the middle of nowhere pretty much. I don't blame you for not wanting to do that; if your OH is worth anything, he will still be there once he has settled and has a stable job; I wouldn't move until I had that at least!

My living situation here is not ideal and the distance is difficult so we do want to close the gap ASAP; thus I'm not keen to delay it more than necessary either and am just wondering when is the best time to 'take the plunge'. No, no, no, no, no. It is 200 miles, half the country. It is a long way to go and not be 100% sure of everything, and will be longer coming back too.

You have to make sure that you have the right mindset about this; what if the relationship fails (hopefully not, but they do happen) and you're left 200 miles from home and have spent a chunk of your life savings on moving, new job, new area, no friends locally, it makes for a grim situation - I moved from Manchester to Kent, thankfully I lived with my best mate, so not as complicated but it was horrible for the first 6 months, not knowing anyone apart from the people I worked with (very cliquey) and my bessie.

Cutting past all the rambling now, I just really want to know if it is possible to start looking for work now in a new area and making connections. Do any of you have experience in doing this? Did you contact the companies in the area, give your details to the local recruitment companies etc? I'm not really sure how it would work. I'm currently working as an Accounts Assistant so would be looking for something in the finance/admin field but would be open to anything really. It is possible; I'd stay away from agencies for the time being, they can be pretty nasty about those moving for work and expect you to "drop in" to their office in a heartbeat, even though you live 200 miles away. Do you have a specialist field?

I could theoretically make the 3-4 hour journey for job interviews at a cost of £45.00, however even if I was offered a job it'd be a case of "ok, but I don't live here yet, can you wait 4 weeks?" I don't think most employers would be happy with that. Do you think it would be best to wait until a couple of months before the move date, and as we are looking at flats etc, try to tie in job interviews whilst submitting a CV with a cover letter that explains the circumstances? Depends on what you do for work; At the time I moved I worked in the NHS in a rather niche position so I was in demand, and they would happily hold the vacancy for me, I've moved around a fair bit before coming back to Manchester and I am very lucky that jobs find me, rather than me finding jobs. If you have no specific vocation or career as such, then you'll need to speak to an employer to explain the situation; some are ok with it, some, not so ok.

Also, regarding credit checks for renting a flat it would be best to have this done whilst still in my current role wouldn't it, would I have to tell the landlord that I don't live in the current area? My worry is that if I did this they would immediately reject us even though I do have savings and intend to get another job/hope my partner would already have one. There is no point in applying for housing until your OH has a job; as you will be giving yours up, they will take his work into account. And savings don't count for much as you could go and spend the whole lot tomorrow if you wanted, so there's no security for the landlord. Some may let you pay 6 months up front, but if there is a problem with the rental then you're up poop canyon without a paddle!

Just take a little bit of time to actually think this through; moving is a big thing, even if its down the road - moving 200 miles to a place you've never lived, with a man I'm guessing you've never lived with is a HUGE thing. You need a job to get accommodation for the most part unless you have local housing allowance.

It's a bit of an awkward situation but people relocate all the time and I am hoping there will be some way around it so any advice will be much appreciated!

Hi OP,

Please see above; I've put bits and bobs in.

You seem to be rushing mentally into this; it is a huge thing what you are contemplating and as it stands neither of you have a job to support yourselves in the new area so that isn't really up for debate until one of you can pay the bills.

I feel like I'm putting a total downer on it but that isn't my intention; you just have to think long and hard about what you actually want in terms of a job in the new area, finances between the two of you (how it will be split as he has a daughter that I'm guessing he pays maintenance on), cleaning, resolving arguments etc; once you have that clear, you can start to plan the physical aspects of it, such as a job in the new area, housing etc.

I understand your housing situation may be less than ideal but it is better than being 200 miles from your mates with no job and an ex boyfriend!

Prothet_of_Doom

Okay, I gain employment by freelance contracting (Glorified Temping).
I go anywhere (within reason) and I just use spareroom do co dot uk to find something temp.

I prefer to rent with the owner, as they are less regimented on contract dates.

Typically in the first week or so I stay in a cheap B&B, until I find digs.

Next Sunday night I will drive 200 miles, to stay in a B&B (£50 a night) in Hemel Hempstead for 5 nights, and I have a short list of 6 rooms to look at over the first week, with a view to moving in 4 nights a week til November. (Prices range from £325 to £550 so cheaper than B&B).

Have a look what's available in the area you are interested in moving to.

Dractonis

DomRavioli wrote: »

Hi OP,

Please see above; I've put bits and bobs in.

You seem to be rushing mentally into this; it is a huge thing what you are contemplating and as it stands neither of you have a job to support yourselves in the new area so that isn't really up for debate until one of you can pay the bills.

I feel like I'm putting a total downer on it but that isn't my intention; you just have to think long and hard about what you actually want in terms of a job in the new area, finances between the two of you (how it will be split as he has a daughter that I'm guessing he pays maintenance on), cleaning, resolving arguments etc; once you have that clear, you can start to plan the physical aspects of it, such as a job in the new area, housing etc.

I understand your housing situation may be less than ideal but it is better than being 200 miles from your mates with no job and an ex boyfriend!

Hi Dom,

Thanks for the advice and input on your own experience, it is helpful. I have thought a great deal about this for a long time, it's not a case of if I am going to do this, it's a case of when. As such all I'm looking for is some information on whether it is possible to conduct a job search prior to moving to the new area.

I realise it could end badly but that is a risk you take with any relationship, I wouldn't want to live in my mother's house forever in fear that my relationship may fail and I have no desire to live in this area either so moving 200 miles to a new area for a fresh start whether alone or with someone else is desirable.

PopcornMami

I'm not sure what kind of job you're looking for but could you use LinkedIn to start connecting with people and employers? Possibly set up phone or Skype interviews to get the ball rolling?