A Little Hand Holding Never Hurt

On “The Hills,” it seems like L.A. is filled with gorgeous young adults, with incredibly glamorous jobs, who still have plenty of time to hit the beach and work on their perfect tans.  What then, is preventing you from packing your bags and hopping on the next flight west to seek the ultimate job and life-style?  If you do see the City of Angels as the perfect place to spread your career wings and fly, don’t kid yourself.  While L.A. does present myriad job opportunities, relocating is challenging and guidance is key. Everyone can benefit from a hand to hold in the process.  That’s what job recruiters, especially ones who specialize in relocation (like me!), are here for.  We are like the welcoming face, standing at the airport, holding a sign with your name on it.  We provide the huge, comforting sigh of relief when faced with saying good-byes, packing possessions, finding new digs, changing mailing addresses and transferring documents.   Most importantly, we have personal relationships with many of the employers that you’re trying to contact in your search for a new job.  In the quest for the best possible life-style, why would anyone squander the perfect resource?

A job recruiter will be your ultimate connection to your new location.  Most recruiters know the area they work in really well and can be your travel guide.  Through consistent communication, they can give you valuable insight concerning your new environment.  You will get real advice and opinions about such things such as climate, culture, and transportation, from a long term resident of the area.

However, the biggest, stress-filled obstacle of relocating, and the one that will be most relieved with the help of a recruiter, is the process of finding employment.  Personally, I understand the urgency, time table, and fast interview process that comes with a candidate who is relocating.  I can arrange for the candidate to have multiple interviews in the short amount of time he or she comes to visit the new location.  I typically create an itinerary for my candidates, complete with interview locations, times, directions, which you will meet, and detailed instructions on how to approach the big meeting.  The benefit of having a recruiter do this for you is that he/she can schedule interviews close geographically, so you’re not driving all over the place.  We also can help the firms understand that you’re only in town for a short amount of time, so it is important to condense the entire interview process to the time you’re there.  Many times, recruiters can help you schedule a first and second interview with a firm while you’re in town.  In other words, a recruiter can take all the stress out of finding a job when relocating by paying close and careful attention to all the significant details.

Most importantly, it is difficult to get a sense of a company’s integrity and values through emails or over the phone.  I have had personable relationships with most of my clients for years, and therefore have a strong idea of their individual philosophies.  I can make sure you only interview with the kind of firms you want to be working with on a long-term basis.  Also, because I constantly correspond with both you and my clients, I can help make sure that you are doing the kind of work that you want to be doing.  Working with a recruiter helps avoid communication errors, leading to long term success and contentment. As an added bonus, many times recruiters can negotiate a relocation allowance.

As an added bonus, many times job recruiters can negotiate a relocation allowance.  It is not a guarantee; however, I have been pretty successful in the past at working out allowances between $1,000 and $5,000.  Working with a recruiter can also ensure a smooth transition at the time of moving.  We can assure you a written and signed job offer letter to ease all your last-minute doubts.  We also stay in constant communication to assure all needed information gets across until the first day on the job.

All in all, relocating, and especially finding a job, is an arduous process.  No matter how aggressive you are, or how well you present yourself, recruiters have long term relationships with the firms you’re seeking.  We can negotiate with them, we know the kind of work the firms put out and the kind of environment they create for employees.  We can speak directly with hiring manager, instead of going through the frustrating levels of bureaucracy.  We can differentiate the process to meet your specific needs.

So admit it — upon relocating, a hand to hold sounds pretty comforting.

To speak with me directly about your relocation, please feel free to email me at [email protected]