Proximity

[Bryan]

I live in Maryland but I'd prefer to move back home to the west coast if possible as I move from academia to industry. My thorough nationwide job search has yielded five first interviews, all located between DC and NYC. How can I increase my visibility in a distant city? Do local candidates always have priority, even though I'd be willing to pay for interview travel and moving expenses?

[Dave Jensen]

Hi Bryan,

You didn't say at what level you are, so I am guessing. If you are entry level, companies will rarely bring MS or BS level candidates to their locale, or even look at their resumes. However, if you are a PhD, you have a chance that the company will look at your CV and may just invite you for an interview in that distant city if you are a fit for the company's science.

Personally, I'd find a friend or relative with an address in that city and use that address at the top of my CV for correspondence with co's in that region. Don't lie and tell them that you live there when they call, just indicate that you are willing to pay for travel and that you plan to live in that city soon. Once they are interested in you, you can always get them to pay for some of that relocation when you negotiate your salary package.

Dave Jensen, Moderator
CareerTrax Inc

[Bryan]

Thanks Dave for the idea. For the last month I already have been sending out a version of my CV showing a relative's address for openings on the West Coast. I'm a little surprised that Ph.D.s with postdoctoral experience (and I also have industry experience) should seem significantly less competitive than local candidates simply because they live elsewhere. Perhaps the bad economy and glut of postdoc applicants is making our situation much like what you described for B.S. level applicants--employers don't read CV's past the non-local address, because they never have to.

[Dave Jensen]

Hi Bryan,

Its just that when there is additional cost involved, companies put that into the equation. Anything that adds additional cost to a hire means that that candidate is looked at a bit closer. For example, for lower level positions it isn't always a good idea to go into the company via a recruiting firm, because there is a cost associated with that for the company and that also affects their thinking. This isn't the case with a senior scientist or higher need, where the costs of relocation and recruitment are factored into the budget,

Dave Jensen, Moderator
CareerTrax Inc.

[Drew Parrish]

Hi Bryan,

I just transferred coasts (opposite direction) to a position in industry from an academic postdoc - so it does happen. The relocation package was plentiful and never really seemed an issue. I didn't use a local address but I did make my willingness to relocate very clear in my preliminary phone interview. I'll be curious to know if you start to get more responses now that you're using a relative's address - will you post on the forum and let us know if that's the case?

Drew

[Bryan]

Drew,

Here's what's happened the last month. I sent the west coast CV back around to several people who had previously received the east coast version, telling them I was moving there in December. And it looks like I probably will do just that--I have resigned my postdoctoral position effective at the end of this month. I still have 2 possibilities that would keep me here on the East Coast. I feel I\'m a strong candidate for one of them, but of course so are others who have applied for this highly competitive position. If I receive a job offer, it should be in the next few days. If not, I will go west and keep looking. Whether this risk I\'m taking pays off with gainful employment is another question entirely. I wouldn\'t have resigned if I felt continuing my current postdoctoral research held any value at all in terms of career advancement, if I had any personal reason to stay where I am, or if my current paycheck constituted a living wage.

Back to your question: recirculating the CV with the west coast address immediately yielded one response that led to a phone interview. That compares to one phone interview in about 4 months using the old resume. Not a large enough sample to draw any conclusions, but in at least one person's mind proximity makes a difference.