Picking Your Place

by Angela Copeland | Sep 8, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter

If you’re like me, you occasionally have itchy feet. Since graduating from high school in Oklahoma, I’ve lived in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, and Tennessee.

When you start to think of moving, you probably rack your brain with ideas. Should you move to Boston? Maybe Los Angeles? Possibly Washington, D.C.?

These big cities are all amazing. If you’ve never lived in one, you should definitely try it once if it’s of interest to you. But, there are a few things you should remember:

1. Relocation: There’s a good chance companies in a big city won’t pay to relocate you. It sounds strange on the surface, but think about it. They already have enough local talent to fill their jobs. They don’t need to relocate you.
2. Cost of Living: The cost of living in big cities is often much, much higher. And worse yet, there seems to be a rumor going around that companies will give you a cost of living increase to move to a bigger city. This is very unlikely, unless you’re relocating for your current company. If you go to a big city, prepare to downsize. Your new place probably won’t have room for a car. Chances are good you won’t have luxuries like a dishwasher and air conditioning. To compare your current city to your dream city, check out this calculator on CNN.com.
3. Pay: Here’s another shocker — you may actually make less money working in a larger city. Yes, I know it’s more expensive. And, I understand you have a standard of living you’d like to maintain. The thing is – big cities have more talent; in other words, more people. That means for every job, there are more qualified people to fill it. When there’s more talent available, the price companies must pay goes down.
4. Degrees of Separation. If you live in a small or mid-sized city, you are probably used to the idea that it’s not very hard to get a meeting with an important person you don’t yet know. Whether it’s a company’s CEO, a hiring manager, or the head of a non-profit, you are just a few calls and e-mails away from a meeting. This isn’t so in a large city. Degrees of separation are further and the social walls are built much, much higher. Prepare for a long networking period.

It’s probably obvious by now that I’m a fan of smaller cities, like Memphis. When there are good jobs available, the list of talented, qualified candidates is shorter. It’s relatively easy to get meetings with important decision makers. And, at the end of the day, you may just be able to negotiate a bit more money.

Aside from Memphis, what other cities are viable options? I’m a big fan of cities that are around 1 M people in size, with downtown areas that are going through revitalization. Those cities are working harder than average to attract and retain talented workers. Most likely, their cost of living is less – and they may even pay you more.

Here are a few mid-sized cities to consider. These were ranked by Forbes as “The Best Small Cities for Jobs in 2014.” These were ranked based on employment data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They take into account recent growth trends, long-term growth, and the city’s momentum.

1. Bismarck, ND
2. Elkhart-Goshen, IN
3. Columbia, MO
4. St. George, UT
5. Greely, CO
6. Midland, TX
7. Auburn-Ophelika, AL
8. Naples-Marco Island, FL
9. College Station-Bryan, TX
10. El Centro, CA

This is a great list, but don’t just take my word for it. Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Browse the US Census Data. Look at sites like EventBrite.com and Meetup.com to see what sorts of activities are going on. Read the local news. And whatever you do, go and visit! Seeing a place in person is nothing like reading about it online.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.

Also, be sure to  subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. Thanks.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

Happy Labor Day!

by Angela Copeland | Sep 1, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter

I hope you’re having a wonderful Labor Day holiday. A celebration of the American labor movement dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers, Labor Day is a tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the United States.

As workers, we take advantage of Labor Day by attending pool parties, grilling out, going to the beach, and spending time with our loved ones. It caps off two months of what is a time of holiday for many people.

Speaking of holidays, did you know that hiring slows during July and August? It does! As people go on vacation, companies naturally slow their hiring down. If you’ve tried to apply for a job in the past month or so, you probably know what I’m talking about. You may have received a few out of office messages, or not received feedback in a timely manner.

Great news though – September is the time when hiring picks back up again!

So, what do you need to do now to be sure you get back into the game as quickly as possible? If you’ve been waiting for hiring to pick back up, you’re probably hating your job, or may even be unemployed. The faster you can get back into the game, the sooner things will begin to look up.

Here are a few tips for making it count in September:

1. Get business cards. I’ve said it before and I will say it again – you need business cards. You never know when you’ll meet your next hiring manager. Print business cards and take them with you – everywhere. At a minimum, they should include your name, phone number, and e-mail address. Keep them simple, and avoid images.
2. Keep your resume up to date. You may need an updated resume tomorrow. Why not update it today? The longer you wait, the harder it is to recall the little details, like how much extra revenue you generated last year, or by just how much you exceeded your goal last month. Keeping your resume up to date keeps you in the game.
3. Stay up to date on what jobs are available. I have seen a huge influx of jobs in the past two weeks – even for those that are normally hard to find. Have you? If you haven’t, you probably haven’t been looking. Read my blog daily for some of the top jobs I’ve found, and keep your eyes on sites like Indeed for the full listing of what’s available.
4. Keep networking. Networking is not something just to do at the moment you need a job. It’s something to keep up with year round – whether you’re looking or not. Staying connected helps your network to know what you’ve been up to. It also keeps you in their minds when future opportunities pop up.
5. Apply online and follow up offline. Don’t just apply online. Sending your resume into the internet black hole is unlikely to land you your next job. Do the due diligence to apply online and then search for ways to follow up offline. It will increase your odds of winning that next offer.
6. Practice your pitch. One of the fist questions interviewers love to ask is, “tell me about yourself.” If you’ve practiced your elevator pitch, you’ll be a pro at explaining who you are, what you’re looking for, and why you’d be a perfect for their company. Stay sharp.
7. Get help. If you find yourself struggling, reach out. Whether you need help with your resume, your elevator pitch, or networking skills, there are coaches who can help you to ensure you’re bringing your A-game.
8. Don’t give up. The number one rule to job searching is: don’t give up. Your persistence will pay off. It just takes time.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.

Also, be sure to  subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. Thanks.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach