New Move, Need Job: Talking Back to the WSJ

On Tuesday, July 31st, the Wall Street Journal ran an article:
Advice on Landing a Job After Moving to a New Area (p. B6):

The Question: "John" (or "Jane") recently moved from a high-cost to a low-cost area. He (or she) gets interviews but no offers. Interviewers say the newcomer lacks confidence and probably wouldn't be happy with a lower salary.

To answer this question, WSJ columnist Perri Capell interviewed some career consultants. They emphasized the usual strategies. Show you're eager to work for the company. Say you recognize salaries are lower here. Build networking contact.

But few consultants combine relocation and career expertise. When you combine a career and a move, you need to consider other factors. Moving to a small town raises all sorts of questions, even without the low-cost considerations.

(1) What is a low-cost area?

In my experience, you always have trade-offs. When I lived in Silver City, New Mexico, you could find lower-priced houses and rental units. But other costs were high. Residents had to travel to Albuquerque, Las Cruces, El Paso or Tucson for certain kinds of medical care. Traveling almost always required an extra night or two away from home.

And besides housing, costs were not especially low. We had no craigslist and no competitive services to drive down price.

After I moved to the big expensive city of Seattle, my health insurance and phone bill actually dropped, because I had more plans to choose from. Food costs were lower. Computer repair meant calling a local geek from craigslist - not sending the computer off and paying a big minimum charge. I no longer spent $200-$400 a month for a long weekend in a nearby big city. Many entertainment options were free or low costs. And, of course, I have more opportunities to earn serious money.

Often low-cost simply means you have fewer options and choices to spend the money you have. So you spend less.

(2) Why does your new area have a lower cost of living?

In the rust belt states, such as Michigan, the cost of living will be low because the region's industries have slowed down. Therefore, few companies will be around, let alone hiring. In small towns, a lower cost of living means you don't have big companies -- just mom and pop shops and a few big box retailers. Either way, you can expect more competition for fewer openings.

(3) Who are the region's main employers?

It's unlikely you'll find the same type of employers and even less likely you'll find the same employment culture. Your local employers have the attitude of "We will take whoever we can get," not, "We want the best." So you are competing against workers who may be less qualified but who will be genuinely happier with fewer benefits and lower salaries.

(4) Does your new region have a hidden agenda?

In a small town (or even a medium-sized city), employers often hire friends of friends. You may need years to crack the code, no matter how much networking you do. You may be mistrusted because you are single, married, childless, old, young, educated, foreign, male, female, appearing to be gay...who knows?

You may be getting lots of interviews because you're a good candidate -- or because everybody wants to meet the new kid on the block. So you may be getting called for interviews where you don't stand much chance of being hired anyway.

(3) Does your new region tend to have high turnover among newcomers?

Some employers have been burned. They see too many gung-ho newcomers get discouraged and leave because of the weather, the lack of access to a mall, the slower pace, or some other factor that made the region low-cost.

(4) What kind of pay cut are you taking?

Again, recognize that employers speak from experience. They've seen newcomers eager to work for lower salaries -- at first. They know the cost of living can be deceptive: you'll find yourself paying for travel and amenities from your former life. So they expect you to come, put in some time, and then walk.

(5) Do you fit the local culture?

According to linguist and best-selling author Deborah Tannen, speech patterns can be mis-interpreted as personality traits. New Yorkers (like me!) interrupt each other when speaking. To a southerner or midwesterner, we're rude. A southerner who waits to speak at a New York meeting might be viewed as shy.

So if you keep hearing, "You need confidence" (or "You come on too strong") you are probably a cultural misfit, especially if you've never experienced this feedback before.

I once knew a graduate student who grew up in the deep south. She spoke with a soft, honeyed accent and she looked like the stereotype southern belle. She even put "Magnolia Society" on her resume. Employers feared she wouldn't be tough enough so she had trouble on the job market.

Actually, this woman was tough as nails and, when she landed a good job, became a strong competitor who left her more aggressive colleagues in the dust.

Bottom Line: We can't answer this question until we know more about the specific situation and about you, too. Generic career advice can send you on expensive, time-consuming detours.

In general, I encourage my own clients to (a) consider starting their own businesses and (b) be prepared to work at a minimum wage, entry level job: barista in a coffee shop, retail store clerk, pet sitter...even house cleaner. And of course I encourage them to scout the scene beforehiring a moving company.

Check out my resources: I have a
book on moving
and a mini-book on
moving to a small town.

Free article Starting Over in New Mexico.

And of course I am happy to coach and consult if your challenge includes careers, relocation or both.
Learn more here.

Career Advice from Family? A no-brainer!

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Today's WSJ (March 27) Cubicle Culture Section - Page B1 if you have the paper version - carries a helpful story: "Our Better Halves Sometimes Expose Our Worst Side." Consultant Jane Genova, according to the story, sought advice for dealing with a difficult client. She turned to her significant other. He suggested she summarize her requirements in a letter. Her clients ridiculed her and the situation got worse. Now, the WSJ says, Ms. Genova hires help. She pays experts with titles like "coach," "therapist," and "consultant." I'm biased. I couldn't agree more. But even I was surprised at the consequences of family advice. Apparently colleagues can recognize the signs: an overnight change of opinion, applications for positions for which the employee is vastly unqualified, and self-destructive decisions. Many years ago, my colleague "Heather" was offered a new position at a more prestigious university. She'd earn a bigger salary with a lower teaching load. Heather's husband, a financial consultant, advised against it. "You won't be happy anywhere," he warned. Heather happened to be seeing a therapist to deal with depression following a personal loss. She mentioned her career to Heather, almost as an afterthought. Heather got lucky. Her therapist was familiar with the academic world. "If you don't take this job," she said, "you may be stuck in your current location for a long time, perhaps forever." Heather took the job and thrived. Family doesn't help. They can do harm, way beyond the cost of hiring a coach or consultant for a few hours. I'm biased, of course. So I was delighted to read this advice in a respected business newspaper.

Laid off? Outplacement For Job Search: The good, the bad and the ugly

This morning's Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran an article about outplacement services, a newswire story that originated in Providence, RI. The story's theme: Companies try to help laid-off workers get jobs by offering outplacement. These services do an inventory of skills and interests, then try to help laid-off workers find new jobs. Company spokespersons note that about 2/3 of lower-level managers and half of senior level managers within 3 months. So are they successful? What I tell my clients (1) Outplacement firms work for your employer, not for you. Their goal is to defuse emotions so you won't sue (or worse). They want to place you as quickly as possible so you'll move on and, incidentally, have no reason to make a claim on your previous employer. If you're earning a good salary, you can't claim financial loss or hardship. (2) Let's get real. Most outplaced workers are employable and even marketable. If you've got a good track record with Firm Blue, if you're not above the age norms for your field, and if your industry isn't about to go belly-up, then you have a good chance to win a similar position in Firms Green, Yellow and Orange. A few job hunting strategies will go a long way. (3) Most aptitude and interest tests are a waste of time and money. See my article on this topic. Outplacement firms use them to gain time: you'll do well on these tests and get into a better mood, so you're more likely to do well on the job market. But when push comes to shove, your outplacement firm doesn't care if you're happy. They want you employed so you make them look good. Is this goal bad? Not necessarily. Getting on a payroll -- any payroll -- often makes a lot of sense. Just don't kid yourself about what's going on. (4) If you're over your industry age norms, outplacement firms may not help. Above a certain age, you need to consider self-employment, whether you have the aptitude or desire. By all means continue looking for a real job with benefits. But insist on an interview with your local Small Business Administration. I have a list of resources to help my own clients and website visitors get started on the Internet. Learn more. (5) You may get lucky. Some outplacement firms have superb consultants and wise leadership. Others do not. Several years ago I met a displaced executive who had no luck with the resume his outplacement firm had put together -- a functional resume that did not show off his superb track record. I made a few suggestions and he was soon happily employed. OK, I am tooting my own horn here, but many career consultants could do the same. I find that outplacement services seem to recommend functional resumes, which turn off employers. Experienced career consultants rarely recommend them. See my own ebook: Irreverent Job Search Guide Bottom Line: If your company offers outplacement, don't turn it down! But stay aware of realities and don't surrender control of your job search to anyone, ever.