Marc Cenedella, Founder and CEO of The Ladders wrote an interesting piece today, relating to job applicants and their sending resumes to companies in distant markets. Marc advised applicants–
But if you’re hoping to play the numbers game and spread your information far and wide, I’d like to counsel you to re–consider. Because all of that expended effort comes at a cost. It comes at the cost of your time, your focus, and, inevitably, your sanity.
This is good advice from the owner of one of the best job sites on the Internet. It is a subscription based site, so the business model is to actually provide serious job listings, rather than garner advertising revenue.
The practice of applying for jobs everywhere in the country is an act of desperation. As Marc points out, this will only exacerbate the candidate’s sense of frustration. Essentially, it is all that work for nothing. All that time, and the hope invested in something that just won’t happen.
Companies are trying to save money right now. And unless you have extremely special skills that are in great demand, most companies will not relocate anything less than “C” Level executives. And even those they would rather higher from a closer proximity.
It costs a lot of bucks to move people from one city to the other. In certain regions there is the consideration of conflicting home values, where the recruiting business may have to compensate the candidate for the higher home costs in the cities to where they will relocate. Downtown in housing or not, a house in Los Angeles, for example, costs a lot more than most other parts of the country. This has to be considered, as does the overall cost and compensation for uprooting the family.
And then there is the issue, what happens when the fit isn’t right and the job just doesn’t work out? Is the candidate stranded in the new city, or is the company forced to compensate for relocate back to the candidate’s city of origin. Most of these contingencies are worked out in the contractual arrangement, but you can see how the money adds up.
As a background checking company, Corra Group, will often be called upon to run background checks on our clients’ new employment recruits. Clients tell us they are looking for local people. They are looking for people who don’t really have to move. They want employees who are familiar with the area and will not experience a change of heart about relocating. It is easier, cheaper, and usually lands better results.
So as Marc Cenedella advises, bear this in mind when applying for jobs. You will save yourself a lot of time, and the company a lot of unwanted distraction. We know it is tough out there. But there is no need to make it harder on yourself.
Check them out before you hire.
