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Going the
Distance
Success in securing work in another
town or city has more in common with looking for work in your hometown
than it has differences. This module will give you a blueprint to how to
plan, make decisions, and make a move to work. The process usually
doesn’t unfold in a nice neat step by step manner, but we’ve
organized the information that way so that you will find it easier to
get the information you need. You can check out any section you like,
but if you are not sure where to go, start here:
| You
& your family |
Research
your destination |
Get
your tools ready |
Making
contacts |
Make
your move |
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Identify your priorities
for a move that work for the rest of your life
|
Identify what's happening and
whose hiring before you decide to make your move |
Start getting your resume and
interview skills polished |
The importance of making
contacts in your chosen destination |
Decision time - Weigh your
thinking with some last minute checks |
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STEP
1 - YOU & YOUR FAMILY
This is a good place to start.
 SET SOME PRIORITIES - The last thing you want is to move
from the frying pan to the fire. Before you move, take some
time to identify what kind of employment and personal life you
want. Make sure you include others like your family who could
be moving with you (or living apart from you) in the decision.
What are the options you prepared to consider and for how
long? There are different work and living arrangements that
people have found worked for them. For example, you might
choose live apart from your family for a time until you are
sure things are going to work out. Or you may decide to have
households in two communities and commute every few weeks. The
key is to identify what you prefer, what you can live with,
and what you will absolutely not consider.
 PLAN ON A TARGETED JOB SEARCH - Figure out ahead of time
what type of work are you looking for and what skills and
assets you have for this type of work. In a distance job
search, it is critical to have specific targets in mind
because you often have only one chance to make an impression
that will stand out from the local talent. Not sure what kind
of work to get into?
Check out these
links - 
 MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU NEED -You may not be able to put
together a complete list of what you need to make this move to
find work until you've done more research abroad. But, start
with what you know - what you know you'll need, that is.
Figure out what qualifications you will need to present to
employers. You may need to consider upgrading or refreshing
some of your qualifications or meeting inter-provincial
standards. You may not have all the bits an employer is
looking for - perhaps NIEFS can help with information about re-training funding.
Link to NIEFS Negotiated Financial Assistance for Training
 WHAT ABOUT MONEY? - How much do you need to help you
conduct a long distance job search. And what costs will be
involved in moving and living in another community.
Check out this budget
planner tool on the net
To figure out how you can contact
employers in other places and present your qualifications,
resume, or portfolio without taking out a bank loan - check
out the Distance
Job Search Tools.
The Internet and other electronic tools like faxing,
email, and the phone are making long distance job search so
much easier.
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STEP
2 - RESEARCH YOUR DESTINATION
Getting the lay of the land can make your job search and move
much easier. The more you learn about what's happening in your
destination regarding employment, the more prepared you'll be
to jump on opportunities occurring out there. The Internet is
truly wonderful for this type of research. But again, there is
no substitute for a real live contact (who either has a job
lead or is living where you want to be).
Do you have friends, relatives, or co-workers who now live
where you are thinking of moving to? Let them know your plans
and make sure they have copies of your resume. If you don't
know anyone, then the Internet is a good place to start your
research.
There are three things to check out when doing your long
distance job search and/or determining where to move to.
1. Employer base - try to find out who's who and who's hiring
in your field and how to contact them. Most companies have
websites that you can check out for this kind of information.
You can try doing a search - NIEFS
Search Engine Links
The Newspapers and Classifieds can also give you an idea of
who's who - NIEFS
Newspaper Links
The main idea is to get the name of the person who does the
hiring and might be interested in hearing what you have to
offer them - just like doing a regular job search.
2. Industry trends - this has to do with what's happening in a
community's economy. Some industries and the communities that
rely on them are really subject to what's called a "Boom
& Bust" Economy. The oil sector in Alberta is a good
example of this. It has economic highs and lows as big as
Mount Everest and the Grand Canyon. When you are in a
"Boom" economy, everyone forgets that the
"Bust" is coming. And when it comes, for some
regions, it ends up not just affecting that industry but all
the other businesses and services that support it. So it is
important to follow the trends in your field in other places
to avoid getting caught in a bust. This is an extreme kind of
business cycle, but every industry has it's own set of cydes
and trends. It pays to pay attention to them. Here are some good
links on labour market trends across different regions in
Canada - NIEFS Labour
Market Links
3. The Community itself - You will need a place to stay or
live, a way to get there and get around, and perhaps,
something to do, besides work. You can save a lot of time and
unhappiness by locating a place to live and becoming familiar
with transportation and things available in the community
ahead of time. In some places where the economy is hot,
finding a place to live is more challenging than finding work.
Again, start with who you know who has been there and done
that. The Net can be another good research tool. Check out our
links under the Relocation Planner.
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STEP 3 - GET
YOUR TOOLS READY
Refresh your resume, dust off your certificates, and call up
your references - or is that call up your resume, refresh your
certificates, and dust off your references. Whatever, you are
going to need them all polished and ready to go - possibly
even before or while you are doing your research in step 2.
While the electronic age is great for doing a distance job
search, it has also increased employers' expectations that you
can have your resume to them in the speed of light.
To polish up your resume and job search skills - check out
these links - 
To find out how to get your resume and credentials to
employers at the speed of light - check out our TOOLS module.
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STEP 4
- MAKING CONTACTS
This can be one of the most challenging steps people encounter
when looking for work and yet, it is the number one most
effective way of finding work either at home or away. What
adds to the challenge is that doing a long distance job search
makes it harder to establish a personal connection with an
employer. Your arsenal includes the Net, phone, fax, email.
Your secret weapon … (click
to find out)
Follow-up (hint - this works well at home too when looking
for work) Whole other page
Here's a good process to follow when making contacts:
1. Tell everyone you know you are looking for work (what kind
and where) and ask them if they know anyone who might have a
lead for you. Ask them if you can use their name or if they
can arrange an introduction
2. After that, ask anyone else you talk to on that list or
anyone you talk to period, who else might be good for you to
contact about work
and so on, and so on, and so on…Repeat until you find work
3. If you run out of leads above, it's time to make some cold
calls
4. Refer to your list of employers you used earlier in
researching the employer base and identify those you want to
work for
5. Contact the powers that be of those companies with an
email/letter of introduction. You can include your resume then
or you can tell them you will call them to find out what is
the best way to get a resume to them (remember your secret
weapon?) .
If you are asking 'what is a letter of introduction' click
here for info on cover letters - cover letters page/sites.
If you don't have access to a email account , click here -
hotmail tutorial.
6. Phone the contact after to make sure they received your
email and resume. Be prepared to be interviewed over the
phone, but don't expect it. Ask about future opportunities and
what kinds of qualifications they would be looking for? Note:
This is different from questions like "Will you hire me?
or "Do you have a job"? (you don't want to hear
"no" or "yes, I have a job, but you
don't").
7. Ask if they would like to spend more time reviewing your
qualifications either by phone or in person? Arrange a
convenient time to call back or if in person, let them know
when you will be in town and try to set up an appointment.
8. No joy? Use your secret
weapon!
9. I repeat… "Repeat until you find work"
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STEP 5
- MAKE YOUR MOVE
You've figured out your plan, gathered your resources and got
packed. Now it's decision time. Your anxiety level is less
because of all this prior preparation and you know more about
what you are getting into. Maybe you've even got some
promising prospects for work. If you've made the decision to
move, take one last look at it from these angles:
1. Does it fit with your employment and personal goals?
2. Does it stand a good chance of paying off (covering your
costs and meeting your financial needs)
3. Does it work for the others who are important your life?
4. What does your gut say about it - sleep on it?
A few last tips if you decide to go:
Save your receipts for travel, moving, costs of conducting
a job search, and even living. You never know - they may come
in handy at income tax time (for more details, talk to an
accountant or check out Revenue Canada's website)
Leave a number where you can be reached daily because you
never know when a job opportunity will come along, and
inevitably it will come up when you're gone. To access your
email account on any computer hooked up to the Internet, try
this site: www.mail2web.com
· Bon Voyage and don't forget to write!
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