Here is the one thing I did..that worked great. Find a “champion” in the new area….even if you have to pay them. Find someone who is “clone” of you…someone you can rely on. Yes..this is hard. But you can’t be there….so you need someone to be there. Btw..mine was a guy named Chris Massaro at http://www.thesourcecareers.com

disclosure…I am unpaid support to Chris…only after I found his service so valuable, I wanted to help.

You recently apologized for not helping me with my job search. Well, my friend, YOU JUST HIT A HOME RUN! I also appreciate your ideas and insight, and I will be surprised if there aren’t more suggestions, and maybe even a few nibbles.

I’d also like to respond to your points briefly just for your information:

1. I haven’t signed up or attended any local groups yet, but your ideas are strong. I will have to see if we have something closer than Wilmington, DE (about 2+ hours away) or Columbia, MD (again, around 2+ hours away). I’ll do some digging, and find out what I can.

2. Thanks for the lead to the Google groups – WOW, I didn’t know there were that many! I’ll keep checking and adding!

3. I have already joined three groups in the Denver area, and when out on vacation in May attended a meeting of one of them. It has been helpful to put faces with the names, and I have gotten some great leads from them as well. No job interviews or offers yet, but some very good leads.

4. I have made some great strides with two big networkers. Both are EXTREMELY helpful, and have also become good friends.

5. LinkedIn searches have netted me some good people, as well as some introductions through my network to some of the people in high places in some of my target companies. It is beginning to pick up speed, but I wish it would produce interviews or offers!

Jason, thank you so very much for your help, and for this awesome feature. I’m forever grateful. And to all of you who have responded, and for all the additional responses, I truly am humbled and thankful.

Barry

Love those networking questions. Here are some quick tips for instant gratification:

1. Make a list of everyone you know right now – THINK BIG. This means, third cousin twice removed counts as part of your network. Find out who knows someone in CO.

2. I agree with the earlier post – The Business Journal’s book of lists is terrific for identifying target companies. Take it a step further, check out the movers and shakers section. If someone’s been hired in a key role – that means there may be an opp. for you. (Here’s Denver’s direct link: http://tinyurl.com/5puk3v.)

3. Get the local paper for the area where you plan to move. Again, review movers and shakers. Also read the business section for names. Papers list the big cheese’s names – so you now have an actual name of a person where you can send your resume. And you can also ask who in your network knows someone who may know someone who knows this Big Cheese.

4. Chamber of Commerce – check out their website for the area where you plan to move. Not only do you get lists of local companies, you get contact names as well. If you move before you get a job (not something I recommend) – volunteer for the local chamber and press the flesh.

5. Your industry’s professional organizations. For example, PRSA is a national organization for public relations professionals. They have local chapters – you can connect from the website. And they also have job postings for members only. What’s your industry’s professional organization? Join and connect!

And here’s a direct link to my article on how to relocate and get hired faster:

http://www.knocks.com/Relocation_job_search_tips.html

And here’s a link to tons more articles and networking tips:

http://www.knocks.com/news.asp

All the best,
Wendy Terwelp, networking coach

I responded to this post via my blog since it was way to long for a comment…..and linked to you….didn’t do the trackback as you would not have felt the love

Thanks for the great post!

Megan

You can also keep well-informed on your target area by reading the local newspapers and newsletters, whether online or through mail subscription. Read them for useful articles, note names, and contact those with whom you can have substantive exchanges. “I read your comments in the interview with the Lakeville Journal of Business, and found them enlightening. I thought you might be interested in this article I found…”

From my networking via LinkedIn, face to face and yahoo groups, I would then “who do you know” everyone I could think of to identify contacts within those companies on my “target list.”

I did this when I wanted to leave Seattle and come back to California in a career change. It was a challenging experience for me, but I did it and the target company list paid off…. literally! PLUS, it was the best training a recruiter could ever get on networking via the phone

Good luck Barry!