Maybe you have been asked the question before, “Are you willing to relocate?”
While relocating for a job is not always a priority, it can absolutely help bolster your career to new heights.
Many times, looking in one geographic location for the perfect career opportunity is limiting.
In any case, whether you are dead set on relocating, or it’s a thought in the back of your head, we want to help.
It’s crucial that your relocation resume reflects your location preferences properly.
In this article, we will explain how to update your resume while preparing to relocate for work.
Do You Have to Relocate?
If you already know that you have to relocate, and you know where you are going, this makes things easier.
Let’s say for example you are in San Diego, California, and you have decided to move to Denver, Colorado. Maybe you are moving to be closer to family, to stop paying insane taxes, or to support your spouse’s new career.
Whatever the case, you know that you are going to be moving eventually.
In this scenario, the best option is to update your resume with the new city and state that you will be moving to.
This relocation resume sample shows someone from San Diego, CA, who is planning a move to Denver, CO:
Notice how in the picture above, the location on the top of the resume shows “Denver, CO”, not “San Diego, CA”.
If you are open to jobs in both Denver, CO and San Diego, CA you should be prepared to have two versions of your resume that will be used depending on the city and state you are applying to.
Top Tip
You don’t need to put your full address on your resume. Just a city and state will do.
Is Relocating a Possibility, but Not a Requirement?
If relocating is just something you are considering, but not something you absolutely have to do, your resume should reflect that appropriately.
Let’s say that you currently live in New York City. Maybe you are thinking of moving somewhere a little bit more relaxed. But you aren’t fully set on moving.
If relocating is an option, but not a priority, it’s crucial to evaluate your situation.
Unless you are director-level or higher, receiving relocation assistance from your next employer is unlikely.
Consider the costs of relocating for a new job and weigh the pros and cons.
If you are willing to relocate, but you don’t have a single location in mind, sometimes it is best to keep it broad. Simply adding “(willing to relocate)” next to your current location will display your location flexibility and help justify to a hiring manager why someone in NYC is applying to a job in Atlanta.
This relocation resume sample shows someone from New York City who is open to relocating to a variety of locations:
Top Tip
Many recruiters/hiring managers prefer to look locally before expanding their search to other cities/states/countries.
If you are happy with your current location, oftentimes it is easiest to focus your job search in that current location.
Searching locally is typically more cost-effective for the hiring manager as well as the individual job searching. Especially for non-executive positions.
Are You Entirely Unwilling to Relocate?
If you are entirely unwilling to relocate, why are you reading an article on the proper way to update your resume for a relocation?
Maybe you just enjoy reading? Maybe you are researching for a friend?
Rather than speculating on your questionable life choices, we just want to say hello, and wish you a very good day.
In all seriousness, if you are simply unwilling to relocate, don’t apply to jobs outside of your desired location.
If a recruiter calls trying to pitch a job outside of your current location, simply tell them you are unwilling to relocate at this time, but you’d love to stay in touch in case any opportunities come up in your local area.
While not relocating definitely makes interviewing easier, your career opportunities may be limited by the number of open jobs in your local market (depends entirely on where you live).
What to Put on a Job Application When Asked for Your Location?
Another concern that we’d like to alleviate is whether you should put your current location, or the location you’d like to relocate to when asked for your “location” on the job application.
The answer is… it depends.
A general rule of thumb is that whatever location you are putting on your resume, should also be used on the application (see above to know what you should be putting on your resume).
- If you are 100% relocating to a specific destination with or without a job, put your upcoming location on the application.
- If you are open to relocating, but it’s not a priority, put your current location on the application.
- If you are unwilling to relocate entirely, seriously, why are you still reading this article?
Sometimes job applications will go so far as to ask for your street address.
If this happens, and you are someone who is absolutely relocating no matter what, use the address of the home/apt you are purchasing/renting or use the address of a friend or family member in that city.
If you have no friends, family, or residence in the desired city, and you still need to enter an address, we recommend getting a P.O. Box in that city.
It will only cost you a few dollars a month and can make all the difference when applying to jobs while relocating.
Top Tip
Some Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) will actually disqualify applicants for not being in their target location. If you are applying for a job in California when the job application or resume shows you are in New York, you may be immediately pushed to the bottom of the pile.
Resume Services for Relocating Professionals
If you are looking for a professional resume writing service to help with your relocation resume, we have just what you need.
Option 1: Find My Profession (hey, that’s us!) provides an excellent resume writing service geared towards high-income producers and executives. While definitely not the least expensive service available, we believe that our quality and customer care is unmatched.
Price: $395 – $1295
Option 2: ResumeZest is a resume writing company that we are proud to recommend. ResumeZest offers high-quality resume writing services at an affordable price for any industry or profession.
Price: $279 – $479
Key Takeaways
Being willing to relocate can be a great career decision.
Whether you are relocating by choice or not, it’s important that your resume is helping with your job search, not stunting it.
For anyone considering a relocation, we hope that this article on relocation resumes was helpful.
If you’d like professional assistance with crafting your relocation resume, our team at Find My Profession would be happy to serve you.
Contact us today and see how we can help with your next big (career) move.
