Whether you’re planning to move or have just relocated to a new area, one thing is for sure—you need to have a job. You probably won’t have the advantage of networking connections or proven track record in the local job market right away, but there are things you can do to improve your chances of finding the right opportunity quickly.

Use this step-by-step guide to find a career opportunities when you’re moving, and land a lucrative job in your new city.

Find Prospective Employers

This is the easy part. Getting them to notice you is a little more difficult.

First, you’ll want to search for and build a list of prospective employers. Search for companies who employ workers in your industry, or one you’re interested. Having this list will help you understand both the scope of your industry and the availability of jobs in that area.

You shouldn’t just be searching for companies on Google. You can also look via online job resources. It’s better not to use the large aggregators like Indeed or Monster. A lot of smaller companies advertise opportunities on smaller industry-specific sites or local job boards.

At this point, you should only be looking for potential companies rather than specific job openings. Strategizing and looking for the best options is the first part of the job search plan.

You’ll want to perform in-depth research on these companies before adding them to your list. You should browse and do a reverse networking search by searching employees list. You work backwards to find if you have any connections at that company, even if they’re remote. If you do, reach out and network.

When you are researching prospective employers, check out their mission statements and their organizational structure. If your chosen prospective employer generates a lot of turnover in their employees, there is probably a reason for this leak in the ship. Companies that retain their employees are better bets for being great places to work.

Look For Existing Connections

Networking is always a great job search tool. Look for any people or groups that you might have an existing connection with. Even if they’re not in your industry, ask friends if they have friends you can connect with professionally.

Use things you’ve done in your life—high school, college, past jobs, hobbies, organizations/groups you belong to—to see if there’s a local connection to anyone. You know a lot of people and have built personal relationships. It’s ok to ask these people if they know of any opportunities.

If any are living in the city you are targeting for a potential career move, these old friends could open new and exciting doors for you. You can also use your college’s career services to acquire HR recruiters’ information and maybe even garner a recommendation.

Enter the Job Search Grind

When you are without a job, it is easy to become a couch potato. Don’t let this happen to you.

Instead, take charge and work the job search. Apart from networking, this is your best bet. You need to be searching for opportunities every day, using the list of companies you created as your guide.

This is a continual process. You need to be on job search sites all the time, and you need to be tracking opportunities at the companies you targeted. As they say, finding a job is a full-time job, and you need to be the first application hiring managers see.

Stay on top of it to improve your chances.

Join Professional Associations

If you are a member of professional associations or unions, reach out to other members who live and work in the new area. If you are visiting the area before taking the plunge to relocate, then be sure to attend any hosted professional association events.

These don’t have to be stuffy, dry organizations. A lot of cities have meetups designated for specific fields or interests. A lot of times these people help each other when one of them hits the job market.

These are great places to meet others in the same industry. You can easily make friends and reach out to those people who already are employed where you want to be hired.

Don’t Be an Island

You need to be talking to new people all the time. Make small talk, ask questions, let people know you are new to the area.

You might be surprised at who is buying a cup of coffee, picking up last minute groceries, or handling banking business on the same day and time as you. This informal way of networking can pay off with dividends, especially if the new friends are chatty and able to pass along information that is beneficial to you.

Social Media

Using social media to your advantage is particularly important during a job hunt out of the area.

If you have let networking lapse because you had a full time job, now is the time to revitalize your social media network. Choose to network with strangers who work at the companies you are interested in because these insiders have information that you need to know. Social media isn’t just for teens. Recruiters are heavily relying on LinkedIn to inspect their potential hires.

According to U.S. News, 94 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn while only 36 percent of prospective employees are active on the site. Job recruiters are also going to be looking into your online presence. Nearly 80 percent of them are actually required to do so as part of the hiring process.

Lend a Hand

Networking is not all about what your connections can do for you.

Rather, it is what you can do for your connections. If your connections have needs that match your skill set, jump in with both feet to help out. If you aren’t qualified to help, but you are connected with someone who can do what needs to be done, be the middleman and hook up your two connections.

Helping others is a great way to be remembered and to prove your skills.

Stay with It

Whether you are at the beginning stages of your job hunt or have been looking for a job for a while, following these job search tips will help streamline the process for you and yield the best opportunities.

Remember, most times it’s not as easy as just applying and hoping. You have to do the little things right, and you have to realize that doing these things won’t always lead to a job. But it’s all about putting yourself in the right position for success. If you do this enough times, eventually you’ll land where you want to be.

Bio:

Susan Ranford is an expert on job market trends, hiring, and business management. She is the Community Outreach Coordinator for New York Jobs. In her blogging and writing, she seeks to shed light on issues related to employment, business, and finance to help others understand different industries and find the right job fit for them.

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