Question:
I am a Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) and a CNA (Certified Novell Administrator), highly techincally qualified, and want to move to another state. I would like to have my interview paid for by the companies interviewing me and relocation costs paid for by my new employer, but I don't know why they would want to do so when they could hire someone who is already living in their city. How do I get my interview and relocation costs paid for by the employers?
First Answer:
Most large companies have already established guidelines about paying for
interview and relocation expenses. When you are contacted about an
interview, be sure to ask if the expenses of the interview are covered by
the company. If not, you will have to decide if the opportunity the
company offers is worth the expense of the interview to you. Once you have
completed the interview process and are offered the position, then you are
in a better spot to negotiate relocation expenses. Most large companies
who recurit nationwide already have this policy in place. If the company
that makes you an offer does not, make suggestions to them based on
industry standards. Contact other people you know working in major
companies and find out what kind of relocation policies they have. Use
that information to propose one to a possible employer.
-- Linda Wyatt, Career Center Director, Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Second Answer:
If you don't wish to make the investment in traveling to the interview city, then your success in achieving your objectives will totally be predicated on the companies being so impressed with your background that they want to see you, in spite of the cost to them or the other people
interviewing from their city.
Obviously you can target certain companies and write to them directly. If they respond positively it will either be to say stop by and see us when you're out this way, or we'd really like to see you and will fly you out. Your best chance in this area lies in convincing the company in your cover letter that you have special skills and experience which others don't have.
Another way to encourage a paid for trip is to see if any of your friends have contacts at the company and have them put in a good word for you. If someone they value says you are special or have certain skills they need then your chances of separating yourself form the crowd and getting that trip out to visit at their expense is greatly improved. If they hire you, it's highly likely you'll get some moving expenses.
Your challenge as I mentioned before, is to make your background seem especially suited to their needs.
Good luck with your search.
-- David Gordon, Advertising/Promotions Internship Office, Columbia University in Chicago, Illinois.
Third Answer:
Many, but not all, employers expect to pay for travel for interviews and for relocation costs for professional staff, especially in the current job market with its shortage of highly skilled workers. Assume that interview travel expenses will be paid for, but confirm it when you are invited for an interview. Some employers will purchase your transportation tickets and arrange to have your hotel billed to them, rather than have you wait for reimbursement. If travel expenses to an interview are not offered, ask for them. If an employer thinks you offer something local candidates can't, such as experience in a specific industry or company, travel expenses are a necessary cost of recruitment.
If it's a buyer's market in MCSE and CNA experts in the area in which you want to move, the employer may refuse. While you may not have leverage in this situation, try setting up multiple interviews in the same week in the area to which you want to relocate, and plan a trip around them, so you travel at your expense only once.
On the other hand, relocation expenses may have to be negotiated; wait until you have an offer and then make relocation a negotiating item if you haven't been advised it will be covered. Also, relocation coverage varies from a small fixed allowance that might cover moving the contents of a three-room apartment, to a rich package including site visits to choose a new home, bridge loans to finance a move before your home sells, purchase of your existing home, and exotic items such as flat-bedding your Porsche or moving your horse across country-with the total amount "grossed up" so that you don't pay income taxes on the amount the employer is required to add to your W-2 if the firm pays your relocation costs. The rule here is "if you don't ask for it, you certainly won't get some unusual item covered." It's important to know just what expenses the firm will cover: how many site visits? Plane fare for your significant other? How long can you stay in a hotel and fly home weekends? Will they repatriate you to your former place of residence if you are laid off due to no fault of your own, say after a merger? Will you have to repay the entire amount of your relocation package if you resign within a certain period of time? You should ensure the relocation package is clearly defined in the offer letter you request after your negotiations are complete and you accept an oral offer contingent upon it. Do not resign from your current job until you have an offer letter in your hands covering every item negotiated!
If you can get neither travel for interviews nor relocation covered, you will have to assess the tradeoffs necessary to make the relocation you desire. A higher starting salary may, over time, be worth more than these items, or you may decide the move is worthwhile for career advancement or a more desirable lifestyle even if you are out of pocket for these expenses.
-- Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City.
