Can you hear me now and other frustrating parts of applying for a job out of state?

I guess you just have to be prepared for this because it is an inevitable part of the job application process--but that doesn't make it any less frustrating!

I had been searching for paralegal jobs in Pennsylvania (specifically in the Philadelphia area) but to say that I have been unsuccessful would be putting it mildly.  It got me thinking that there was really nothing tying me down here so why not be open to job opportunities in other states?  I have dreamed of living and working in Washington, D.C for a loooonngg time so I started applying for jobs in Washington, D.C and Virginia.  I assumed that most employers would be curious about someone from Pennsylvania applying for a job in D.C so I decided that I would address that concern right up front.  I stated as clearly as possible in the first few sentences of my cover letter that I currently resided in the suburbs of Philadelphia but that I had responded to the job posting because I was specifically interested in the job.  I also mentioned that I had  researched the area and planned on relocating to Washington, D.C.--which was the truth (as long as I could find a job). 

Well, I admit it--I didn't hear back from like 98% of the places that I submitted my resume to--se la vie!  So when I submitted my resume responding to a job posting for a paralegal in Washington, D.C I really wasn't expecting too much.  Imagine how excited I was when I checked my e-mail a few hours later and I had an e-mail from someone at the law firm!  It was an e-mail from the Director of Operations.  My excitement deflated and quickly turned to frustration as I skimmed the e-mail.  It said. "We received your resume.  I noticed you were from out of state.  Were you planning to relocate here?"  The e-mail went on to inform me that the company did not reimburse for relocation expenses.

There was a part of me that was trying to be understanding.  The Director of Operations must be shifting through stacks and stacks of cover letters and resumes.  In sorting through all the applicants it could be easy to overlook what I had said in the cover letter about wanting to relocate to the area.  The other part of me was extremely frustrated.  It made me feel like she had obviously not read my cover letter AT ALL.  Apparently it had been a huge waste of time when I had taken the time to draft a cover letter that clearly states in the first few sentences that I was planning to relocate to the area.  It wasn't like the information was buried somewhere in the cover letter--it was one of the first sentences in the first paragraph of my cover letter.  So I was sort of frustrated when she asked if I was planning on relocating.  It left me wondering--had I been unclear in some way about my intentions to move or had she just not read my cover letter at all. 

I also recently had a telephone interview.  I figured I would write about it because in today's job market some times people looking for jobs aren't finding anything in the "local" job market and are considering other, out-of-state opportunities--so it makes perfect sense to do a phone interview before having someone take all the time and expense of traveling from another state.  I have had a few telephone interviews before but this is the first phone interview with such a large, nationally-recognized firm with offices across the country.  I got the interview using "my trusty" send resume and do follow up phone call method.  It had worked and I got an e-mail response from the office manager scheduling a preliminary phone interview with 2 attorneys in the office.  I was nervous, especially since I really didn't know what to expect.

Well, let me tell you when they say preliminary, they mean preliminary!  The whole interview took about 15 minutes--just a basic introduction to the office and a few questions about my background and experience.  There were two attorneys who conducted the interview but one of them really did all of talking.  At the end of the conversation the attorney told me that the hiring process takes about two weeks and I would be hearing from someone in the office.  I couldn't really tell if that was just a polite brush off--the law firm equivalent of, "don't call us, we'll call you."  Or if I really will hear back from someone in the office in a week or two.  That's one of the drawbacks of the telephone interview--you can't read people's body language or make eye contact with the person conducting the interview.  But the next day I sent a follow-up thank you e-mail and crossed my fingers, hoping for the best.

But at the very least it was a good experience and good practice.  It reminded me that I willing to put myself out there and be open to a variety of different job opportunities.