Relocating for Job Hunting?

HadjiQuest

So I recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree in the liberal arts/social sciences, as you may remember from my threads here asking what to do next.

I have a Grad School I want to get into. But the school isn't taking new applicants until Fall 2012, so I need to get out there and find a job. It's in the second-most developed region of my state, so I'm fairly confident I could find work.

The problem is, I have no idea how to relocate like that without having a job lined up. And I have no idea how to get a job lined up without already living in an area. What do I do? How do I manage this? I have an absolutely minimal amount of savings, so I don't have enough to move right away and begin looking for work there. I have no friends already living in the area, but I have a couple that will also be headed there in the fall. And I promised my girlfriend that I would be moving in with her in the fall.

I realize I could look for a smaller seasonal job for the Summer, but I will be dealing with some personal family stuff for most of June, and then I have to move from the apartment I'm currently in back into my parents house across state. So I would only have July and the first few weeks of August to find a job and save money up. If I can, I'd like to skip this entirely.

So, I guess my basic question is how do I relocate and find a job in a new area without any money to move ahead of time, and no network of friends in the area to help me out? What am I looking for, and where do I start looking?

Forbe!

Apply for jobs in the area, see if anyone bites, and relocate if you can get something secure.

Also, you can try visiting the area for a day or two and signing up for a staffing company related to your field. They will find you temp-to-hire work in that region, which could hold you over until you find something more permanent.

Edit:

I mean, that is what I would do. If you have a secure place to stay for the time being, there is no reason to uproot yourself and move there without a job lined up. You probably aren't going to find work that will let you off the hook for a month while you need to deal with family stuff, so there is little point in trying to do this until after your family stuff is taken care of.

HadjiQuest

Signing for temp agencies is a pretty good idea. How quickly do you think I'd need to relocate?

Also, I should add that I am very lucky to be debtless after college, and so if necessary I could take out a small loan.


Edit: Also suggestions for apartment hunting websites/reviews?

Forbe!

I don't know what your area is like, but I signed up through a staffing company in Tulsa, OK, and I am located in Chicago, IL, and I got a job offer in about 72 hours. They gave me a timeline for when they expected me (2-3 weeks) and I'm moving in 2 days.

The staffing company will talk to the employer and see what their needs are and communicate that to you.

If the family matters you need to take care of are in the town you currently reside in, or near, you may just want to get a summer job and start saving up money. You will probably need to have money available for a place to rent (1st/last month rent, security deposit, utility deposits, etc), money for furniture, transportation, etc. But I don't like loans, so thats what I would plan on doing.

Edit:

I should mention, however, that staffing companies skim money off the top.

Staffing companies work by maintaining a database of potential employees. When a company needs to fill a position, they go to a staffing company (for whom you would work for) and place you at that job site. You are still an employee of the staffing company, and not of the company you are placed at. Sometimes, these positions are temporary, or sometimes they are temp-to-hire, where after a set probation period, the company may decide to hire you as an employee. During your tenure as a temp or temp-to-hire employee, the staffing company takes a certain % off of your check. For example, you may make $15/hr, but after the staffing company wets their beak, you get $12/hr.

HadjiQuest

Do you happen to know any national staffing companies, by chance?

My biggest problem is that I will be crossing back and forth between three cities across my state all month for June, to visit family, friends, and move back home. I don't expect to be in the same place, or even the same part of the state for more than 8 or 9 days in a row for the entire month.

Forbe!

I'm an industrial worker, so most of the companies I have dealt with are probably not in the social-science business.

If you have any experience in any other field, or are just looking for a temp job that isn't related to what you want to do, you can always try them.

I believe Manpower, and Aerotek are two staffing companies that operate nationally/internationally, and deal with all sorts of jobs. I know for a fact there are white collar type staffing agencies, I just don't know of any off the top of my head.

Edit: Just in the mean time spend your time perfecting your resume, getting your references/letters of reference in order, and be prepared to do some hard work. If you have a lap top, bring it with you. Always be looking for jobs where you want to move to. It doesn't hurt to spend time preparing while you're busy with family stuff, I'm sure you'll have downtime. Also, always carry a few resumes around. You never know if you'll meet someone while you're traveling.

HadjiQuest

Yeah, the conclusion of my last H/A thread was that I am best suited for vaguely defined White Collar jobs for the time being, until I have a master's or some more experience. Alright, I will look into staffing agencies and the like.

If anyone can suggest some to me, I'd appreciate it.

Liquid Hellz

My wife got an awesome job in the healthcare field through this company. http://www.ultimatestaffing.com/

Walrus von Zeppelin

I have read that it can be helpful to get a PO box in the area of where you are job hunting so that employers don't throw you out for not being local. I know my current employer has complained about getting resumes from people across the country.