By Angela Copeland,

It can happen to anyone. You’ve been living and working in one city for years. Things were going along fine until you decided you wanted to move to a new city. You might be looking for different career opportunities. Or, maybe you want to live close to a mountain so you can ski. Your parents may be getting older and you may want to be within driving distance of them in case of emergencies.

Whatever your reason, the challenge is the same. Relocating to another city mid-career can present unique obstacles, especially if you’ve never lived there before. In large cities, there may be enough local talent to fill existing jobs. In small cities, companies may not have the budget to relocate external candidates, so they may overlook you.

1. Don’t Lie About Being Local

When faced with this situation, many job seekers create a plan to dupe their new employer into thinking they’re local. First, they’ll rent a post office box with a local address. Then, they’ll change all of their contact information to appear to be local.

I discourage you from taking this route. First, it’s dishonest. What would your new employer think if they knew you lied to them during your very first interaction? Second, local candidates are often called upon for next day face-to-face interviews. This will set you up to tell another lie about why you can’t come in right away.

2. Take A Trip To Your New Location

A better route is to introduce yourself to the employers in your chosen city by showing them just how serious you are about moving there. Plan a one to two week networking trip to your target city. Schedule it a month or so in advance, so your time will be used effectively while you’re there.

Plan to break each day into three pieces: morning, midday, and evening. The morning is a great time to meet with recruiters and existing contacts for coffee. Use the middle of the day for lunches when you want to connect with someone in more detail. This is also a great time to setup interviews. Use the evenings to attend networking events and grow your number of local contacts.

3. Reach Out To Your Existing Network

The first group you should reach out to is your existing network. Let them know you will only be in town for a limited amount of time and would like to catch up with them. You’ll be surprised at how quickly people will clear their schedules when they hear you’re coming to town.

This tactic also works well with companies you’re interested in working for. Even though they may not be ready to meet with you in person, many hiring managers will make an exception if you happen to be in town for only a few days. It saves them money on transportation and allows them to meet with you in person.

4. Leave Recruiters For Last

Recruiters are the last set of individual contacts you’ll want to reach out to. Because they’re compensated based upon their ability to place candidates, they love to meet new job seekers. Create a list of recruiting agencies and placement firms in your new city and reach out to each one. You can use these meetings to fill in the gaps for the days when you don’t have coffee or lunch with a current contact.

5. Find Local Events At Your New Location

Then, use event websites like Meetup.com and EventBrite.com to find local events that are happening while you’re there. If you’re a social butterfly, consider attending more than one event per evening. Target activities for young professionals or groups that are industry specific and align to the type of work you do. When you attend events, give your elevator pitch and exchange business cards with those you meet. Follow up on LinkedIn and in e-mail to ensure you stay connected.

I hope you’ll find these tips helpful. This approach worked for me when I moved to Memphis, Tennessee from Los Angeles, California. I flew cross country for one week and attended meetings and networking events each day. I targeted one particular event because a CEO I admired was speaking. After his presentation, I introduced myself and gave my elevator pitch. A month later, I was on my way to Memphis to start my new job!