If you are a fellow commuter, you have probably spent a lot of time dreaming about what it would be like to have a 10 minute commute instead of the hour of slogging you usually do.
Many people assume that the jobs they have don’t exist in their town/suburb/area. Maybe the new year is the time to take a look at that assumption.
There are many ways to look for your kind of work in your neighbourhood.
The first place to start is your local classified ads. You might be surprised what you find. Don’t forget – if you see a posting that might fit someone you know, make sure to pass it on. This is the number one job hunting karma builder.
Next, check out sites like Eluta or Simplyhired or Indeed. These sites allow you to search two criteria:job words and geography. Hint: don’t use just your title when you are searching. There are a lot of weird titles out there. To capture all the relevant postings, use a title word and a technical word. For instance instead of “mechanical engineer”, use “engineer” and “design”.
When you are filling in the geography box, you can select how far a range you want. Don’t be afraid to start with 10 kms to see what you get. The whole point is to be close to home.
For a deeper research, go you your local municipal government website and check out the Business or Economic Development pages. There you can usually find not only a list of the top employers in the area but also, press releases about companies that have been recognized for special contributions. You will also find a list of building permits issued. This is exactly the kind of intelligence you need to build a strategy for the localization of your career.
When you find a company that you find intriguing, get on the company’s website and LinkedIn to look or possible contacts. If you don’t have any, call the town directly. They can usually have information that they are willing to share.
Once you have contact information, think about your message. Who at the company will be interested in what you do and what you can fix? Zoom right in on them with a message crafted specifically for them and their pain points. That will capture their attention much better than a resume and canned cover letter.
The idea is to get a conversation going about the company and their future. As you learn more, you can decide if there is a good spot for you in that organization.
This is not an overnight solution but if you are serious about spending more time at home and less time commuting, this will definitely be a worthwhile investment of your time.