JOBS for spouses: relocating for Residency

[ophtho1122]

How did you guys go about finding employment for your spouse if you relocated, or will be relocating for Residency. We are moving to Houston, TX and my wife can't find work. She has a Masters degree in Public Administration with 4 years experience in Organizational Management. We've applied for over 50 jobs in the past couple months and heard back from zero. I've always heard you need to have connections or no someone in the organization to get middle management and above type jobs that are worth a damn. But what do you do when you don't know anyone? I've heard people mention "headhunters", but all the headhunters we've found work for the organizations, not the job seekers. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

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[beriberi]

We're relocating too. A couple of things to think about:

is resume listed on all possible web sites?
have you used her alumni network?
have you let the school know that you have a spouse looking for work?
have you checked the major websites of all of the big employers in the area (i.e. univeristies, corporate headquarters)--these jobs are often not listed in web databases, and are only available by checking the employers site directly.

It can be very hard, but you have only been looking for about 6 weeks (since match, right?) It can take months to find an appropriate job in a new locale.

Also, our Realtor told us the main companies he has had people relocating for. That told us who in town was hiring.

Being unemployed (or the spouse of someone unemployed) sucks. A lot. Good luck.

 

[k's mom]

Temp agency.
Find a good, reputable, professional temp agency and be prepared to use them if she cannot find work immediately. It will get her feet in the door in a variety of area companies, give her an idea of the job market and what companies to avoid. It also allows you to bypass human resources because if a good temp comes through the door, supervisors and managers will pull any strings necessary to get them on full-time, regardless of any penalties to be paid out to the original agency.
Yes, she will most likely feel "overqualified" for many of the positions, but this is a REALLY tight labor market, and any foot in the door is, well, a foot in the door.
It also offers the flexibility of being able to work/stay busy/bring in (some) income, but take the time needed to continue a "serious" job search/interview circuit .

 

[ophtho1122]

Unfortunately, she'll have to stay behind until she can find employment paying at least what she makes now. Our mortgage is too high not to have her salary.

 

[johnd]

Could you be more specific about the type of job she is looking for and the type of job she is working in now? My wife is a recruiter here in houston so I might be able to get a few contacts for you if I had some more info.

 

[ophtho1122]

JOHND-
I sent you a private message with her info. Thanks!

 

[bigtoe]

I would recommend checking with the residency office or medical school....they help relocate people every year and will often have contacts and information regarding a variety of fields. Also, you should know that if you're e-mailing resumes to the human resources departments of large companies and universities then it can take a while to hear from them. At our univeristy it's not uncommon to start hearing about interviews 6-8 weeks after submitting the resume. A call to HR every so often can speed things up.

 

[iddocwife]

Is there any way that you could downsize your mortgage (ie purchase a smaller home?) That might ease some of the financial tension.