How early do you start looking for job? And moving...

I graduate in December. How early should I start looking for a full-time job? It just seems so unpredictable - some places hire super fast, others take months and months.

How do you find a job out-of-state, or more precisely, how do you interview for a job out of state? Do places tend to fly you in for an interview, or do a phone interview? How likely are they to pay for relocation if you are offered and accept the job?

If it helps, I'm looking primarily at zoos. Duh

I really want to get out of Kansas, but I don't have the money to relocate myself. With the health insurance stuff changing, and Kansas deciding they're NOT changing, I need OUT. Ideally Washington, but I'd settle for Oregon or even California. If I can get a full time job here, that would at least make life doable, but I still would prefer to be elsewhere. Colorado would suffice, but I'd rather be further west.

Start looking now. The hiring process, when quick and streamlined, takes 2 months. When long and drawn out, it can take 6 months.

Your best resource right now is probably your university. Do they have career fairs? A career center? Have your resume reviewed/edited, and get cover letter tips.

Honestly, not trying to be debbie downer but, getting a job out of state is pretty darn difficult. Zach and I have been trying to get back to California for years now, and it just isn't happening. We both have dozens of job offers in Maryland/DC/Virginia, but no California business is going to go through the effort of dealing with someone from the east coast when they have 100 applicants within a 10 mile radius who are equally qualified.

The companies that have been interested have done phone interviews, and then it was up to us to pay for plane tickets out there to interview further. They paid the way for upper management to come out in person, but for lowly <10 years experience folks, you're generally on your own.

In the past, I have put my parents' address on resumes to get my foot in the door with a California address. It helps, but then I'm still responsible for getting my butt across country to interview on relatively short notice--and I'm not willing to drop $500+ on a "maybe" job offer.

I don't know your situation in Kansas, but if you're paying rent where you are, you may consider just moving to where you want to get a job and paying rent there instead. Relocation fees being paid are mostly a thing of the past now, unless you are upper management or have a very unique, desirable skill set. Even 10 years ago, the top companies in my industry were paying $1000, which, while nice...doesn't really cover your full expenses.

Moving ahead of time will make you more marketable on the west coast, you can get part time/internship work locally while you look for full time stuff, and it would get you out of Kansas sooner. That being said, I realize it costs significant money to move, and it may not be a possibility without a full time offer.

My experience is with the consulting/IT/business world. Zoos may be totally different, but I thought I'd share my stories.

Thanks for the input! The reason I ask is that I was browsing the AZA website and there are TONS of jobs open right now, but I wasn't sure if it's too early to start looking.

I can get my resume reviewed, but aside from that, nothing is helpful for my degree. I was forced to go to a business career fair, and it was pointless. I have a zoo science degree (or will have, anyway), so I'm pretty much looking at zoos.

There's one zoo locally, one in Hutchinson (about an hour away) but it's a small zoo, one in KC, and a few other itty bitty zoos scattered around. We just went through a HUGE staff turnover at my zoo for no apparent reason, so unfortunately the odds of a full-time job coming open soon are pretty slim...and we usually fill them within 2-3 weeks because we NEED staff immediately, not 6 months from now. There is also a very large concentration of Zoo Science degrees here, since this is where the program is. I'm hoping that having a zoo science degree, especially from this university (we have the best, most intensive zoo science degree in the nation), it might make me stand out some.



I'm living with my parents, so I'm not paying rent (some for utilities, but not full rent). I don't make enough to support myself in my own place, which is why I moved back in with my parents in the first place.

I'd love to just up and leave in January and go to Washington, but sadly, that's just not possible. Logan's breeder has offered to help with a place to stay (um, surrounded by collies? YES PLEASE!) but that doesn't get me out there. I can't even pack **** in my car and drive because my car can't even make it for a 30 minute trip, let alone halfway across the country

We're moving in a week and I already have six interviews / technical grooms lined up. I started putting out feelers about two weeks ago. I send my resume and cover letter along with pictures of grooms I've done (with me in the photo, so positive proof that I groomed the dog). I've done a couple of phone interviews and one webcam technical groom. I refuse to move anywhere without something lined up and a good couple of paychecks sitting in the account so I can be choosy about which job I accept if I'm offered multiple jobs.

Companies paying for you to move is definitely a thing of the past, and often places are reluctant to even interview somebody because they're afraid the employee will expect them to help pay for relocation. You DO find places happy to do phone interviews and hire people from wherever, but from my experience (or rather the experiences of my friends) it's BIG places. Like, say... Amazon. Universities are also willing do this for their professors.

In this job market it's never too soon to start looking because it's not likely to happen very quickly. But since you're not even done with school so you literally CANNOT go somewhere, your situation is different. And you also have a far more serious issue of not having the money to transport yourself or the funds to buy a new car to be able to transport yourself.

I quit looking at moving. If I had the balls I would have done as Cali said - I should have just picked up, moved to Indianapolis, and lived off my savings and worried about finding a job once I was there. Nobody would interview me. I had one place tell me they loved my portfolio but were only looking for somebody local... I told them I was hoping to move and become local and would be delighted to drive over for an interview... they never responded to that. One place did a phone interview but I could tell they didn't want to hire me since I didn't live there... even though I told them I would move there and just needed two weeks to give notice to my current employer. It went on for months. I even had a creative agency in Chicago doing the legwork and trying to sell me to people up there. They found plenty of people who would have been happy to hire me on a temporary basis (as in they had a project that needed done, it was a two week project, then that was it) but nobody who wanted to hire me outright, they were all put off by the fact that I didn't live there. Apparently it's common for the tempies to come in from out of Chicago and then go back home when they are done so that wasn't a challenge - but I needed a full-time job and a guaranteed paycheck every week so I couldn't play that game.
Finally I gave up on the idea. It was just too hard. I should have moved first and I didn't have the guts.


Honestly I think you should find a way to resolve the issue of not having reliable transportation first. Then take Logan's breeder up on her offer. Get moved out there, find a job, go from there. Get a job in food service or retail or whatever once you're there to be able to afford food and maintaining your car and stuff until you find something better. Whatever it takes.

It's not further west and have no clue if they are hiring but the St Louis Zoo is amazing. It may be a bit easier to relocate somewhere not too far?
Cost of living is low here as well.

Good luck with working things out the best for you

I would write letters introduction to the zoos out here now. If you want, one of my good friends works for Wolf Haven and I can ask her if they're going to be hiring in the next few months. What is your degree in?

Romy, that would be amazing! My degree is a BS in Zoo Science, and I have a BA in Psychology as well.


Missouri is also out of the question, since they're not expanding medicaid. Ideally I wouldn't NEED medicaid, but if something happens, I don't want to be completely screwed. Like I am now.

You could live in the IL part of the St. Louis area

We're starting enrollment for the affordable health act stuff now in WA, coverage starts in January. It's supposed to be really good. A couple of my dear friends are Heathcare Access Team (HAT! The alternative was group, which would have made them HAG :rofl1: ) people that help you enroll, and one of my close friends actually built the enrollment website and did all the database stuff. They're all extremely optimistic and know what's going on better than anybody, so that makes me optimistic too.

Honestly, we could probably find you a job in a vet clinic out here to start you out with if nothing is available at a zoo right away. Timberland where Mel takes her dogs is constantly hiring, they're owned by a sight hound breeder vet that lives on site (I think in the upstairs of the clinic/house?) She has cirneco del etnas and several of Mel's other friends already work there. Tons of opportunity for overtime. And I'm friends with a couple of veterinarians in the Olympia area.

Will definitely contact my friend about Wolf Haven. She's been there for YEARS and loves her job. My old neighbor works for them as well, and she loves it too.

I just heard back from her. She said the best way to get a job there, and the way she got hers, is to volunteer. They list available jobs on their website and *usually* prefer to hire from their volunteer pool if anybody is interested in it.

http://www.wolfhaven.org/

Unless you have a good bit of money saved and knowledge of the local job market, I wouldn't move without having a job already lined up. Even if it isn't in your field exactly, you'll need to have a way to pay for rent, food, gas, etc. If there is a zoo you love, you can always get a volunteer position for a better chance of getting hired.

I did research in college for cognitive psychology and someone in our group was in a high up position as a zookeeper for Disney's Animal Kingdom. She was in her 40s and had worked in zoos with her Master's degree before going to Disney. It's hard to get a full time position with benefits without starting with an internship first.

My sister volunteered for a wild animal refuge that would hire unpaid interns before choosing from outside the rescue. That way, they don't have to waste time and money taking a gamble.

Thanks Romy!