How to Find a Job in a New City (Before and After You Move)

On this page

1. When should you start a long-distance job search?
2. Should you keep your current job remotely?
3. How to handle your location on your resume and LinkedIn
4. Where to look for jobs in another city
5. How to network in a city you don't live in yet
6. Recruiters: how to make them useful
7. How to answer "Why are you moving?" in interviews
8. Plan an interview trip
9. Salary, cost of living and relocation packages
10. Licensed professions: start the paperwork early
11. If your partner is moving from another country
12. What if you move without a job?
13. Mistakes that slow down a long-distance job search
14. Keeping your head during the search
15. FAQ

If you're moving to close the distance, you have one advantage most relocating job seekers don't: a person already in the city who can share their network, their address and their local knowledge. You also have a deadline you can't easily move. This guide is about using the first and managing the second.

If you haven't decided who's moving yet, read how to decide who moves and career considerations before moving for love first. The job market in each city is often the deciding factor.

When should you start a long-distance job search?

Long-distance searches take longer than local ones, because some employers screen out non-local applicants and interviews are harder to schedule. A practical timeline:

Start much earlier if you need a professional license transferred, or if your partner is moving countries and needs work authorization first (see below).

Should you keep your current job remotely?

The easiest job to find in a new city is the one you already have. Before you resign, ask whether you can go remote, transfer to an office in the new city, or switch to contract work.

• Pitch it as continuity: "I'd like to keep delivering on X and Y from [city]."
• Offer a trial period of three months with clear check-ins.
• Offer to travel back for key meetings, at your own cost if that helps.
• Know the employer's side: hiring someone in a new state means registering for payroll taxes and following that state's employment laws. Small employers sometimes say no for that reason alone.

Our guide to telling your employer you're relocating has scripts and timing.

How to handle your location on your resume and LinkedIn

Recruiters filter by location, so a search for "Seattle" won't find you while your profile says "Atlanta." Options:

On LinkedIn, set your location to the new city and use the headline: "Product Designer | Relocating to Seattle, August 2026." Turn on "open to work" for recruiters only if you don't want your current employer to see it.

In every cover letter or intro email, one clear line removes the employer's biggest doubt:

I'm relocating to Seattle in August to join my partner, and my move date is confirmed. I'm available for video interviews anytime and can start from [date]. No relocation assistance needed.

Where to look for jobs in another city

• LinkedIn and Indeed with the location set to the new city and alerts on. Apply early; listings attract most applications in the first few days.
• Company career pages. Build a list of 20–30 employers with offices in the city and check them weekly; some roles never reach the big boards.
• Local sources: the city's business journal, chamber of commerce job boards, local professional associations, and city or state government job sites.
• Industry boards: for example HigherEdJobs for universities, Idealist for nonprofits, specialist boards for healthcare, tech and creative fields.
• Remote boards as a bridge (We Work Remotely, Remote.co and similar), especially if your field is remote-friendly.

How to network in a city you don't live in yet

Referrals and warm introductions carry far more weight for out-of-town candidates, because someone local is vouching that you're real and serious.

1. Start with your partner's network. Their friends, colleagues and their friends' partners. Ask them to introduce you, not just to "keep an ear out."
2. Use your alumni network. LinkedIn's alumni search filters by city and employer. Fellow graduates answer messages at a much higher rate than strangers.
3. Join local industry groups online now, and attend virtual events.
4. Ask for 15-minute informational calls, not jobs.
5. Announce the move to your existing network. Someone always knows someone.

Hi [Name], I'm moving to Denver in September and I'm looking at [field] roles there. I saw you're a [title] at [company] and we both went to [school]. Would you have 15 minutes for a quick call about the Denver market? Happy to work around your schedule.

Afterwards, thank them, ask who else they'd suggest you talk to, and keep a simple spreadsheet of contacts and follow-ups.

Recruiters: how to make them useful

• Find in-house recruiters at your target companies on LinkedIn and agency recruiters who specialize in your field in that city.
• Tell them the firm move date, your salary range and what you will and won't consider.
• Keep a list of where each recruiter submits you, to avoid duplicate applications.
• Agency recruiters are paid by employers. Never pay a recruiter to place you.

How to answer "Why are you moving?" in interviews

You'll be asked this every time. The interviewer is really asking: is this move definite, and will you stay? Answer briefly, positively and concretely.

My partner lives in Chicago and we've decided to settle there. I'm moving on August 15th, and I'm looking for a role I can grow in long-term.

I've been in a long-distance relationship for two years, and we're closing the distance. Chicago is where we're building our life, so I'm here for the long haul.

Mentioning a partner is common and generally reassuring to employers, because it signals roots. You don't have to share more than you want to.

• "I might be moving" or "if things work out" (they'll assume you won't)
• "I just need a change" (sounds impulsive)
• Long relationship backstories, or complaints about your current employer
• Asking for relocation money unprompted, unless it's a senior or hard-to-fill role

Video interview basics

• Test camera, mic and internet; use a wired connection or sit by the router.
• Light from the front (a window or lamp facing you), plain background.
• Camera at eye level; look at the lens when making key points.
• Mind the time zone. Confirm the interview time in both zones in writing.

Plan an interview trip

A few days in the city can do more than a month of applications.

• Once one interview is booked, email your other active applications: "I'll be in Austin March 10–13 for interviews. Could we meet in person while I'm there?"
• Stack interviews into two or three days. Stay with your partner.
• Book coffee with people from your informational calls.
• Use spare hours to look at neighborhoods and apartments (see finding an apartment in a new city).

Salary, cost of living and relocation packages

• Research local pay before you name a number: salary data on job sites, published ranges (several states and cities require them in job ads), and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data by metro area.
• Compare cost of living using a calculator and real rent listings. Moving to a cheaper city doesn't mean you should accept a big pay cut; moving to a pricier one means negotiating harder.
• Relocation packages are mostly offered for senior, specialized or hard-to-fill roles. If offered, get the terms in writing: lump sum or reimbursement, what's covered, and whether you must repay it if you leave within a year or two.

Licensed professions: start the paperwork early

Teachers, nurses, therapists, lawyers, accountants, real estate agents, electricians and many others need a license valid in the new state. This can take weeks to months.

• Check the new state's licensing board for reciprocity or endorsement rules.
• Look for interstate compacts. Nurses moving between states in the Nurse Licensure Compact, for example, can often practice on a multistate license, with rules about when to switch your primary state.
• Order transcripts, verification letters and background checks now.
• Budget for application fees and any extra exams.

If your partner is moving from another country

Work authorization often decides when the moving partner can start earning, so build it into your plans and budget.

• US, K-1 fiancé visa: a K-1 entrant can technically apply for a work permit (EAD) based on the K-1, but it only lasts for the 90-day K-1 period, so most people instead file Form I-765 together with the green card application (Form I-485) after the wedding. Waiting several months without being able to work is common. See our K-1 visa guide.
• US, spouse visa (CR-1/IR-1): the spouse enters as a permanent resident and can work immediately. See our spouse visa guide.
• Other countries vary widely; many partner or spouse visas include work rights, some don't. Check the official immigration site.

Foreign degrees may need a credential evaluation for some employers and licenses. Start that early too.

What if you move without a job?

Sometimes the relationship timeline wins. That's a legitimate choice if you prepare for it.

Before you go

• Save at least three to six months of your share of expenses, more if your field hires slowly. Our guide to saving for a move helps.
• Agree with your partner how bills work while you're not earning, so neither of you is quietly keeping score. See combining finances.
• Sort health insurance; leaving a job ends job-based coverage. See health insurance after moving.

Bridge income options

• Temp and staffing agencies (often the fastest route to paid work and local references)
• Freelance or contract work in your field, including for your old employer
• Part-time work in retail, hospitality or tutoring
• Gig work for short-term cash

Once you're there

Update your location to local, tell every recruiter you can interview tomorrow, go to in-person industry events, and say yes to coffee. Being local removes the biggest objection employers had.

Mistakes that slow down a long-distance job search

• Being vague about the move date
• Sending the same generic application everywhere
• Relying only on job boards and skipping networking
• Starting too late, especially in licensed fields
• Resigning before asking about remote work
• Taking the first offer out of panic without checking it fits

Keeping your head during the search

Job hunting from a distance is draining, and it's easy to tie your sense of worth to it, especially if your partner is supporting you financially for a while. Set weekly targets you control (applications sent, conversations had), not outcomes you don't. Take evenings off. Tell your partner what kind of support helps: "ask me how it's going on Fridays, not every night" is a fair request. And remember that rejection is part of every search, not a verdict on the move. If you're also feeling low about the move in general, our guide to homesickness after moving for love may help.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put my partner's address on my resume?

You can list the new city ("Denver, CO") without a street address, which is common now anyway. Using your partner's full address is fine if you'll genuinely live there soon and can attend interviews at short notice. Just don't let it mislead an employer into expecting you can start next week if you can't. Mention the move date in your cover letter or first call.

Is it better to move first and then find a job?

Being local makes interviewing easier and removes the employer's doubt, so moving first can speed things up, especially in fields that hire in person such as healthcare, hospitality, trades and retail. The cost is financial risk. If you move first, have several months of expenses saved, a clear budget agreement with your partner, and a bridge income plan.

Can I keep my current job remotely if I move to another state?

Possibly. Many employers allow it, but some can't or won't because hiring in a new state means registering for payroll taxes, workers' compensation and employment law compliance there. Ask early, come with a proposal (a trial period, regular visits to the office), and check how the move affects your state income tax.

Can my partner work in the US while waiting for a green card?

It depends on the visa. Someone on a K-1 fiancé visa usually gets work permission by filing for an employment authorization document together with the green card application after the wedding, then waits for it to be approved. Someone entering on an immigrant spouse visa (CR-1 or IR-1) becomes a permanent resident on arrival and can work right away. Check uscis.gov for current processing times.