Cover letter/resume tips for landing a job out of state

[newSN]

Hi All-

(I cross posted this from the resume board in hopes of soliciting some more advice)

I'm hoping there are some nurse recruiters reading these boards who wouldn't mind doling out some advice (many recruiters at my current hospital are RN's, so it wouldn't surprise me if some of you have hiring experience).

I have six months of experience in my specialty now, some pertinent certifications (ACLS, PALS) and I'd like to start formulating my resume and cover letter to land a job in a different state (my husband got a job earlier this year in our dream city but turned it down since I couldn't land a new grad job there). I'd like to start applying now but I realize it may be beneficial to at least wait until I have a year of experience. I am licensed in the new state but I'm living 3000 miles away. How can I catch recruiters' eyes from across the country? Is it appropriate to state something in my cover letter to the effect of, "I'm in the process of relocating to the so-and-so area and working at such-and-such medical center would fulfill my career goal of insert-something-catchy-here. I currently hold RN licensure in ____ state"? Are there other more professional ways of saying "yes, my address says I live 3000 miles away but I swear I'm headed there, will be there for a very long time, and would you please me hire me?" LOL. Any input you could provide would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and respond.

[mg2312]

I'm having the same problem!! I kind of feel like a fool applying to these positions due to my address being so far away! This certainly doesn't help you, but hopefully someone will have some good advice!

Good luck!:)

[trutuyu]

I'm right there with you. I live in cali but am applying all over the country. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not alone. Good luck to all 3 of us.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I think it would help if you already had a license in the state you are applying to. If you haven't already gotten the license there I would start the process now. It can take some time, and it shows you are serious about moving there.

[llg, PhD, RN]

You are on the right track. Say that you are definitely moving to that area (and give an approximate date of your move) and if reasonable, say something that indicates that you will be living there a long time. Your cover letter should also emphasize your experience -- and if you have any positive employee evaluations that you could share, it might be a good idea to include something about that, too. For example, if your post-orientation eval was positive, you could state that and say that a copy of that eval is available if they would like to read it.

Good luck!

[MedOncIllinoisRN]

Hoping for some advice for a similar issue. I would like to move to the Phoenix are, but need a job offer before I am able to move. I have impeccable credentials and experience (4+years) and I already have an Arizona RN licence. I applied for appropriate positions that couldn't match up any better with my experience and I wasn;t even considered for the positions. Unfortunately the Hospital system in question doesn't let you even speak to a recruiter to find out what was wrong/undesirable about my application. I am at a total loss as to why I didn't even get an interview as I would like to think my candidacy would match that of any other top candidate. I even tried changing my address on my cover letter and resume and app to my parents address and I still didn't get an interview. Any suggestions?