Travel Tips for Out of Town Interviews

Posted by in Career Advice


 

Typically a time for travel, summer can seem frustrating if you don’t have the means to take a vacation. Instead of weekend getaways unemployed and underemployed people reserve trips out of town almost exclusively for job interviews and family emergencies. Both of these reasons to trek out of one’s typical terrain tend to come up unexpectedly and can be quite costly to boot.

 

For family emergencies it’s best to inquire about bereavement fares some airlines offer. Many companies understand that situations like this can’t be anticipated in advance. Sometimes they will adjust the fare to accommodate the customer and charge them as if the ticket had been purchased ahead of time.

 

If only they offered a discounted price for fares to out of town interviews. Sadly it’s usually up to the applicant to foot the bill for the entire trip. So stretch your cash flow and broaden your job search location radius by considering the following travel options:

 

City Bus: Whether you’re the city mouse or the country mouse, if you’re looking to relocate to or from a major metropolitan area you’re in luck. There are many discount bus lines available that run directly to big cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta besides simply going Greyhound. Research the safety and certification of the carrier you choose to use and keep travel costs to a minimum.

 

Right Track: Sometimes taking the train can be even cheaper than taking the bus so don’t dismiss the option too quickly. Train travel is also quicker than a long distance bus ride and definitely not as cramped. Being able to get up and walk around while on the go can keep you fresh for your interview when you finally arrive.

 

Clip Car Coupons: Car companies offer rental vouchers for friends, subscribers and followers. Sign up with some of the major players and see what offers pour in to use for long distance travel. Make sure to pick a model that gets good gas mileage to keep costs down.

 

Hitchhiking, freighthopping, and donkey used to all be acceptable way to get to a job. Nowadays it’s better to try to just bum a ride from a friend, family member or coworker. Don’t be afraid to ask, “Going my way?”

 

What’s the farthest distance you’ve traveled for a job? How did you get there?

 

 

"Image from dreamstime.com"

Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

  • melinda y
    melinda y
    It is okay to travel if you have the money to do it.
  • Leslie S
    Leslie S
    I agree with you . I think it was nice of you to put some tips on  here and I agree we should not have to foot the entire bill for an interview that requires traveling. Your writing is good and i encourage you to continue to write and help people out with other situations as well. maybe put up a site where people can ask you to inform them on certain subjects. just a thought.
  • K F
    K F
    The article brought out a lot of good ideas for the jobseeker including expanding the radius of the area one is willing to travel to look for a job, Then it gave examples of riding busses from state to state and it talked about the, maybe not so obvious perks of riding a train to the interview, and getting on mailing lists for several car rental places to compare best offers and then using them for long distance travel to a job interview. It was well written.
  • Jean a
    Jean a
    Good help for travelers, all my travel is by plane, but the coupons for cars was a good idea, probably over and above other discounts also
  • josef b
    josef b
    Very good article.
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy
    Thanks so much for the comments. Traveling to a new city is difficult enough, however adding an interview into the mix can be insane. Hopefully these travel tips will make things a little bit simpler.
  • Mildred G
    Mildred G
    Thanks for these tips.It's really hard to step up in a different land. But i think these tips will help.For you guys out there aiming to look for a holiday work, visit http://www.boobooski.com.
  • christophe c
    christophe c
    Informative article, exactly what I needed.

Jobs to Watch