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Comment by jasonneal | Hacker News Reader

Thanks for the advice. I think it makes sense, and I agree that I should focus on the job and not the move. I will add, I had a phone interview with a large website/company for finding used/new cars, and it sounded like the perfect opportunity (California), but in the phone interview I was told that they don't offer relocation because there are so many talented people in the area, they have no reason to pay to relocate someone there. This kind of rubbed me the wrong way, mainly because I am very passionate about my work, and I felt this position was perfect for me. I'm hoping this kind of attitude isn't the norm - I equate this to telling a current employee they are "replaceable."

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Don't let these guys get to you. Focus on being the best candidate and they'll naturally want you to move (and you'll have the leverage to ask them to pay).

An alternative is that you pay for yourself to move out there prior to the job hunt. :)

I'm hoping this kind of attitude isn't the norm - I equate this to telling a current employee they are "replaceable."

Employees are replaceable; so are jobs. The important thing is to remember where you are in the process.

Take a look at what you wrote: it sounded like the perfect opportunity, I felt this position was perfect for me. Remember that they person on the other end of the phone is not interested in if the position is perfect for you-- he's interested in if you are perfect for the position.

If I were you, I'd make sure that I was sending out a vibe of "this is how I can solve your problems", not "what can you do for me?" If you can convince them you are the best guy for the job, getting the relocation paid won't be a problem-- trust me. I've hired employees from far-off countries, at great expense and hassle with visas, because I felt they were the right person to do the job.

Thanks for pointing that out. I don't want to come off as arrogant. Going forward I will be more constructive as far as explaining what I can do for the company and what problems I could solve, rather than just saying "I feel I'm a perfect fit" like I have been saying. I really appreciate the help.

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