(Sedona Verde Valley, Arizona) - Sedona and the Verde Valley are magnets
for those who are interested in enjoying the outdoors and the outstanding
beauty of the area.
The region also attracts numerous young retirees because of
its temperate climate and relaxed lifestyle as well as individuals who have been
guided here for creative or spiritual reasons.
If you have made the decision to relocate to this region and want to find
employment, you need to understand that the job market in the Verde Valley is
unique. To be successful in it, you must take a different approach to job
search.
Here are ten tips that can help maximize your chances of finding the right
opportunity for you:Don’t Compare Oranges to Apples in Your Job Search
Many people who move to Sedona and the Verde Valley come out of Metropolitan
areas and job markets that have a very different character; yet they expect to
find the same career opportunities as the place that they have left. Understand
that Sedona is a resort community and the neighboring towns have been largely
rural until recently. This means that the industries, pay scale and
sought-after skills are probably going to be different from where you have
relocated.Know What the Growing Industries are in the Area
According to the labor market information for Yavapai County, where Sedona and
Verde Valley are located, these are the growing industries for the county:
- Government
- Colleges and
Universities
- Amusement and
Recreation Services
- Child Day Care
Services
- Personnel Supply
Services
- Offices and Clinics of
Medical Doctors
- Dimension Stone
(Construction Material cut to specifications)
- Masonry, Stonework and
Plastering
- Business Services
- General Merchandise
Stores
- Nondurable Goods
- Individual and Family
Services
- Landscape and
Horticultural Services
- Computer and Data
Processing Services
- Offices of Osteopathic
Physicians
- Oil and Gas Field
Services
Know Who the Largest Employers Are
According to the Arizona Department of Economic
Security, these are the largest employers in Verde Valley:
- Verde Valley Medical Center
- Cliff Castle Casino
- Wal-Mart
- Sunterra
- Enchantment Resort
- Cottonwood Oak Creek School District
- Yavapai County
- Yavapai Community College (Clarkdale
Campus)
- Los Abrigados Resort
- Camp Verde Unified School District
Study the Employer Web Sites and Determine
What Type of Jobs Are Available
Many times individuals move to the area and
find out that there are limited or no jobs in their profession.
Understanding what jobs are available can help you determine what
skills are in demand, which employers to target, and whether or not
you need to make a career change.Identify the Job You Want and Go After
It
Many people come to the area and aren’t sure
what they want for employment. When they are unclear, the old
saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you probably won’t
get there,” kicks in. Work hard to get a job focus. You can do
this through looking at job ads, doing informational interviewing,
retaining a career counselor or reading any of the available books on
the subject.Create a Resume that Reflects the Employer’s
Needs
Many times people use a resume to chronicle their past job history. What
you need to do is to determine what skills and knowledge the employer is seeking
and highlight that experience. You should also emphasize experience that
is most relevant to this region.This is especially true if you are relocating from an area of the country that
is very different in character. When I was doing long-distance job search from
Boston, where I lived, I stressed past experience that I had had working in a
rural area of Massachusetts.
I wanted employers to know that I had
understanding of the lifestyle that goes on in a rural area.
Consider Starting Your Own BusinessMany times people moving into Verde Valley
choose to start their own business, so they can obtain the level of
compensation that they want. Identify a need that you can fill and
put together business and marketing plans. Some resources that you
might tap into to do this are your local chambers of commerce and
Yavapai Community College (www.yc.edu).
The Health Care Group of Arizona offers health insurance for
businesses with as little as one employee. You can find out about
this at
www.hcgaz.com.
Network, Network, NetworkIf you are new to the area, your best source of
information are people who have lived and worked here for a while.
Fortunately, people in the Sedona Verde Valley area are extremely
friendly and helpful. You can use the listings in the event
calendars of the local papers -Red Rock News, Kudos and Four
Corners - to identify what types of groups are available and when they
are meeting. Once you have identified some groups that might be
helpful to you put yourself out there and start networking.
Consider Doing Telecommuting or Limited
Long-Distance CommutingMany people who are moving to Sedona Verde
Valley area are leaving lucrative jobs and have highly specialized
knowledge and skills. If you are one of these people, you might
consider using these skills in a telecommuting or limited
long-distance position. One woman I know works for a highly
profitable national placement agency in a specialized field of
engineering from her home in Sedona. She gained her knowledge as a
human resource professional in an industry that used this type of
engineer.
Another woman, who is a psychoanalyst, commutes
two days a week to Phoenix to run groups in her area of expertise.
This works is so well paying that she can make excellent money on a
much abbreviated work schedule.Consider Ways of Creating Sources of Passive
Income
People move to Sedona and the Verde Valley to
have a more relaxed lifestyle, yet they end up in full-time
employment to meet their expenses. Passive income is income that is
generated by a means other than work. You can create passive income
by having a roommate, which would cut down on one of your major
expenses housing. You could also rent out your guest room to
tourists, who prefer that to a hotel.One couple I know that sold a house in San
Diego at a large profit and used the majority of the money to buy
rental property. They bought a manufactured home that needed
repairs for less than $30,000 dollars and invested the rest of their
money to buy rental property in Cottonwood, which is a major source
of their income.
Another acquaintance of mine had a studio
apartment and guest house included in his property when he had his
house built. The studio and the guest house provide excellent
revenue.Whatever approach you use to your job search
think out of the box. Creative approaches to job hunting are the
norm in the Sedona Verde Valley Region. The only caveat I would
suggest is that whatever position you choose let it be one that is
in sync with your vision for your life in this area.
For more information, visit
www.sedonatransitions.com or contact Marie King at 928-204-5691.
To find job listings in the Sedona Verde Valley, visit
SedonaVerdeValleyJobs.com.
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