How To Land A Job In Rural Colorado
What You Need To Know To Land Your Dream Job In The Mountains
If you’ve clicked on this link, two things are clear: you dream of living and working in the mountains, and you are looking for tips on finding a job in rural Colorado.
Mountain Careers is the go-to resource for connecting these dots. Mountain towns in Colorado are teeming with innovative, creative, spirited companies of all shapes and sizes. These tips will help take you from finding the companies that are hiring, discovering what these employers are seeking in candidates, and crafting a competitive application.
Who is hiring in rural Colorado?
Rebounding from the pandemic’s disruption, many employers in rural Colorado hit 2021 with haste getting back to their goals and achieving tremendous growth. Rural Colorado is celebrated for its spirit of community support and innovative collaboration. Opportunities abound in industries like Health Care, Tourism, Outdoor Recreation, Tech and Construction/Architecture. There is also a compelling demand for creative specialties like graphic design, marketing, social media, photography, videography, website management, and copywriting. Even local governments like Eagle County, the Towns of Dillon and Avon, and the City Of Aspen are looking for passionate mountain town candidates to contribute to their communities.
There’s a common misconception that rural mountain towns only benefit ‘ski bums’ or only offer seasonal work opportunities. We’re here to ensure that narrative is rewritten to showcase the incredible career opportunities that exist. Want to see a laundry list of examples? Check out our FREE Job Board to see exciting job titles like Executive Director, Economic Services Specialist, Digital Marketing Manager, and Nurse Consultant that provide paths to real career growth and exceptional lifestyle benefits.
What are employers in rural Colorado looking for in job candidates?
Mountain Careers has helped over 700 businesses and professionals source top talent in rural mountain towns around the United States. We found that all recruiting processes come down to answering 3 key questions:
- Can you do the job?
- Will you love the job?
- Will you add value to the company?
Let’s say the job description asks for the following experience: develops and executes all organizational email marketing campaigns. In your application, be sure to illustrate examples of when you used platforms like Constant Contact or MailChimp to distribute email campaigns, and link to any tangible samples that exhibit this experience.
Going further, do you love email marketing? Finding passion in one’s work often comes down to the value you can add through it. In this case, maybe you love email communication because it allows you a medium to educate, inform, and connect with your team, your community, and your customers in a meaningful and engaging way. Highlight this when discussing your email marketing experience!
Finally, employers assess culture fit by how much value someone can add to their organization. What makes you unique in this way? Talk about how you contribute to a positive work culture, hobbies that bring you joy, interesting career pivots like starting your own business or mentoring a fellow colleague. These sorts of points will help differentiate you from other candidates because they express the intangibles you can add.
What qualities make your application stand out from other candidates?
Your resume, cover letter, and any corresponding application materials must illustrate that:
- You actually read the full job description and customized your resume and corresponding application materials to it
- You actually researched the hiring organization to learn about its culture, its team, and its work
Consider these prerequisites to successful job applications. From here, educate yourself on the hiring process and some of the – at times harsh – realities of it. Hiring managers and HR professionals are busy, and sometimes hiring can even be an afterthought or a small part of someone’s job. It’s even said that recruiters sometimes only spend 6 seconds or less reading a resume… Throughout the process, be aware of who you’re speaking to – or trying to speak to. Be respectful of their time and workload, especially by tailoring your application as precisely as you can.
Once you submit your materials, strike a fine balance between persistent follow-up and patiently waiting for a response. When in doubt, network! Seek advice from people who may be more advanced in a career that you are pursuing, or who may be able to connect you with employers in need of your skillset.
In today’s digital age, career paths are no longer as linear as they once were.
Be curious yet selective in your search, and the power of the Internet can help you carefully and thoughtfully explore a myriad of opportunities. Sites like Mountain Careers specifically curate opportunities and employers for a particular niche, and in our case, for fueling the recruiting process in rural mountain towns. We use our knowledge of the hiring process to help employers enhance their brand’s visibility and credibility to a target audience of passionate job seekers. Once you sign up our newsletter is FREE to receive the latest openings with the coolest companies in rural Colorado, just remember:
- There are tons of incredible employers from a spectrum of exciting industries hiring in the mountains right now
- These employers are in search of people who can do the job, love the job, and add value to their organizations
- To put your best foot forward, customize your application as best you can and practice proactive communication with recruiters and your network
The mountains are calling. Are you ready to answer the call?