I'm moving across the country in about a month. I want to have some job opportunities lined up before then but it seems like an impossible task. I don't have a career or even any work experience at all, so I'd have to work at some place like Wendy's or Target, but I know that those positions are hard to get even locally so I don't know who I'm fooling trying to get one out of state.

I haven't really started looking yet because I'm not sure how to approach it. Apply, wait a few days and then call asking for a manager, talk about myself as if I'd be selling myself in person and explain my situation (moving soon, want to try to at least get a couple of interviews or considerations before I take the plunge). On one hand I think it might work because anyone can understand how hard it would be to move across the country with no job, on the other hand they could just think I'm a total nutcase "who is this girl trying to get an interview at Burger King from 3000 miles away?"

Someone I was talking to about subletting an apartment mentioned that I should message a restaurant owner from the city I plan on moving to about waitressing jobs this summer. I messaged him but I don't know if he'll respond or not. I don't want to come off as pushy so I just briefly described my situation and inquired about any job openings this summer.

Don't worry about sounding too pushy! The thought and consideration with which you wrote your post make me think that you're anything but. And you can be persistant without being overbearing. Definitely contact places to see if they might have job openings available. Since you're looking at part-time kind of work, you might not be able to get a job or even an interview yet, but nobody's going to think that you're crazy. Even if they just tell you to wait until you're in town to apply, at least you've shown some effort and gotten your name in the manager's ear. That way, when you do move, you have a little leg-up in the job hunt. Having shown long-term interest is always a good thing to a prospective employer.

You could also start filling out any online applications for major chains that are available. They often put a place in the application for you to indicate when you can start work. To my knowledge, you can apply at Target, Barnes & Nobles, and Wal Mart online, and I'm sure you can find online applications for other companies, too.

A month's really not a long time, so it's not inconceivable that an employer would wait an extra week to interview you if they were really interested.

Most places have online applications now!

Lowe's is also a great place to work - and part-time employees that work over 20hrs/wk are eligible for benefits and the pay tends to be a little bit above places like Wendy's. Worth some consideration, I think!

Do you think that applying online might actually hurt my chances of finding work rather than help?
I know that employers like I meet you in person, so they could just look at my application and disregard it as an out of state application and then not think twice about me. Once I move it would be too soon to re-apply so I'm thinking it might hurt my chances rather than help because it would cut down on the amount of potential places I could apply.

Do managers dislike being bothered over the phone? I could call and ask for a manager and talk to them like I mentioned before, but I'm not sure how that would come across. Like I said, I've never had a job before (I've been looking in California for ages and haven't found anything) so I'm not really sure how to go about this.

I really think online applications would be fine -- my husband has gotten work that way. If they would look down on those who complete online applications, I don't think they would offer them, you know? If you walk into a lot of chain stores and ask to apply, they stare at you and tell you to fill out an online application (lol). If anything, I think you would have a chance to apply to a higher number of places if you applied online. Be patient since jobs are a bit scarce these days.

I think it would be okay to call the manager, as long as you don't ring their phone off the hook all week. I think it would be appropriate to follow-up on an online application to provide them with a little more information about yourself.

The only problem with letting them know that your moving there is that they may be worried about your moving plans falling through. Employers like a sure thing. So... I'm not sure about telling them that, but maybe one of the other responders to this thread will know. But I still think it would be good to call the manager to follow-up on your application

Good luck!

Sorry about asking for all of the advice--I want to do this right!
I sent in an e-mail asking about a job opening at a car wash in the city I'm moving to. This is how the e-mail went:

I seem to have forgotten to mention that I'm from out of state after re-reading my e-mail so stopping by is out of the question. Should I e-mail him back and explain or give him a call? How long should I wait until I call? (he e-mailed me about an hour ago).

I think I might be over analyzing this a bit, .

i would give him a call, it cant do any harm
im job hunting too at the moment, its a nightmare over here (scotland) aswell as america so you are not alone, believe me! i was at a work focused interview thing on tuesday, and my advisor told me that online applications are the way to go these days. employers like the ones you've mentioned (we have our own equivalents here, (target=primark, walmart=asda etc) and because they get so many applications in they end up with a huge stack of forms and papers, whereas with online applications they just click, browse and save.
good luck with the move and the job hunt!

I actually have a friend who works at the Target down there and has worked there for like 5 years. I think I'm going to send him a message and ask if I can put him down as a reference or something--that might help me out and get my name to stick a little bit. He's my best friend's best friend (lol) so I know he'd probably try to help.

I'm still on the fence about calling the manager to talk about my application. It could either be good (get my name out there) or it could be bad (my name is related to someone who hasn't even moved there yet).

Hmm, what to do...

I have gotten jobs after filling out online applications before... Also check out Craigslist.. There are legitimate jobs there. Lots of restaurants/coffee shops in my area just use Craigslist, because it is free to place ads here. Obviously be weary of creepy individuals, but actual restaurants and stuff are totally safe.. and many provide their contact details, so you can just call or email them with your concerns.

Edit: Also this website is great for beginner jobs. I got a seasonal job last year from an ad placed on the site. http://www.snagajob.com/ Hopefully they have some jobs listed in the area you are moving to.