Location change

Bump

It's difficult, but not impossible. I have worked in 4 different states and might be making another move on top of that. I do not recommend bouncing around that frequently, but clearly it can be done. You're simply going to have to put a lot more effort into it. 

The hardest part is giving a reason for making the move outside of "eh, it might be cool." In each of my moves, there was a clear family or career incentive to make them, so the rationale I gave to the interviewer made sense. Moving to be closer to family, or because your significant other got a job in the target city, or because the target city is a clear market upgrade from where you currently work are all good reasons. 

I did it as well, it's difficult. The biggest hurdle is proving you are actually invested in moving and not someone who thinks XX city "might" be for them. The easiest way to clear that hurdle is to actually move, which is a lot easier now in the remote work environment. If you can't do that, I would recommend making it a strong emphasis point in interviews that you are not playing games and will be moving, whether that's letting people know you are shopping apartments, etc. 

Not very easy, but possible like others have mentioned. You really have to give a good committed reason why they ought to pick you over someone who is local. I'll agree that it might be best to already have moved to the area you are looking to be in. Removes a lot of doubt. Regional relocations are a bit more common. I'm in SF and it's not unusual for people to move interchangeably between LA, OC, SF and even Seattle. Still hard to accomplish, but easier than cross country. I've interviewed for roles in Dallas and Boston, but logistics in last minute flights and time off from work to interview don't work well.

Edit: I'll also add, relocating to NYC seems a lot harder than relocating from NYC to elsewhere. There are too many good candidates there already. It's pretty much a longshot if you're not in the area already.

I was in this position - used to live in Minneapolis and was trying to get out to NY a couple years ago.

Most recruiters/firms I spoke with wanted to make sure that if offered, I wouldn't move to NY and end up hating it, just to move back to Minneapolis. You have to sell why you are leaving X city and relocating to Y city - and you better have a solid answer because as stated, there is plenty of talent in the major markets across the US - why would they bother on some kid in flyover country?

I ended up submitting a cover letter for each job and at the end, made a point about how I know I am in Minneapolis, but want to be in NY for xyz reasons (for me it was family in Queens and North Jersey, grow NY RE connections, be closer to institutional $$, etc.). I also told most recruiters I would be living in NY for at least 5 years, which is true. So after awhile, some firms were open to it and eventually got an offer after convincing the firm I wouldn't dip out on NY within a year. 

Edit: the process took over 9 months and probably hundreds of applications, so you really gotta put the work in if you want it. Utilize work/school connections if you can, I had next to none except for a couple of brokers I knew out here, so that made it a bit harder. But if you hustle, firms see it and respect it. Just got to prove your worth.