I recently moved to a new state leaving behind my house, my pets, and my husband for a job. It is very possible to get hired by a company far away, even though you don’t live there. You can increase your chances of getting hired by preparing your statement of interest in the company….show that you did some looking and that you think this job is a perfect fit. Speak to the difficulty in moving your life. Your employer will want to know that you are prepared to make the move to SF financially AND emotionally. The last thing they would want is to hire someone who moves to SF and then realizes they hate the culture or the weather or something and ends up quitting. If you are really into this job for the long haul, be ready to prove it. Best of luck!

Be aware that the unemployment rate in San Francisco is very high right now. Significantly higher than the national average.
So it will be a challenge right out of college, but not impossible.

I am moving to SF in ten days but NOT for a job… I thought you might be interested to hear about my experience though. I went a week ago to find an apartment in Lower Nob Hill (a place that I have found a lot of college/grad students my age and young professionals – hopefully a safe place, should be from what I hear) ... anyway, I’m leasing a 275sq ft apartment for $1025 a month (plus heat/gas and cable/internet which will run around $130 a month) and it was $200 cheaper than anything else in that area, aka luck! everything is SOOO expensive (I’m from NY and saying that). also, you have to worry about job security, if the job doesn’t work out – it’s a HUGE move to relocate yourself and be left with nothing if for some reason it doesn’t work out. also keep in mind that because California is in the shitter, there are strange taxes on things like restaurant bills – it’s called Healthy SF and apparently since the restaurants are being made to pay these extra costs, they are passing them along to customers (adding about $1 – 1.50 onto each bill per person). The cabs there are so expensive, but public transportation, from what I hear, is pretty good.

But you also have to remember that if you don’t try something you’ll never know. Just make wise financial decisions – I took a semester off to work and save up a little money before starting grad school. Don’t let the money discourage you completely, it is a great city.

@Samantha_Rae Thanks for the in-depth response, but I am very familiar with the costs, neighborhoods, and taxes in SF.

For future answers, my question is concerning the challenges of securing a job in a city that is far away, and how to maximize the chances of obtaining one – my question is not about living in SF.

I’m leasing a 275sq ft apartment for $1025 a month (plus heat/gas and cable/internet which will run around $130 a month) and it was $200 cheaper than anything else in that area
Holy Shit… my apartment is 1100 a month, in a very nice area (downtown) and is about 2200 square feet.

I knew it was expensive there, I just didn’t realize HOW expensive. I’m sticking to the midwest! Or Texas if I want nice weather… I know housing is cheaper in Texas.

It can be difficult, but I think it´s easier when you’re graduating from college, because some companies will go to universities across the country to recruit people (they thus have job positions that are geared towards hiring people who are not living in the same city). Maybe you can find out what companies like to recruit at universities nearby, if they don´t go to your college.
I recommend finding out what job positions are more open to people from outside of the city, find out the names of those job positions in different companies (they might differ from one company to the next) and apply to them if you like them. You could try to find a recruiter from San Francisco who seems open to answer this type of question.
There is also a networking technique you can use when still in college, where you can interview an executive over the phone to inquire about their job experience, to learn about possible careers you might consider in that field. You could ask the same question about what job positions to apply to (within your field of expertise). Just make sure you don´t ask them for a job, because that would not qualify as networking.

The rent is killer but if you commit to the City it gets easier over time. I made a good choice 18 years ago so my rent controlled apt near Ocean Beach is $1150 for a 2 bd, 1½ ba 900 sf place. There are converted basement studios out here for sloghtly less than other parts if the City but is also quieter.