By now, regular readers of this blog should have a pretty good grasp of just how tough it is to find a job if you’re residing in and around St. Louis.

As bad as it is — and with 142,000 people currently drawing unemployment it’s pretty bad — at least local job hopefuls have the benefit of proximity.

Some don’t even have even that minuscule advantage.

Take Ryan Hader. A lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Hader is attempting — as millions have before him — to find a job in a distant city. In this instance, St. Louis.

There are many reasons people are inspired to cast their lot in a new and different place. And Hader’s inspiration follows some of the same general lines.

He likes the feel of St. Louis and he enjoys beer and sports. Most importantly, Hader believes StL bests Cincinnati in both the National League Central Division and in job opportunities that match his qualifications as a Spring graduate (communications major/marketing minor) of the University of Dayton. Oh, two of his best friends are from here. As is Hader’s girlfriend.

His first post-college job, selling advertisements for a Cincinnati radio station, didn’t work out quite as he expected. “I guess I fit the average life span for people in radio sales,” he said. “After four months I was doing OK. I was doing pretty well, in fact. But I wasn’t enjoying it. I didn’t like waking up every morning saying, ‘This is not what I want to do.’”

Just shy of 23, Hader figured if he isn’t willing to take a risk now he never will.

Quitting his job, he turned his attention to starting his career — for real this time — in St. Louis where he hopes to find something in marketing, public relations, event planning or any position even remotely connected to his first love, broadcasting.

Hader has no illusions about what he is up against. Most of his fellow Dayton grads have latched on to whatever job comes along until the economic ugliness passes.

Uninterested in going in that direction, Hader knows he’ll also have to break the mold when it comes to finding a job.

“Our generation thinks you can just apply to everything you see on the Internet and wait for someone to call,” he said. “That isn’t going to happen.”

So, next week Hader plans to do what has to be done. Subjected to his fair share of rejection from afar, he’s concluded that sending e-mails and making telephone calls from a residence in Cincinnati is no way to get a job 350 miles away.

“I’m coming to St. Louis and I’m going to get my face in front of people,” he said.

Heads up to potential employers in PR, marketing, event planning and broadcasting: Expect a visitor.