If you’re someone who’s fond of lifestyle changes and sudden career decisions, relocating for a new job is the perfect way to bring them about. Conversely, if you’d rather not venture outside your front yard, relocating for a job is the last thing you should do. The changes brought about by relocation affect not only you, but all members of your family, right down to the family dog.
It goes without saying that you should definitely consult with your family before you move.
Everyone has their reasons for relocating. Now I don’t need to hear yours, and it’s not because I don’t like you (I’m sure you’re a very nice person), but simply because you don’t have to justify yourself to anyone other than yourself. Yep, that’s it.
Generally, some good things to think about when relocating are…
- Your career path – Will relocating help further your career? If not, will it bring about more job satisfaction and a better sense of accomplishment? If not, is it at least going to pay you more? All of these things factor into your overall satisfaction with your chosen career, and being satisfied with what you’re doing is important, trust me.
- Location, location, location! – Do you like where you’re relocating to? If not, why are you moving there? What’s the point of being paid a bit more or doing some great new job if you hate where you’re living? I’ll tell you one thing (from experience), if you hate where you live you sure won’t be enjoying life all that much. Trust me on that one.
- Your family and the impact the move will have – Before you relocate, make sure that your family won’t fall apart because of it. Everyone will have to move eventually, and kids deal with it just fine, but that doesn’t mean that you should pull little Johnny out of his baseball league for an extra $6,000 a year. Sure he’ll make new friends, but it’s a long and painful process to do so. Okay, maybe that’s an over-exaggeration, but still…
- The job itself – Unless the job is paying a lot more or is much more satisfying, what’s the point of relocating?
Remember, relocating can bring about lots of stress for a while. If the new job is worth it, great, have fun packing and enjoy the trip! As well, always remember that just because you relocated doesn’t mean the job is guaranteed no 100% secure.
Have fun!
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point #5 — Salary. is it worth the pay to relocate and have the lifestyle you want in the new location? “more” doesn’t necessarily equate to “enough.” here in Los Angeles the living costs can be very high depending on where you live
Great post!
One other thing I feel is important: ATTITUDE.
My dad was in the Air Force. My ex-husband was, too. I’ve spent pretty much my whole life moving every 4-5 years (often overseas). Granted, military people don’t have much choice about relocating with their job, but everywhere I went I noticed two distinct attitudes: (1) making the most of wherever you are; (2) finding things to complain about wherever you are. Whether you look for the benefits of a location, or the detriments… you’ll find ‘em.
I found things to love about every place I lived (even Nebraska! ;-), so I was happy every place I lived.
If you or your family don’t have that kind of positive attitude where you’ll look forward to and be eager about going someplace new (and thus seek out what’s great about the location), stay where you are. As Cameron says, if you’re not going to like it, more money and a better job may not be worth the move.