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Does relocating for a job always make sense? That's what Ana Sanchez, a homeowner in Miami, asked herself when she was offered a job in Baltimore. Sanchez felt it was more than just a matter of pay.
Experts agree with Sanchez. Moving just to snap up a job might not be in your best interest. If the relocation will result in a substantial increase in pay or a significant career advancement opportunity, then it might be worth making, says Gigi Gao, a compensation consultant with Salary.com.
"For example, if you can move from human resources
manager to vice president of human resources," says Gao. "Another
time might be to move to a less-competitive location for a better
job in your field."
Rob Bennett, the author of "Passion Saving: The Path to Plentiful Free Time and Soul-Satisfying Work," says usually "it's not a good idea to make a move just because one particular job position sounds promising. If the new area offers [employment] opportunities outside the job being taken, it makes sense to make the move."
In other words, if the new job doesn't work out, you want to be able to find something else in your field without having to relocate again.
Sanchez considered the long-term impact of the relocation on her career. The company that offered the job in Baltimore was growing, with room for promotion and greater responsibility than her current position. In terms of her whole career, she felt that taking a job in Baltimore would build her resume and show that she wasn't stuck in one city for her entire professional life. So she knew the career opportunity was solid. But she needed to know the lifestyle would suit her, too.
Considering lifestyle
"Years ago it was pretty common to move for a job, but today, people
are much more concerned about lifestyle, and location is now considered
a major factor," says Tom Johnston, president and CEO of Cleveland-based
SearchPath International and a staffing and recruitment expert.
"Relocation is becoming a very big issue today."
Bennett agrees. "There's a big cost involved in relocation.
The cost of the move is only a part of it. There is a need to make
an emotional transition to a new place, and to make new friends,
and to find new places to shop and eat out, and so on."
For Sanchez, moving to Baltimore allowed her a chance to be closer to her boyfriend, with whom she'd been carrying on a long-distance relationship. She also discovered that the cost of living in Baltimore was cheaper than Miami. By renting out her Miami house, she was able to cover the mortgage and have some money left over for repairs and expenses related to being a landlord.
Even better: "As an individual, it's enriching to
see how other parts of the country live, work and socialize," she
says. "It opens your eyes to experience the cultures of different
regions -- Ukranian, Italian, Greek, Indian -- which you don't have
in Southern Florida."
Those intangibles are important.
"Consider the quality of life," says Gao. "A single
person might want a more cosmopolitan area with an exciting nightlife.
For someone married with children, the cost of living and the best
education for their children become more important. You always want
to ask: Will you fit in or not? Talk to people at the place where
you'll be working. What do they do outside of work? That will become
part of your life."
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