Should You Relocate for Work?

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Relocating for work could have many benefits and many drawbacks. If you think you can improve your job prospects by moving, here are some of the big things you should consider first to ensure that it’s the right decision. 

Consider your commitments

Relocating for work is best suited for those that don’t have any commitments. Family commitments like a partner and kids can make relocating much more difficult – either they have to come with you or you need to be prepared to leave them behind.

Forcing your family to come with you may not be fair if they have steady jobs, friends and local hobbies that they don’t want to give up. You’ll need to discuss the idea with them to see what their thoughts are – it needs to be a mutual decision for everyone to be happy.

Leaving family behind is something that can be done. You and your family will need to be comfortable maintaining a long-distance relationship for this to work, and you’ll need to be sure that you can make regular visits back home.

Other sacrifices to consider when relocating for a job include having to possibly leave a home you love, having to reduce communication with friends and possibly having to give up local interests. Make sure you’re willing to make these sacrifices. 

Weigh up the added opportunities

Relocating for work could be essential if your dream job cannot be accessed locally. Alternatively, it may simply open up more potential job vacancies to choose from so that it’s not such a fight to get hired. You may even find that the quality of jobs is better including the pay, working conditions and potential for progression. 

There are other cases where relocating could bring new non-work related opportunities such as better social opportunities if you currently live somewhere fairly remote or greater access to green space if you currently live somewhere very urban. If your quality of life outside of work is likely to improve too, relocating could be worthwhile. 

Relocating could even give you the valuable experience of traveling and experiencing life in a new state or even a new country. Many nurses who have had enough of being tied to the same hospital are able to find success as a travel RN. There could even be options like working on a cruise ship which allow you to see the world and work. 

Know how far you’re willing to relocate

You may not have to relocate to the other side of the world to improve your opportunities. In fact, you may be able to relocate to a neighboring state or even another city in the same state. This could make it easier to relocate without having to give up commitments or put a huge strain on them. 

The further you move, the more it will cost to move there and the bigger the lifestyle changes you will have to make. For example, moving to another country could involve learning a new language and having to adjust to new customs, whereas things may be relatively similar when moving to another state. 

Determine how long you can relocate for

You don’t have to relocate permanently. In fact, it may be possible to relocate for a year or even six months.

Again, if you have commitments such as family, this could make it easier to bring family with you or leave family temporarily behind – encouraging them to commit to a short-term disruption is easier than encouraging them to commit to a permanent life change. It could also be a way of testing the waters if you’re unsure if relocating is right for you.