Should you relocate to accept a new job? How to decide

Nearly every career coaching client negotiates a balancing act between location and career choice. Many people invest more time setting up a moving van than asking themselves, “Can I be happy here?”

One of the most stressful relocation decisions comes when you get an exciting job offer. At first it doesn’t seem like a problem…unless you live in the Midwest and they want you to move to Los Angeles (or vice versa). You wonder if you will find a comfortable home, a place to buy your favorite foods, and even a new friend or two.

The best way to decide is to visit the city on your own, not with a real estate agent or company representative. As you look around, imagine you are an anthropologist studying the local culture. Talk to as many people as possible. Don’t ask for advice.Ask for information and first-person stories.Often you will realize your decision has been made when you hear yourself saying, “Sure, I can handle a two-hour commute,” or, “Of course I can downsize to a 500-square-foot studio apartment for me, my St. Bernard dog, my three cats and my fiance.”

This is not the time to grit your teeth and mutter, “I can do this!” You’re planning a life, not trying to survive the Marine Corps Boot Camp.

After you’ve explored awhile, don’t be surprised if your offer looks different. You may realize you’re getting a great deal. Or you may realize you need to negotiate for a signing bonus. Occasionally you can make your acceptance conditional on finding a place to live.

And now I invite you to learn more about the personal side of moving – because you can’t pack your life into a box. http://www.RelocationStrategy.com

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Career Planning for the Worst Case Scenario

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Sarah Needleman writes about companies who mis-handle employee firings. It’s hard to say which is more cruel: getting a phone message, getting invited to a meeting to be told the company will be dissolved or simply ordered out on five minutes notice.

But you can’t control how a company chooses to fire you. You can control how you will prepare for your own worst case scenario.

Diagram your play before you need one.

Imagine a basketball team that’s down by 10 with 3 minutes to go. The coach has a play already diagrammed and ready to go. Even if your team probably won’t win, you know what to do: cut into the loss, hope to pick up free throws and bring out your best 3-point shooter.

You need to be your own coach, although you may hire “assistant coaches” like the pros do.

So let’s say you’re recruited away from a terrific job to head up marketing for a new product line, like one manager in today’s story. You have to move a thousand miles away, uprooting your family. And then the company decides not to move forward with the product line.

I encourage my clients to anticipate being stranded. People do get fired within 6 months of a big move. It happens more than most people realize, at every level of corporate life.

If you’re in a secure position when you’re recruited, you may be able to negotiate a contract or letter of agreement to pay a lump sum if the position falls apart.

You may decide to leave the family and commute for six months while you scout out the situation. You might have a working spouse or a start-up plan for your own business.

Of course, you can probably think of at least a dozen more options if you go into brainstorming mode.

But I recommend taking stock every 3 to 6 months. What will you do if your job disappears tomorrow? There’s no easy answer. But you can set up resources to call, build a network, and create an emergency fund.

And you can come up with a set of questions to ask your new employer before you sell your home and move your spouse, kids and dog across the country or around the world.

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Considering career change + overseas relocation? Here’s a guide…

Just came across a book Grown-up’s Guide to Running Away From Home: Making a New Life Abroad by Rosanne Knorr.

The title of this book is somewhat misleading: it’s really a detailed guide to overseas relocation. Knorr’s book gets 5 stars simply because it does what it promises: offers a straightforward guide to those who are considering an overseas move but have no idea where to start.

The book is heavy on checklists, which I usually don’t like. But it’s got lots of text and the checklists are more comprehensive than most.

However, I would recommend (a) reading multiple guides and (b) talking to folks who have been there. Try to find someone who’s been in your situation. A 60+ retiree won’t benefit from talking to a twenty-something; a single person needs to understand how a culture interprets her lifestyle.

I spent a few years in Canada on a “landed immigrant” visa (equivalent to a green card) as a business school professor. It’s been awhile, but I would say the info here seems accurate and balanced. The author assumes her readers will be concerned about safety and health care. Your beliefs, values, and interpretation of events will influence your own priorities.

But for a starting point, you could do a lot worse.

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