Relocating for your career is the perfect opportunity to explore a new way of life, meet new people, and get to know yourself that much better as you step outside of your comfort zone. A new study shows nearly 85 percent of millennial workers surveyed said they are willing to move to a new city for a job. Despite all this, let’s admit it, moving is rarely enjoyable. However, the idea of a shiny new opportunity awaiting you in your new home should help alleviate some of the stress caused by moving. So ride that wave of positivity all the way to your new location and embrace the opportunities brought on by change. Here are five tips that will help your move be virtually seamless:
1. Find the right “fit”
Employee engagement at work is very much determined by the type of environment and the people that populate said environment, so making sure your personal values align with those of your future employer, in both a cultural and business context is essential. Even if you are being relocated within the same company, different offices almost always have different cultures, traditions and demographics, so maintaining flexibility and an open mind will serve you well during your transition. For those joining a new organization, before you sign the offer letter, make sure to confirm the opportunity is the right choice for you. Visiting your new office location at least once before you commit, reaching out to new coworkers via email or LinkedIn, or inquiring about the different types of culture-building activities offered to employees (or lack thereof) are just some examples of ways to vet a new opportunity. My fellow Achiever, Dr. Natalie Baumgartner, speaks about the power of Fit here: TEDxMileHigh – Natalie BAumgartner – Fit
2. Get familiar
According to the US Census Bureau, almost 61 percent of relocations in 2015 were to another state. But just because interstate relocation is common, doesn’t make it easy. Getting to know the lay of the land in a new city or state can seem overwhelming, but when you approach it with an open mind, unencumbered urban exploration can be exciting. Start by taking practice trips from your new home to your new office. With apps like Google Maps, Waze, or HopStop, it is easy to find your way, but the last thing you want is to be late on your first day, so identifying any potential delays is crucial. Time yourself during the appropriate hours to take away the commute anxiety in a big way. After that, finding your new coffee shop route (a must have!), the best Thai place for lunch, or a cool spot for after-work drinks with coworkers, will all fall into place.
3. Reach out
The six degrees of separation theory in which everyone is connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances has never seemed more true. Whether this new opportunity is your first job or you’re already well-along in your career, it’s a great idea to reach out to your current network and build a group of friends and colleagues to support your change. Utilize tools such as LinkedIn to connect with your future co-workers and get a sense of what they are. Alert your friends on Facebook as to your impending change and connect with old friends, and friends of friends, that live near your new home to ease the uncertainty of entering a new social scene. Finally, no matter how long it has been since you last connected, call or email old co-workers, family, or other people you may have crossed paths with before; as even the most distant contacts might enrich your experience in your new home. As long as it is done in a friendly and courteous matter, you have nothing to lose!
4. Save more
Accounting for an adjusted cost of living when moving often gets overlooked among the myriad of other activities needed to ensure a smooth relocation. But it’s vitally important to know that $20 doesn’t go as far in San Francisco as it might in San Antonio. First, make sure your salary is well over the cost of living with websites such as Numbeo or Living Wage Calculator. These sites can help you get a feel of how much you’ll be spending per month. Next, find out about relocation costs and if your employer is willing to cover any part of the expenses. A clearly outlined budget of specific moving action items will provide a baseline to your employer and make it easy for them to reimburse you. Make sure to double check your estimates by calling movers, looking at flight costs, and calculating the appropriate costs to move your pets. Keeping accurate records of moving costs will also streamline filing taxes at the end of the year. Lastly, you can never have enough savings for unplanned incidents and oversights. It would be wise to try and save the equivalent of 1 to 2 months of salary to cover the basics, just in case. You never know when your car will be towed while rushing to an appointment, or you get a leak in your brand new apartment! Eek!
5. Love what you do
Steve Jobs once said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” This tip is the most important by far! Whether you think of your career as a marker of personal success or not, if this change brings you one step closer to a community you identify with, better accessibility to an activity that you love or a lifestyle that makes you truly happy, then you are one step closer to success. Remember that everything takes time and if you’re attracted to the idea of this relocation and willing to make the change, you’ll gain more knowledge and insight as to what is important to you regardless of the anticipated outcome. By engaging in what you love, inside and outside of the workplace, you’ll attract like-minded people and future opportunities that will ensure seamless and positive transitions for years to come.
To learn more about how culture can be the right “fit” for you, download our white paper All for One and One for All: Uniting a Global Workforce with Company Culture.
