Have skills...will travel

 

We moved to the great state of Texas from Florida a little over 4 years ago with nothing more than a U-Haul of my house hold goods.  Being from California originally, it was a little bit different for me although I was used to moving around during my time in the military.  What brought me here you ask?  Well the San Antonio Spurs did; in fact I had been a David Robinson fan since the team drafted him right out of the Naval Academy.  I am not recommending you pick up and move to Pittsburg because you are a Steelers fan, for me it just happened to work out.  But low and behold did my career take off when I made the move to Texas; I found a new opportunity and it provided me the knowledge, experience, and training to take my career to the next level.

Moral of the story – don’t be afraid to branch out of your comfort zone and relocate.  We are in a tough economy and there are several good reasons to relocate.  Whether you are employed and looking to enhance your career or if you are in the market looking for opportunities – relocation can be right for you.  You may need a simple change of scenery to recharge the batteries or you may just want to take a jump and experience something new. 

For whatever your reason, it is imperative to look at any potential relocation scenario with a clear and broad picture as there are multiple things to consider.  Most of the time when I speak to individuals interested in relocating, they are all gung ho and ready to move.  Then as we proceed through the “relocation checklist” I usually get the, “Oh gosh, I didn’t think about that” answer.  So in order to help your relocation process go easier, think about the following items:

1.      Is your spouse or significant other on board? Needs to be a collective decision

2.      Are your children in/out of school? Teens can be hard to pull out of high school

3.      Do you own or rent? If you own, you better know if you can sell your house in this market

4.      What are the cost of living adjustments? Ex: $100k in Texas goes much further than $100k in NY

5.      Where will I/we live? Need to know the area, schools, resources – perhaps locate and work with reputable realtor

6.      Whether employed or not - consider the industries, economy, and market conditions in the area you are considering.

7.      Moving expenses – most employers are not paying relocation costs.  Take into consideration expenses such as: travel, start up utilities, rent deposits, etc.

8.      Weather/climate – different parts of the country have various weather patterns. If you like the cold and cool of the North East, you may not like the 100+ degree days in Phoenix, AZ. 

9.      Family – of course you will miss them but you can be accessible and visit when you can.  Technology such as Facebook and Skype allow us all to keep family and friends close.

What are you waiting for – take a look and take a chance!