We live in a world that is full of opportunity, but the opportunity that you’re looking for might not be within your geographical area, but thousands of miles away. But, that definitely shouldn’t pull you back. We can’t just sit there and expect an opportunity to come knocking on our doors, life doesn’t work that way, we have to look for it and pursue it.
You might have just gotten a new job offer or a promotion that needs you to relocate to a new place or maybe you just want to move far, far away and start a new life. Whatever the reason, making a decision on whether or not to relocate for a job is rarely an easy decision.
Forget about weighing the pros and cons for now, and think with more of a holistic approach about your happiness and contentment. You’ll need to consider various aspects that aren’t just related to your new job, but your lifestyle as well. How will this relocation impact your family? Will you be able to find a suitable community to belong to?
So, before you pack your bags and leave, we at Bayt.com have prepared a list of 5 things you should consider before relocating to help you make more of an informed decision.
A new job offer or promotion can mean you’ll start making more money, but this big gain can be diluted in higher costs of living. What good will a higher salary do you if you’re going to end up spending more on living expenses.
You’ll need to do your research and make some sort of feasibility study on the area you’re moving to, and make sure to include items such as rent and transportation. Is the pay increase worth the move? Will you and your family be able to live there comfortably?
If you are currently single then this might not so much of an issue for you. But, if you’re in a relationship and/or have kids, you’re not just changing the course of your own life, but the lives of others as well.
How is the move going to impact the lives of your loved ones? Your family, your spouse or significant other. You’ll have to take their lives and careers into consideration. Does the job market at the new location doing well? Or will you spouse/ partner struggle to find a job?
You’ll certainly need to sit down with your partner and discuss how you can make this work. One way is to research the job market at the location you’re intending to move to and review jobs that will fit your partner’s interests and skillset.
You don’t want to go through all the stress of moving to a new place for a job and then ending up getting laid off after a short period of time because the company went bankrupt.
In order for you to not run into that kind of situation, you’ll need to look into the company or office that you’re relocating to. Are they currently growing or are they facing problems with diminishing returns?
You should only take the offer if you are confident that the company you’re relocating to is stable for at least the next 5 years, especially if it is a startup. You should research online for any financial statements that they might have released. If not, you might want to ask them if they can give you access to them. Thankfully, you can easily do this with our Bayt.com Company Search tool. This tool literally gives job seekers the ability to stalk companies online, in order for them to get an idea of what the company does, as well as a taste of their culture. Click here and let the stalking being!
You should also consider digging into the industry in that certain area, this should be relatively easy to find online by searching for market outlook reports.
Sometimes pictures and videos aren’t enough, if you want to get a real feel on how it would be like to actually live and work there, then you should consider going there for a visit. Try to plan a trip that is longer than just the weekend, you’re going to work there, so you’ll also need a feel of how things are during working days, in order for you to get more of a hands-on experience.
Not to be a negative or anything, but relocation doesn’t always work out. You might take the job, relocate then end-up hating it there. Which is why you should certainly consider having a backup plan just in case things don’t go as planned. Being precautious won’t do you no harm. And if you ever find yourself in that situation and don’t have a backup plan, you can always use Bayt.com to find over 20,000 international opportunities.
