Reestablishing Your Career After A Relocation
http://www.careerfeed.net/articles/5226/1/Reestablishing-Your-Career-After-A-Relocation/Page1.html
Tony Jacowski
Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts. By Tony Jacowski
Published on 10/17/2008
Reestablishing your career after a relocation can be daunting and you may be well advised to take some precautions and necessary steps if you want a smooth transition. The way to go about it is to first create an action plan in writing so that you can refer to it whenever you feel the need to do so.
A typical action plan for career establishment post-relocation follows.
1. Research the target destination. Whatever you have heard about the place where you are moving can be misleading, and not based on hard facts. You need to do dedicated research before actually moving there to avoid getting into a situation that may prove damaging to your future.
For example, you may think that low-cost living will be a certainty in a small town, which may not be entirely correct. Many small towns have very high costs of living.
Even if the place where you plan to relocate is a big city and you assume that there will be plenty of opportunities for employment, it may have very few in the field of your choice. Thorough research, therefore, is a must.
2. Arrange for a job before you move. Do your groundwork before you move by conducting a serious job search and lining one up - even a temporary one - before you relocate.
If you do freelance work, you might try to find at least one solid client for your business prior to shifting to the new place. This will let you keep your equilibrium and give you time to search comfortably for a better job after you are moved and settled.
3. Change careers if necessary. If relocating to the place of your choice is the priority, it is best to be flexible in terms of career choice because there may not be opportunities for immediate employment in your chosen field at the new destination.
There may be other skills that you can employ, at least in the short term. Be prepared to do this if you can't find a suitable job in your own field. For example, you may have secretarial skills that can get you employment as a temporary secretary.
Marketing skills may make a salesman out of you. There may be many other skills like painting houses, construction and carpentry, that can help provide temporary financial support after your relocation.
4. Do not depend on standard standbys. Temporary employment in the fields of social service, teaching, nursing, library science, etc., may not be available to you in the absence of local references.
Not having a certificate that is valid in the state you are moving into can also be a big hurdle. Additionally, such opportunities are mostly open only to beginners.
5. Make a list of friends, acquaintances, and other people who can help. These are people who can help you jump start your social life and be of general help by providing contacts and references. They can also alert you regarding which companies to approach and which to avoid.
6. Check with the human resources department of your spouse's company. If your relocation is linked to the company of your spouse, check with that company's HR department to see if they have an assistance program for the accompanying spouse.
1. Research the target destination. Whatever you have heard about the place where you are moving can be misleading, and not based on hard facts. You need to do dedicated research before actually moving there to avoid getting into a situation that may prove damaging to your future.
For example, you may think that low-cost living will be a certainty in a small town, which may not be entirely correct. Many small towns have very high costs of living.
Even if the place where you plan to relocate is a big city and you assume that there will be plenty of opportunities for employment, it may have very few in the field of your choice. Thorough research, therefore, is a must.
2. Arrange for a job before you move. Do your groundwork before you move by conducting a serious job search and lining one up - even a temporary one - before you relocate.
If you do freelance work, you might try to find at least one solid client for your business prior to shifting to the new place. This will let you keep your equilibrium and give you time to search comfortably for a better job after you are moved and settled.
3. Change careers if necessary. If relocating to the place of your choice is the priority, it is best to be flexible in terms of career choice because there may not be opportunities for immediate employment in your chosen field at the new destination.
There may be other skills that you can employ, at least in the short term. Be prepared to do this if you can't find a suitable job in your own field. For example, you may have secretarial skills that can get you employment as a temporary secretary.
Marketing skills may make a salesman out of you. There may be many other skills like painting houses, construction and carpentry, that can help provide temporary financial support after your relocation.
4. Do not depend on standard standbys. Temporary employment in the fields of social service, teaching, nursing, library science, etc., may not be available to you in the absence of local references.
Not having a certificate that is valid in the state you are moving into can also be a big hurdle. Additionally, such opportunities are mostly open only to beginners.
5. Make a list of friends, acquaintances, and other people who can help. These are people who can help you jump start your social life and be of general help by providing contacts and references. They can also alert you regarding which companies to approach and which to avoid.
6. Check with the human resources department of your spouse's company. If your relocation is linked to the company of your spouse, check with that company's HR department to see if they have an assistance program for the accompanying spouse.