Joe is an HR executive I’ve known for years. He took early retirement during a restructuring but he still intends to work. We had a conversation recently about his job search. He saw lots of opportunities for relocation in other parts of the country but very little in his town.
He wondered what he should do. His wife wasn’t thrilled with relocating but the difference between working and not working was compelling to them both.
I am from Chicago originally, born and raised. I worked the first half of my career there. My family is there or rather most of them lived in the Chicago area when I made the decision to move. Nowadays my family is spread out all over. Then I met my husband, Kermit, and I had a decision to make. Do I marry the man that will make me happy? But he lives in Canton, Ohio. Or do I stay in Chicago with family and jobs.
It is a tough decision. The place you live is your home. Even after relocating, you find the local grocery, dry cleaners, and coffee shop and suddenly you are at home.
Sometimes we are all confronted with the need to make big decisions that shape the rest of our life. For me it was marrying Kermit. I decided to move to Canton, Ohio and make Northeast Ohio my home. Despite my Northwestern University roots, I became a Buckeye. I made new friends and found some wonderful positions. My career took off. My family thrived. It was the right decision. I never looked back.
Joe has to make a decision. He has to choose between the comfort of home-base and the location of the job he wants. It is simple as that.
So I developed a rule of thumb. If the job you want is out of town and you choose to stay home, then you might be out of work for a while. The choice is yours. No one can make it for you. I can’t make the decision for Ali.
This is not just a question for job changers. Many companies, especially large companies, have multiple locations. Often they ask talented folks to relocate for promotions. What will you do?
Ask yourself:
- What do you want?
- How much do you love your community?
- How much do you want a job?
- How long do you want to wait?
- Will the relocation get you closer to what you want?