Sometimes the perfect job isn’t down the street, but rather thousands of miles — or perhaps even an ocean — away. If you’re offered a job in a different location, how do you know if it’s worth relocating? Who should help you make the decision? And, how do you weigh the potential upsides like money and opportunity against costs like the impact on your family or the loss of your existing network?
How to Decide Whether to Relocate for a Job
It’s a big decision, both professionally and personally.
December 03, 2018
Windsor & Wiehahn/Getty Images
Summary.
Sometimes the perfect job isn’t down the street, but thousands of miles away. Whether or not you’re willing to relocate for it, however, is not always a straightforward calculation. There’s a temptation to weigh the pros and cons on an Excel spreadsheet, but you need to think holistically about your personal and professional satisfaction. Consider the lifestyle the new location affords or lacks. What will the change mean to your family? How difficult will it be to find a community in the new place? Will your spouse or partner be able to find meaningful work? If not, how big a setback will it be? Think, too, about the opportunity within the context of your long-term career path. What’s the next move after this? Finally, it’s important to have an exit plan if the worst-case scenario — you and/or your family are miserable — materializes. You need an escape hatch.