Should You Relocate for Your Dream Job?

You’ve received an offer for that job that you’ve always dreamed of having. Maybe it’s for a company you long to work for. Or perhaps the new position constitutes a promotion. But there’s only one drawback: taking the job means you’re going to have to relocate.

Is it worth it?

In the end, only you can decide whether a new job is worth packing up and heading to a new city, state or country. But at Adlam Transport, we’ve helped lots of people pack up and relocate for a new job. In the process, we’ve heard plenty of stories about why they moved, what motivated them and how they felt about their decision.

We’re by no means career counsellors or life coaches. But we thought it might be helpful if we shared some insight from the anecdotes we’ve heard from our customers over the years.

First Things First: Is the Move Financially Worth It?
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new position – especially when there’s a promotion or pay rise on the books. But an increase in salary doesn’t always mean you’re going to be pocketing more cash at the end of the month.

If money is your main motivation for making the move, then do your due diligence and check out the cost of living for the city where the new job is located. You can use a cost-of-living comparison tool like Numbeo to see how it compares to your living situation. Just don’t forget to take all of the variables into account:

• Housing expenses
• Transportation needs and expenses
• Self-catering expenses
• Entertainment expenses

Those are just a few of the heavy hitters. Obviously, you can cut back on some expenses by, for example, paring down on your housing or living frugally when it comes to eating out. But if cuts like that are necessary, it’s also worth asking yourself whether you really want to do that. Is the new job worth it if that’s what accepting it entails?

Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself
When it’s the location – rather than the job – that’s really attracting you, then it can be easy to get ahead of yourself. You may decide that you don’t even care whether or not you’ve got that job offer. You’re just going to move to that city and make it happen!

There’s much to be said for a having a go-getter attitude and being willing to do what it takes to achieve what you want. But that’s not necessarily a vote in favour of doing things out of order. Consider whether it’s wiser to keep your current job and continue saving money while you search for new professional opportunities at your target location.

And when you do land that new position, you may even be able to persuade your new employer to pay your relocation fees. We’ve seen that happen plenty of times, and suffice it to say that our clients feel better than ever about their big move when they’re not even footing the bill for it. It makes our services all the more worthwhile for them.