Ever relocated for work?

[hidden_kitten]

I've decided to do a last ditch effort to get into the field I trained in, unfortunately where I live, opportunities have dried up. So I'm looking further afield, down south or even Ireland.

 

If I was offered a job I would be moving alone which is daunting, so I'm looking for advice/stories from your experiences?

 

Did you move all your stuff or just start from scratch? How did you find a decent place to live when you don't know the area? Did you find it easy to settle in?

[Man with Dog]

I did but there were also personal reasons for wanting to "get out of town". It is quite hard to move alone but these days there are opportunities to meet people (not just potential dates) using chatrooms. If you have a special interest it helps to join a club.

 

However, the downside (for me) is that my social life has been less frequent since I moved and when my dad became ill (and subsequently died) the distance became an issue.

 

On the other hand, I've got my wife and daughter with me.

[Doc Blaze]

I would...My work opened a job site in FL..the exact location where i love.... It would be cheaper living and i would still be making the same salary..not to mention the taxes are cheaper and its beautiful.

 

I know a few friends who have. idk its a tought choice. I would only move probably if i came accross a good job first.

 

 

this would be if i was single(family would be different)

[RedDress]

I moved away from "home" (alone) to a city a 6 hour drive away for my career. Luckily for me, I have some family in this city (an aunt and an uncle) so I put my stuff in storage and stayed with them for 6 months while I figured out if I liked the job and while I figured out where exactly in the city I would like to live.

 

I have a friend who moved from England to Canada and he did something similar. He didn't have family but he worked for a small company and rented a room from his boss.

 

I think it's definitely helpful to get a temporary location first (whether it be a room, a furnished apartment, etc) so that you maintain the maximum flexibility and don't feel "stuck" while figuring things out. It's tough!

 

Also - it's most definitely also helpful to join "stuff" - whether that be a sports team, a church, a volunteer organization, etc. You need to set yourself up in a position to meet people.

 

My social life also certainly took a dive, but I did find that between Skype, texting, emails, phone calls, etc. you can easily still keep in touch with people back "home" which makes things easier. Also, for me, only being 6 hours away helped. When things got really, really lonely, I just went back for a weekend visit.

[Man with Dog]

It's easier these days and 24hr TV and the 'net help keep one amused for long evenings alone. Wish we had them when I last moved.

[bakadesuka]

My flatmate moved form poland to ireland, she says it was easy enough in terms of organisation and making new friends and finding a job (took her 2 weeks to find somewhere and move in) gumtree is wonderful! the only issue she had was language barrier, shes says once you done it once you realise how easy it is, once her job contracts up shes gonna up and move to newyork

 

if your willing to try a shared house for a few months might be an idea to help you make friends

[annie24]

Yes, I have relocated for work. I think that the key thing is that you need to make an effort to go out, make friends, become part of the community. Whereas if you stay around where you grew up, you may have a friend base more around classmates. If you do move, I recommend you take up some social hobbies, volunteer, etc... do stuff where you can meet other people. I've found the first few months to be lonely as it can take a while to find friends.

 

Look at Meetup. Also, your college alumni association may have a group of people in your new area.

[lavenderdove]

I've done it... sometimes you need to do it! I've actually moved several places and found somewhere I really love.

 

My suggestions are these: Try to have a job in hand before you move, or have enough money saved to go at least 6 months in the new location without a job.

 

Visit the place before you decide to move. Investigate where you might live, how much it would cost etc. While you're interviewing you can even ask the people who interview you if they can recommend any areas you might want to live in the town, and areas you might want to avoid.

 

Make sure you know the place well enough to choose somewhere to live in a good area (i.e., no crime). I once accidentally moved somewhere where I *assumed* the area was nice because it was near where my job was located and the company complex itself was very nice, but it turned out to be a crime ridden and declining neighborhood once you got 3 or 4 blocks away from the company, so I moved out quickly again after I heard gunshots one night sitting in my living room!

 

The same town will have good and bad areas to live in, and you want to make sure you choose one where you'll be safe. Be sure to visit the area you want to live in and check it out looking for signs of crime/drug use etc. Most larger cities do have good and bad areas, and you are usually much safer if you're willing to live a little bit out of the city in the suburbs. If you're choosing a central city location, be very careful and do your research on crime before committing to an apt.

 

 

re: finding a decent place, contact a real estate agent in the new town. You can also find lots of resources to search for places online now as well including pictures etc. You might consider getting a one month rental in a hotel while looking for a place, or even better, take an advance trip to the new place and have the real estate agent have many places lined up for you to visit on that trip so you can pick one.

 

Buying all new stuff is more expensive than it sounds. So unless it's a really long move with super expensive moving trucks, you'd be better off to move your stuff, unless you have very little to begin with.

[Man with Dog]

My flatmate moved form poland to ireland, she says it was easy enough in terms of organisation and making new friends and finding a job (took her 2 weeks to find somewhere and move in) gumtree is wonderful! the only issue she had was language barrier, shes says once you done it once you realise how easy it is, once her job contracts up shes gonna up and move to newyork

 

if your willing to try a shared house for a few months might be an idea to help you make friends

 

My daughter made enemies by living in a shared house and she's very easy-going and friendly.

[shes2smart]

I moved accross the state for a job about 10 years ago. Granted, I wasn't single, so that had its own advantages/challenges...but I have done several in-town moves when I was single and learned long ago that moving is a lot easier if you hire someone to do the heavy lifting for you. So I will suggest this -

 

At least negotiate to get your new employer to pay for professional movers. It will make things easier for you. Basically, you'll need to get a couple estimates and your new employer will choose from those....and (in my case) there was an agreement if I quit in the first 6 months, I would have to pay them back for the moving expenses.

 

I don't know if this is customary anymore (I haven't been in the job market...let alone long distance job market for a while), but it never hurts to ask. If they want to hire you, the worst they can do is say no to picking up your moving expenses. If they don't offer and you don't ask, there's a 100% certainty they won't pay for it. If they don't offer and you ask, you've at least got a 50/50 chance of them footing the bill.

[panther]

Moved alone to another country to do my PhD.

It hurt like hell to separate from my family and my life long friends, but I am happy and don't regret the choice.

 

You have Skype, you have Facebook, you have a million ways to stay in touch for free.

 

To find a place to live, I guess it depends to where you are moving. But I guess there are websites where you can search for apartments online. In some cases your new employers can help you too with that? Chances are you won't find the perfect place without being there in person. I found that for renting an apartment, they usually like to meet the person first. But you can continue searching while you are already living there until you find the right place for you.

 

Ask your friends if they know someone who is living in the city you are moving to, and can put you in contact with that person, that also makes things easier.

[Snny]

My experience may be different. I live in the US and am a "single" woman.

 

Did you move all your stuff or just start from scratch?

I moved everything in a matter of days when I got the offer. It was very stressful to get up and leave in an unfamiliar place in 2 days. Finding a moving van was tough because it was right around college move-in time!

 

The trip was 6 hours in an area I never been in before. The excitement of getting a job and making income made it exciting. But yea, I had some doubts- especially when I was moving far away from my fiancé.

 

How did you find a decent place to live when you don't know the area?

I did some serious searching on the internet when the company told me that they were going to do background check. To book an apartment, you have to give a week or more notice. That was a challenge. I played the teacher card hard and got two apartments to agree to work with me and my budget.

 

I got a decent apartment and it was quiet and nice for awhile. My landlady REALLY liked me because I wasn't a rude, noisy neighbor (I've seen her evict young 20 year olds because of several noise complaints). But during the last month there was one couple who would get into a screaming contest/domestic dispute, drug dealing in the parking lot, and a guy smoking pot under my floor. I was glad to be out of there on time.

 

Did you find it easy to settle in?

Yes and no. I had my space, but dealing with loneliness was a challenge. I joined a lot of link removed groups just to get out and do things with people. I eventually got a dog.

[bakadesuka]

My daughter made enemies by living in a shared house and she's very easy-going and friendly.

 

Shared houses are good when there is only 2/3 people any more than that it can become overcrowded ,I have never really had any problems with it and we both get along great, yes i keep her up sometimes/wake her she works early mornings and I work evenings until about 2 am and sometimes there is compromises to be made, but it is cheaper and it was good for her because she was from a diffrent country she could meet my friends have locals to show her round and keep her safe (where I live people are ignorant to foreigners sometimes) show her culture and help her with stuff like organising gp...

 

suppose if you worry there will be issues meet with your flat mates before you move in see if they your kind of people,but even in my experience of flat mates i have been lucky, one girl was so messy her room door you couldnt open but she worked all the time and the other girl i lived with spent all her time at her boy's so it always gave me a chance to parttyyyy

 

and this girl moved in 2 years ago and we are like best friends now, go for lunches go for walks go swimming do each others hair confide in each other, if i am

working too late she has cooked me dinner before...

 

guess its a lucky bag really with who you get some people are (insert word here) some people are nice , your daughter just found (insert word here), but i doesnt mean alll shared living is bad

 

reccomend though if your working , share a house with working people