Moving without a job lined up can often be challenging. How can you know where to go for the best opportunities? How can you keep your cost of living down? Here are some simple tips that can help you move smart while hunting for a promising new career.
Check Out New Job Markets
Your first order of business is to find out where your skills are the most marketable. If you have a good background in technology, for example, you might move out of saturated (and expensive) labor markets for up-and-coming areas where your skills will be more desirable for hiring companies.
When looking at posted jobs, check to see how long they stay posted, when the hiring deadlines are, and what education they look for. Generally, markets that have a large labor pool to pick from can afford to be pickier with applicants, offering lower salaries for higher levels of education or experience.
Conversely, when the labor market is not flooded with applicants, you’ll see jobs posted for longer with better benefits and even lower turnover. You don’t want to move to another depressed area, so try to find sweet-spot locations that offer forward growth with several job offers from a variety of employers, not just one or two companies sustaining the community.
You can also consider cities where you have personal contacts. If some fellow college graduates live and work in the same area, they might have useful connections that can help you get a jump start in your new area.
Narrow down your desired cities to five or so possibilities, and then research additional factors to decide where might be the safest place to invest in a move.
Be Realistic in Time Estimates
Finding a new job takes time. Studies show that for every $10,000 increase in salary, it takes about one month longer to find employment.
It’s easy, for example, to find a job working at a coffee shop or fast-food place. It’s not so easy to find a job as a lower-level manager at an accounting firm. The interview process takes longer, and fewer positions are available, so you have more competition.
However, this doesn’t mean that you have to be broke. When planning your move, contact temp work agencies to help you get started when you arrive in the new city. Not only can temping provide at least some income to offset the costs of relocation, but it can often provide you with valuable contacts that lead to future employment.
Don’t Forget Cost of Living
Everybody has a desired salary range. Some towns have plenty of jobs, but you might not even be able to afford rent once you get there. If possible, avoid areas that have a reputation for being costly, and look at mid-size areas that have more opportunities for growth without the price tag, even if it means a lower salary at the start.
Knowing the cost of living can also help you budget out your savings to see how long they will last. If you don’t have much money saved, consider a part-time job application as part of your relocation plan.
Start Small and Rely on Storage
After you’ve decided on the right city, work through the logistics of the move itself. Moving without an income source is a challenge, so your main goal is to keep your expenses low. Instead of moving everything you have, consider selling the majority of your belongings beforehand. It costs less to move fewer items.
You can also put your things in storage with a moving company until you’re able to find a permanent living situation. Storage costs less than renting a larger place, so having your stuff packed away helps you to have more mobility. It’ll be easier to stay with a friend, rent a room, or get a cheap hotel room when you don’t have to worry about finding a spot for all your boxes.
Increase Your Flexibility
Even though you’ve done your research and made your preparations, sometimes the right opportunity falls into your lap, which means you need to be flexible. You might need to move sooner than you planned, or you might have to consider neighboring cities or towns to the main one you’ve been looking in.
A moving company can help if you’re suddenly strapped with a starting deadline of a new job or if you need to take a flight to catch a series of interviews. You can have your things packed for you and moved to your new city. Moving pods are another resource that allows you to avoid renting a truck and executing the move yourself.
The more time you can save yourself with packing and moving, the more flexible you can be to meet for interviews and to spend time working on perfecting your resume.
For more information on relocating when you’re looking for a new job, contact us at Wheaton World Wide Moving.
