Eventually, all collegiettes will have to make the big decision—do you move somewhere new after college or do you stay in a place you’re familiar with? One of the major catalysts for a big post-grad move is a job offer. If you’re stepping into your first full-time career, you may be wondering if your career goals align with your where-to-live goals. Well, we’re here to help. We’ve compiled five ways to help you determine what to do: go to a new location because of a career or change careers because of a location.
1. Throw ‘dream job’ ideals out the window
The semantics of moving can take its toll. In the midst of the stress of the extra moving costs and thoughts of possible job advancement, it may be beneficial to take a step back and realize that the move, or the job, may not be permanent.
“Too many people focus on the dream job aspect,” says Jill Jacinto, a millennial career expert. “The best thing you can do is to take a chance and know that this job will not be the job you have for the rest of your life. Do not get hung up on climbing the ladder yet. This is the time to explore and immerse yourself in the career world to better understand what you like and ultimately want to gravitate to in the future.”
Most collegiettes, even ones that think they have everything figured out, should give themselves some breathing room when it comes to future plans. If you get caught up in adhering to a specific plan, you may block yourself off from new experiences.
2. If cost is an obstacle, evaluate other changes you can make
If you’re fresh out of school, chances are you have some financial worries. Some of us have loans and some of us have the pressure of how they’re going to afford rent without a school-secured job.
However, if it’s solely money that’s holding you back from making a location change, Jacinto recommends finding a balance between all of your anticipated future costs, “If cost is a concern what about the price of flights/gas to come home and visit friends and family over the holidays?” She says, “These costs will add up much higher than a one-time move fee. Are you prepared to only visit a few times a year or forgo coming back for Thanksgiving?”
Ultimately, if you think that moving to a new location will make your career goals come true, then it would be beneficial to work out your finances in a way that will let you have the best of both worlds — financial stability and the career location you’ve always dreamed of. If that means going home to visit less, then have a conversation with your family about why you’re deciding to choose the big move.
3. Figure out if moving will improve your career options
Whether if it is for a specific job or not, moving to some locations may improve your ability to get a job in the field you want to work in. The number of available opportunities in a small town is incomparable to those available in a city.
Danie Roberts, a senior at Lasell College, has experienced this first hand. “I come from a small town in New Hampshire, and I’ve found that Boston provides me with more opportunities,” she says. “Whether you’re pursuing a career in writing, marketing, health care, or law … it may be worth it to move somewhere with more opportunities.”
Small towns often don’t work out if you want to work in an industry that’s city-based, like major parts of book publishing or certain production jobs. One of the easiest ways to break into your dream field is to meet it where it’s located. Remote jobs like being a personal assistant, writer or editor are becoming more common, but may limit your ability to fully be engulfed in the field.
Related: How to Successfully Prepare to Move Out Of State for Your Career
4. Investigate possible job locations
Job aside, you need to figure out if your prospective future home is one that you’ll actually enjoy. Working a job you love in a town you hate isn’t worth it. You need to figure out if you mesh well with the surrounding location. Do you love to cook and need a place with a thriving farmers market? Are you someone who craves a place with a good nightlife? Do you want to have friends or family near you? These are all important questions to consider.
“Visit the area you are about to live in. Reach out to your network to see if they have any contacts in the area they can connect you with and set up meetings with them,” says Jacinto. “Chances are these people will not only help you make the right decision but they might also become a part of your friend group.”
By talking to people who’ve moved for similar reasons, you’re opening yourself up to different perspectives and valuable feedback. By visiting the location you’re thinking about moving to, you’re allowing yourself to get familiar with the surrounding environments. Even if you’re moving to a popular location like San Francisco or New York, there are still nuances that don’t get talked about via word-of-mouth.
“Plan a trip and experience what it is truly like to live there,” says Jacinto. “I had a client who dreamed of living the LA life until she moved there and realized that her dream life consisted of her spending three hours a day in her car due to traffic. Had she visited she would have known that this was not the best choice for her.”
Visiting a location may cost extra money, but the cost of going somewhere to figure out if you want to live there bears no resemblance to moving somewhere and then having to turn back around because you’re unhappy. Do recon work, you won’t regret it.
5. Give yourself options
If you’re still applying for jobs, don’t limit yourself to just one location. Just applying to one kind of job or only jobs in one location both decreases your chances of getting hired and restricts your opportunities from the get-go.
“I think applicants should do their research first and choose 3-5 places they’d prefer to live in before just applying to every job out there,” says Lexi Hill, a senior at the University of South Carolina.
Pair down your options and broaden your location scope. If you find the perfect job, but it’s located in your dream city, take a chance and apply. You’ll lose nothing by giving yourself more options.
If you do decide that moving is what’s best for you, don’t forget to put in work that will make everything easier: plan. No matter what you decide to do, planning your next steps will make all the difference.
If you decide to make the move, “find an apartment, save enough money, and make sure you’re ready to move away from home,” says Danie.
Keep in mind that everything may not live up to your expectations. Your apartment may not be great, you may not immediately have the Carrie Bradshaw-esque female support group, but take heart — you’ve got this.