“Location, location, location!” You hear it from real estate agents who tell you what homes to buy , but it’s also good advice to consider when you think about a career change.
Lindsey Gerdes, a staff editor for Business Week, recently penned this reflection of life and work in New York, three years after her move from Atlanta to the Big Apple. Among her insights:
- New York City’s job market – and the jobs themselves – favor people who thrive on competition and at high energy levels.
- The city offers endless networking opportunities, making it a “city of second chances.”
- The city teaches and rewards career toughness and resilience. Working in New York adds prestige to your resume, and serves as a great jumping off point for the next step in your career path. It also requires you to get back on the horse, so to speak, faster and more resourcefully every time you get knocked off it.
To adapt to the New York job market, Gerdes looked at her own personal needs and desires, and figured out how to “navigate it better.” As a result, she increased the amount of freelancing she did, so she could make her home in a more spacious and comfortable area outside of the bustling city center.
What does this mean for your own job search? If you want to find a job in a new location, think about the environment of that new city or town.
Does it have the right “pace” for you? Do you want to work in the office 100% of the time, or would you rather do some freelancing and/or telecommuting? What are the housing options? Does the area offer alternative and practical commuting choices? And since you have a life outside of work, do the recreational opportunities match your desired lifestyle?
Before you think of moving for a new job, define the whole life you’d like to have, and then find the job that fits it best – wherever it may take you.
