How to Make a Smooth Job Move to a New City: Tips for Employee Relocation

The rise of online job searches and job sites has led to many advantages. One of these is a company's ability to spread their net over a much larger geographic area in search of qualified candidates to fill positions within the company.

Online job searches also allow job searchers a much wider range of career opportunities to apply for. However, an issue that often emerges is that a qualified candidate may get a job offer from a company located in a different part of the country.

When a candidate accepts such an offer, how can they make a smooth transition to a new city for both them and their families to take up this major career and potentially life changing opportunity?

Tips for a Successful Job Relocation to a New City

Well, there are many factors to weigh before and during the relocation process to a new city to start a job. 

What you find out when weighing the different factors for a smooth relocation could very well make or break your commitment to the decision to actually relocate or not. 

Here are key tips and factors for making a smooth and successful job relocation to a new city before and during the relocation:

Before the Relocation Process

It's important to understand that a job relocation process to a new city starts before the actual move. Many different considerations should be made even before the relocation process begins.

In fact, key factors pre-relocation should be given careful thought and consideration even before accepting a new position that requires relocation.

1. Find Out If the Hiring Company Offers Relocation Assistance

Many companies are well prepared to relocate an employee to a new location if the employee is considered a great fit for an open position. Different companies go about this in different ways. 

Some may commit a stipend to the employee for a certain amount of time. This helps to care for the employee's moving expenses and perhaps a few months of rent to give them time to find a new, more permanent home. 

Other companies may actually provide a relocation service to take many of the stresses of relocation off your shoulders. 

Some of the solutions many relocation assistance services offer are:

• Help to find a new house

• Help to sell your current home

• Getting professional movers for your belongings, including vehicles

• Finding employment opportunities for your spouse

If the hiring company uses a third-party relocation service, make sure to read up on them to learn more about the full range of services you could take advantage of. 

2. Even If the Company Doesn't Offer Relocation Assistance, Arrange or Negotiate to Get It

What if the hiring company doesn't have any typical provision to help you with the tasks and financial expenses of relocation?

Remember, if you're being asked to relocate, it likely means you're needed. Often this occurs when no local talent makes enough of an impact to be considered for the new position you'll be filling.

This means you very well may have some negotiating power on your side. Don't be afraid to ask for relocation assistance, or at least compensation to defray the expense of it. 

How do you go about doing this?

Before negotiating with the company some preparation is in order. Take the time to research the expenses associated with relocating. Find out how much it would cost for the following:

• Professional movers

• Truck rentals and transportation costs (fuel, tolls, etc.)

• Real estate agent fees

• Temporary housing rental

• Storage for your belongings while renting

Once you've detailed these expenses, you can present your employer with this estimate. This will lend more power to your negotiation, especially if the expenses associated with the relocation process never really crossed your employer's mind.

During the Relocation Process

Once the commitment to relocate is made, that’s when the real work begins. Whether or not you and your family's relocation ends up being a smooth process will largely depend on how you handle it each step of the way.

3. Create and Follow Separate Personal and Work-Related To-Do List to Stay Organized

When relocating for the purpose of taking a new position, your mind is likely going to be filled to the brim. Thoughts such as the impact you'll make on your new colleagues and supervisors are natural. Even smaller things like the best way to commute to your new place of work or where you'll get lunch at your new job weigh on your mind.

Now combine these professional anxieties with the personal and private thoughts about your family that will flood your brain at the same time, such as where will the kids go to school? Will they like their new school and be able to find friends there? Will my spouse and I be able to lead socially healthy lives in this new location too?

All of these things are necessary factors to weigh carefully. Yet, giving them all your attention simultaneously is a surefire way to get overwhelmed by the relocation process. For this reason, create a detailed to-do list to manage it all methodically. Keep separate to-dos for your personal tasks and the things you'll have to figure out for your new position.

Once you've done this, focus and give attention to just one list at a time. When you're accomplishing personal projects, give those your full attention. When addressing the work-related to-dos, worry only about those. Doing this will not only make for a smoother transition process, but also keep you from getting burned out. 

Conclusion

Considering the physical, emotional, and financial investment involved, the move to a new city can be stressful and cause big anxieties in of itself. It is, therefore, vital to be methodical and pro-active to make a success out of your relocation.

Such a move often entails leaving some of your possessions behind. If not this, then it almost always entails leaving more valuable friends and family behind.

But by following the tips listed above, you can ensure a smoother process of relocating to a new city for work. This will help you to get your major life change off to the right start so you can worry less about what's behind and focus on what's ahead.