Moving to a Land Far Far Away

You've fallen in love. Maybe it's with a person who completes you. Maybe you've always dreamed of working for Mickey Mouse in Orlando. Maybe you've been dying to do some surfing but you've been stuck in Kansas. If this is you, then you are in luck. It's the perfect time of your life to follow your dreams and passions wherever they may lead you. You're young. You're already broke. You haven't got kids, careers, and mortgage payments to tie you down. My advice is always to go for it.

Enough of the cheerleading. Now it's time to get down to the reality. If you are planning on looking for a job in a place where you don’t have a place to live, you need to plan more and start earlier. You will need to do a lot of research and save quite a bit of money, because you will have to be prepared to move to your city of choice while you look for your ideal position.

Most companies won’t fly you out for an interview unless they are REALLY certain they want you and there are no better candidates in town. And for most entry level jobs, there are lots of candidates. As a result, an out of town address will usually get you filed in the circular bin.

Don’t plan on having your moving expenses paid either. Relocation costs are paid for upper level jobs, or again, for jobs with really bizarre skill sets where the candidates are few and far between. So unless you speak Gaelic while programming the space shuttle, you should start saving. This means putting away enough money for at least 3 months of expenses, finding a place to live that you can afford (so much for your dream of leaving roommates behind), and maybe taking a less desirable job to pay your bills for a while.

Your research should include:

• What companies are in the area that hire for what you want to do?
• What is the average cost of an apartment in your city?
• What are the different neighborhoods?
• What kind of transportation is available?

If you have friends or a distant relative in the city it will be tempting to ask to spend some time on their couch while you look for work. Limit yourself to one to two weeks of couch time if you want them as friends for very long. Get your butt up at 7:30am, get out of the house and job hunt or apartment hunt everyday, and come back after 5pm with a progress report that shows forward momentum. Also be sure to help out by paying for your own food (and offering them a few meals here and there if you can afford it), keeping your space clean and maybe doing some chores.