You’re married with children. You've just been offered a job that pays $10,000 more annually than your current job. You’re tempted to accept the job immediately, but that would be a mistake.
In fact, there are 10 questions you should ask yourself before you relocate for a new job.
1. AM I HAPPY WITH MY PROFESSION?: Yes, $10,000 annually is a lot of money, but accepting a job in a profession that’s not suitable for your long-term future is a mistake. Perhaps, you’re in your current profession because you couldn’t find a job in your chosen profession when you graduated college. You work at your job 40 hours per week and you should be happy emotionally, should get a lot of satisfaction in your profession, and should have the skills to succeed in your profession. Perhaps, you won’t succeed in your new job and, thus, the raise will not help you in the long run.
2. WHAT ARE MY PROFESSION’S LONG-TERM PROSPECTS?: Perhaps, you need to peer into the crystal ball and find out what the long-term prospects of your profession. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has extensive information on the occupations that are projected by 2022 to have the best employment growth.
3. DO I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE JOB?: Many people have been told their job will entail certain specific tasks, but then the new employer’s supervisors assign them tasks they‘re unprepared for. It’s also common for an employee’s job responsibilities to change when he or she gets a new supervisor. Perhaps, you should seek an employment contract before accepting the job.
4. DO I KNOW MY PROSPECTIVE COLLEAGUES WELL ENOUGH?: You want to be happy in your new job, but one difficult colleague or supervisor can make the workplace intolerable. It’s common for prospective employees to ignore warning signs during the interview process such as a supervisor who doesn’t appear to be on the same page as the high-level official who offered you the job.
5. DO I KNOW THE COMPANY WELL ENOUGH?: You should research your prospective new employer very thoroughly before accepting its job offer. Finding out the company’s reputation in the industry and whether its financial future is secure is crucial.
6. HOW WILL THIS JOB AFFECT MY SPOUSE’S CAREER?: Earning $10,000 more annually sounds great, but what if your family income is actually adversely affected by the new job, or your spouse is uncertain he or she will be able to find a new job in your new community. That’s another reason why you should seek out the Department of Labor’s information on occupations -- as well as find out whether the community has adequate opportunities in your spouse’s occupation.
7. HOW WILL THIS JOB AFFECT MY FAMILY?: Essentially requiring your children to make new friends might be very unfair to them. It’s also crucial to find out the quality of education offered in various school districts in your prospective new community. You need to consider whether your children’s long-term emotional and intellectual growth will be stunted by moving. Also: Do your parents need you to be near them?
8. WHAT’S MY PROSPECTIVE NEW COMMUNITY‘S ECONOMIC CLIMATE?: Once you move to a new community, you might be “stuck” there, particularly if you want your children to start and end their pre-college education in the same community. Thus, you should explore your long-term job prospects in the community by finding out its future economic climate. Kiplinger, a business publication, ranks the cities with the best job growth and the best cities to start a business. The best job growth cities include Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Portland, Raleigh and San Antonio.
9. WILL I BE HAPPY IN THIS NEW COMMUNITY?: A community that is too urban might be unsettling for a longtime resident of a rural area and vice-versa. Finding out what kinds of amenities the community offers is important. You also need to find out about housing prices and availability -- and know that things can change rapidly.
10. ARE THERE BETTER JOBS IN MY CURRENT COMMUNITY?: Alexandra Levit, who wrote “Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success,” told Forbes magazine that “it may not be the smartest approach to uproot your entire family for a job you could probably find locally with a little more persistence.”
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