7 Things to Know Before Relocating for a Job Relocation for a job can leave a great impact on both your personal and professional life. So it is important to take this decision after thoughtful deliberation
By Kamalika De
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Relocating for a job is never easy - it's like uprooting your existence from one place and moving to a different world where you'll have to start from the scratch. Is it stressful and nerve-racking? Well, it can be, unless you consider the nitty-gritty of the relocation process beforehand and get prepared for the moving to another city.
Today, I've pulled together seven things that you should consider before relocating for a job. Following this brief guide will help you move to another city calmly.
Without further ado, let's talk about these seven things that you should know before relocating for a job:
1- Relocation Benefits
Be it receiving a new job offer or getting transferred by your present company, when you are relocating, often the company either pays the complete expense of moving or gives a flat amount to cover your expenses. Therefore, before accepting an offer, you must check what relocation benefits you will be getting from the company. Ask the HR department of your company for the detailed relocation benefits.
2- Cost of Living
Amit Kapoor, an ET Columnist and associate director (content marketing) at Cigniti Technologies, was born in Kolkata, studied in Lucknow and then moved to Hyderabad for his career, thinks being clear about the cost of living in a new place is a must thing to do before relocating,
"When relocating, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the "Cost of Living' in the new town. Good news is that today you can research in depth about the living costs of any city."
The more you research the more clarity you will have about the expenses and savings in a new city.
"If for some reason you cannot find the details, you must talk to as many people staying in that new city as possible to get an idea. Then, you must calculate if by relocating with the new offer, will you really be able to save better or actually end up spending more even after the increment" Amit Kapoor added.
3- Weather Conditions
A sudden change in weather can challenge your physical health."A lot of people don't really consider this factor when relocating and think that they can adjust. Well, maybe you can - but you've to be very careful about the health needs of your family. There are instances wherein kids developed asthma and wheezing cough when their parents moved to a new town where the pollution levels were very high. The parents had no other option but to move back to the same/different town to control the disease - making the whole experience very painful," Amit shared.
To avoid anything from going wrong, know beforehand the weather conditions of the place you're heading to. Get yourself and your family members medically checked to know whether everyone is ready to adapt to the climate of the new city. This way you'll be fully prepared to combat any kind of weather hazard.
4- Kids' Education
The relocation process can be more daunting especially for the parents. The most difficult part is to find a good school that can perfectly fit your kids' requirements. However, you can make it easy by doing homework before moving. Search the neighbourhood of the location you plan to stay in the new city. If there is no good school in your locality, picking other location to stay will be a better choice than sending the kids to a school situated far away.
5- Life After Work
Though you are in a job, it doesn't mean you should be working all day. You need to relax your body and mind and give quality time to your family members. So you should do proper research about the places to go and recreation activities in the new city.
Mainak Roy, IT Project Manager at Tata Consultancy Services who was born and brought up in West Bengal and for the last 5 years has been living in Chennai for work, suggested, "Locate to a place that has restaurants nearby or other amusements. This way you can have a work-life balance and avoid getting burned out."
6- Future Prospects
Before taking the leap and landing in a new city, don't forget to do research about the future prospects there. Will you be able to improve your skills, climb the career ladder and grow professionally? If you think yes, only then give a green signal to relocation.
"A thorough study of the company should be done before relocating. Past success stories can give you a good idea about the future prospects" - Mainak suggested based on his own experience.
7- Backup Plan
What if your job or the new place starts driving you crazy after a point of time! Well, I don't want you to be pessimistic, but relocation doesn't always work for everybody. So you should have a safety net - a backup plan if things don't turn out the way you imagined.
Wrapping it up, relocation for a job can leave a great impact on both your personal and professional life. Consider the above-mentioned things before relocating for a job to maximize your success in the new city.