Moving Interstate For Work: Here’s What To Think About

If you’ve found a new job that’s not exactly next-door – or even in the same state – it can create something of a conundrum. Applying for, interviewing and starting a new job is already an anxiety-inducing experience, but this goes double for when you have to make the difficult choice to move interstate for work.

Then you have the stress of moving on top of everything else. Well, while we can’t make the choice for you, we do have some wisdom to share from our experience. Here are a few tips to think about when deciding whether relocating for work is really for you.

Will your employer cover relocation expenses?

Moving interstate for work doesn’t have to be expensive if you’re working with the right mover, but it is still a cost to consider. While your new job might look great on paper, we recommend that you find out whether or not your new employer will cover your moving costs or not. Otherwise, you might find yourself stung by costs you weren’t expecting, souring you towards your new employer before you even start.

If your employer is willing to help you out with the cost of moving interstate, this is a good indication of what they might be like as a long term company. Of course, companies aren’t expected to pay for everything but if they are willing to help out with living costs, they are likely to help out with other things too.

Does your new location have a healthy job market?

Even if you already have your new gig in the bag, the wider job market of the area is still important. For instance, if your new role doesn’t work out, it’s always good to have options.

When considering moving interstate for work, take a look at the job market for the wider area to see what’s around. If there isn’t much in the way of relevant jobs, it’s best to be as sure as possible that the new role is for you. This also applies if you are married or have a partner. Will your spouse or loved one be able to find themselves a new job easily? If not, it might be difficult for you both to live in the new location and continue your respective careers.

What is the cost of living like?

While your new job might offer a better salary, this might end up being offset by a higher cost of living, especially if you’re moving to a major urban centre. Although you might be in shiny new surroundings after relocating for work, your quality of life might actual reduce if you can’t afford the things you managed to before – not to mention holidays.

So, before moving interstate for a job, it’s a good idea to get an idea of what the local prices are, including normal grocery shopping, rent, utilities, transport and any hobbies that you are currently supporting. And then, if the maths doesn’t add up, you can attempt to re-negotiate your new salary or consider passing up the job in favour of something more balanced.

How about my quality of life after relocating for work?

Knowing what you like and don’t like is an often overlooked aspect of making the choice to move interstate. Take a minute to think about the things you’ve come to enjoy about living where you are and find out if your new location will offer these perks. For instance, you might be living in a place that has a vibrant arts scene that you enjoy. If you end up in a place without such a scene, you might find yourself wondering if you’ve done the right thing.

The same principles apply to other areas of your life. Are your hobbies available?

• Are local services up to your standards?
• How about the quality of the schools?
• If possible, try to visit your new area to better understand whether or not it’s somewhere you can be happy.

Know the company

Do your research before moving interstate for work. You don’t want to start there before realising that your boss is terrible and the company is in trouble. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the company’s history, why your position was available and even the kind of management style takes place. These are all reasonable questions to ask and will give you a better idea of what to expect.

Also, look up the company on websites such as Glassdoor. These let ex-employees leave reviews of companies they have worked for. While you should take everything with a pinch of salt, if the number of reviews are overwhelmingly bad, this could be a red flag.

Find your ideal moving company

Moving interstate can be an expensive hassle, but not if you find the right partner. While it’s no surprise that we would recommend our services, we’ll let our thousands of happy customers speak for us instead.

No matter how many belongings you have, we’ll be able to help out. We are top-rated and love nothing more than helping our clients move interstate with minimal hassle so that they can start their new life stress-free. And, to make things even easier we offer comprehensive removals insurance to make sure everything is safe along the way.

How will this impact your family?

If you have a partner or family, you’ll have to take their happiness into consideration before making your choice. Your job might be fantastic, but if other members of your household are not likely to feel the same, you might find yourself going back the other way again in the future.

As always, the best way to check things out is to go with your family to the new location and explore the things that they find to be important. That way, you can have a better idea if they’ll be able to adapt as well.

Is your social support still in range?

Your social life and support network is important. While moving closer to family and friends might be a reason in itself for moving interstate, if you’re going further afield you might find it more difficult than you think.

Making new friends as an adult is a lot harder than it is for younger people, so you’ll need to be sure that being in a new city comes with enough social opportunities.

Make it all easier for yourself

At the end of the day, moving interstate is not the last thing you’ll ever do in your life. If you are even just a little bit unsure, you can take comfort in the fact that if things really don’t work out, you can always return.

However, if you do have a gut feeling that it just might not be right for you, see if you can buy more time from your new employer to explore the area and investigate the availability of things that are important to you.

If you are going to take the plunge, congratulations! New jobs, new locations and opportunities are exciting and it just might be the best thing you’ve ever done. Talk to us about our interstate moving service and we’ll tell you all about how we can make everything as easy as possible.

Until then, good luck!

How Else Can ZOOM Removals Help

We offer a number of useful services in conjunction with your interstate move. These include some of the following :

• Removals Insurance
• Movers and Packers Services
• Moving Truck Services
• Free Moving Boxes
• Last Minute Removals
• Home Removals