You got that new job!
Congratulations! You received a job offer. The work is compelling—you put a lot of preparation into the interview. The money is good. The job is a career upgrade. The location is a major city growing fast. So what’s your hesitation CareerNet Nation?
The business is located on the opposite coast. If you accept, you’ll be moving thousands of miles from your current home and all that is familiar to you. Starting a new job can be stressful. A new job in a new city can be even more stressful.
I hope that in sharing my experiences, bad to great, I will inspire you to start a new job right in a way that is prepared and lowers the stress you may have.
The Dream
You’ve dreamed of similar jobs and careers in the place you grew up, where you went to school, here where you have lived for 20 years. Your family and nearly all your friends live here too. On top of that, the city is expensive, the salary doesn’t exactly compel the move on its own. Solid pay, but not exactly a trip to easy street. You’ll be living decently, but not extravagantly—another face in an unfamiliar crowd. But the new city – it’s really nice. Interesting, accessible, beautiful, and different.
The Decision
Weigh your options—then do it.
Do it fully, without looking back.
My Story
That’s what I did. My name is Mark Stevens. And I went for it. Despite accepting the job with undeniable reservations, plus a lot of anxieties. I was single and 25. I thought “To heck with reservations and anxieties.”
Here, a few of my major reservations:
- In my home town, I had a rich social life.
- I had established connections to numerous neighborhoods, colleagues, alumni and resources.
- In this new city I would know exactly no one – other than new colleagues I had only just met in interviews.
- The closest person I did know lived 1,000-miles from me.
See the theme? I’d be alone. In an unfamiliar place.
But there was also intrigue and excitement because – I would be alone in a new city.
New Job, New City – A Career Life
Like many things that happen in life, place and time matters. Like this series I will be writing. A friend of mine who works at CareerNet asked if I’d like to share my story. If I’d like to write a series of articles on my job adventure which brought me from small town New Jersey to Seattle, Washington. That was a few years ago. But if you read my story, you can share in a true American work life experience. Learn form my mistakes and spot the opportunities faster.
For me, and anyone reading my story, thank you. May it at least relieve a few of your anxieties and answer a few of your questions.
In truth, this series should be called New Job, New City – MY Career Life. Here the first bit of honesty:
Such a move certainly changes you BUT…
- You really never lose your old connections. And you make new connections that you never imagined. They all become part of your new professional and social network, which essentially doubles, as do your experiences and perspectives. You become a better professional and better person, despite moving away from the place and people who nurtured your life. And it’s exciting.
- You find out new things about who you are—your values, opinions, interests, strengths and weaknesses—when you don’t have your old connections and influences always with you. You grow and the feeling is palpable and compelling.
Just keep in mind, for this to workout you need to focus for the first few weeks, like 8 weeks, solely on work and the new city. Your home or rental. Your commute. Where to find the things you need.
Important: Resist jumping into a social life beyond your work colleagues until you find your footing
Your work, of course, dominates much of your life. It occupies most of your time, and it’s mostly what you know for a significant length of time, which enhances your focus and attention to your career. You feel more connected to your goals than ever, and embrace your achievements, big and small, like never before. That feels both emotionally good and personally significant.
But you also relish your free time. For the first time, it’s all yours– every minute. You only answer to yourself. It can feel lonely, at times, but the occasional loneliness is outweighed by every new connection, new friend and experience. Your newfound willingness to branch out down new paths and places is quite often exhilarating.
You’ll fly home for certain holidays and remember why you miss your prior life. You’ll wonder why you left. Maybe you’ll wish to be back home. But as your return flight is touching back down in your “new” home, the excitement returns. You’re “back”.
You made the right choice and would never take it back. Next episode, “The Adventure Begins”. See you then, Mark.
New Job, New City – A Career Life by Mark Stevens
