What Do Silicon Valley, New York City, Houston, and Detroit All Have in Common?
These cities have become epicenters of their fields: technology, finance, oil and gas, and automotive.
If you aspire to excel in one of these industries, relocating to these cities can be a game-changer. Positioning you where the jobs are, giving access to industry-leading companies, cutting-edge projects, and extensive professional networks.
Being in the right place at the right time can significantly enhance your career prospects and open up new pathways for advancement. Some might even argue, it’s this type of “location luck” that determines your success in the industry you choose.
You might be thinking “I would NEVER move to a major city like New York or San Francisco.”
Me either! But who cares where you don’t want to move, where would you consider moving?
Take a few minutes and think about your industry.
What are the cities that have not just one of your company’s offices but a handful of direct competitors? Jot them down.
Now, on the other side of the paper make another list of cities that have some indirect competitors.
We’re going to walk through how to evaluate these cities, and start approaching your life strategically.
The 5-Year Plan
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” I’m not sure if Mike Tyson was being profound when he said this, or he was just pissed off, but everytime I make a plan (which happens a lot) I think of this.
Having the plan helps you keep things on course, but it also matters how you get back up after being knocked out.
When moving for work, look 5 years into the future, how does this move today position you 1,825 days from now?
Consider financial wellbeing, skills development, family, lifestyle, retirement, network, personal development (health, wellness, etc…)
Does this opportunity provide the foundation for the life you desire in five years from now?
Go back to the list of cities you’ve identified as viable for your industry. Quickly review the list and cross out any city that gives you an immediate “Hell no.”
With the cities that are left behind, choose no more than four that when you think about living there you either get a “Hell yeah” or one of those “meh, it’s not bad.”
Realistically, most of them are going to be “Meh.” and one or two will be more enticing.
Let me tell you, it’s HARD to narrow this down to just four. Going through my own list, I got very “circle” happy.
Before we jump into the research stage.
Remember, there are no inherently bad locations or good locations. It’s based on what you and your family considers valuable.
For me: Low cost of living is more important than access to a thriving nightlife. But we don’t want to be 30 mins to the nearest grocery store. Proximity to amenities is still important and depending on the amenity could sway us to a medium cost of living area.
If this is your first time considering moving to a new area, as you start recording the facts of the city, you’ll get a feel for what you deem “worth it,” and what’s not.
How to Research a City for Career Growth and Relocation Prior to Applying to Jobs
Each city should take 10-15 mins to research for potential relocation.
If you were following along, you have a targeted list of 4 cities where:
- Your current company has direct competitors
- You have indirect competitors from your broader industry
Even better if you have determined there are several companies, or job postings in these 4 cities that you are qualified enough to apply.
Each location will be evaluated using same criteria:
- Cost of living comparison
- Estimated moving costs
- Average salary range for your role
After getting the facts for the locations, you will need to eliminate anything that won’t work in your budget. Oh yeah, by the way, you need a budget.
The final review of the remaining cities is more of a feel. Does the vibe of the area align with what you are looking for? This one is harder to determine virtually.
Good news, there are lots of resources like Reddit, Youtube, Bloggers, even Google Maps can help you determine if the area would be a place you might want to live.
Since you are planning ahead and not waiting until you’ve already applied, (right?) you’ll have plenty of time to schedule trips to visit the final locations prior to hitting the ground running with a targeted job search.
Want to learn exactly how I conduct my own research? Watch this video to walk through a real life example.
Take Advantage of Growth Opportunities
Opportunities rarely come knocking at your door; you have to be proactive in seeking them out. Being open to new experiences and actively seeking out opportunities can significantly impact your career.
When looking for roles internally, I focus on the roles responsibilities (and pay, obviously), not the geography.
Anything that looks interesting, and I meet the minimum qualifications for the role, I’ll apply. Worst case scenario nothing happens, and best case I’m selected for an interview and have a chance to practice my interviewing skills.
If the pay and location intrigue me, and I’m the most qualified candidate, well that’s just icing on top.
Identifying opportunities when they present themselves, and taking action, is taught.
Remember when the gratitude bullet journal became popular? It was so hard to come up with 3 things to be grateful for every single day. At one point, I was getting frustrated because page after page, my points seemed so shallow.
Within a couple of weeks, my brain would begin to look for these little moments in my day specifically for my gratitude journal.
This is exactly what happens when you are focused on growth in your career, and personal life. You’ll start to see opportunities every day.
Getting the ball rolling is the hardest part, so here are some ideas to get you thinking about how to approach growth.
Professional or Career Growth
Before kicking off your strategic new job search, you’ll want to set yourself up to look professionally fantastic.
Projects, practice, and resume updates are all small things that can make a big impact:
- How can you save time or money for your department by simplifying process / procedure OR Increasing revenue through sales?
- What projects can you jump into that are already started or can be started that are cross departmental?
- Next division meeting or company call that has Q&A periods, what is a question you can ask that shows you are thinking about the big picture?
- Keep your phone in your backpack or desk all day except for lunch for an entire week. What happens to the quality of your work? What kind of improvement or project ideas do you come up with?
- Come up with 3 bullet points for your resume that follow the P.A.R formula (Problem – Action – Result). Do this weekly for two months and slowly update your resume.
- Apply to one job weekly. Even if you are not interested in leaving your current company, if you get an interview it’s great practice. And who knows, it could be an offer you can’t refuse!
Personal Growth
The great thing with “growth,” is it rubs off on all areas of your life.
Personal development will encourage better performance and more focus professionally, and once you start to kick butt at work it’s hard not to want to improve your personal life as well.
The levers that make the biggest difference in your personal life are straight forward: Finances, Health & Wellness, Relationships.
- Go for a walk every evening with your partner.
- Eat dinner at the table and not in front of the TV.
- Create a budget and stick to it for 3 months.
- Commit to lifting weights 2 days per week or more.
- Reduce your intake of processed foods, sugars, and of course alcohol.
- Go an entire week without complaining, if you slip up and complain come up with a “punishment” like doing 5 push ups.
- When your inner voice tries to manipulate you into not taking action like you said you would – like staying in bed instead of waking up to go to the gym – confront yourself with even greater effort. Don’t let the inner voice control you, it’ll make you lazy, unhappy, fat, and alone if you allow it to.
Now you have a list of four locations that you could see living, a plan to improve your resume and get in front of more eyes professionally, and personal development action steps to improve your health, wealth, and relationships. Stay focused and intentional, in less than 12 months your life will completely change.
You got this!
BK