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Packaging Horizons
Professional Services: Moving Up, Moving On
Starting a family is a change that can make an enormous impact on your career, but it's not the only one. There may be a time in your career when you will be asked to relocate to another city. While such a move can be good for your career, the result of a promotion or an opportunity to develop new skills, it still can be a major adjustment. There are just about as many details to consider in this situation as there are with starting a family--and family is often the first consideration.
Whether to relocate is a personal decision that each individual, couple and family has to address, says Linda Giardini, human resources and relocation manager for Stone Container in Chicago. You have to balance the decision with your personal issues and with your family's needs.
Some of the questions she suggests people ask themselves include:
- Does your spouse work and will he or she have to find another job?
- Are your children in school and are you willing to pull them out and put them in a new school?
- Do you have to deal with aging parents who may need your help?
Have a clear conversation with your spouse and discuss the impact a relocation will have on his/her career, advises Marcia Brumit Kropf, president of research and advisory services, Catalyst. Then research the types of relocation support your company offers, such as job placement services for your spouse. Some companies work very hard to help ease the transition.
"Spend some time talking with others who have relocated, as well as their spouses and children," comments Marilyn Baker, a consultant with The Coca-Cola Co., who lived in France and Brussels for several years before moving back to Atlanta. "Children can have a significant impact on how the experience turns out. I know of some families who chose not to move because their children were in high school. But it can be wonderful if the children can adjust."
Relocating, however, is more involved than just making the decision. Once it has been decided that the move will take place, it's time to get yourself and your home prepared. Some companies have programs in place that help employees deal with the logistics. Whether it's your employer or a vendor, the actual move is often handled for you. You and your family can then focus on acclimating yourselves to your new home and community.
Typically, you've already made a visit or two before accepting the position, therefore, you've had a brief opportunity to get a feel or sense of the community. But there is more to find out, such as schools, shopping, and other amenities. The local real estate association can be very helpful during a relocation, advises Giardini.
Now what's left is learning the new office culture. Even if you're moving from one site to another within the same company, no two offices are alike. You can find different cultures in separate buildings and even separate offices, comments Baker.
Like managing parenting and a career, adjusting to a new job in a new environment will be easier if you turn to others for support. Some firms have official orientation programs for just such circumstances, but at others, you may have to turn to your co-workers. "I have found co-workers are extremely helpful in assisting the transferring employee with getting acquainted to the new community and making the transition into the current corporate culture," says Giardini, who adds that she wouldn't hesitate to ask the company for additional assistance if needed, even in the absence of a formal policy. It may be that this type of help was never considered before, but it is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Giving it time
Whether you've chosen to relocate or start a family, both offer opportunities for professional and personal growth. "Change is a part of life and there is a lot you can get out of it," asserts Beverly Simon, who relocated from New York state to Chicago for a job with Favorite Brands. "It's been hard, but I'm a much wiser person for going through it. Know that there will be a period of adjustment, and be patient," she advises.
Research the types of relocation support your company offers, such as job placement services for your spouse.
Marilyn Baker, a veteran of several overseas assignments, suggests talking to someone who has gone through the relocation experience before making a decision to do the same.
Relocation Resources
The more help you have when either relocating or considering relocation, the better. Here are a few Internet sites that help professionals relocate from one city to another.
National Relocation Network
www.webrelo.com
Century 21 Blackwell & Co. Realty
www.teleplex.net/blackwell/relo.htm
U.S. Census Relocation Services www.pe.central.vt.edu/relocationsites.html
Relocation-Net
www.users.mwci.net/~relonet
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