Update: When deciding whether or not to relocate, there are many factors that need to be considered such as salary and what locations are fertile for your role. We’ve updated this posts to answer these questions for you. Check it out to see if relocating is an option for your career.
If you’re an ambitious, professionally-oriented marketer then more than likely at some point in your career you’re going to encounter an excellent job opportunity that’s across the state, country, or even the world. When marketing recruitment agencies and prospective employers approach you with an amazing job that’s far away, what will you do?
As executive and digital marketing recruiters that headhunt talent across the nation, this is a question we see candidates wrestle with on a weekly basis. It’s surprising how many of them are completely unprepared to answer it, and either miss a chance to grow their career or are pressured into making a rushed decision.
Update: The 15 Hottest Job Markets for Digital Marketing in 2017
Maybe you’ve already wrestled with the idea of relocating but aren’t sure exactly where to relocate. If your a digital marketer or similar MarketPro crunched the numbers for you and was able to paint a strong general picture of where the most fertile job markets are across the country for digital experts. You can probably guess some of the names on the list, but others will likely surprise you. Check it out!
Don’t be taken by surprise when your dream marketing job finally becomes available to you. Make the right considerations now so you’re in the best position possible to grow your career and pursue incredible opportunities.
Don’t Wait to Weigh Your Options
It’s smart to think long and hard about whether you’re at the point where relocation is on the table. What you don’t want is to be doing all that consideration at the last minute, when you’re under pressure and pressed for time.
Marketing is moving fast these days, and marketing job opportunities keep pace. A big opening for a great job won’t last long; you won’t be able to afford multiple days of deliberation and hand-wringing. Your digital marketing recruiter or prospective employer will get impatient, or a competing candidate will swoop in and take it while you wait.
Instead, it’s something you should periodically think about. You don’t have to make a complete commitment one way or the other, but knowing what your limits are and what motivates you ahead of time will put you in a position of strength going forward.
- If relocation is entirely off the table to you for whatever reason, that’s okay. Everyone has different home, career, and lifestyle priorities. You can avoid wasting your time (not to mention the time of your marketing recruitment agencies) considering jobs that would require it.
- If relocation is something you’re open to considering, then you should contemplate what it would take to make the move a viable option. What kind of compensation or accommodation would it take to convince you to move? Are there any kinds of locations or jobs you would be more willing to relocate for than others?
Think about it–and not just with yourself. Consult your family, friends, and anyone else who would be affected. Don’t drop such a big idea on them suddenly and at the last minute–put it in their heads early so they can give considerate feedback when the time comes.
Key Considerations from Digital Marketing Recruiters
For marketers and other professionals, relocation can be a gateway to exciting, high-paying jobs that they would otherwise never get access to. It’s a fast lane to higher-level positions, more prestigious employers, better compensation and interesting new adventures.
That’s part of the reason why professional mobility is at an all-time high.
Of course, there’s far more to moving than simply packing up a truck and moving. In many cases we’re asking marketers with established careers and reputations in cities they love to leave everyone they know behind, move to a strange location and, in many ways, start their lives over.
Relocation is a fast lane to higher-level positions, more prestigious employers, better compensation and interesting new adventures.
And that’s without considering the strain of uprooting a family, shifting a home lifestyle, moving possessions, and so on.
It’s understandable why even the most career-motivated marketers would balk at the idea of relocating. Moving out of your comfort zone is intimidating, whether it be taking on new job responsibilities or making a home out of an unfamiliar environment.
However, despite the challenges there are many advantages to being open to relocation, especially for marketing professionals. Before turning down a great opportunity due to its distance, there are some important things to keep in mind.
Update: The Marketer’s Guide to Negotiating Salary, Signing Bonus, and More
One of the most significant key considerations when relocating is salary. Whether your in your hometown where you have a reputable history amongst employers or moving to a new city, if you’re an outstanding marketer (and you can prove it), you deserve to be compensated accordingly when it’s time to make a career move. Watch this video to see what we recommend to top talent to negotiate a fair deal while remaining on good terms with your future employer.
Overestimating the Move, Underestimating Yourself
Relocating for a job can seem like a nightmare, especially if you’ve never done it before. However, our experience is that it usually goes far smoother and easier than most people imagine.
It’s never been easier to move for a job. Services and infrastructure built up to support relocation make it surprisingly manageable. And for experienced marketers, there have never been more opportunities for upward mobility through relocation. In fact, about one in seven management and executive jobs are now filled by a relocation.
Give yourself some credit. You’ve overcome challenges before, and relocation certainly isn’t an insurmountable obstacle.
Whatever lifestyle you’re used to, you can almost certainly find something similar if you look in the right places. Buying a new house and moving is stressful when it happens, but is typically over with quickly and endured without lasting side effects. Families are more durable than most people are willing to acknowledge, and will probably adapt to the new environment faster than you realize.