Moving Without A Job: Should You Move to the Location of Your Dreams and THEN Look for a Job?

Moving without a job will challenge your identity -- but for some people, it's the best way to go.

Here are some ways to deal with the question.

How will you answer the "What do you do?" question?

Landlords and bankers want something more solid than, "It's about being, not doing." And will your self-esteem hold up after you say repeatedly, "I'm looking for a job."

You cannot take for granted that a particular set of professional skills will be in demand.

Arlene, a physician, found she could not relocate easily to some provinces of Canada; a shortage of hospital facilities restricts the number of physicians allowed to practice. The old stand-bys -- teaching, social work, library science -- have become crowded fields, often unionized, with long waiting lists.

But what if you really want to move? Here are five ways to protect yourself.

Want to start a new life before you start a new job?

Do you have fantasies of moving to a new part of the country or even the world? Quit your job or escape a layoff and start over?

Hold on tight to your chair. Force yourself to stay seated until you have an action plan, preferably in writing. Here are seven tips to get started.

1. Carefully research your target destination. Forget the myths. A small town may be not be a haven of low-cost, crime-free living. A big city may have few opportunities in your chosen field.

2. Protect your work identity. Line up a job -- even a temporary job -- before you move. Find at least one client for your free lance business.

3. Define your career flexibly. Are you willing to wait tables, paint houses or work as a temporary secretary? Do you have marketable skills: carpentry, construction, dog grooming?

4. Don't count on the old stand-bys -- teaching, social work, library science, nursing. You may need a union card or local reference to get established. And many openings exist only for beginners.

5. Identify friends and friends-of-friends in your target destination who can jump-start your social life and show you the ropes. .

6. Rent or buy before you leave your job, if at all possible. If you haven't moved in twenty years, you may be surprised.

7. Much advice from well-meaning friends and relatives will be useless and even harmful. People share their stereotypes and their own buried fantasies. "I've always wanted to live there," they say wistfully. Or, "Don't they have a high crime rate?" Get the facts and seek professional consultations.

From Making the Big Move...

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294


More Resources

The Career Athlete: What It Takes to Manage Your Career
Managing your career, just like managing your life, requires preparation and ensuring that your time is directed meaningfully. Don't wait and see; make things happen.
How Long Does It Take To Write A Resume?
Many people can easily write a resume in just a couple of hours. They can do this by following a resume sample and just writing their information in place of the sample.
Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute, Part 1 of 2
Are you desperately trying to find a telecommute job so that you canquit your current one? Hold on! Your job just might have the potentialto be done from home.With the right approach, a little research and a good proposal, manyemployees are selling the idea of telecommuting to their employers.
Make The Right Career Move
It is not realistic for HR Managers to believe that there will not be any staff turnover in the organisation. Having regular staff turnover need not be a negative proposition as it may imply that the industry is very dynamic.
Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps
The phrase "reinventing yourself" seems to be popping up all over lately. Just a few days ago a friend asked me how he could do it without starting completely over.
Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position
It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.
Fear of Being Outsourced? Fight Back
Me, outsourced? Impossible. How could they replace a business-humor columnist? But my brother-in-law, the radiologist, told me his hospital was threatening to cut his position because they had found a medical group out of India that would read MRIs at half the cost.
Get Dressed and Get Hired
Tying a tie properly may tie you to your next employer. A properly tied tie is essential to a good first impression.
Mid-Life Crisis: Its Not Just for Men Anymore!
A recent story in Career Journal begins:"The "midlife crisis" has long been thought of as something that afflicts men and often involves expensive toys and second wives. But the Wall Street Journal's Work & Family columnist, Sue Shellenbarger, says that as gender roles change, women are increasingly experiencing their own version of these upheavals.
An Alternative to Hiring Employees
Current trends in business are conspiring to create a revolution in the way that small and medium sized companies do business. These forces have created an environment in which growing companies can make maximum use of their labor dollars, while accessing a talent base previously unreachable due to the costs involved with hiring top talent.
Resume Formats ... The Hidden Pitfalls
Deciding on a resume format is the first major decision to be made when creating your resume. The overall look of your resume depends on the resume format, font and outline you choose.
Writing Powerful Resumes - 10 Golden Rules
Your resume is your sales letter. It may not get you the job.
Fantastic Job Fair Follow-up
Set the stage for fantastic job fair follow-up while you are still at the job fair. As the conversation is coming to a close, ask for the company representative's business card.
Why You Only Really Need Four Sample Resumes
Any job seeker looking for sample resumes usually doesn't have to look very far.A multitude of sites today are offering free sample resumes on the internet in addition to the avalanche of books that are released each year touting resume examples.
Hair Dressing as a Career
Since the world started hair has been a very important aspect of individual personality and with the change in time hair has emerged as a big form of self expression for both men and women.In todays world everyone wants to look beautiful, everyone wants to get compliment from their friends and its a well known fact that when you look good you feel good and then you work better.
The Pros and Cons of Telecommuting - As Seen Through The Eyes of a Seasoned Telecommuter
Janelle Delacorte has been happily answering calls for the Home Shopping Network and various infomercials since November 2004.Several nights out of the week she tucks the kids in to bed, turns around, takes 20 or so odd steps, and arrives at the office.
Travel Writer Jobs, What Are They And How To Find Them
Travel writing jobs are few and far between. Getting into this field is hard to do and requires a lot of training and experience.
Does Retirement Fit Into Your Busy Schedule?
Why do you work?Stop and think about it. Other than the income you derive from the various tasks and responsibilities you perform on the job, are there any other reasons you get up every morning before the birds do, drive your car in rush-hour traffic, get into the office and go to several meetings throughout the day that have yet to change life as we know it, and sit at your desk going through all the things you need to go through that are a part of what's been called, work?You've been doing this for a long time.
Career Search from Within
Seeking meaningful and fulfilling work can become a discouraging, confusing and overwhelming journey. Beware spending too much time looking for your answers outside of yourself.
Speak Up: Your Job Is At Stake!
How good are you at standing up for yourself?Do you run the other way when done an injustice or when someone steps on your proverbial toes?How do you react?Now's the time to speak up and stand your ground! If you've never done this, you need to master this skill.How many of you watched the "The Apprentice?" While the show is not the ultimate mirror of corporate life or a guide on how to be promoted, my clients have cited specific show episodes to highlight weaknesses they'd like to improve.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Multiple Skills for the 21st Century
(excerpted from The Weekend Seminar - Skills for the 21st Century 1999 Version)I find it's important to not walk into the 21st Century without multiple skills. But what I also find is that if you are already in sales, network marketing or have an entrepreneurial business (or plan to in the future), you can gain the needed skills for the future while you create your income now.
Making Yourself More Relevant To The New Workplace
Being a current job seeker can be quite a challenging prospect as there are many changes in the workplace. Life-long employment is no longer the norm and workers must also learn to adapt with the complementary expertise of foreign talents.
Ten Healthcare Fields That Cant Wait To Hire You
Healthcare is one of the hottest career fields in America today. The aging and retiring of the largest population segment in the country, known as "baby boomers", has left the healthcare industry racing to find enough employees to fill the void.
5 Resume Mistakes Telecommuters Often Make
Finding a legit telecommute job can be difficult. Telecommute jobs are in high demand and hundreds if not thousands of other people are competing for the same position.
Telecommuting Website (Part Two)
Last article I discussed why a telecommuter would benefit from starting a website, and what you should include on the website. This article, I'm going to cover how to market the website and the basics of getting one set up.
Stacking The Deck In Your Favor
Many people do not bother to look at their own magnificence and without that view it is not likely that we will recognize the need for strategies to maximize our strengths. When we buy an outfit for a special affair, we automatically try to coordinate each piece so that they enhance one another and amplify our sense of "looking good" from head to toe.
Three Myths About Resume Writing
Your perspective on resumes - what they are and how they function - will doubtless influence how well you can write your own. To create an outstanding resume, begin by questioning and replacing some of the commonly held assumptions about resume writing.
Auto-Disqualification - When Your Resume Never Reaches the Decision Maker
How would you know if your resume did or didn't reach the appropriate decision maker? You can truly never know for certain. However, there are steps you can take to ensure that your resume does not get "auto-disqualified", or provide obvious reasons not to be hired.
The Group Interview
Sometimes, when going on job interviews, you might end up in a situation where you are in a group interview. A group interview is where you are being interviewed along with several other candidates for the job.
In a Rut? Ready for a Career Change?
Are you unhappy at work? Tired and lacking energy and drive? Don't worry, you are not alone! Studies in the US show that up to 70 percent of the workforce is unhappy with their job at any given time. We all feel dissatisfied and frustrated with our jobs at times.
Your Attitude Is Screaming
There is more attitude around than the 'traditional 'positive / negative attitude. This issue's topic will expose you to the other kind of attitude.
The Not-So-Effective Cover Letter
Here's a newsflash: Cover letters work, plain and simple. This is why I'm intrigued by the fact that a) jobseekers rarely submit them and b) hiring managers seldom read them.
How To Get More Interviews In Your Job Search
Richard Bolles, job search guru and author of What Color Is Your Parachute? predicts that you can expect to search for work 1-2 months for every $10,000 you hope to earn. So, if you're looking for a $40,000 a year position, you may search for 4-8 months to land it.
Avoid Potential Job Interview Disasters
There are definitely things that you can do to avoid minor mishaps which could ultimately blow an interview. Become familiar with these 7 potential interview disasters so you can prevent them from obstructing your path to that ideal job.
Kick-In-The-Pants Job Search
Believe it: three obstacles will hold you back from your ideal job -- your résumé, you, and your job-search methods. There's no hidden formula; there's no bribery needed; there's no one standing in front of employment - other than YOU!You've probably heard all the excuses, or used them yourself.
Finding Employees For Insurance Industry Jobs
Finding the right employee for any job opening can be a challenge to say the least, and this is no truer than in the insurance industry. With considerations ranging from experience and education to their personal skills, the decisions faced by recruiters and employers can be of critical importance.
How to Tell if You are Fired and Just Dont Know It
No one should be fired and be surprised about it. There are always warning signs.
Looking for a Qualified Medical Billing Specialist
Families, mothers, employers, and medical practices all interact in one way or another with a medical billing specialist. When medical billing is required, a qualified medical billing specialist can help you process your claim quickly and thoroughly.
Are You a Nice Person? What Companies are Looking for in Recruiting and Retaining Great People
Hal Rosenbluth, author of The Customer Comes Second, states; "In our selection process, kindness, caring, compassion, and unselfishness carry more weight than years on the job, an impressive salary history, and stacks of degrees."Does your company hire these types? Are you one of them? Take the following quiz to see if you are:Agree Disagree1.
The Top 10 Mistakes Job Seekers Should Avoid In Contacting An Employer
There are numerous tools and resources available to guide job seekers through the steps of a career transition. These tools are very useful and suggest much that you should do.