A recent Prospects poll showed that 78 per cent of you agreed that in order to land the perfect job relocating was a consideration. But despite the best intentions, the uncertainty of moving to a new city can put many graduates off applying for the best jobs.
‘Moving to a new place can be fairly traumatic,’ says psychology graduate Jacob Hansen, who’s quite an expert on changing locations. His studies brought him to England from Brussels via a short stop in Spain. After completing his degree at the University of Leicester, he was enticed by the bright lights of London and a job supporting children with autism.
Although the type of work wasn’t something he planned on doing for any length of time, it was important for his long-term career goals. ‘I was interested in carrying on with my studies but wanted some practical experience to bolster my application. A placement came up in London, so I jumped at the opportunity.’
Avoid cardboard city
Once you’re committed to relocating, finding accommodation is the next logical step, unless you know of some comfortable park benches. Jacob was helped out by the contacts he already had in the city. ‘I stayed at a friend’s flat while I looked for a place of my own, visiting various letting agents and using the web. I was a bit apprehensive about finding somewhere in London but it wasn’t such a difficult process.’
‘When I moved to Manchester for a job in publishing I knew no-one in the city,' says Andrew Barber. ‘I figured it would be good idea to join a house-share. That way I’d have a place to live and an instant group of acquaintances. I looked online on sites like gumtree and upmystreet to find people my age looking for flatmates and ended up living with five others. I’ve made more friends through them and I’m starting to feel quite at home.’
Get your bearings
The sooner you get to know a few people, the easier it is to find your bearings in a new city. Seemingly simple things such as figuring out public transport systems and finding the supermarket become much less hassle with local knowledge, and finding people in the know doesn’t have to be too difficult.
‘When we’re approached about issues such as accommodation, social networks and the like, we generally recommend that graduates join an alumni network,’ says careers consultant Melanie Bingham. Organisations like this allow you to stay in touch with fellow graduates once you’ve all gone your separate ways. The chances are, if you’re moving to a major city then you might know someone there - or at least someone who knows somebody else.
It may not pay to remain static if you’re serious about your career, especially when you’re just starting out. While a major move might seem frightening, there are plenty of ways to make the experience a little easier. If you moved away to university, another relocation shouldn't be too much of a shock to the system. Just make sure that the next step is the right one for you.