Whether you are being considered for a new job or your company considers you to man a new location, accepting the offer for relocation means moving to a different place and building a new home in a permanent location. The success of your relocation will benefit both you and your company. Thus, it is highly important to perceive all the aspects involved and the possible challenges that you will go through.
·Sell the reasons you want to relocate
If you are being considered for a job that requires relocation, your excellent work history and background may not be enough to convince the hiring manager that you’re the best person for the job. The company would need an employee who can work full time at the specific location and may remove anyone from the list even if they have a good work history. To get the job, sell the reasons why you want to relocate and highlight your flexibility in adapting to new situations. Attract the hiring manager’s attention and make the interview memorable by emphasizing the reasons why you are the perfect fit for the job. If you have been wanting to relocate to experience a new environment, then sell that point and show the hiring manager how excited you are about this wonderful opportunity that will contribute to your overall personal growth. If you have any attachment to the location, then use that as another selling point. Having a family in the relocation area is a bonus point that you can take advantage of because this means that you are already one step ahead of the other recruits or employees who are also vying for the job.
·Know what your costs are before talking about relocation assistance
Whether you’re accepting a relocation package or requesting relocation assistance, it is important that you estimate the cost of your expenses first to identify the sufficient amount that you need. Start with the basics and do your research to get an idea of how you can move your household goods and the cost that they will incur. If you do not have household goods to move, identify the basic household items that you need for the permanent location and how much it will cost to purchase them. Also, calculate the cost of travel from your current location to the relocation area. Research your vehicle rental options online or talk to people who have experience with it. After gathering the information that you need, you may then consider accepting the relocation package or request assistance. Get three (3) separate quotes from your employer for the household goods expenses, travel expenses, and vehicle rental expenses. If you have decided to purchase a home in your new permanent job location, then that would be a good investment and a clever move but don’t expect your company to cover any realtor fee. Also, ensure that you commit to your employee’s timeline for permanent relocation. In most cases, employees would need to go house shopping to find their suitable home in the permanent relocation. In this case, you can try to negotiate with your employer to share or cover at least three (3) months of your living expenses.
·Survey your situation
Aside from the financial impact in doing relocation, examine the emotional, practical, and psychological points that can greatly affect the situation. A job relocation may mean that you have to step out of your comfort zone and build a new life in a different place that you may not be familiar with. Think of the possible challenges that may arise and prepare yourself emotionally for this new venture. Another point to consider is the practicability that can include the time of travel from your new location to the job site and the cost of living in the new location. It is better to think ahead and consider the possible challenges and how you can work around them to conveniently adapt to the new environment. If you are single and moving alone, then you are in the best situation, and moving to a new job location should be like a walk in the park. However, if you’re bringing your family with you or if you plan to live with a relative in the permanent job location, there may be a few adjustments that you have to make. If you have kids in school, they will need to be transferred and that means they will be detached from their friends as well as the environment that they’re used to. The most important thing is to reassure them that their best interest was considered in the decision and this will be a wonderful opportunity for the whole family.
·Offer to allow relocation costs to be a forgivable loan
Different companies have different policies about the relocation expenses of their employees. The relocation cost will also vary and will not always be the same from one employee to another. Relocation can also be especially expensive when there are kids involved. If your company can only offer minimal assistance, try to make an offer. Ask them if they can grant you a forgivable loan that they can waive after one year of your employment. This will be a win-win situation because you will have the funds to settle fast and conveniently work on your job soonest possible time. Once you’re settled in, you can work for a year to recover your loan from the company and even work for many years more since you have already established your home in the permanent location.
·Be reasonable
Before accepting the job offer, ensure that you have considered all your challenges and the possible difficulty that may arise. Respect your employer by ensuring that you have decided based on your fair and sound judgment. Consider all the points on the agreement and tell them upfront if there is something that you do not agree with rather than complaining about it later. It is important that both parties understand what you are willing to concede or not concede for this may cause a problem that may be difficult to fix later on.
