Negotiate Your Relocation

[bholas]

Sometimes, finding a satisfying job is simply a matter of looking in the right place -- literally.


What does geography have to do with your career? Well, we're not talking geography here in terms of Geography 101 -- mountains, prairie land, tundra, weather patterns and so on. We're talking about geography in the context of location, the part of the country or world to which one is referring. Location is one of the many mitigating factors that shoot holes in career generalizations.


Take art education, for example. If you live in a fairly rural area where the entire local school district has only two or three art teachers, your chances of landing an art education job may indeed be remote -- though, it's fair to say, there may still be other possibilities for you. If, on the other hand, you live in or are willing to move to a large urban area, your prospects improve significantly.


Likewise, although there may not be a huge demand for philosophy graduates in the town where you live now, don't feel like you've just wasted four years of study. If you're willing to relocate, you will find there are jobs for people with your background elsewhere. You simply need to do your research to find out where the best place is for you to pursue a career.


While some fields require doing your homework to find the best location, others have more obviously fertile locations. The filmmaking possibilities may not be making headlines in Hollywood, Alabama, but there are plenty of opportunities in Hollywood, California. It may be difficult to find a forestry job in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, but you might do quite well in the beautiful woodlands near the coastline of Lincoln City, Oregon.


Geography and generalizations just don't mix, as many once-worried job seekers have been pleased to discover after finding the right place to pursue their dreams.



So as you explore career possibilities, keep geography in mind. The career you want may indeed be nothing more than a dream where you're living now. But you may well be able to make it a reality somewhere else if you challenge yourself to consider the bigger geographical picture.