To relocate or not to relocate – that is the question

How can we find balance and make a decision we won’t regret? The pointers below were prepared by Antal based on years of experience in relocating own and external employees.

Jobseekers are becoming increasingly mobile, even though Poland is still far behind our Western neighbours. Experts can find many employment opportunities in large cities, and professionals with rare skillsets receive at least several job offers each month – especially in the IT sector. Some of them know that they can always find work at home, and therefore are unwilling to relocate. Others seek challenges outside of their familiar environments because of their curious nature or the circumstances in which they find themselves. The vast majority of candidates declare their readiness to relocate, but only a few of them follow through. Even once they make the choice to leave, they often return to their hometowns within the year.

We only regret the chances we didn’t take

It’s a truth well known that 75% of our regrets are over things we didn’t do, which is why keeping an open mind may be a good idea. Thinking about our options and learning more about our prospects is always worth doing. One of the candidates I hired dismissed an offer to relocate at first. Several days later she asked me for more details about the job. At the end of the recruitment process, when she was expecting to receive a written confirmation of the terms of the agreement, she told me that this was the job of her life. When a highly experienced professional with a unique skillset remains too long in one city or on one market, they may not know what opportunities they are missing – not only in terms of remuneration, but also projects, technologies and quality that goes well above and beyond their usual working environment.

Expectations – not dreams

If the job offer or the prospect of working for a given company is tempting enough to make a candidate consider turning their life upside down, then it’s time to consider another issue: money. Unfortunately, in many cases this is where the discussion about new career paths ends. Many candidates see the prospect of employment in a new, big city full of opportunities as a chance at a new, glamorous life. Furthermore, recruitees tend to – quite understandably – seek compensation for the familiar life they are going to miss. Consequently, when asked about financial expectations, some recruiters hear figures twice or triple the amount considered satisfactory at the current place of employment. When assessing the offer rationally, we should remember that things like gas, bus fares, rent, bills or groceries cost money wherever we live. True, Warsaw is more expensive than Łódź, but the price difference is never that pronounced – it comes down to several percent, not twice as much! Even though talking money and expenses in Poland is considered bad manners, candidates are encouraged to ask for help in assessing their financial expectations. HR departments and head hunters will be happy to provide you with price estimates which may facilitate calculating additional costs realistically.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear

Relocation is a drastic change that requires courage, especially at its final stages, when the candidates have to pack their bags and say goodbye to their friends. In keeping with the Mark Twain quotation above, fear is more than natural under the circumstances. From the emotional viewpoint, the courage we display by taking the final step may give us even more satisfaction than the new job itself. We should not hide our fears from ourselves, but rather talk about them openly. The candidates’ anxieties relate both to emotional and to organisational aspects of life. Some people are afraid of becoming lonely and separated from their friends and loved ones, other fear being rejected by the new environment or are discouraged by the prospect of boring autumn afternoons spent doing nothing. Speaking from experience, best friends stay best even from a distance of many miles, and concerns about the new environment can change into something positive – not only new friendships, but also an additional boost to integrate with our new lives. The recruiter’s role is also important, as it is their responsibility to unearth the candidate’s inhibitions in a respectful manner. The new employer can offer more assistance than most people realise. Most people I helped relocate were worried about finding the right apartment or being unable to cover the deposit. It is important to remember that some companies assist their new hires in finding accommodation by offering helpful tips and relocation packages. To conclude, if a candidate voices their concern, their recruiter will be more than happy to offer a solution. At Antal, we believe this is our professional duty.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

While relocation may provoke anxiety, it also has a lighter side – that of adventure and opportunity that come afterwards. The change inspired by new professional opportunities translates into improved cognitive perspectives, energises people who enjoy challenges and improves self-esteem. The candidate’s ability to make the choice is proof that they are goal-driven, willing to overcome obstacles, focused on personal development and well-appreciated. All great cities rely on the inflow of fresh blood; newcomers soon find a new sense of pride and confidence, or even discover that their drive to succeed has become an object of envy among ‘the natives’.