Military families and those whose spouses work in careers that have offices around the country sometimes find themselves packing up and hitting the highway every three to five years or so, heading off to a new job in a new state. The spouse of the person who is moved then finds themselves in the position of locating a new job in a new city.
While this is stressful in itself, that spouse will not only have to find the job but then learn the new job, new company, new names and a new routine every three to five years. This type of life can be daunting at best. It is difficult to constantly have to start something new. When you have a family, and friends, and a home, leaving these things behind are tremendously hard emotionally. Finding a new job in a new town makes it even more of an emotional strain.
If you are a spouse who has to move around for another spouse’s position, you can do certain things to make these transitions a bit easier as you go from town to town (or state to state).
First, consider working for a company that will allow you to work from anywhere. Certain careers are more acceptable to this type of position and will allow you to move from one city to the next without asking that you step down from your job. I have one friend who runs a company completely from her computer in her home, and another that edits at a magazine for which I write. Each of these ladies can pick up and move at the drop of a hat without having to switch careers.
Secondly, once you know that you will be moving begin asking people with whom you work if they know someone in that area. It’s very interesting but as we age we tend to run into people who know someone that used to live in our old hometown or who live somewhere that we are moving. The world is small, so use this to your advantage. If you can find someone who knows someone in the new town, perhaps that person would help you out with finding a new job, or at least getting settled, in your new town.
Watch your finances. Retirement and benefits will change from job to job and state to state. Make sure that you are putting enough away so that you have some in the bank when it is time to retire. You don’t want to get to the age of being able to stop working and find out that all of that moving around affected your finances and you can’t quit because you need the money.
Create a portfolio and carry it with you. Having something to show a future employer from your past jobs will make you feel at ease as you walk through the doors for an interview.