EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Dr. Dawn Smith, President and CEO of DMDS Partners Inc., a full-service evaluation and applied research corporation. She discusses her relocation experience as she relocated twice in order to advance her career and provides lessons and strategies to help you decide whether moving to a new city is the right path for you.

QUOTES

“[When it comes to applying to jobs outside your area] I think it’s really about your experience so far so for example, if you’ve sent out, 100s of resumes and applications in the area that you are currently living in and you’re not getting any traction with respect to either interviews or even invited to come in to talk to someone about a position, then I think it’s a good idea to start expanding your geographic space outwards.” - Dawn Smith [4:52]
“[When deciding on when you should start considering buying a home in your new location] a year is really a good barometer in figuring out the fit between you and the place of employment, you don’t want to jump too quickly between jobs because that doesn’t look really good on your resume.” - Dawn Smith [10:06]
“I always do a pro con list and I always do, what are all the pros, what are all the cons, I kind of weigh them, and then have a conversation with my partner about what makes the most sense and then you’re making a data driven decision on that.” - Dawn Smith [20:38]

TIMESTAMPS

[1:20] Meet Dawn
[4:28] When to decide between relocating or sticking it out in your current city when it comes to searching for a new career opportunity
[5:53] Deciding what location to move to in search for your next career opportunity
[9:56] When to consider buying a home in your new city
[10:42] Bias from recruiters about candidates applying from out of city/area when they haven’t moved to the location yet and how to combat this
[12:02] Compromising on a video interview with the company at your target location if they aren’t willing to pay for your travel expenses when a certain interview stage tends to be an in person interview
[13:30] Evaluating whether company size matters when it comes to applying for positions at your target location and if company size is an indicator of whether the company will pay for your travel expenses to bring you in for an in person interview or not
[14:51] Asking for relocation assistance in a job offer
[15:56] How much time can you ask for before you start your new job so you have time to move and settle down at your new location
[17:13] Budgeting your relocation expenses and what to move with and what to sell as a single individual
[19:20] Considering moving for an opportunity while your partner is happy with where they are in their career
[20:53] Advice on adjusting and adapting to your new surroundings both professionally and personally
[23:35] Dawn’s lessons of relocation that she learned in her 1st relocation that she applied to her 2nd relocation to make it a more smoother experience
[26:18] Interview red flags to watch out for so you don’t move locations for a company that may not be a good fit for you for the long term
[27:59] Thoughts on adjusting someone’s current salary based on where the individual is located if they decide to move away from the office to a place with a lower cost of living
[31:57] If Dawn had any regrets with her 2nd relocation where she moved away from family and friends to grow her career
[34:41] Summarizing the relocation conversation and whether relocation is the right move for you
[36:17] Whether you should highlight why you are applying for a specific role at the company if you are not currently located in the area in your cover letter and/or resume
[37:21] The one major career challenge Dawn had to overcome to get to where she is today
[39:33] Contacting Dawn
[40:19] Outro

RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

Relocation: When to decide to search and take a new job in a new city, to advance your stagnant career 41:24 Share

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Shownotes Transcript

Relocation: When to decide to search and take a new job in a new city, to advance your stagnant career