Moving with Social Media?

I spent the last two weeks moving out of San Pedro and closer to ‘the big city’. All of the work I did in moving made me wonder 1) how I could have done it without Craiglist, Google and friends and 2) how it might have been easier if I’d connected with other people moving the same weekend.

Granted, Craigslist is fantastic for letting people who are also moving find you and the things you may have that they may want, but what about van sharing or things they haven’t thought about wanting, yet, but will want soon?

I got rid of several items on the good ol’ Craigslist that couldn’t come with me (like a loveseat which was pure torture to divest myself of; I seriously couldn’t sleep because I didn’t know what I’d do with it!)

I also had a fun situation with the van that I’d planned to rent from Ryder truck but which I couldn’t have because someone else hadn’t yet returned it! I envision a social network for movers (or maybe just a Twitter group?) where people moving the same weekend could split the rental of a moving truck. There were at least 2 other apartments in my complex moving out; why shouldn’t I have known they were moving ahead of time and we could have shared resources?

There are so many untapped areas we can take the power of organization through social media – so APOC, let’s get to work!

(BTW, no pic this time; for some reason loading a pic is crashing Firefox tonight…)

Movin’ on up…

Moving for work is something that a lot of young pros are looking at; some looking forward to it, some dreading the possibility.  According to some Canadian statistics through Manpower, almost 80 percent of workers are willing to relocate for work (most only if it means a promotion).  And with the economy the way it is now, people will be jumping for ANY opportunity, regardless of where it’s at.

I’ve recently done the relocation thing, and so have a few friends of mine; each under different circumstances.  Here are a few things to think about:

1. Know yourself and set your goals
   Every career should start with a plan; not a self-contract, perhaps, but a broad outline of what you think you want.  It’s impossible to think about moving around without one.  Think about what you really want; do you want to do anything to move your career to a certain point?  Do you want to do anything to stay near home?  Do anything to be in a specific city?  Set your goals early and then  you’ll be able to find the opportunities you need to make them happen.
2. If you’re moving without a job
   A good friend from college knew she wanted to work in Chicago, but she was finding it hard to get employers to give her a chance while not local to the area.  So she got brave and moved to the Windy City sans gig, supporting herself with her fabulous java slinging skills for the short term.

   The thing about moving BEFORE you’ve got the job is to expect to wait.  Want to live in a specific city?  Good for you!  But you’d better bet on supporting yourself with a temp gig or the good ol’ barista standby while you job hunt in your career field.

3. The coveted transfer Job
   So you know you need the stability of a job before you’ll move, okay!  Now how to make it happen?  I got lucky, I stumbled into a company with a sister office across the country and then made myself available when the opportunity to transfer arrived.  You might want to be more deliberate.

   If you know you want to move somewhere but don’t care exactly where, then look for a job you love in a company with multiple offices (and make sure you start asking what transfer options the company supports early on).  Transfers probably aren’t the best option if you have a specific city in mind.  The way to earn a transfer is to 1) be fantastic at whatever it is you do (though this is always a good policy) and 2) apply for every opportunity and 3) make connections with colleagues in other offices!  If they know you and like you BEFORE you have the chance to transfer, they might help you land it.

4. Ambition drives the bus
   If you’re not particularly focused on the act of moving but will move if that’s what it takes, then think about joining national or international networking groups.  Keep up with people in your profession who live in other cities.  Network your ass off and never lose touch with anyone who liked your work and don’t be shy of letting them know that you’re willing to relocate for a good opportunity.

   A friend who is a television anchor has one of the best memories for people that I’ve ever known.  After relocating for a job (that she landed through professional outreach), she quickly found several people she had worked with in the past that helped her build her local credibility much more quickly.

The question of what to do AFTER moving for work is a whole other beast, something I’ll probably tackle in the future.  Just remember to consider what you want well in advance so when an opportunity pops up, you’re able to work quickly and make it happen!