Has the time come for you to transfer jobs?
A job transfer can take you to a new company, a new city or state, or even a new country. It can be an exciting change — or a disorienting shake-up that disrupts your personal and professional life. So consider the pros and cons before making this big decision.
Pro: A change of scenery is a good thing
With a transfer, you’ll be working in a new place with new people, which is certainly one way to refresh a tired career. If you are feeling burned out or in a rat race, a transfer can alleviate a lot of those feelings and jump-start your passion for the job.
Con: You’ll have to start over on a lot of fronts
You’ll need to find a house, quality schools for kids if you have them, and a job for your spouse if they work. This can add up to a lot of stress — and a lot of cash out of your pocket. The initial cost of transferring can be high, especially if your company won’t pay for the move.
Pro: It’s good for your career
With a new job, you may have more opportunities for advancement. If you move from a small town to a city, you’ll probably find more jobs available with potentially better pay in your field. You can move laterally within the field and negotiate your salary once you have more options.
Con: You’re going out on a limb
It’s a risk to leave a decent job behind and start a new one. You will have to learn the culture, expectations, and responsibilities of the new position, and you’ll have to forge new professional relationships. This can be daunting for some people, and no matter what, starting a new job in a new place represents a leap of faith.
Pro: You get a fresh start at work
It can be liberating to start all over, making new relationships and connections. You will probably feel professionally stimulated, and you can make a better impression than you made at your last job, if that was an issue. It gives you a chance to refresh your identity at work.
Con: You have to prove yourself again
You must put in the work to gain trust, and that takes time. Staying at a company for a long period is a good way to build up trust, but moving from job to job makes building trust difficult. Employers may look at your résumé and wonder why you moved, and you’ll need to explain your motivations in a way that reflects positively on you.
The bottom line
Most people find that transferring gives them a professional boost (in salary and experience), but it does require you to take the risk of starting over in a new location and setting down roots again. If you’re willing to up the stakes and set up shop somewhere else, understanding that this can be initially costly and socially difficult, then a job transfer may be right for you.
