A few months ago I decided to move for my job. In the corporate world, this is known as a Relocation. Say it with my now, “Re-lo-ca-tion.”
I did this for a few reasons:
· I wanted to get into our Marketing department
· I was tired of working on Government contracts
· I needed a new start
There are many things I have learned over the last few months. Some might seem like the most basic of advice, but I would say these have worked very well for me. Here are my top three:
1. Meet the People You Know.
I was lucky, our headquarters was in my new location, so there were hundreds of people I had worked with on some level in the past. You may or may not have the luxury of knowing hundreds of people, but you probably know at least one. You should make a point to meet (face-to-face) the people you know. This may include people who reviewed your resume, did your phone interview, or sent you the office information. You always get an extra bounce in your step when you’ve had the opportunity to put a face with a name.
2. Meet New People.
Especially if you are single and have no family, find a way to meet new people. If you can afford it, an easy way to start making contacts is to purchase season tickets to a local sports team. You start getting friendly with the people around you, perhaps even sell/exchange tickets so it’s not all an expense. Additionally, find different associations in your area where you can volunteer. These can be professional groups, alumni groups, or society associations. There may be minor expenses here, but often volunteering can get you discounts to events.
3. Put in the Face Time.
This is different than just meeting people. Unless you are doing the home office thing, put in the face time for the first few months. An easy way to get some real value from this is setting up quick introduction meetings. Start in your group and then work across the organization. Find out who else you might need to use as a resource and grab a coffee. You’ll learn neat things about your fellow employees, they’ll know you when you send them an email request, and you might start having friends for lunch and happy hour.
I would love to hear what some people may have learned from their own relocations.
The views expressed in my blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
Graphic courtesy of Clipart
I’ve lived in the same city for most of my life except for my 4 years in undergrad. Needless to say I have no experience with relocation, however, this is really good advice. I’m super shy and would probably forget how many people I would already know through non face-to-face contact that I could easily build a relationship with. Great post!