Recent graduates finishing university are faced with a similar decision to when they chose what university to go to. That decision is, of course, if they should move somewhere else. You might be the graduate tackling this decision for your first opportunity, perhaps looking at job listings from Melbourne to Sydney, or maybe Sydney to a small town like Horsham. No matter the move, you’re left weighing the pros and cons of your potential options. 

In this article we’ll discuss the for and against of moving for a graduate opportunity to help you to decide on your next step.

PROS

How will moving affect job availability?

Moving will increase the number of options you have for jobs simply because you’ll have more places to look. But there’s also more to it than that. By moving you can compare jobs, locations, and salaries to decide on what’s important to you.

What possible career growth is available?

The same job in different places will lead to different career trajectories. For example, doctors in small country towns may have less options than their big city counterparts. However, sometimes there are other incentives to move beyond clear career growth prospects.

In the case of our doctor example, the Workforce Incentive Program Doctor Stream offers financial incentives for doctors to practice in regional communities. Recent graduates may choose to join companies with different structures in order to have more freedom or a more senior position. For example, a graduate looking for a position as a social media manager might join a large company and work a part of a team, or prefer to kick off their career in a small start up and get to design their own marketing strategies from scratch.

Could it be a chance to start over?

For a recent graduate unfamiliar with moving to a new place, it might feel like starting over - but that can be a good thing. While the draw of drama and love meant it didn’t work out for Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy that doesn’t mean it won’t work out for you. After all, there’s no screenwriter shaping your hero’s journey.

This might be an opportunity to see what you’re capable of or experience something new. That might be a new and challenging job, or making new friends, or just living away from home. In the end moving doesn’t mean losing the friends and supportive people in your life back home. Instead it’s an opportunity to build that support network further.

CONS

How expensive is it to move?

Surprising to no-one, a big consideration when moving is how expensive the rent will be where you’re going. For example, Sydney is an expensive place to live and will likely mean you’ll have to share a house as a recent graduate. There’s also the consideration of all your stuff. If you’re like many of us we somehow end up looking at a house full of things you only touched once: when you bought it. Moving all that stuff to another city, or another state, is another expense you’ll have to consider.

These considerations aren’t a reason not to move but instead a factor to consider before you do so you’re not unprepared.

Who and what will be left behind?

Right now you might be living with family, or with people that started as roommates and became friends over university. These are all people you might feel like you’re leaving behind when you move to another city or state for an opportunity. It might feel like abandoning a found family.

While things will certainly change, and that’s something to consider, it’s not something to fear. In our interconnected world they’re not left behind. Instant messages, video calls, online video games, quick ways to travel, and the list goes on. There’s many ways to stay in touch with the people you know and love right now.

Where will you live?

The expense of moving is one thing but another is the struggle of finding a rental in the first place. Thankfully a whole industry of sites advertising rentals has developed that you can access from home. While not being able to inspect a rental in person can be a challenge there are options like virtual walkthroughs or seeing if someone you know in the area of the rental can inspect it for you. When looking for rentals persistence is key and often your gut reaction to something is right. Using the experiences and lessons learned by those around you can help you find your future homebase for this exciting job you’re considering.

How do you decide?

At the end of the day (and the article) this decision is a highly personal one. It’s based on your priorities, circumstances, and future goals. While it might be up to you it’s important to remember that it doesn’t have to be scary. Thousands, tens of thousands of recent graduates have moved for opportunities before so it can be done. Reach out in your social circle, find people who have done it before and see what advice they have. Finishing university is an exciting time and what you do next is what you worked for. Enjoy the journey!

About The Author Sam is a Media and Communications (journalism) student at La Trobe University. He's been writing for various outlets since he was 16 and recently completed an internship at the Herald Sun. He's passionate about what makes people tick, from their interests to their motivations.