When You Have Been Offered A Position in Another City But Your Spouse Is Employed Here

Extremely strong job markets in certain parts of the country have forced many people to confront the issue of relocating for a new job. If you have a job offer in another market and a spouse employed in your present market, the spouse is likely to be extremely reluctant to give up a job, sacrifice income and run the risk of starting over again elsewhere. It is a difficult decision, often complicated by the reluctance of the working spouse to pull up stakes and move.

The first thing you should do is ask if your new company offers job-search counseling for working spouses. Some companies offer this service as an extra benefit, because it is necessary to attract the people they want.

Job-search counseling, which combines personal counseling with job-search training, teaches the spouse how to look for a job in the new location. The goal is to ensure that the relocation will be as beneficial to the spouse's career as it is to the person offered the new job. It is predicated on the ideas that spouses should not sacrifice their own careers or lose income to relocate. If your new company does not offer this service, you and your spouse can work together to find job opportunities in the new location. You must remember that you need to search for jobs in a variety of industries, unless your spouse is in a highly specialized field. In the search, do not overlook cities in surrounding areas.

Ask your new employer and colleagues for job leads in the new market. Frequently, employees are members of business associations and civic groups. They may have information about potential employers for your spouse. Their friends or associates may be able to provide leads, too. Additionally, utilize resources of professional associations your spouse may belong to. Friends or former business associates who live in that market are prime sources of job leads. People in your present market also may be information sources. And don't forget to check newspaper classified ads.

If your spouse has employable skills and a good work record, finding a job in a new location should not be a problem. Persistence is required, though, because of competition in the new market. Interview follow-up calls should be made regularly. The spouse also has to be flexible enough to take a job quickly after it has been offered. Employers are not willing to wait a long time for a decision. If the spouse does not respond rapidly, the job could go to someone else.

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