You see a job posting that’s perfect. Decent salary, nice benefits, and you meet all the requirements for the position. But wait. It’s located… where?
The media is a fast-paced industry, and if you want to keep up — and move up — you need to go where the jobs are. Even though many professionals know this is a normal part of the field, our suffering economy has placed some under more pressure than usual to relocate just to stay employed. Look at ReadyMade magazine, for example. Meredith, its parent company, wanted to move its staff in the Bay Area to Des Moines, Iowa. The magazine operations relocated; the founders and their staff decided not to follow suit. So is job-jumping a strategic step to further your career or just a here-and-now act of desperation? Here, three media vets share their own relocation stories and reveal when it’s the right time to pack up for a paycheck.
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The Upside to Going Down South
After being laid off for about a year from her previous position in print publishing, Kelly Love Johnson began freelancing for Austin-based Broad Street Interactive from her home in Charleston, South Carolina. When that company started experiencing a boom in growth, the founder offered her a full-time position to manage everything from media strategy and content to marketing and online media buying. If the market for a job in the publishing arena hadn’t been so bad, she would likely not have imagined Austin as a home. But she knew print publishing was a dwindling field. So Johnson accepted the job and packed her bags for Texas.
“My biggest concern was getting back into print publishing when I knew there was a distinct possibility I could relocate just to end up unemployed again,” says Johnson. She feels comfortable in Austin because it’s a solid place to find a job if she needs to in the future. Right now, she loves her new career in online media and enjoys the city.
Another plus to the move was the opportunity to expand her skill set. “Working for a digital media agency… does expand my media expertise,” she says. “While I still have deadlines and the job often requires high attention and energy, it doesn’t define who I am. It’s my job. I’m still a writer and author,” says Johnson. “When your job defines who you are and you lose it, it’s a hit to your self-esteem, your identity, your creativity.”
| “My biggest concern was getting back into print publishing when I knew there was a distinct possibility I could relocate just to end up unemployed again.” |
She still refers to 2009 as “The Year of Suck,” but says the relocation forced her to expand her horizons. “I expected to spend my entire career working in print media,” she adds. “Now I’ve fallen in love with the online media industry.”
Relocation is an Industry Norm
Coka-Lani Kimbrough, a radio on-air personality and music director, knew that moving would be part of her career when she started about 13 years ago in Washington, D.C. Since then, Kimbrough has moved to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, and Tampa to advance her career.
When she was laid off from her job as a music director for a radio station in Tampa, the word got out. Grupo Radio of Mexico knew she was talented, creative and multi-lingual, so they offered her a job and even flew her down to check out the studio. While Mexico was lovely, she was hoping she’d get another gig in the U.S., and waited about six months before accepting the job. (She was fortunate enough to have a generous severance package, which took some pressure off.)
“I was never hesitant about moving around the country, but moving to a different country with a different culture… I’d never really ever fathomed that I would be doing that,” says Kimbrough, who actually got more dough at the new job, too.
Although being laid off was upsetting, Kimbrough has a practical outlook on moving around. She has always known that to be successful in her line of work, she had to be able to travel. If you’re working on your career and you continuously want to grow, she says, any employer is going to look at the fact that you’ve relocated for work and think of it as a plus. Right now, it’s easier for Kimbrough because she doesn’t have her own family — her two pooches have also made the moves — but she hopes all the shuttling around will pay off so she can settle down in the future.
“You just have to be willing to make the moves that are necessary so you can continue to grow and be successful in your career,” she adds.
Moving — or Moving On Up?
That’s how Allison Alexander, the evening anchor at ABC6 in Providence, Rhode Island, views transferring. She has moved to six states throughout her 13-plus years in the broadcasting arena, and says every transfer was always for either better money or a better role… and sometimes both.
“The reason to relocate was always what I considered to be a promotion, either in position or in salary,” says Alexander, who has worked in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, and Ohio. She didn’t take every job she was offered; some were in places that her spouse did not want to live, the position was not a good fit for her, or the salary offer was not attractive enough.
When she arrived in New England, she took less of a raise but was able to work for a former boss in a more desirable area. Now, she anchors the evening news during the weekdays, so her hours are more predictable, as well.
Making the Game-Time Decision
So, let’s say you’re facing a move that you otherwise wouldn’t make. Here are a few things to contemplate:
1. Who pays for the move? The physical act of relocating can be challenging and downright expensive. “Put a lot of money away because you may have to pay for a lot of your own moving expenses,” warns Eve Tahmincioglu, career columnist at MSNBC.com and author of From the Sandbox to the Corner Office.
And if you can, see if the company will pony up. “It’s key to try to negotiate for support from your new company to help you move,” adds Cynthia Good, Atlanta-based founding editor and CEO of Pink and Little PINK Book. “Many companies are reluctant to do this these days since dollars are still tight. Nevertheless, see if they will pay to physically move your belongings.”
2. Does the job offer enough moolah? If you take a low-paying gig and spend more money to make a living situation work, it can hurt rather than help your career. Think about your current living situation. For example, if you own a home are you able to sell quickly or will the company pay your living expenses until your homes sells? If you have an immediate family, will you relocate them too or simply commute?
“Media jobs famously pay less than other industries because so many people want them,” says Alexandra Levit, Chicago-based author of New Job, New You. “Make sure that you can afford the cost of living in your new city. If you are moving to the capital of the media world — New York City — you are going to be hard-pressed to live on a $30K salary.”
3. Will the job help your career as a whole? Moving can be a boost, or it can set you back. It may sound silly to be picky in today’s economy, but taking a job that is at a less-reputable company, or is a step down on the corporate ladder may not be the best way to reach your goals. “I am seeing jobs lately that are temporary positions to fill in for people on leave, or as a way for a publication to bring in more people but not make a commitment,” notes Tahmincioglu. “That could lead to a full-time job, but you’re taking your chances.”
Levit agrees. “Be certain that the job is a sure thing before uprooting your entire life. You must have a signed offer letter in hand… don’t rely on a verbal commitment.”
Think about what your resume will look like with the prospective job on it and use that as a tool to help you gauge whether or not a change of address is worth it. Remember, while people in other industries may now be grappling with relocations for the first time, media veterans know that being uprooted every now and then is normal.
“I think a lot of people… what they fail to realize is just because you move to a different city to work, it doesn’t mean you’re going to retire there,” Kimbrough says. “The whole relocating thing, before the recession, it was just part of the job. You have to think of moving to another city as a temporary relocation to market yourself.”
NEXT >> 9 Reasons You’re Still Unemployed
Kristen Fischer is a copywriter, journalist and author living at the Jersey Shore. Visit www.kristenfischer.com to learn more.
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