You were probably on a job hunt. You saw this particular job opportunity and its scope called out to you. You applied. Then they tell you that you may need to relocate and ask if you’re up for it. The question remains: Should you relocate for a job? We won’t be giving you the answer, of course – we can’t! But we can guide you to answer it on your own 🙂
Geographically, financially and socially, there may be many factors outside of these branches that could affect your decision too. Relocating for a job is no small matter. Your life, as you know it, may have to change.
As such, in this article, we’ll be looking at some of these factors that may affect your decision making process. Hopefully, by the end of it, you’d have figured out some ways to make your own call too 🙂
Word of advice
As an individual who is looking to get hired in Singapore, it is important to ensure that you are abiding by the rules and regulations as stipulated by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) when working locally. There are certain factors you will need to consider when making such a decision.
Some of these factors include the Central Provident Fund contributions, applying for specific pass types for different categories of employees and your daily/weekly working hour limits.
If you ever find yourself in doubt on the topic, feel free to contact the customer service staff at MOM. You can do so either over an email or a phone enquiry to have your questions answered.
Better to be safe than sorry, after all! Lest the slight negligence costs you or your company its license to operate/work in the country!
If everything is looking good, let’s jump right into the piece!
1. Financial reasons
One of the biggest facets of your life you will have to take a look at in order to make the right decision is your financial capacity. If you wish to relocate for a job, you need to be able to bear the financial costs of it. What does that include?
For starters, there will be the costs of physical relocation. You would have to find a new place to stay. Will you be permanently purchasing a space or will you be renting out? Will you be living alone or will you have room or house mates? How much budget do you have to spare for your accommodation?
Secondly, you would have to factor in the cost of living with regards to the new space. Are things going to be as affordable, more affordable or a lot more expensive if you relocate for a job?
Thirdly but perhaps most importantly, is the salary you are being promised enough to cover your expenses and leave you with a saving larger than you are acquiring presently? If no, how do your other motivations fall in balance with your financial plans?
2. Social reasons
Every individual needs to have a social support system they can fall back on when things get tough. If you relocate for a job, will you have company to hang out with every now and then?
Will you be able to reach your family members as easily? Do you have or know of friends who reside in the new space? Will you be comfortable making new friends and hanging out with them moving forward?
More importantly, if relocating for a job were to pull you away from your friends and family, will you be able to live it out on your own? Will you find it difficult to start out from scratch in a new place without your established support system in your corner?
3. Does the unknown terrify you?
No matter how much you prepare when you decide to relocate for a job, there will always be a bunch of uncertainties waiting for you at the other end. In which case, does the unknown terrify you? Will you be able to handle the uncertainties and the unexpected of your own accord?
Perhaps, this may have to do with your working hours or it could have something else to do with your social life. Maybe, it could be the weather or climatic changes. Are you confident that you will be able to overcome any such challenges on your own if you do eventually decide to relocate?
Perhaps, one way to look at it would be to see it as an adventure. Spinning things around to look at it through a lens of positivity could help turn things around. And maybe then, relocating for a job doesn’t have to be so terrifying, after all?
And there you have it – a piece on whether or not you should relocate for a job. With this compiled list of 3 tips, we hope you will be better able to decide for yourself if relocating for a job makes sense with you.
We hope this article has helped to provide you with some new information and factors to consider as to how you may arrive at your decision 🙂 Wishing you the best of luck!
If you’re on the lookout for jobs within other industries that are nonetheless located in Singapore, here’s an article that shares with you the top 19 job portals in Singapore.
