Being Willing to Move for a First Job

Finding and landing that first job out of college is a daunting task at best. You don't have much if any, experience in a health care career. You've never actually gone through the interview process.

Can you say intimidating?

Now, throw into the equation the prospect of being forced to move to get that first job. To land that first job that will launch you into the health care career of your dreams might force you to leave the place you've called home perhaps as long as you've lived. It can make for a difficult decision about your future.

But, there are ways to cope and even thrive under the circumstance.

Seeking out the positives

One of our Concorde graduate employment experts points out that there are many positive things that can come of moving away for a first job.

Perhaps a job applicant has family in a different location, said Monica Carlos, Graduate Employment Specialist at Concordes campus in Garden Grove, Calif. This can be an avenue to re-connect and foster a greater relationship with family members you might have lost touch with, she said.

The other, obvious advantage is that it's a much-needed chance at gaining experience. States other than your home state might have a more advantageous job market in a health care career than others.

"Besides," Carlos said, "you can always move back once you have experience."

Bucking the trends

Despite the fact there still are 12 million in the U.S. searching for employment, there has been a downward trend in workforce mobility, according to an article published recently in the Harvard Business Review. Last fall, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the percentage of Americans who changed residences between 2010-11 - 11.6 percent - reached its lowest recorded rate since they started keeping track in 1948, down from 20.2 percent in 1985.

Recent research shows, however, that Americans might be more willing to move than the data shows on the surface. Forty-four percent of workers surveyed by CareerRelocate.com and CareerBuilder shows that 44 percent of workers surveyed would be willing to relocate. And, young professionals and recent college graduates are natural candidates. They don't have restricting home or family obligations. It's imperative that graduates find a position that immediately utilizes their skills and degrees. And, a first job out of college significantly affects future earnings potential.

Highly-skilled workers - especially those in a health care career - have fared best during the recovery from the recession and are most sought-after by employers. Many of those employers are willing to pay for relocation costs.

It's a great time for our Concorde graduates to find good jobs and get that health care career started. Keep in mind the positive aspects of possibly relocating for that first job. It might pay off big time in your future!