Who's Had to Relocate (nationwide) For Their Job?

AmDaMan · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:39

Hi, like loads of others i'm in the process of applying for jobs after just finishing uni. However to broaden my options I've started to apply for jobs around the country well away from my home town. Now I know loads of people would see this as exciting (so do I) opportunity and can't wait to leave their home etc.

However how have you found it in reality? Moving away from your family and friends, coping by yourselves, maybe living by yourself? I suppose going back home and seeing your friends and family is probably only a train ride away but still quite daunting..

I could see myself becoming quite detached, especially when i'm making a new circle of friends, and I suppose that upsets me a little. So how have you lot found it? What are your experiences?

Zip · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:43

Whats the Furthest away from home can you actually get in the UK by hours and miles?

E1mo · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:44

Advice: unless your super-social and can make friends whatever the weather, make sure that the demographics of your new work colleagues are appealing to you.

There's no point joining a company full of 40-50 year old men who have families if your a 23 year old grad who likes to go out on weekdays and do extreme sports at the weekend.

Having said this, sometimes you do have to make sacrifices to further your career. Given the current job market, especially for graduates, perhaps you do need to be flexible.

semi-pro waster · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:47

I'm not sure if what I've got to say will be of much help because I'm only just about to move away from Dundee where I've lived for most of the past eight years and go to London for a new job. I have however had experience of moving away from family and friends for periods (coming to university itself and working abroad for a summer) - the thing you've got to remember is that there are more ways of keeping in contact than ever now, your friends will still be contactable by phone or email/MSN etc so set aside a little bit of time every so often to catch up and it isn't difficult.

I've enjoyed my transitions to living/working in new places so far, I suppose it helps that I've felt that I was ready to move onto the next stage, if you don't feel that way then I imagine it can be rather more daunting. I try to maintain touch with friends that I've made but sometimes you've got to accept that your friendship isn't as strong as it appeared while you had the luxury of proximity to each other - equally I've got other mates who I won't see or speak to for months at a time yet as soon as we met up it is as if nothing has changed.

Zip said:
Whats the Furthest away from home can you actually get in the UK by hours and miles?

Probably something like going from the North of Scotland (Inverness say) to Falmouth (way down in the South of England) so you'd be talking travelling time of upwards of 12 hours due to the awkwardness of the trip. It's nothing on the Australian scale.

tsinc80697 · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:49

If you've been to uni then I think you would find this a lot easier than you expect. I moved from Liverpool to Manchester after being at Huddersfield university, so I've gone along the north really!

Living on your own can get boring at times but I think its fine to cope with. I hardly ever go home to see parents as I'm not the type of person that needs them around all the time. I like living on my own and doing what I want to do, same as at uni really.

As E1mo said, make sure you don't get a job working with people 30+years ahead of you otherwise when you are in work with other people you wont be able to have bit of banter and look forward to going into work the next day!

Zip · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:53

semi-pro waster said:
Probably something like going from the North of Scotland (Inverness say) to Falmouth (way down in the South of England) so you'd be talking travelling time of upwards of 12 hours due to the awkwardness of the trip. It's nothing on the Australian scale.

what that by plane?

Just curious to work out in my mind the size of the country travel wise.

Le_Petit_Lapin · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:58

Zip said:
what that by plane?

Just curious to work out in my mind the size of the country travel wise.

"Small" in other words.

drizzy · 12 Jun 2009 at 14:59

tsinc80697 said:
If you've been to uni then I think you would find this a lot easier than you expect. I moved from Liverpool to Manchester after being at Huddersfield university, so I've gone along the north really!

Google maps might be lying to me but all those places appear to be within about an hour of each other (1hr 13 apparently from huddersfield to liverpool). Does that that _really_ count as moving?!

semi-pro waster · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:02

Zip said:
what that by plane?

Just curious to work out in my mind the size of the country travel wise.

I doubt you could fly it directly, on public transport it would more likely involve trains and buses although you could certainly fly some of it or drive all of it.

The traditional two points for a traverse of the British Isles - John O'Groats to Land's End (Northeastern point to Southwestern point) are 874 miles apart via road. Compare that to Australia and we're barely a blip on the map.

tsinc80697 · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:05

drizzy said:
Google maps might be lying to me but all those places appear to be within about an hour of each other (1hr 13 apparently from huddersfield to liverpool). Does that that _really_ count as moving?!

Im pretty sure if you move its classed as moving. Maybe not as much as moving from Liverpool to London but it is still a completely new starrt regarding people/places.

AmDaMan · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:07

Well I spent my uni time living at home, so I can't really use that either!

In my placement at uni I was also at home but in my place of work a lot of the people were 30-40 with kids but I made some great friends there and we still keep in touch. the banter was awesome by the way which I didn't expect. I've not got a problem making friends and do consider myself to be quite gregarious anyway.

As I'm living in Sheffield I'm more or less in the middle, so a trip every other weekend or so wouldn't really be an issue I suppose, it's just a lot of my friends have all got jobs in Sheffield and they are having a great time living in their house together, going out etc.

I'm sure i'd cope living on my own but it would be so boring in the evenings I bet. You can't just give you mates a ring or pop round to theirs and have a laugh, not for the first few months anyway.

Skiddley · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:13

I'm from Liverpool, went to uni in Nottingham. Moved to Reading after I graduated, so 220 miles from home. Planned on being here for 2 years, been here 8 in August.

Despite having a very northern attitude initially, I'm now converted and wouldn't really fit in, or enjoy living up north. You make new friends, get used to the sun and have relationships. You'll become a product of your environment. It'll all work out.

It all depends on how much effort you and your family make too. I usually drive up every 2-3 months for a weekend. They rarely make the effort - but there are financial constraints involved for them...

By next year I'll be married, and quite content. As it happens, Mrs Skiddley to be is Scottish and in very much the same situation. When I go home, I see it for what it is. Just go into it with your eyes open. You will change, and you're unlikely to ever return.

scorza · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:22

I'm from Lancashire, went to University in Bradford, moved to London on graduation. In my case loads of my friends from Uni also moved down to London so it was easy - house shared with a few for the first year before going it alone.

mjer1984 · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:29

I moved from Liverpool to South London after I graduated in my search for work, plus I have broke up with my girlfriend and felt like escaping our circle of friends.

Like someone else mentioned make sure there are people your age at the place of work, working with a group of 40-50's although you would learn a lot would be dull at lunch and limit after work drinks etc...

I lived by myself for the first 2-3months because the company had a flat for new people to move into, that was the dullest time I can remember. I knew no-one so pretty much spent the whole time indoors, except if I could pick up a girl in the supermarket or something to kill some time. My advice is do not live by yourself if you know nobody else in the area.

After that I have lived in a succession of house shares which have all been pretty good. My advice for house sharing is to ensure they all work similar hours to you and are of a similar age range. I still keep in touch with a few of my old house mates which is handy, especially the female ones. Although I have a girlfriend now so it put a stop to that, I can't see me moving away any time soon. I would like to save up for a house deposit then move away if possible.

SlyReaper · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:32

I moved from Portsmouth to Bristol for a job. It was no big deal since I was planning to move for a job anyway. A couple of mates from uni moved from Yorkshire to London for their jobs.

Sagalout · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:37

I relocated from Harrogate to the Isle of Man with my work. Stayed there for 5 years.

Personally I found it really easy, partly because I was moving to a big company with loads of people around my age, most of whom had also relocated. I made a good circle of friends really quickly.

On the other hand my wife found it much harder. We had a baby quite quickly after moving over there (long winter nights with no central heating

) and because that meant she wasn't working, plus the lack of family support with a new born baby, she felt a bit isolated, which was the reason we returned in the end.

mattheman · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:40

in the process of a interview if it works out well switzerland here i come.

Greebo · 12 Jun 2009 at 15:42

Done that three times in my life.

I stayed on at Nottingham after Uni but there was only person I knew (close friend) who stayed in Nottingham after graduating so not so bad, but still got a new circle of frineds as you do.

Moved back up North close to home for a while then moved to Derby because of work again. Same thing there, didn;t know a single person but through work and the local pubs built up a large group again in the 7 years I was there.

Then moved up to North of Barnard Castle and although only an hour and a half from where I was originally, I was a complete stranger.

It's hard at first, and a few nights in by yourself but so long as you are out going and make an effort, you will soon settle in and get a new circle of friends.

leaskovski · 12 Jun 2009 at 16:40

Shifted from Canterbury to Reading due to work. Canterbury is pap for jobs once you have finished uni there. Still got the same friends I had whilst I was there, and pretty much go back every month to say 'o hi'. Got a couple of mates in reading, but they are mostly work mates, and being in the IT industry they dont go out that much. Flipping geeks.

Kol · 12 Jun 2009 at 16:48

My parents lived in Leics, I lived in Nottingham whilst at the Uni then relocated to Hertforshire upon graduation. I persuaded my gf to move down with me (we hadn't lived together) been down here for nearly a year now, best thing I ever did. I still see my mates, I've made plenty down here and I talk to my family weekly.