As you progress through college, more and more opportunities may arise for you in unexpected ways, such as a great internship or full-time offer in a city you have never considered living before. This happened to me when I finished grad school – as the pandemic hit, I was offered a great job here at UNL, and ultimately I decided to go for it and move to state I had never been to before filled with people I had never met in an apartment by myself.
A little over a year later, I am still here and loving it. If you are open to moving to new places or are planning on making a big move, here are some strategies that can be useful to make a well-informed move and become immersed in a new community:
1. Research the area both practically and casually. This is immensely beneficial to paint a picture of what you can expect upon your arrival, in terms of things to do around the community as well as what your budget could look like. For the practical side, utilize resources such as Glassdoor (https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm) and Payscale (https://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator) to start getting an idea of wages and cost of living in the area. When apartment hunting, if you are unsure about the safety or quality of an area, find a pizza place near the address you are considering. Give them a call, ask if they deliver there, then ask what they think of the neighborhood to get an inside scoop! For the casual side, a simple Google search of “things to do in ______” can give you a lead of fun activities or unique features of the area.
2. Talk to your new coworkers! After going through the interview process and receiving an offer, do not hesitate to reach out to any of your new teammates about things to do in the area – they already live there, so they will likely have many suggestions of things to do or will share what they like to do. Not only will this supplement your online research, but you will be getting to know them a little bit already by learning about their interests. On the practical side, they may also have better ideas of the best neighborhoods or areas to live when apartment hunting.
3. Find young professional groups, clubs, and organizations in the area. One of the best ways to meet new people that share your interests is to join communities outside of work. If you like sports, research any recreational leagues that may be around and go to a game. If volunteering is your thing, look up non-profits or general volunteer organizations in the area to find some opportunities. Many areas also have young professional groups that organize social gatherings and professional development events intentionally to connect you with other folks around your age and stage in your career.
4. Be proactive and don’t be afraid to reach out to others early on. Whether you’re introverted or extroverted, after moving to a new city it is often necessary to take the lead on talking to someone new, setting up a lunch or coffee hang out, and checking in on old friends back home. Taking this initiative in any capacity after moving can lay a great foundation for you to build new relationships and maintain old ones in order to keep a support system going for yourself. I talked to my old friends and parents every day the first week I was here, then made a goal to have lunch with at least five people in my building, which really helped me get used to the new setting and start meeting people.
Nick Corrigan
Career Coach
Business Career Center
More details at: http://business.unl.edu/current-students/business-career-center/