The Harvard Business Review has been running a pretty nifty series on "the new rules for getting a job," and a recent entry to help folks assess whether they should relocate for a new job is worth a read. This also piggybacks nicely off an interview I did Wednesday -- with GoHealth's Brandon Cruz on rethinking healthcare benefits packages as an employer -- that could also be read as useful to individuals looking to get themselves the best insurance possible while also hopping around from job to job.
But let's say you're a boss looking to take on someone new from someplace else, in hopes they'll come here. Who should you look for? Here's what the HBR recommends:
Young professionals and recent college graduates are natural candidates. In addition to not having restricting home or family obligations, it's imperative that graduates find positions that immediately utilize their skills and degrees. A first job out of college significantly affects future earnings potential. Searching for jobs by skill sets and experience, rather than by market, will help young job seekers explore what jobs are right for them, regardless of geography.
Well, yeah. That might sound pretty obvious, but consider this: According to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey, you might not have to stick to college kids and upstarts. A resounding 44 percent of folks surveyed "said they would be willing to relocate for a career opportunity" and that many who were laid off in the last year are now working in a different field.
This opens up employers and recruiters to maybe start looking outside their own industry for rockstars in other fields. It might seem unlikely companies would lay off their own rockstars, but, hey, the economy is lousy. If you can entice a rockstar employee to move and can offer more stability, that's got to stand for something, right?
Read the full HBR piece here, and the whole series here.
David Wolinsky is a freelance writer and a lifelong Chicagoan. In addition to currently serving as an interviewer-writer for Adult Swim, he's also a columnist for EGM. He was the Chicago city editor for The Onion A.V. Club where he provided in-depth daily coverage of this city's bustling arts/entertainment scene for half a decade. When not playing video games for work he's thinking of dashing out to Chicago Diner, Pizano's, or Yummy Yummy. His first career aspirations were to be a game-show host.
