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Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by Alaina Bullock
Packing up your life and moving because you are starting a new job in a new city, it’s a daunting experience.
You have to face the challenge of building a new life without your closest friends, family or home comforts. It’s something a lot of us will never take a chance on out of fear of the unknown.
If you’re one of the few that has decided to take the plunge though, there are some great ways to make the experience of starting a new job in a new city much less overwhelming and properly prepare yourself for your new life, from the first day to the last.
Are you a parent looking for tips to pass on to your young adult child? Check out the Bullock’s Buzz guide to helping your young adult find a home away from home.
Improve your money management
Something you should realize before you begin packing to start a new job in a new city is you’re likely to take a financial hit, regardless of your new salary. Moving costs are expensive and city living can quickly eat into those savings you’ve worked so hard to build up. Of course, having a keen eye for the cheapest two bedroom apartments in nyc can be a massive help in making things more affordable.
When starting a new job in a new city, it’s also important to set a budget that suits both your new home and lifestyle. It’s not just rent and bills you will need to keep on top of, but other things like dates, public transport, drinks after work, and furniture for your new home. These bills can quickly add up if you’re not going in with a plan and one eye on your account.
This way, you’re not missing your rent because other costs have eaten up your budget.
Resist the urge to go home early when starting a new job in a new city
When you start a new job in a new city it can be easy to retreat into your shell. Meeting new people and making new friends is challenging, especially when you’re exhausted and overwhelmed by the move, living in a new place that’s most likely still littered with boxes. The first step is often the hardest, but it’s one worth taking.
Good colleagues will take the time to integrate you with after-work social and lunchtime chats, but don’t be afraid to be the one initiating the conversation. They might be just as shy as you! You spend so much time with your colleagues, and they’re likely to be your first points of contact in your early months in the city, so it’s worth taking the time to get to know them.
If you just opt to go home alone every night, you’ll find yourself drifting further away from the rest of the team.
Not sure about your colleagues? Well, there are plenty of other ways to meet people. Meet up apps may be associated with dating thanks to the popularity of Tinder and Hinge, but alternative options such as Skout have put friendships and hobbies at the center of their service.
Explore the area before you move
Moving to a new area blind can be exciting, but will make settling in much harder. Before you even make the moving day trip, take a day or two to familiarize yourself with the area around both your new home and work.
Doing so will make the transition of a new job in a new city much easier to manage. Think about your first day at work and what you’ll need to know to make it go smoothly. You don’t want to waste your lunch hour looking for a half-decent sandwich shop, or your first evening trying to remember which street your new place is on.
Leave some areas a mystery so you can get positively lost in them later, but make sure you either make a pre-moving trip or Google Maps a bit to get the lay of the land before.
Don’t drive, cycle to work when starting a new job in a new city
You miss so much of a city being stuck on a bus or in a subway cart. Commutes can be boring, lonely and frustrating wastes of time, so why not make it more exciting and turn it into a tour of the city by cycling into work every day.
Cycling allows you to explore areas you may not otherwise see. If you’re in public transport or a car you can miss the greenery or more unusual areas the city has to offer. Being in a shuffling crowd trudging to work can bring your mood down before you even get to the office, so get your blood pumping with a quick cycle.
Your business may offer a cycle-to-work scheme that can help you get a bike at a more affordable price. You could even use this as an opening to set up a cycling club at work, commuting in and out of work each day with like-minded colleagues.
Otherwise, online stores are a brilliant way to find a new bike at a good price when you move to take a new job in a new city. Buying second-hand will also make you feel much better should something happen to it and you’re forced back onto the bus for a couple of months.
Get your admin out of the way early
Moving requires a lot of admin, from updating your address to sorting out all your new bills. Rather than leaving it until the last minute and stressing yourself out after a long day at work, make sure you set up your admin in the days before you move or as soon as you arrive.
Of course, this can be easier said than done, but you should aim to accomplish as much as you can before you properly settle into your new home. Meeting new people and getting into a productive frame of mind can be difficult to do when you’ve got a mammoth to-do list in the back of your mind.
These are just a few tips to help turn one of the most stressful and complicated periods of anyone’s life into something a bit more manageable. There are lots of other great methods though, that will all help you get to the stage where you can work and socialize as your best self when you take a new job in a new city.