Moving after a year - location

Any downsides to switching firms after a year? In a geography I hate but a job I enjoy quite a bit. Don’t see it being worth it though if I genuinely hate where I live. Any thoughts?

6 Comments
 

Is this first year post UG or grad school? I think "where" it occurs on a resume matters, more dangerous for first jobs out of school, less so if you have a track record of staying put otherwise. Like first job you stayed 3-4 years, then this one for 1 year, then next for 5 years..... that is no problem at all. 

Additionally, geographic relocation is a legit reason to switch and if you do apply for jobs in your target city, you will want to lead with that rationale in your cover letter. The hardest part about leaving after 1 year is getting asked "why are you leaving so soon?" by interviewers. It's easy to get a resume discarded as result as it could be a signal about some issue with you. If you network with people in the target city, you can work around this and gain an edge. 

 
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Got it, personally, I would aim for completing two years given its first real job. This doesn't mean you can't start networking, plotting, planning towards a good exit back to your preferred location. If you do get an offer where you want, make sure it really is a good one and a place you can easily see yourself working 3-5 years or more. The next jump you make should be anchored a bit. Thus, being strategic in this job search is the best approach. 

My generic caution is that a move like this could be sub-optimal from a long-term career perspective. I get the personal desire to move, I am not with some similar motivations long-term, but a few years more at a top firm could substantially improve your exit ops, lifetime earnings, and other items. In short, moving now could be move you regret down the road. That is hyper personal, if you value being in this target city more than some fancy career, just go, I am confident you can do just well otherwise. Just, if it were me, i'd want to stick it out a few more years and position for the optimal jump back. 

 

What do you not like about your current location? What sort of lifestyle improvements do think a geographic change would make?

 

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