Where You Live Dictates Where You Work

by Debbie Vasen | More from this Blogger

15 Jul 2008 10:28 PM

Where you live will often heavily influence where you work. The two go hand in hand and depending on your career and personal preferences, selecting where to live will often determine where you work and vice versa.

If you live by an ocean, you have a far more possibility of being a marine biologist or fisherman. However, in the mid-west, the chances of this career path are quite limited. There you might work in the city or on the farm. Sometimes where we decide to live influences our career path. Sometimes, we choose where we live based on the career we hope to have.

In addition to these obvious examples, there is another hidden factor in the balance of where we live vs. where we work. That agenda is the actual job market. What types of jobs are the most in demand and in general, what is the unemployment rate for the area? These two factors will dictate what options you have in a job search or career hunt.

In my opinion, you ultimately have to pick one over the other. Which is the most important to you: where you live or where you work? Then you can make a decision easier when presented with a job change. If you choose where you live, then you need to research the job market of your area and go from there. If you choose where you work, then you need to look at the global job market for the career you desire.

Beyond the actual job, there is also the pay. We all work for a living and what you make can greatly affect your ability to live... particularly in a given area. Some areas pay more for the same work, but they also tend to have a higher cost of living as well. Before you move for a job, be sure to research pay rates with the average for your new area. Don't just look at the new salary compared to your current location.

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*Career Planning: Choosing Work That Fits You

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Learn more about Debbie Vasen

Debbie Vasen is a published web content editor and writer, as well as a freelance writer for various print publications. In addition to blogging at Families.

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