By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Mary Sherwood Sevinsky,MS, CDMS, CCMWho hasn’t gone on vacation to mourn leaving and say, “I wish I could live here…let’s not go back!” Well, as my husband would saythat is unemployment, not vacation. A valid point, I think.
That having been said if you do have a regular vacation site and do have a sincere desire to relocate to that area, it is possible.
How? Keep in mind that resort areas have a very specialized economy.There are limited job opportunities for many traditional career paths, other than hospitality and amusement. There are, however, very definite niches and opportunities for self-employment.
The trick, of course is to identify a wayto move to the beach, or maybe you prefer the mountains or lake such and such?
Next time you visit, take a hard look at the culture, the needs of the existing businesses, residents that live there. Where might you fit in? How can you fill a niche? Would it be through employment or self-employment?
Perhaps you can modify your current positionto telecommute, at least part time. Consider proposing to work from home two days a week and the office three days. Try just one if that doesn’t work. Use the local time to further investigate your opportunities or explore gradually increasing your telecommuting days to a full time level.
A change in a position with your current employer might be possible. I returned to field work from a mid-level management, which allows me to work from home full time, wherever that may be!
Be creative.
If you are serious about moving to a resort area it will likely involve a change of pace.Think long and hard about whether you are ready for this change before making any commitments to a plan. Usually this pace is more palatable than a regular, hum drum, workaday life. But, don’t take this change lightly.
As with any career change (see my previous article: Dare to dream of change in your career) make sure you have the resources to follow through on your plan, once you develop one. Will you need to work in a different field for a time to use as a stepping stone? Will you have to work two jobs because the cost of living is higher? Consider these in your planning.
Plan carefullyand make sure your friends and loved ones are supportive of your plan (or be prepared to make a change in those relationships). Make a reasonable timeline – what will you accomplish by when. It is fine to adjust it as you go, but it is imperative to have one to work from.
When planning goals it is most often easiest to start with the long term goaland then back up to identify each step you need to take to reach it, followed by when you could hope to accomplish each step.
You may be able to make a smooth, gradual transition to your new life in a resort area or you may be able to arrange an all at once jump into your resort town. Either way, enjoy it!
Mary Sherwood Sevinsky writes career transition for the Examiner.com - her blog can be found at https://www.examiner.com/x-20518-Wilmington-Career-Transition-Examiner. You can find contact her directly at www.marysevinsky.wordpress.com or www.linkedin.com/in/MarySevinsky.
