Considerations for Your Next Move (How It Can Affect Your Career)

While it is true that it is still pretty early in the school year for most college students, those finals and the last days of the school year are just around the corner. It is easy to plan out how you will address the class requirements, but sometimes the other aspects of life are missed or not given as much attention and you may find yourself “throwing it together” when faced with projects at the end of the year.

One of those areas is the dorm room or suite that you have occupied and that you won’t be needing in the summer. Even if you have already graduated (congratulations!), you may not have found that next place to live, or if you have, you may be wondering if this is your final destination. Speaking from experience, that choice of where to live can sometimes change a few times in life, especially as it relates to jobs!

This process of moving isn’t just for college students. The process can, and will, apply to your life at various times.

More and more, there are opportunities for relocation with jobs and even opportunities for virtual jobs (giving you the opportunity to move to your favorite place and work remotely). Huffington Post published an article this past month about the 25 companies that allow you to work from home. You know what that means? You may be finding the perfect, economical place to live, where you can maximize your savings while enjoying your virtual life. This means that you, too, may be facing a change in residence as you settle into your ideal place.

With all of the distractions in life, whether that includes finals, thesis-writing, social life, or career, preparing for your move may end up taking a spot on the back burner and this may end up costing more, in the long run, than it would with proper planning. If this is a case of moving out of the dorm, then you have the advantage of knowing about it ahead of time and being able to prepare for it.

Realize the Process

It is easy for some of us who have “been there” and “done that” to say “identify your objectives” and “make a plan.” It is precisely because we have had the experience and have tried to do it in an ad lib sort of fashion and realized, in hindsight, that it is always more efficient to map out the plan and realize the process of moving, from a bird’s eye view. It seems like a small thing and easy to do, and to some extent that is exactly the case. If you are faced with that last weekend and all you have is a box of plastic bags, yes the move-out will happen, but it will not be efficient or ideal. It may also result in damages and increased fees and expenses.

In realizing the process, and the need to plan, you are looking at the big picture. If you have a well-planned out process for your move, you are more likely to impress your college, your landlord, or others. This is a key opportunity to gain references that may help you in your future. When you are just starting out, every positive reference that you obtain is a step in the right direction, so take advantage of this as another opportunity to do that.

If you look at the big picture, realizing the process is more about a lifestyle of turning every opportunity into something that may benefit you in your future, especially when you need it. At the least, you want to ensure that nothing is detrimental to you and even in the case of the dorm room. You may need a favorable reference for that nice apartment you have been eyeing downtown, near your cushy new job.

So, in realizing the process, you are keeping your eyes open to opportunities to benefit yourself. The key thing is to use all of your planning skills to lay out a way that you can accomplish this move in the most successful manner.

Schedule the Process

First, make your checklist of what needs to be done. There are many checklists available online, that will list out items that should be included. Perform a “Google Search” to find those lists that are helpful and you can compile a final version that suits your situation. Here is a helpful list on what to remember during the moving out process.

Helpful Tip: When it comes to utility companies, do not assume that just because you called to cancel that it will be facilitated. Mark the cancellation date in your calendar and be sure to call them after the presumed cancellation to ensure that the service(s) has been turned off and you are not still being billed. Unfortunately, utility errors like that occur more often than they should.

Make your list and include the deadlines for each task and when it needs to be completed. So, using the utility company as an example, mark down the date that that phone call (or online process) needs to happen. Also, mark down how much time that takes. For example, some utility companies also include a significant “hold time” and maybe even multiple calls. The hold time may not be an issue, but you may want to accommodate a possibility of multiple calls on different days, which could delay the final cancellation task.

Consider padding the deadlines by 50% time, if possible. This would apply to your packing process, especially, as it seems to always take longer than you would think it should take. That is normal. You know that last minute deadlines come up in life and it is inevitable, so you will want to be sure to accommodate that with a bit of a buffer on your schedule.

If you have roommates, you may want to use a shared Google Calendar or even a tool like Trello, to help keep track of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. There are also other uses for Trello, which you may find helpful, in getting organized.

Clean-Up the Residence

Prepare another checklist that relates to the actual moving out/cleaning process. Whether or not there is a damage deposit on your place, it is a good practice to facilitate the cleaning as if there was a security deposit (a.k.a. damage deposit, bond). It is good preparation for your future professional career, and overall good manners, all of which are needed skills in your future career. This move-out checklist covers aspects that may be missed without thinking ahead. Things like packing up your personal belongings and cleaning the dorm room are easy to remember, but things like the exterior, or the fixtures, are also important and may or may not apply to your situation.

Even if you do not have to, go that extra mile in preparing your residence for the next tenant. Think about how you would like to find the place, as a new tenant, and prepare the residence in the way that you would want to find it. This is an opportunity to practice “going that extra mile” and that approach tends to impress CEOs in companies, especially for the new, recent graduates who have joined their organization.

Preparing for the Next Phase

Now that you have gone through the process of moving out of your place and moving on to the next phase of your life, even if it is only for the summer, you are that much further ahead in understanding how to plan and prepare. This also includes building credit and a good reputation so that you can qualify more easily for that next place to live (or your mortgage loan for your home purchase!).

Be sure to document the information of whom the future landlords should contact for references about what an excellent tenant you are. If you are moving out of a dorm and have a resident assistant or dean, you will want to ask him or her for permission to use them as a reference when it comes time to get your next place. This is polite and “makes points.” Now, more than ever, finding a job is about networking and that is where these solid references will also assist in turning that next job prospect into a career.

By Deborah Anderson

http://www.Tech-Audit.com

@techauditcom and @socialwebcafe

About the author:

Deborah Anderson has experience in several different areas, including the financial industry and experience with coaching clients in successful business and marketing strategies. She is the host of an iHeart Radio marketing talk show, while finishing up her Master’s degree in I/O Psychology. With her roles as a professional writer, she loves to share tips with her readers, helping them to find the same success.