If you are relocating for a spouse or partner’s job, ask your current employer about remote work early, start conversations in the new city before you move and agree as a couple on what your career gets in return. Then build a network on purpose, a few conversations every week, so your search does not stall while everyone else settles in.
Look for work before or after the move?
- Search before if your field hires remotely or across cities, you have specific target employers or you need income from day one.
- Search after if local relationships drive hiring in your field, you need to learn neighborhoods and commutes, or the move date is uncertain.
- Most people do both: line up conversations before the move and apply in earnest during the first month.
Also look at money. Agree on how long the household can manage on one income, so you are not pushed into the first offer out of panic. A clear runway lets you choose a role that fits instead of one that simply pays.
Update the location on your professional profiles once the move is confirmed, so recruiters in the new city can find you.
Raise remote work with your employer
- Ask early, before you resign. Frame it around continuity: the projects you can keep running.
- Propose a trial period and explain how you will stay visible, with regular check-ins and occasional visits if travel is realistic.
- Know your fallback: a contract arrangement, a transition period while they hire or a strong reference.
Even a few months of remote work buys time to search well. If it works out, our guide to a remote work routine helps keep you connected.
Networking in a city where you know no one
- List everyone with any tie to the new city: former colleagues, alumni, friends of friends.
- Ask each for one introduction, not a job.
- Book two or three informational interviews a week, before and after the move.
- Join one professional group and one non-work group, and show up consistently.
- Say yes to invitations in the first months, even when you are tired.
- Ask your partner’s new colleagues for introductions too; they often know the local market well.
If networking drains you, see networking for introverts. If the move leaves you isolated, dealing with loneliness has practical steps.
Keeping the decision fair
Resentment builds when one partner’s career quietly becomes the default. Talk about it out loud and write down the answers:
- What does the moving partner need: time to search, a budget for training, a say in where you live?
- When will you reassess together, for example after one year?
- Whose career gets priority next time?
- How will household work shift while one person ramps up at a new job?
This is not about keeping score. It makes sure the plan includes both careers, and it gives you a shared reference point when the stress of the move makes it easy to forget what you agreed. If the conversation keeps turning into conflict, a couples counselor can help.
Your first 90 days
- Month 1: settle in, set a routine and start conversations.
- Month 2: apply steadily, follow up and consider short-term or contract work if it keeps skills current.
- Month 3: review what is working and adjust your target roles.
Our guide on moving to a new city for work covers the rest of settling in.
Where a mentor helps
A move scatters routines and can leave one partner’s career on hold. A mentor gives you a weekly plan, keeps the search moving and helps you build a life in the new city. Video sessions move with you, so the same mentor stays through the whole transition. See mentoring and coaching for professionals.
Related
- Mentoring and coaching for professionals
- Moving to a new city for work
- Military spouse careers
- Returning to work after years away
Common questions
Should I quit before we move?
Ask about remote work or a transition period first. Leaving with an option still open gives you more room to search well.
How do I explain the move to employers?
Briefly and positively: you relocated for your partner’s job and you are committed to building your career in the new city.
What if I cannot find work in my field?
Look at adjacent roles, contract work or training that fits the new market, and set a date to reassess together.
Can a mentor help both of us?
Mentoring is one on one, so each partner can work with a mentor on their own goals. For relationship conflict, a couples counselor is the right step.
Get started
Want a weekly plan that keeps your career moving through a move? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.