Chasing the dream job all the way to the city is great, and catching up with that dream is even better. However, when times are tough in the big city so is the whole thing. Coming from a small town to a seemingly never ending metropolis can be daunting, and the bright lights, loud city noises and the long commute home can all get a bit much sometimes. When things get bad, your immediate thought might be to run back home to the comfortable provincial town you came from. But stop, get that thought out of your head. Stop getting homesick and think about what you actually want.
To help you out, we have decided to tackle some of the most common situations that have you feeling like contentment lies only in the small town that you left. After all, the saying is, “home is where the heart is”, so here at IDEAL, we think you should go give your heart to the city!
Flu Strikes, As Do You
The situation: You go to bed dreaming of world domination but wake up plagued by flu. Achy, and completely engulfed in self pity, you reach out for somebody to make you that cup of tea. But no one’s there. Sob! If you lived nearer home your loved ones could help, couldn’t they? If we’re honest, there may be an additional accessory on your face known as rose tinted glasses. If you were at home, your mum would more than likely be shoving you out the door and throwing a sachet of Lemsip at your back. It’s unlikely to be out of kindness and probably because your sniffles were irritating. You also would be rolling your eyes whilst “listening” to your mum’s latest office saga where Jean ignored Janet in the canteen. Shock, horror.
The solution: The best thing to do is give yourself a Cheat Day. Embrace the illness, take to your bed with your hot water bottle, vitamins and magazines and fire up Skype. Videochat the ones you miss and absorb all the sympathy you can. Put on an inspirational chick flick and get your motivation back. While rebuilding those antibodies you need to be rebuilding that determination!
Home Alone, Macauley Culkin Style
The situation: The week has flown by and you’ve barely had a minute to yourself. Now it’s time to party. Although in this case, all of your new friends are busy and the housemates have vanished for the weekend. Your first thought is to revert back to the safety net of “if I was at home…”
The Solution: STOP. No “what if’s”. If you were at home you would probably be bumping into a string of people that you tried to avoid since your High School days. See it as a positive. You rarely get the weekend to yourself so dedicate some time to focus on you. Have a pamper session, do some sightseeing, go to exercise classes, and even work on that latest assignment you have due. By Monday morning you will revived, positive and ready for another killer week!
Effort. So Much Effort
The situation: Sometimes, the smallest things take the most effort. So it’s the moments where there’s just too much energy involved in carrying the shopping bags, changing the lightbulb or fixing a screeching fire alarm. This is when you wish you had the trusty old banger of a car instead of being so Cosmo.It’s moments like this where that settled home life would make these unfortunate but necessary situations that bit easier.
The solution: Surely you’ve seen those films where there’s the out-of-the-comfort-zone struggle but a mere ninety minutes later (after some tears and a makeover) they’re on top of the world?! It may take a bit longer than ninety minutes in reality but this could be you! See everything as a learning curve and when you’re thirty-five years old and your fire alarm inconveniently shrieks out its dismay at your efforts to cook that roast dinner for the in -laws, everything will have been worth it.
We spoke to Catherine Maskell, Head of Marketing at REED recruitment, about those daunting career moves but here’s why she thinks it’s good to stick it out.
“For a number of careers, moving or long distance commuting can broaden many career opportunities. Making the move to a big city can be a bit daunting but if you’re chasing a dream career, it is worth it. Those who are prepared to travel or move for a career really show their enthusiasm, confidence, determination and a fantastic mind set to employers. Someone who has moved away from home is also more likely to have a much larger network of support and knowledge. You can tap into this network to give you an extra edge and progress in your career quickly.
“The most important thing to help you through any tough times is to not lose sight of your friends and family back home. Social media is great for that. It allows you to always be in contact with everyone.
“Taking an opportunity to work away from home is a great adventure and will open up your career options. We have offices across the country and lots of people at REED have beneffited from the advantages of making a move for their career, so can offer advice to prepare you for what a move might bring.”
For more information on opportunities available to you, visit www.reedglobal.com
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