In 1991 when I was last out of work I was at a point in my life where I didn’t want to move.

Although born in Chicago and raised in northern Indiana, I had lived in Connecticut for almost 20 years and I liked it here. My wife’s parents lived nearby and I had a daughter and son in high school. Moving really didn’t make sense in that it would have been very disruptive. And, much as I respect those who have taken jobs out of town and commuted for a period of time, it wasn’t something I was prepared to do.

It seemed to me at the time that because I lived in the New York metropolitan area, there had to be more long term opportunities here than anywhere else I could think of.

That said my wife and I did sit with a map on more than one occasion to see if there were other places we would consider. As you know, we have a sailboat and being near the water was and still is very important to us.

The decision to relocate is a tough one. As they say in real estate the most important considerations are location, location, location.

Where you live, and especially if you have lived in a place a long time, can be one of the most important aspects of your life. It may not be much, but it is home.

Here are a few thoughts that I would share with you in evaluating your own situation.

1. Decide what is important to you and your immediate family. Call a family meeting to decide. The trick is to think through the issues now if at some point you think you might have to. Don’t wait until a decision is forced upon you.

2. If relocation is even a remote possibility, let recruiters you speak with think it is an acceptable alternative. If you are lukewarm about it now with them, later in your search they may not call you about out of town opportunities.

3. Think ahead to how you are going to find your NEXT job. All jobs are temporary. Moving to a location no matter how nice where future job prospects are limited is not a good idea.

4. Moving to a place you would like to live and getting someone else to pay for it is always a good idea.

Well, these are my initial thoughts, but I would like to hear from our members. How have you structured your thinking on this important topic? Let’s pool our knowledge and experiences.

All you have to do is be sure and let us know if you want your name used. Notes should be sent to [email protected] and Leslie will publish them.

Regards, Matt