Job wants me to relocate from CLT to ATL ?!?HELP (Atlanta: lease, house)

[ohyeah2808]

Ok I have been with a company for little over 3 years now. I recently got married and I am 25 years old. I am born and raised in CLT, plus my husbands mom is here in CLT and she is all he has. My family is here as well and if we moved to Atlanta we would not know anyone but the people I work with.

WELL I work for a very large company that i have alot of options to grow with in the company. In my department it is just my boss and I. Before getting married this year the VP of the company has spoken to me multiple times just hinting he wants me to move to Atlanta (" you wont answer me about if you would think about moving to atl, I would say ... let me get married and then we can talk we can take it into consideration"). After getting married i wrote the VP and let him know that i would love to come down and speak to him, but i also wanted to visit a couple places while i was staying to see what the city has to offer me myself and husband. My husband has never been to Atlanta so he will also be joining me on the visit.

Rite now I work in Charlotte, Atlanta is there main hub/building. I am so confused on what to do now because everyone is telling me different things. 80 percent say not to do it because there is more people watching you, you have to take on more duties, you will be with out your family and ect. The other 20 percent is saying go for it what do you have to loose. I have not really spoke to the VP about any type of money or moving expenses but my boss is still insisting that i should have due to this :: i told him if i don't break even or gain any thing $$$ from this i most likely will not move! i mean why would I move to another city if they are the ones wanting me to go and then them not pay or help with anything, but besides that my boss says i should have asked before WAISTING company's money.. i kind of disagree with what he says because i do not even know what they are going to offer me yet and i will not ever know unless i go to atlanta and check it out. Its almost like my boss is trying to protect me but in a way control me.

herers the catch :: I have job potential in ATL to grow faster but the GM in charlotte said if i stay here he could offer me some of his duties and our accounting lady. So if i stayed here in CLT i would learn about accounting,recieveing,cash handling, and what im doing now.If i go to ATL i could grow faster with the company but i would stay in the department i am and join their team in ATL that does the same thing i do. Oh another thing my boss works out of his house a hr a way so I have alot of freedom, if i moved to ATL i wouldnt have alot of freedom


I guess what i really want you all's help with is the following

- Should I have asked upfront if they were going to give me a raise even though i have had only very small talk with them?
- which city is better over all?
- what is the average raise i should receive if moving from charlotte to atlanta both are big cities?
- what are some questions i should ask them in return when i go to visit?
- Should we move knowing what you know from above?
- are there any noce area in ATL to rent that allows pitbulls ( she is nice i promise and not a low to the ground pit, she is slender and tall almost as if she was a mix)

Dont think if they dont offer me anytime of raise i wont move, thats not the case. If they say we will offer your husband a job for 7,000 more than what he gets paid now, & you all would have to pay for moving cost and you will be on a 5 year plan with contract stating i will move up in 5 years if i meet all th requirements I would probably move.

Our lease is up this dec and we have to turn our notice in my September if we are staying another year or not. so i have 1 month to decide. If we choose to stay hear in clt we would stay where we live now for an additional year and then buy a house. If we move to ATL we would have to rent.

HELP PLEASE

[lorilove]

No you should not be discussing money at this time. You should treat this like any job interview whether with your same company or a different company.

You are only waisting their money if you accept the trip knowing that you have no real intention of making the move or if your only real intent is to get your boss to counter offer. If they have made an offer that you are sincere about considering then don't fret it.

As a newlywed, you and your husband should probably set a plan as to where you see the next 5 years going both personally and professionally. When were you thinking about children, was the plan for you to continue to work full time, etc. etc. Take the trip and look at everything they have to off and then compare that to what you and your husband see as your 5-10 year plan.

At some point, they are going to ask you what will it take to get you to make the move and this is where you are going to have to negotiate the moving and compensation package that they are willing to offer. It is not the easiest thing to do because talking money is not easy but this is where you have to be your best advocate and have that grown up conversation and don't be afraid to counter offer or negotiate. Just keep in mind that the negotiation is about a win win for both you and the employer it is not just about you getting as much as you can.

There are pros and cons to moving and not moving - not knowing you personally and just reading your comments, I would not dare to recommend one choice or the other. With the best of friends I would only play devils advocate.

[johnatl]

^Excellent post & advice, lorilove.

[bigjretrac]

I'm not from Atlanta...I was just lurking the threads. However, from reading your post, it seems like you really want to stay in Charlotte but you feel like you still need to check out Atlanta (please correct me if I'm off). If you believe in your heart that Charlotte is where you want to be, then stay. If you believe in your heart that Atlanta is where you want to be, then go. Only you know the answer to this. Money shouldn't play a role in this if you're not struggling in North Carolina. Money can't buy family you're leaving behind, money can't buy "home" (it can buy a house), money can't buy the opportunities you'll get in CLT or ATL. If you really don't want to leave but your only reason is money, then stay.

To me it seems you're really attached to CLT, so why waste the company's money and your time on a pointless trip?

I also agree with lorilove, set a plan. This will make decisions a lot easier.

Again, only YOU know the answer. I can only offer advice based on what I read from 700 miles away on the internet. Also, talk to your spouse about it. He may be able to offer some better insight. Keep us posted!

[DeaconVI]

I don't disagree with any of the previous advice. However, I will offer you the method I have used when considering positions/offers in other cities.

First, I think family is important. How often do you see your in-law? Charlotte is not an unreasonable drive for the occasional weekend visit (I used to make that drive on a weekly basis) so moving wouldn't prevent you from seeing eachother. However, if you visit her daily right now it would definitely prevent you from such frequent visits. It would also cost more to visit eachother (in terms of gas money).

Second, I think upward mobility is important, especially at age 25. You say you have some optionsd in CLT, but reading between the lines suggest that you feel your career will have a better outlook in ATL. What about your husband?

Third, I don't think its automatically a bad idea to accept the trip to discuss the opportunity. Your VP will not hold it against you if you don't take the job. Or, if they do, they will get over it.

Fourth, if you look into ATL, make sure your re-lo package or salary bump will cover any changes in cost of living in a similar area to what you are used to, and includes moving, unless you really don't mind spending money out of pocket for a new position. Do some homework and come up with a number -- ideally you want to break even on the move by the end of your first 12 months in the new city. If you get to a point whrere you are talking salary, you might suggest a % increase to your existg base salary based on these considerations. Don't be afraid to ask for what is fair - if they decline your request, then your decision might turn into as easy "thanks but no thanks".

Fifth, make sure you consider your husbands career opportunities as well.

Good luck, I know it's very stressful. I've gone through it many times. But at least if anything it should feel good to know you are doing a good job.