About the author: Hey! My name is Liv and I grew up in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. I’m a recent graduate of West Virginia University (Let’s Go Mountaineers!) where I got my degree in Mechanical Engineering. I interned with Williams in the summer of 2014 – splitting my time between the Moundsville, W.Va. and Pittsburgh, Pa. offices. After graduation, I joined the Engineering Development Program (EDP). This summer I packed my bags and moved west for my first rotation as a Pipeline Engineer in the Salt Lake City, Utah office.
Moving across the country didn’t seem like a big deal to me when I found out Salt Lake City would be my first rotation. My parents pushed me to travel a lot from a very young age, so I was excited for my cross-country move. For most, though, this can be very scary. It’s hard to leave the life you know 2,000 miles behind. Trust me, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a few tears during those goodbyes, but I knew this move was the right choice for me professionally.
Deciding whether or not relocation is the right choice for you can be difficult and, unfortunately, part of being an adult is making those difficult decisions. So how do you decide what’s right for you? Well it’s not so simple that I can just list a few steps below and you can check yes or no to get your answer. I wish it was that easy, but everyone is different.
I will say this – if you have the ability to move, do it, especially while you’re young. Willingness to relocate is one of the best qualities you can have in the eyes of an employer. It not only says you’re willing to pick up your life and go, it says you are willing to do whatever you have to do for the company and your career. That is invaluable!
Relocating isn’t just a chance to grow in your career, but to grow personally as well. You make new friends and take new adventures. Hey, you might be like me and get dragged to the top of an 11,000 ft. mountain by a fellow EDP (Thanks Elliot). But you’ll never see the view from the top of the mountain if you aren’t willing to climb it and that takes movement. So don’t wait for retirement to see the world! Let your career take you there.