MAKE MOVE TO GET ON
ABOUT three in five Australians would pack up their lives and move interstate for the sake of their career, with most saying they are more willing to move now than they were five years ago.
Research by recruitment agency Robert Walters reveals 58 per cent of professionals would relocate, with 35 per cent doing so for better pay, compared to 14 per cent for career advancement or family reasons, and 13 per cent for job perks.
About one in 10 (9 per cent) would move interstate to combat cost of living pressures.
Robert Walters director Sinead Hourigan says she has noticed Australians’ appetite to move interstate for work has increased in recent years.
“We are seeing more and more in-demand professionals chasing opportunities for project work, particularly in the infrastructure, technology and engineering industries,” she says.
“In today’s highly competitive hiring environment, many employers are finding it challenging to locate skilled professionals in their immediate area.”
The survey reveals 59 per cent of respondents say they are more likely to relocate for work now than they were five years earlier, while 19 per cent say they are less likely and 22 per cent report their chances as being “about the same”.
Young workers are particularly open to moving, with about three-quarters of Generation Z workers and Millennials willing to relocate.
This compares to 59 per cent of Generation X workers and 27 per cent of Baby Boomers.
Hourigan says young people have the most to gain from being mobile. She says they can pursue faster career progression and lower cost of living while they are not tied to an area.
TAFE educator John Tucker says people who work in specialist trades may find it necessary to relocate for work and prospective apprentices may also benefit from being open to making a move.
“Often entry-level opportunities will arise in regional mining areas which are often worth the move to kickstart a successful trade career,” he says. Apprentice engine reconditioner at Hastings Deering Michael Cawthra says there are no barriers to him moving for work. “I moved around a lot when I was younger,” he says.