Let’s be honest, looking for a new job is exhausting! Especially if you are looking for work in a region like South Georgia, where there is barely a job market to begin with and no employer wants to pay their qualified employees a living wage for their work. In fact, if this is your situation, you may find that most of the interviews you do have leave you feeling ambivalent and convinced that you will never thrive nor reach your own potential because you already know that if you are offered the new position, the posting’s concealed salary will probably turn out to be at least 25% below the national average and of course with no room for base salary negotiation or promise of annual cost of living pay adjustments. Thusly, the big new job is more of a lateral career move in pay and you are already paid below the national average for your field! And where are the real benefits? Okay, stop hyperventilating and say it with me— it is time for a change!

After evaluating my life and realizing that me thriving means likewise me finding a job market that is also thriving, I decided to expand my search to include opportunities outside of Georgia. I did some research and expanded my job search to include what I found to be the best paying regions with employers who extend the most comprehensive benefit packages to their employees.

I found several job opportunities in Orlando, Houston, and San Diego. I wanted to feel confident about my new job and new place of residence so I began applying to various job postings within my professional purview in hopes of acquiring several interviews. To my delightful surprise, I found myself having at least one interview a week.

After a few months of interviews and negotiations with prospective employers, I found myself most interested in the offer I received from San Diego State University (SDSU). SDSU offered me a great base salary with an impressive, comprehensive benefits package. And this goes without mentioning the location— who doesn’t want to live 15 minutes away from the beach in “America’s Finest City?”

The team I interviewed with at SDSU was engaging, asked smart questions, had exciting anecdotes, and they all came across as warm and professional. They appeared relaxed in their roles and they genuinely looked happy to be interviewing me. This tells me that they are probably genuinely delighted with their employment and live professionally fulfilling lives. Compared to my past job searches, this search, and particularly my interviews with SDSU, left me feeling as if I finally found employment opportunities that may prove to be an exciting challenge and with companies in which I may grow as professional and feel purposeful an employee.

Now, the obvious worry in accepting the SDSU position will be literally moving across the country. This will be a challenge itself since I have so much stuff to sort through. I have lived in South Georgia my entire life and I assure you that belongings truly do accumulate over the years. I will also have to downsize to fit my life into a smaller living space since there are no wide-open spaces in an economically booming coastal city of 1.5 million. I’m not completely thrilled about moving, but I am thrilled to accept this challenge for a better job experience and career trajectory; not to mention, for a region that will provide me with a better lifestyle and ample opportunity for personal growth and enrichment.

Ultimately, I’m happy I chose to go for it and live outside of my comfort zone. I look forward to my new adventure with San Diego State University! Now it’s your turn!