Advice for Relocation after the Match

[peep]

Spouse of m4 here who will need to find a new job where ever we end up after the match. Our families are not in any of the possible locations. We also moved to a new location for med school. How will you or your spouse in similar situations handle the question from potential employers?

1.) why are you moving here? you just moved 4 years ago (across the country) and are moving again?

2.) if you disclose that you are married and they ask "what does your spouse do for a living?" do you respond "physician"?

(small) concern of (1) is I appear to be a fugitive or something jumping from location to location. I could answer "because my spouse found a good job/opportunity", but then that leads to question (2).

Answering question (2) can lead the potential employer to think I will only be there for a few years until residency is over. Also, disclosing my spouse is a physician can lower my salary because of society's view that all physicians are filthy rich and we all know that is true, right?

Insight on the above would be much appreciated.

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[dotdash]

What profession are you in? I don't know many where moving every four years is a matter for concern. Our society is generally accepted to be pretty mobile. "Family issues," "spouse's job," spouse's school" are all pretty benign answers in most job interview situations should the question even come up. But maybe you are in a profession which requires a long-term commitment?

On the future moving issue, residencies can stretch into fellowships, which can stretch 7 years or more. So I don't think you should assume that they will assume your tenure in cityX will be a short one.

Re salary: Everyone knows a resident doesn't make squat, so I don't think they expect you to be rich as Croesus. I have actually used my spouse's medical school status to my advantage: "You should pay me before you pay your other vendors because I'm supporting a family and my husband is in medical school"

good luck! And unless you are in some very touchy kind of profession, I'd guess you are more okay than you seem to think...

 

[LadyMoreta]

I was worried about the same thing when we moved last year. I told them we were in the previous city for my husband's school, and he has graduated and accepted a position in this city. If they asked what he does, I said he will be working at X Hospital. It's very hard for them to pry more without stepping over legal boundaries, and they're usually pretty nervous about asking anything about your spouse during interviews for that reason.

Re salary: Everyone knows a resident doesn't make squat, so I don't think they expect you to be rich as Croesus.

Maybe the people I work with haven't had that much interaction with people in the medical field. I run into people all the time who think that we're rolling in money and think we're just being modest about it. Sometimes people press the issue, and when we reveal his salary, they've always been shocked. I think they interpret "resident's don't make squat" to mean they *only* make a couple hundred thousand during residency.

 

[sumstorm]

Another option is to apply NOW to jobs in the area you are going and then say 'this opportunity is helping me reach my goal of X in Y industry.' Then they are happy because you are moving there for thier opportunity and are likely to be dedicated, and you dont have to bring family into it at all. BTW, unless you bring family into it, they can't, but if you do, they may also assume that you will then be the primary one responsible for other family issues that arise, making you less employable. While I don't think changing jobs every 4 years is an issue (especially in this economy) I do think being perceived as the one who follows along can be negative.

The focus should be on whether you can excel at the job and improve the company's situation. Stick to that. Show how this position melds with your goals, and how yours skills meld with thier goals. Simple as that.