To tell or not tell employer I may be moving?

September 25, 2011 6:43 PM

When do I tell my employer that I want more work with that I may be moving?

The situation: I am presently an “as-needed” employee in a consulting position, and looking to get on full time. (I also have another full-time job I would love to leave, but my question is not in relation to this job). The company has multiple offices throughout the US, and the office I’m working out of has no other employees in my field. My previous manager who brought me on has recently left the company, so I’m currently networking with people in other offices to get more work (mostly work from home and short term away jobs, because of the other full time job). A couple of managers have asked me if I would consider relocating – an obvious choice since there’s no one in my field at my office.

The problem: I would relocate in a heartbeat if I weren’t married. Husband is finishing his master’s, and planning on applying to PhD programs around the country for next fall. I’m happy to relocate to wherever he gets in, and ideally there’s a branch of this company in the vicinity of husband’s new school that will take me on.

My question: when do I tell people that I’ll probably be moving in a year to an as-yet unknown location? On the one hand, I would like to let people know my situation, so I don't have to be evasive. On the other hand, I don’t want them to dismiss me as a potential employee now, if they know I may have to leave the company in the next year. I’m also afraid of appearing to be the female-employee-who-puts-her-husband’s-career-before-her-own. (Then again I do tend to worry too much about what others might think.) My question, stated another way: what do I tell people about my ability to relocate when my future is up in the air due to other circumstances? Do I say anything at all when there hasn't been any kind of full-time offer?

posted by feidr2 to Work & Money (2 answers total)

Circumstances can always make an employee move over a time scale as long as a year; those considerations shouldn't be relevant to your request.
posted by anildash at 7:16 PM on September 25, 2011

Best answer: Given your concerns, I'd tell them nothing about your personal life. It's irrelevant until the day that they make you an offer. Perhaps they offer you a plum assignment in a great location and hubby applies to school in that location. The rule of thumb is: reveal nothing. You are trying to get a full-time job, give them no reason to put you in their undesirable pile. Wait until you have an offer to consider your options.
posted by amanda at 8:04 PM on September 25, 2011 [1 favorite]