This blog exists to detail the advantages of a skilled trade career and point readers in the right direction to get started on one. Yet, this writer has done some soul searching and realized that the opportunities may not be universal. Even though there is a severe shortage of skilled trade workers nationwide, some rural areas or small towns may not have many openings. Or, perhaps local employers are not very desirable to work for based on one reason or another.

If you live in such a place, don’t close the door entirely on a trade career. Just as many college graduates take jobs outside of their hometowns, plenty of opportunities exist for trade workers as well. Many trade employers are willing to pay expenses or award bonuses for workers or apprentices to relocate. This is a personal decision, of course, and may involve moving far away from family, friends and childhood memories. Yet, it is a decision made by thousands of young adults every day and may be the best decision you’ll ever make if the outcome is a rewarding career.

Some of you may even welcome the opportunity to live in another part of the country. Maybe you’re tired of small-town living and want to experience the excitement of a big city. It helps if you have friends or relatives already living where you think of moving, but if not keep in mind that most of your friends started out as strangers. You will make new friends soon enough. You simply need to decide whether the benefits of a job and subsequent career opportunities outweigh the downsides of leaving your old life behind.

What will you do with all your stuff? This might be more complicated if you own a house filled with furnishings and such, but most of you reading this are still living with parents or roommates. Your worldly possessions worth keeping probably will fit in a small rental trailer.

What about your family? Family ties are a strong bond and I would totally understand anyone who is reluctant to leave aging parents and close siblings behind. On the other hand, a skilled trade career provides a good living with plenty of money available for periodic visits home, or to bring loved ones to see you in your new location. If you are married or living with a partner, there may be an issue of finding a job for them. Bring this up with your prospective employer. If an employer is interested enough in hiring you to relocate, there may also be a job for your partner either with the same employer or someone the employer knows.

The key thing to ask yourself is, what is your long-term career plan, and does a relocation help advance you toward that goal? If the answer is yes, then the odds are good that the benefits of a move will outweigh any disadvantages.

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