If someone had told me eighteen months ago that I’d be working and living in a new city, I wouldn’t have believed them. I was happy enough in my routine, I was comfortable with where I was at.
As 2019 began to draw to a close, I chose to reflect on the year. Was I satisfied with what I had achieved? Yes, for the most part. I had learnt new skills, expanded my networks, saved an adequate amount of money. Travelled to Bali, travelled to Thailand on my own- (gee, that feels like a lifetime ago now amidst this corona pandemic.)
However, I knew deep down that something was lacking. I wasn’t fully satisfied. Blame it on the quarter-century- life-crisis or whatever, but I knew routine had reached an all-new level of dull. Routine was no longer something that made me feel secure and comfortable. I am the kind of individual who embraces the ‘no-two-days-being-the-same,’ and, as much as I love being a Melbourne girl, and returning home every few months to see my friends and family, I knew it was time for something new. I wanted to conquer a new challenge. I wanted to rely solely on myself for happiness, and what better way to be totally self-reliant than to move 1380 kilometers away to a new city that boasts better weather and less people to share public transport with?
For some, the thought of moving cities alone without a friend or partner or family member is downright daunting. When I informed my friends and family that I was making the move in early January 2020, many were confused. “Why Gen? Who do you know there? What are you going to do there? Have you got a job lined up already? Are you moving permanently or will you come back?” Admittedly, as the move date loomed closer, I began to feel a little apprehensive. I had set myself the challenge of getting out of my “routine,” “my “normal.” Now I was doing exactly that. I was moving to a city where I knew less than the amount of people I could count on one hand, and where the concept of “north side” and “south side” was completely foreign. To be honest, nobody really understood why I willingly plonked myself in a brand new city where I had next to no existing friends or extended family members.
However, I knew that I had made the right decision. I was ready to consider new perspectives, I was ready to grow as an individual, personally and professionally. I relished the fact that none of the city landmarks was familiar. I’d had ideas about what the perfect life for me entailed, about how I’d declutter the negatives of the old decade, and cleanse and re-centralise my values for the new one. And now I was having the opportunity to do just that.
8 weeks into my move from Melbourne to Brisbane, and I’m really enjoying my role at Optimum. I’ve learnt a new applicant tracking system, started to familiarise myself with a completely new job market, learnt the importance of the question ‘do you live on the northside or the southside,’ (because apparently that determines many factors here in Brisbane) and made new friends in my apartment building.
When asked recently if I would be interested in recruiting an entirely new industry of jobs, within the IT space, initially I was hesitant. Occasionally, I do have those days where I question my capabilities. Much like my knowledge of Brisbane suburbs, I knew nothing about Information Technology. My initial reaction was to turn down the invitation. How could I possibly recruit a role I knew nothing about? However, this reaction was fleeting. I reminded myself, that if I can move to an entirely new city completely on my own, then what’s stopping me from learning to recruit in a new industry? Answer-NOTHING.
My decision to move cities was a very humbling one. If I am ever doubting myself, I simply remind myself that I am capable of more than I give myself credit for. Sometimes, we are the only barriers standing between ourselves and achieving something amazing.
Genevieve Kyte – Consultant