So, if a job application asks if you would relocate for the job without financial assistance to do so, what's the best strategic answer?

If I say, "Yes", am I committed to that? If I say, "No", will they cut me from consideration?

If I say, "No", will they cut me from consideration?

Very possibly.

If there is room, I would say something like "for the right postion". But yes is the safe answer. I wouldn't consider myself bound by that, though it certainly suggests that asking for relo is unlikely to work.

ETA, I wish companies would be more upfront with this stuff. If there is no budget for relo, why not just say so?

If there is no budget for relo, why not just say so?

Seems unlikely there's no budget. It's a senior position with a great deal of travel, for a pretty specialized international firm. I find it hard to believe they don't have the funds for a relo, although it's clearly an issue if they found it necessary to ask about it.

More drama at the theatre today! We were cleaning up and getting the stage set up for tech rehearsal when a barefoot woman wandered onto the stage and started placing water bottles with the theatre logo onto the furniture. After several exchanges of "who is that?" amongst us a stage manager engaged her in conversation while a production manager called security. Everything was calm until the security guard told her she needed to leave. At that point she raced for the upstage exit and was caught by a couple of stagehands right next to some very expensive projection equipment. It took 3-4 guys to carry her through the wings and hold her in the stairwell until the police arrived. It seems she had been wandering the building most of the morning.

Whoa, Aurelia, that is crazy.

Wow, theatre is exciting!

Drama, indeed.

Yikes.

Seems unlikely there's no budget. It's a senior position with a great deal of travel, for a pretty specialized international firm. I find it hard to believe they don't have the funds for a relo, although it's clearly an issue if they found it necessary to ask about it.

Yeah, probably right. In that situation I would definitely try to hedge a bit. (Unless it's a deal breaker on your end, in which case you're better off knowing before you invest too much.)

In my limited experience, relo is bizarre. We got relo from the Federal Government for a 3-year post-doc, but not for a permanent Federal position. (For that, they had a $3000 budget for office furniture, but it could not be used for a move.) Let us not even mention the job in Germany where they asked you to fly yourself out for the interview, and if the interview was successful, you could start the next day, and if you stayed 6 months they would pay half your airfare.