Relocating to a big city sans job

[skyrider 0]

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I eeven asked my 16 yearold what he thought of soemoen quiting a paying job, and moving to "any" large city...

his answer....

"they fuckin Nuts"?

He's only 16...what does he know?

I thought 16 yearolds "Knew it all"!

BUT, when I move to San Diego, I had a "Garenteed" job....what I didn;t have was that in writing!

When we arrived here, we had found a temp apartment, but when I showed up for the job, they said Oh hell, we filled that possition last week......

I had "NOTHING IN WRITING" I was fucked, fortunitly, I do have many years at a hard to come by skill, (motorcycle maintainance and fabrication) I found a job in less than a week..

But If it hadn;t been for my wife having her job, (In writing) at Childrens, that week could have fucked up our whole world!


If you don;t have a rock solid plan, and are now employeed..., Unless you have lived on the street, (which I have) and loved it, (which I didn;t) forget it!

This aint the 70's, where any hard working man can find a job....Many hard working men unemployeed right this second.....

[normiss 897]

You couldn't get me to NYC at gun point.
blech.

Fun place to go, never move there.

Austin, Chicago.....maybes.

If you can, take you journey and experience life.

[skyrider 0]

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You couldn't get me to NYC at gun point.
blech.

Fun place to go, never move there.

Austin, Chicago.....maybes.

If you can, take you journey and experience life.

I've been to all three many times, and 550 a year, with free house, wouldn;t get me to move to any of them....

[Squeak 17]

There is NO WAY NO HOW i could do a Northern states winter

Lovely to visit and play in once and a while but i could never live in that sort of envrion.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Amazon 7]

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There is NO WAY NO HOWE i coyuld do a Northern states winter

Lovely to visit and play in once and a while but i could never lvie in that sort of envrion.

Wussie

Just get a big 4x4 and you are good to go

[npgraphicdesign 3]

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There is NO WAY NO HOWE i coyuld do a Northern states winter

Lovely to visit and play in once and a while but i could never lvie in that sort of envrion.

Wussie

Just get a big 4x4 and you are good to go

Seriously...what a wuss.

[skymama 37]

Have you checked out the unemployment rate and cost of living in those states? Do you have a budget worked out for how many months you can live without an income?

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[shropshire 0]

NYC with 15K - you'll be living in a skip and pushing your 'belongings' around in a shopping trolley inside 6 months

Hey good luck - don't worry about what us old codgers are saying - we're just too plain scarred to change.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[beowulf 1]

I don't think it's a good idea and I have done that before. Texas has probably the best economy of the listed choices. I definitely would not move to Chicago. Unemployment there is pretty high.

I think the best idea is to find a job in one of those areas first then move once you have accepted an offer. Life is a lot easier when you aren't desperate.

[Misternatural 0]

Dood

I was in Boston last week, great town lots of cool stuff to do, Jumptown and Pepperell nearby, avg rent for a 2 br apt in a triple decker in Somerville/ Cambridge $1500. However consider the heating bill, none of those houses/apts are well insulated IMOP. Southern states = lower cost overall.

NYC maybe when they get rid of the bed bugs.

Beware of the collateralizing and monetization of your desires.
D S #3.1415

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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A question for everyone...

Good or bad idea, especially in these times?

Let's say you have about 15K in the bank, and thinking of NYC, Chicago, Boston...maybe Austin. Is relocating without a job and hoping to find one eventually a smart idea? Especially if you're feeling stuck in the current situation and really need to break out...

Probably a really bad idea.

Many decent paying positions are acquired through networking and most of your network is not in or connected to the city you're moving to.

What you get paid is dependent on how much leverage you have; and an existing job goes a long way "I make $X at my existing position, and am not going to leave for your insultingly low offer."

I've heard that for the average job search time you can divide your salary by $10K and that's how long it should run in months. Is $15K going to be enough for that?

I'd look for a job, wouldn't expect relocation assistance, and wouldn't move until I had that nailed down. After getting there I'd buy a bed and pay extra for the shortest possible lease term (ideally month-to-month) and not move the rest of my stuff out until I knew where in town I really wanted to live and that the new job + location were going to work out long term.

[ryoder 1,590]

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You couldn't get me to NYC at gun point.
blech.

Agreed.

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Austin, Chicago.....maybes.

After having lived there, I still say the best way to see Chicago, is in your rearview mirror.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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No way in hell i'd make the move without a job garenteed in writing!

Guaranteed jobs don't exist unless you're union or _way_ up the corporate food chain (just VP usually doesn't cut it but might guarantee X months of severance if they decide to merge your division and terminate you without cause)

It's all at-will where either party can terminate the employment arrangement at any time for any reason or no reason at all.

I did one deal where I would keep my signing bonus and not have to reimburse the company for relocation costs if they got rid of me within the year, although employment agreements usually stipulate that those things vest over the first year and that you'll pay the company back if you leave for any reason (theirs or yours).

[ManagingPrime 0]

As someone who just picked up and moved 2K miles (WITH A JOB). I would not suggest what you propose. Even with a job it's going to be a tight readjustment.

$15K is just not enough with the possible exception of Austin, but it's still going to be rough.

$15K in NYC...and no job....sounds like a waste of $15K if you are serious. Otherwise, just go to NYC for a weekend and blow the $15K...it will be a lot more fun than having it drained over a few months.

[SivaGanesha 2]

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Once you have a job, it's easier to find another one.

Everyone always says that but my own experience has been the exact opposite. I always find it really, really hard to find a new job if I have one--but easy to find a new one once laid off.

When you have a job, they always ask:

"Why are you thinking of leaving your current job?"

If I'm out of work, they always ask:

"Why did you leave your last job?"

I've always found the first question much harder to answer than the second question. The reason the first question is so hard to answer is because I always try to present the current job in positive terms because, after all, I'm trying to use it to sell employers on hiring me for the new job. But then the question always arises, and it is VERY hard to answer: if everything is so great about this job, why are you thinking of leaving?

The second question is much easier, not least of which because, if I'm laid off, I always make sure I leave on good terms, which gives me good, recent, references--something I don't have if I'm still working. Then I can say something like "the company had to scale back, and had to let some people go, but they were happy with my work, would hire me again if their fortunes improved, and are willing to provide a reference to back this up." That leaves everyone feeling so much better than if I have a job and try to sneak around to get a new one.

"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

[Nataly 38]

Although it sounds irresponsible, it depends A LOT on your skill set and how seriously you job-hunt... I have always found it really difficult to job hunt when I am already in a job because I'm busy (working!!) and find it difficult to get time off to go to interviews. Looking for work in a different city is difficult for the same reason - it's harder to get to interviews and also, some people won't even call you if they know you're not local because they think you're either not serious about moving or they don't want to pay moving expenses (even if you don't expect them to fund your move).

The easiest thing is when you treat job hunting like a full-time endeavour (that is to say that you spend all day looking and have time to get to interviews). But I have chosen to work in a field that is EXTREMELY versatile, so my successful experience in finding work may not be indicative of what would happen in other industries...

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Although it sounds irresponsible, it depends A LOT on your skill set and how seriously you job-hunt... I have always found it really difficult to job hunt when I am already in a job because I'm busy (working!!)

I've found jobs in other cities a couple hours away by plane twice while still working and a lot more in the same city. Forty five minutes talking on the phone is about the same as forty five minutes for lunch (while not optimal, a few Cliff bars will power you through your next real meal). A long weekend for interviews isn't any different from one for sport or romance. With flexibility in what 60 hours you work each week it still fits.

More calendar time passes than if the search were full-time and it's onerous to be doing one job full-time plus (I live in America, where only the weak work forty-hour weeks) and another part-time.

OTOH, some back-of-the-envelope calculations built around how much money I left on the table with the pay cut I took when I waited for one job to end (startups run out of money) before looking for the next and the counter-offer when I left a few years later and time spent looking for jobs (about a dozen worth sniffing each others butts for 45 minutes four of which are interesting enough to spend a half-day interviewing in person plus follow-ups) suggests that in my case overlapping the process pays over $500/hour for out of state moves and $750 for in-state before health insurance is considered. It'd be hard to match that with any other legal activity.

I'm not going to leave a job until there's something seriously wrong (like the 72 hour notices to comply with the terms of the office lease or surrender the premises, sociopath executives who go to federal prison, etc.) but once you cross the time to leave threshold you need to protect yourself and your family through the increased leverage in compensation negotiation.

[Nataly 38]

Well, I left the military and found a job in 1 week, whereas my search whilst still working proved unfruitful...

I left that job and the same thing happened again - didn't find work until I left my job and was able to focus on jobhunting. Was "unemployed" for less than 2 weeks.

Left my next job and took all my holiday at the end of my contract so by the time I found something new I was only "unemployed" for 1 day! And this was back in March, when the job market was NOT looking good...

All this spans a period of 6 years... You could argue that I was very lucky, but as I stated before, I chose a profession that is versatile and always in demand. I always performed in my roles despite not always enjoying them so I have strong recommendations. And I've never suffered a pay cut. So like I said, it depends a lot on your skills, the market, and how seriously you attack the job hunt.

Of course it's a riskier strategy, but it can work in your favour to be immediately available... I know for a fact I was not the strongest candidate for the last project I worked on, but I could start tomorrow and their preferred choice had 6 months notice (by then the project would be almost completed)... So I got the job

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[Niki1 2]

If you don;t have a rock solid plan, and are now employeed..., Unless you have lived on the street, (which I have) and loved it, (which I didn;t) forget it!

This aint the 70's, where any hard working man can find a job....Many hard working men unemployeed right this second.....

[JerryBaumchen 1,468]

Hi Nat,

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I chose a profession that is versatile and always in demand.

Hmmmm, weren't you the one who put up the prostitution poll?

JerryBaumchen

PS) I'm glad that I am no longer in the job market; things are not good these days.

[Nataly 38]

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Hi Nat,

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I chose a profession that is versatile and always in demand.

Hmmmm, weren't you the one who put up the prostitution poll?

JerryBaumchen

PS) I'm glad that I am no longer in the job market; things are not good these days.

I am an *accountant* - sheesh!! Although I'm sure there is a pretty big market for prostitution as well

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[turtlespeed 226]

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Hi Nat,

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I chose a profession that is versatile and always in demand.

Hmmmm, weren't you the one who put up the prostitution poll?

JerryBaumchen

PS) I'm glad that I am no longer in the job market; things are not good these days.

I am an *accountant* - sheesh!! Although I'm sure there is a pretty big market for prostitution as well

Then you are all set!

As long as you don't mind working two jobs . . .

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[dgskydive 0]

I did exactly that at the end of 08. Well, I was supposed to have a job when I got here, but shit happens.

I cant speak for the other cities and the cost of living there, but here in NYC. That 15k will last you about 3 months. That is if you are going to try to actually live in the City. Rent is through the roof and they keep raising the taxes on EVERYTHING. In fact you can kiss about 5 or 6k of that right out the window just to sign a lease on an apartment. 1st and last, plus a one month deposit. Plus broker fees. Housing is a racket in NYC. YOu can find a place without using a broker, but it is a lot harder, especially if you dont know the City.

Unlimited Metro cards used to go for 60 or 70 bucks, when i first got here, then they went up to 89.00 now they are raising them to 104.00 a month. This is all in less the two years! Service hasnt gotten any better, in fact they are cutting subway lines.

Do you smoke? get ready to pay 13.00 a pack if you do.

The City is great... but 15k isnt much with this economy. Jobs are hard to find and everyone from the mayor to the taxi drivers are digging deep into our pockets.

Dom

[dgskydive 0]

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Get a job, then move.
When I moved from Chicago to Denver, I arrived in Denver with a job and an apartment waiting for me.
It is possible to does these things remotely.

Dont know about Denver, but I would not rent an apartment in NYC without having stepped foot in it first.

Dom

[dgskydive 0]

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decent flat in NYC in decent neighborhood no roommates , 1,000 a month

What do you consider decent? 1,000 a month in Manhattan? No way you find anything "decent" for that. Unless he likes living in 50 sq ft room with no windows.

I just got a new apartment in NYC in June. Searched all the way from 169th St., down as far as 26th or 27th St. Both the East and Westside. The only thing you will find for 1000 a month seriously is a room that will fit a twin bed and maybe a table to eat on. If your lucky you will have your own bathroom. Seriously, there are places around 26th or 27th that actually still have communal bathrooms on each floor. Those were for 1k a month. Starting prices on anything decent is 1200.

http://www.rentistoodamnhigh.org/

Dom