Author Topic: Would like to relocate  (Read 4991 times)

kosh525

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Would like to relocate
« on: August 13, 2013, 08:35:09 AM »
After a long past few months, my fiance and I have decided that the NY metro area just isn't for us.

Does anyone have experience or tips on relocating?  I'm hoping to line up a job before I move, and my fiance and I are open to moving just about anywhere.

kosh525

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2013, 08:54:21 AM »
I just recently got a B.S. in Business Administration.  I currently work as a temp worker for a much hated central bank (take a guess).  My background has been banking, as my previous employment was a bank teller before I got this job.  I definitely would like a career change.  My job currently does not align with my ideals, it's really just a way for me to get a paycheck. My fiance has worked as an office manager for a financial planner (Her boss and co-workers are also very anti-mustachian, but that's a whole other story).

We are young and would prefer a more urban, suburban area. Warmer weather is a plus, but it's not a must.

Numbers Man

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2013, 10:05:23 AM »
You can easily relocate and get temporary jobs with a cheap apartment, especially since are are just starting out and don't have to drag children with you. The key is to really think through were you want to live. I would say from experience that getting a job before you move is improbable unless you know someone.

Forcus

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2013, 10:05:28 AM »
This is a tough question because I don't think you will know what you like til you experience it. A few years back we moved a friend to Colorado Springs and loved the area. We seriously considered moving there. Just got back from Lake Tahoe and it was very nice but not a whole lot of "big business" located around there for us to consider. In any case maybe a little moustachian travel is in order to see other places especially if you haven't been to a lot. Do you like it hot, cold, humid, dry, sunny, foggy, low elevation, high, etc. Do mountains make you tingle or are they just big a$$ hills to you.

Rebecca Stapler

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2013, 10:13:02 AM »
This is a tough question because I don't think you will know what you like til you experience it. A few years back we moved a friend to Colorado Springs and loved the area. We seriously considered moving there. Just got back from Lake Tahoe and it was very nice but not a whole lot of "big business" located around there for us to consider. In any case maybe a little moustachian travel is in order to see other places especially if you haven't been to a lot. Do you like it hot, cold, humid, dry, sunny, foggy, low elevation, high, etc. Do mountains make you tingle or are they just big a$$ hills to you.

I see a road trip in your future!

If you and your fiancé can do some soul-searching and identify what kind of job you want (peruse your library's self-help / What Color is My Parachute section for some guidance), you might be able to identify locations where the economy in that sector is growing or locations where the economy is just generally growing -- then visit all the finalists on your list.

MissStache

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2013, 10:14:45 AM »
I've made three big moves so far in my life- from Alabama to Charleston, From Charleston to Boston, and from Boston to Virginia.  Each time I did it with no job but enough in savings to last for three months.  Now that I'm a little older and more experienced, I would try really hard to get a job BEFORE I moved (especially given the current economy), but it worked out for me every time I did it. 

I had a safety net in the last two moves (good friends/significant other) that I could depend on if things got hairy, but luckily didn't have to depend on them.

I don't regret any of them- not for a second- and I'm a huge fan of upending your world a few times in your life.  It makes you stronger, braver, and you learn a lot about yourself.

My biggest tip would be to find somewhere you are really excited about living.  It will help you get motivated to get ready for the move and it will help you commit to the area when things are tough at first (and they are always tough at first).   

Hunny156

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2013, 10:24:24 AM »
Congrats on deciding to move out of the metro area!  Hubby & I left Metro NYC 4 years ago and we haven't looked back.  Our case was a little easier, as hubby had been a stellar employee at his company for years, and requested a lateral move, so we waited till that opportunity came up.  Another BIG plus was that he took his NY salary w/him.  We knew the job wouldn't pan out long term (horrible manager), but we did what we needed to do in order to get out of NY.

We have family in TX and have visited all the main cities several times.  The job was in Austin, and it is an excellent choice for us.  While we are very happy to be here, and we live a far more mustachian life than we ever did in NY, you do need to check out places beforehand and look at everything.

I can tell you from experience that while the cost of living is cheaper here, the salaries are also much skimpier, so you may be no better off, at least in the short term.  Hubby has been in his new job for almost a year now, and took a huge hit in salary, making about 1/3 of his total comp package in NY.  I was eventually able to transition to a different field and make about 80% of my highest NY comp package.  In NY, I had no problem earning a very decent salary in administration - I've been an Office Manager & Executive Assistant.  Out here, the value of administration is non-existent, your wife can expect to make $12 - $15/hr if she decides to stay in that career path.  It can be a real shocker if you aren't prepared to take a huge haircut on your income.

kosh525

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2013, 10:50:28 AM »
Congrats on deciding to move out of the metro area!  Hubby & I left Metro NYC 4 years ago and we haven't looked back.  Our case was a little easier, as hubby had been a stellar employee at his company for years, and requested a lateral move, so we waited till that opportunity came up.  Another BIG plus was that he took his NY salary w/him.  We knew the job wouldn't pan out long term (horrible manager), but we did what we needed to do in order to get out of NY.

We have family in TX and have visited all the main cities several times.  The job was in Austin, and it is an excellent choice for us.  While we are very happy to be here, and we live a far more mustachian life than we ever did in NY, you do need to check out places beforehand and look at everything.

I can tell you from experience that while the cost of living is cheaper here, the salaries are also much skimpier, so you may be no better off, at least in the short term.  Hubby has been in his new job for almost a year now, and took a huge hit in salary, making about 1/3 of his total comp package in NY.  I was eventually able to transition to a different field and make about 80% of my highest NY comp package.  In NY, I had no problem earning a very decent salary in administration - I've been an Office Manager & Executive Assistant.  Out here, the value of administration is non-existent, your wife can expect to make $12 - $15/hr if she decides to stay in that career path.  It can be a real shocker if you aren't prepared to take a huge haircut on your income.

Hunny,  Thanks so much!

The good thing is that we're just really starting out.  My fiance makes just at bit more than you mentioned right now, so it won't be a huge hit for her.  I'm currently making close to 40k, this was a job I took before I got my bachelor's. The only problem with my job currently is that because I am a temp, the benefits suck!  I don't get a whole lot of vacation time or sick pay, and the health benefits are so-so.

Hunny156

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2013, 03:55:22 PM »
Hunny,  Thanks so much!

The good thing is that we're just really starting out.  My fiance makes just at bit more than you mentioned right now, so it won't be a huge hit for her.  I'm currently making close to 40k, this was a job I took before I got my bachelor's. The only problem with my job currently is that because I am a temp, the benefits suck!  I don't get a whole lot of vacation time or sick pay, and the health benefits are so-so.

Hi Kosh, no problem - I love helping people in any way I can.  If they can avoid some of our educational experiences (mistakes) along the way, all the better!

Sounds like you guys are figuring things out at the right time.  We often wonder if we had just uprooted earlier, how much different out lives might have been.  The road not taken, I guess.

Since you are both accustomed to smaller salaries, you'll have room to grow and not be so surprised at salary differences elsewhere.  If you pick a state w/o income tax, then you'll be that much further ahead.  Your biggest to-do items right now are finding a new city to call home, and saving up for the move.  It might be an easier transition financially if one of you makes the move first, secures employment, and then the other follows behind a few months later.  We were apart for 6 months while I stayed back to sell our home.  It sucked royally to be apart, but it did lessen the financial impact.

Oh, and if you happen to go that route and are married by the time you move, your spouse can resign from her position as a result of you being employed in a different state.  She may then file for unemployment, which will give you a little cushion while she finds a new job.  We didn't know this when we moved.  I absolutely loved my job and made sure they were aware of why I was resigning, both in my resignation letter and in our face to face conversations.

After I made the move, I was talking to a recruiter friend, who asked if I had filed for UI yet.  I told her no, since I quit my job.  She reminded me that I had to quit, due to my husband's job being relocated.  She was right.  UI wasn't granted immediately, but once I provided documentation (the resignation letter and a copy of hubby's out of state pay-stub), they granted me the benefit.  It really helped, and I was able to find the "right" new job, not the "right now" job.

Oh, and one more tidbit, since you mentioned moving someplace warm.  Weather is certainly a factor, but coming from NY, you may want to determine how you feel about religion and politics, especially if you move to the south.  We didn't think it would be a big deal, and for the most part, it's not.  But it is a consideration.  Overall, we are happy here, even w/a few minor pet peeves!  ;)

Sunflower

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Re: Would like to relocate
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2013, 01:08:00 AM »
Think about what is most important to you and put that at the top of the list for wherever you consider moving.

I've lived on both sides of the country and wouldn't ever consider moving back to the East Coast. First, it was way too far away from my family. I'm very close to my extended family and the choice between $500 + 14 hours in transit or missing Thanksgiving/Christmas/Birthdays/Random weekend events/Etc. was torture for me. Second, I really appreciate the laid back atmosphere of the West Coast.

Your priorities might be very different! The important thing is to be as honest as possible about what makes you happy. It could be culture, climate, access to amenities, or family.

I've heard that you will have much better luck looking for jobs if you can use a local address. If you figure out what city you want to move to and know someone there, see if you can put their address on your resume. Just be sure that you have the funds to fly out to a last minute interview and be ready to explain that you are temporarily located at that address while you look for jobs because you're very serious about moving to the area permanently.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!