Moving to a new city to move up the career ladder. Can anyone who's done it chime in please?

[wj4]

Hey all,

I'm really thinking about moving to a new city if I can land a great job there that will help me move up the career ladder. I'm 27 years old with no baggage and pretty mobile. I've had a handful of interviews from local firms (within 50 miles or so). However, I've been really thinking of applying to jobs in my field in other cities. I've always thought that every region of the U.S. has its own unique culture to offer and always wanted to explore some of them. I see this as being a win/win situation if I can land a better ranking position in a new city (especially if it's a city with lower cost of living). Worst case scenario is if I don't really like the city, I can always look for another job in a different city down the line.

I'd greatly appreciate some opinions from those who's done this before, or anyone else thinking or in the process of doing so.

Thanks in advance, gents!

 

[DHD28]

Hi wj4,

Last July I packed my life in the trunk of my Honda Civic coupe and drove 2200 miles from Southern California to Chicago, searching for the Green light. With an English degree and a Finance background I had no employer in mind (I actually took about two months to think about it before applying anywhere.) Landed a job that supported a modest lifestyle. 9 months later I can say I'm the happiest I've ever been. It was very difficult for me to get out of the chill SoCal lifestyle and bubble, and I simply could not find the job I wanted in California. But I was tired of mooching off my parents and I always wanted to live in the city.

What kind of concerns do you have?

 

[FunLovinStyle]

Where are you living right now?

 

[wj4]



Where are you living right now?

I'm around the Los Angeles area.

Hi wj4,

Last July I packed my life in the trunk of my Honda Civic coupe and drove 2200 miles from Southern California to Chicago, searching for the Green light. With an English degree and a Finance background I had no employer in mind (I actually took about two months to think about it before applying anywhere.) Landed a job that supported a modest lifestyle. 9 months later I can say I'm the happiest I've ever been. It was very difficult for me to get out of the chill SoCal lifestyle and bubble, and I simply could not find the job I wanted in California. But I was tired of mooching off my parents and I always wanted to live in the city. 

What kind of concerns do you have?

How did that work out for you in terms of landing a job? Do you have any regrets? I've been living around LA for most of my life. I landed a job right out of college and been employed since. Coming out of undergrad I thought I wanted to live here my whole life. I recently finished my 2nd master's program, MBA. My former degrees were in environmental and occupational health and is my current field of work.

I have no kids or anything of that nature so I can more or less pack up on a whim. I've been getting interviews by searching jobs on sites like indeed. I thought about searching for jobs based around the cities I find interesting and see what happens. I can always move back here later down the line if I don't like the places I've been to. I guess the biggest thing would be to get out of my comfy zone, but also an aspect I look forward to in order to grow.

Sorry if anything sounds incoherent. I'm sending from mobile.

 

[Joffrey]

Don't you have friends that live in other cities/regions? Ask them their thoughts and then go visit them and take a look around. When/if you get a job interview/offer in another part of the country then look into it some more.

 

[wj4]



Don't you have friends that live in other cities/regions? Ask them their thoughts and then go visit them and take a look around. When/if you get a job interview/offer in another part of the country then look into it some more.

Not really. A lot of my friends from undergrad were pre med, pharmacy or dent. They're still in school. I lost touch with the ones that are not productive with their lives.

I love asking SF questions like this because I usually get very helpful and often different perspective point of view.

I'll start applying and see what happens!

 

[globetrotter]

I did this several times. I'd highly recommend it. if possible, try to move someplace as unlike LA as possible - like a city with 4 seasons that you can walk places, for instance. get a feel for something different. good luck

 

[wj4]



I did this several times. I'd highly recommend it. if possible, try to move someplace as unlike LA as possible - like a city with 4 seasons that you can walk places, for instance. get a feel for something different. good luck

Globe: I always appreciate your advices! Haha at 4 seasons...I always get made fun of for wearing topcoats and such in LA weather. I'm not sure how I would do in snow :$

 

[The Rural Juror]

Depending on your field, employers may not be willing to interview out-of-town candidates. If you decide there is some place you want to move, you may have to move there first w/o a job to make it happen. I am in process of relocating to Boston (moving in August). I work in website development, and have found that many companies are indeed willing to talk to me, although I live out of the city. I don't think all fields are like that though... It may also help that I do have a future Boston address that I'm putting on my resume. My point is, that if you determine it is something you want to do, do it and don't let that stop you. You seem like a smart motivated guy; you're not going to starve.

 

[globetrotter]



Globe: I always appreciate your advices! Haha at 4 seasons...I always get made fun of for wearing topcoats and such in LA weather. I'm not sure how I would do in snow :$

thanks - to be clear, nothing against LA, but if you have been there most of your life, and maybe you'll end up there, its nice to see something else. a couple of years of winter never killed anybody.

good luck

 

[aravenel]



Depending on your field, employers may not be willing to interview out-of-town candidates. If you decide there is some place you want to move, you may have to move there first w/o a job to make it happen. I am in process of relocating to Boston (moving in August). I work in website development, and have found that many companies are indeed willing to talk to me, although I live out of the city. I don't think all fields are like that though... It may also help that I do have a future Boston address that I'm putting on my resume. My point is, that if you determine it is something you want to do, do it and don't let that stop you. You seem like a smart motivated guy; you're not going to starve.

New York is very much like this. Too many people say they are going to move, then when the rubber meets the road and they realize how much it costs to live here/go through the hell of apartment searching, they bail.

My last company wouldn't even look at you unless you lived in the city.

 

[wj4]

Thanks to all for your opinions and kind words.

Ironically, NY is one of the few spots not on my list at all. The overcrowding and extreme high cost of living are enough to deter me and look elsewhere.

I'll start on applying and see where it takes me!

 

[texas_jack]



Depending on your field, employers may not be willing to interview out-of-town candidates. If you decide there is some place you want to move, you may have to move there first w/o a job to make it happen. I am in process of relocating to Boston (moving in August). I work in website development, and have found that many companies are indeed willing to talk to me, although I live out of the city. I don't think all fields are like that though... It may also help that I do have a future Boston address that I'm putting on my resume. My point is, that if you determine it is something you want to do, do it and don't let that stop you. You seem like a smart motivated guy; you're not going to starve.

They don't have to know you're out of town. I've done that, just make sure they don't expect you to start the next day.

 

[shizlefonizle]

Dont want to hijack OPs thread, but Ive also been thinking about this. I lived in LA my entire life and did my undergrad and grad school in OC so Ive never been out of the area for an extended period of time. There are definitely better opportunities out of state or inland in my field (Food Technology) and with the lower cost of living in most areas, its definitely tempting. The main thing holding me back is weather and the fact that its likely that I wont be able to surf if I go out of state. My parents are telling me to nut up and move though...

 

[wj4]



Dont want to hijack OPs thread, but Ive also been thinking about this. I lived in LA my entire life and did my undergrad and grad school in OC so Ive never been out of the area for an extended period of time. There are definitely better opportunities out of state or inland in my field (Food Technology) and with the lower cost of living in most areas, its definitely tempting. The main thing holding me back is weather and the fact that its likely that I wont be able to surf if I go out of state. My parents are telling me to nut up and move though...

I agree with your parents. Surfing is the only thing holding you back?! Go and do it, man.