Going Out On My Own!

Off Topic
21

[quote]Puny@138 wrote:
Hard to say, details are a bit vague. Does your wife work? How’s the schooling in the spot to which you may move? How are your rainy day funds? How much change are you ready to undergo (i.e cutting back on food spending – a difficult change for us weight-lifter types)? \

You say you can’t land an interview – is this because you are being turned away by the firms with which you consult or…what? From the sound of it, to leave would be to fly by the seat of your pants into a risky adventure with a lot of white-knuckling and crossed fingers along the way. Unless you can secure a job and transfer to another school to obtain a degree, I’d say stay, stay STAY.

Employers have a nasty habit of tsk-tsking those who don’t fight to the end in the undergraduate world. Also, just to gain a bit of perspective, check out TC’s Let go of the rock article.[/quote]

I said earlier that my wife is going to school full-time, making $1300/month with the GI Bill.

I have already applied to thousands of jobs online, that are in other states for over 8 months straight.

A friend had a similar experience until he actually had a local address. Once he had a local address, he got interviews right away, when he couldn’t even get a call back with an out-of-state address.

I have enough money saved up to be able to live off of for 6 months, while still being able to travel back here if it doesn’t work out.

I already cut off my training with CT that I’ve been paying good money for.

6 months is a long time to find a job, if looking for a job is my full time “job”.

When I was looking for a job (while working elsewhere) for over 6 moths, constantly sending my resume out, the guy at the unemployment office who was working with me told me that the 2 interviews I had in 6 months was pretty good, and above average for the amount of jobs I applied to. I thought that was crazy.

22

It is easy to tell you “Go finish your degree”, but I know that would be something it can’t be done now. However, if you could take an extra 12 months there you could finish your bachelors. Its your call chief.

Also, where are you gonna be moving?

The best area of the eastern part of the U.S to move now is the Sun Belt. That is because ppl don’t need to live in big cities anymore to have a decent living. Remember that the Sun Belt is like a glass that is being poured water, it fills from bottom (south) to top (north)… I live in southern florida, and I can tell you that land in the northern part of Fl is still affordable, and the job market is hot.

23

So much to say…

Do it!

You’ll find a job in the area once you have a local addy. Way before six months is up. A hotel is okay, but you need to find a place to rent within two weeks. It’s cost effective. Pick up one of those rent guides, and look at the options you want. Then look at the places in person.

Before you go, go to your local library and look at some of the newspapers of the area you’re moving to. Especially the classifieds. Read the paper. Get a feel for what you’re moving into.

Invariably, every time I move, it’s spur of the moment. No job lined up. No idea what I’m in for. I have money saved. The best thing is to send resumes to temp agencies right away.

It’s a chance to start brand new. Fresh. Exciting! You can conquer anything. Really, there’s nothing to be afraid of.

You’re challenging yourself. I’m happy for you. You’ll be proud of yourself, too, when you succeed. And you will.

24

If a degree is important to you, you will get it done. If not, good luck with the job search. I understand that military guys go on deployments. I’m one of them. The difference is, you don’t really have a choice in the military. YOU DO. How bad is your current job that you are willing to leave your family just to go looking for another?

It doesn’t make sense to me that you don’t want to complete your degree, but your wife is almost done with hers and then will jump into a masters degree. Dude, if you are that hard up, living with your parents, willing to leave your family behind while you go find work…I’m missing something. Suck it up at your current job, go back to school, put your wife’s masters on hold, let her find a job with her degree. Eventually you will BOTH have degrees and will find better opportunities. This doesn’t seem like a hard decision to me.

25

A word of advice…screw an unemployment agency, screw sending out resumes. Go meet people. If you want to work at Brand X company, go meet some people there. The best way to find a job is through personal contacts. Networking. You gotta know someone on the inside.

26

You got some balls. I hope everything works out- keep us updated.

27

I don’t blame you.

I’m currently suffering from the ‘run-from-New_england’ syndrome. Can’t quit eyeing Florida, California, coast-line Texas.

That said, a plan is always in order. If a career in electronics is for you - then go for it. But ONE year away from a degree?

Dude.

Information Technology demands BIG bucks. Bigger than your Electronics career is likely to bring. I’d finish that degree and start a countdown-to-departure calendar.

I’d trade one extra year for a lot of extra money - and quite possibly better working conditions. And the better house, vacations, kids schools, cars, restaurants that extra money affords.

I know. When you wanna go you wanna GO. I want it too - I’ve been repeatedly on the verge of stopping 1 year away from my engineering degree and MOVE.

But, plans first. Would I trade 10 years for all that extra money? No.
One year? In an eye blink.

28

You always know it - a degree will put big paper in your pockets.

But it always seems a far-fetched possibility. Something that MAYBE will happen - something that doesn’t pay as well as published.

Sorta like military benefits. I never for one second believed I’d have education benefits - or that’s I’d be trained in a good skill. I just figured they’d make me a peon (I was wrong).

2 of my brothers graduated with engineering degrees. Both got jobs immediately post-graduation - one starting at 50k; another starting at 60k including bonuses.

How much do you start at in electronics. Because you’ll likely start at 50-60k in information technology - and possibly cross triple digits by the end of your career.

Get your ass back in college boy!

29

Okay, the wife will be coming with me as soon as she gets her Bachelor’s degree.

I will be waiting about a month and a half so she is closer to finishing her degree.

I will leave when she has about 2 weeks left, and I will be searching for a rent-to-own house (we already saw many online) while I stay in a hotel.

I will be moved into a place before she comes. I will be getting rid of almost all of our stuff that’s been in storage, except the essentials.

Still debating on how we’re going to get our stuff across the country. Movers are expensive, but if I get a moving van, I will need to find a place VERY soon after getting there, or else that would get very expensive too.

OR:

I might wait until she is done with her degree, and we’ll go together. That way I can drive a moving van, and tow our car (I’m selling my truck).

But then I still have the problem of having all of our stuff in a rental moving van until we find a place to live.

I already found some jobs that I’m going to be applying to, thanks to a couple of PM’s from a couple guys on here.

DESTINATION: PHOENIX, AZ

No going back!

(about my degree: I may finish the IT degree since I’ll be in Phoenix, and I have 72 credits with the UOP online, so they should be transferable to the non-online UOP; it will depend on what job I get while I’m there, if I finish the degree or not)

Thanks for all the replies, positive or not, I took them all into consideration.

Special thanks for the PM’s I received.

30

This approach is a mistake. You have a wife and kids that need you and your support.

Why can’t you get an interview out of state? What difference does it make when sending in a resume and calling to follow up wheather or not you are physically in that area at THAT time? Spend the cash on a trip to the interview instead of blowing it on another apartment and lifestly without your family.

Take your time, have patience. I feel like you are jumping into somewhere without thinking it all the way through.

31

With your background, take a look into openings with the local telecom company. If there’s openings, guys with military experience and electronic troubleshooting go to the front of the line. Good luck!

32

[quote]Rockscar wrote:
This approach is a mistake. You have a wife and kids that need you and your support.

Why can’t you get an interview out of state? What difference does it make when sending in a resume and calling to follow up wheather or not you are physically in that area at THAT time? Spend the cash on a trip to the interview instead of blowing it on another apartment and lifestly without your family.

Take your time, have patience. I feel like you are jumping into somewhere without thinking it all the way through.
[/quote]

I can’t get an interview in another state because employers would offer interviews to local people before anyone out of state.

I’ve tried for over 8 months straight before, and a few more months on and off. I’ve had a few friends in the military who had the same experience, and as soon as they had a local address attached to their resume, they got multiple interviews right away.

I do have a back up plan, and I have enough money saved up to sustain me for 6 months, AND still enough to come back to NY and continue where I left off. It would drain most of my savings, but my family is in no danger of not having a roof over their head, or food on the table.

It’s a risk, but I’m not risking everything.

I’m still planning everything out, but this is something my wife and I have talked about for over a year, and I almost did a similar thing last year before getting my current job, only I didn’t have nearly as much money saved up, and planned on sleeping in my truck.

THAT was a much greater risk, but I had a $7/hr job at the time, and was desperate since my monthly bills were more than what I was making.

33

I guess you read this article, huh?

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=460460

Good luck, mate!

34

[quote]SWR-1240 wrote:

I can’t get an interview in another state because employers would offer interviews to local people before anyone out of state.

[/quote]

Why is this? I have not found this to be the case as a hiring manager. Your current address has nothing to do with getting an interview. Chances are you won;t be renting near where your job is located anyway. Find the job, then pick your living location.

But in that case then, use Kroby’s address while searching.

I still think this can be done without leaving the family and renting a new place.

35

I don’t have any advice but just want to say good luck.

I’ve been wanting to move out of WI for years but don’t have the balls to go for it.

I admire you for taking the risk and going for what you want. Again, good luck man.

36

[quote]Miserere wrote:
I guess you read this article, huh?

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=460460

Good luck, mate![/quote]

haha, you’re the second person who linked to that article. I’ve never seen it before yesterday.

I just read through most of it. It’s a good article.

37

PLANE TICKETS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED!!!

I’m going to Albuquerque, NM. I’m concentrating all of my applications there now, but if I recieve a good enough offer from somewhere else I applied to before I actually leave, I’ll just move again.

If I still don’t have a job ligned up before May 1st, I’m still leaving and finding a job will be my full time job.

Thanks for all the replies in this thread and my “New Mexico?” thread.

I also already reserved my UHaul truck, and I pick it up on May 1st, and have 8 days until I have to bring it back.

My wife and daughter fly out on May 6th to meet me out there.

We will have another 5-6 months to find jobs if we don’t get one before we leave.

I can’t wait!

38

Shit man, I dunno what to say except best of luck - hope all works out well for you!

39

Good luck to you.

40

Thanks! Hopefully I won’t need the luck, but it’s always good to have.

A couple things I didn’t think of that may extend my cushion of income, and thus increase the total time I can go without a job:

I can apply for unemployment right away, and make an extra couple hundred dollars a week.

Either myself or my wife can go back to school and collect the GI Bill (only would work for one or the other because we can’t live on both of us having that as income).

Rent for $800-900/month instead of the planned $1000/month (utilities and food have been calculated and added to this already).

We could possibly have 8-9 months if we feel we really need to stretch it.

A combined income of $55,000/year for the both of us would be enough to sustain us for years if need be, so that shouldn’t be too hard to get between the 2 of us. Hopefully we’ll get more, but we are just thinking in worst case scenarios right now.