Rant: Laid off today...

[PlanetJosh]

Wow Rochester that brings me way back to the mid 90's when I was there on business for a week. In the late fall with light snow which made for beautiful scenery. Was there for computer operator school for Paychex the payroll/personnel company. Flew out there from San Diego CA where they have one of their office/production branches.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Depends on the area, but many view it as an old steel mill town that is jobless. The tech and medical industry has really picked up where steel left off and the job market is actually pretty decent.

Yeah, there's some tech, as there will be near any large city, but it's not really a destination if you're looking for a tech job. Not unless you really like the area, or you like the relatively low cost of living.

Medical is huge, due primarily to the aging population in the area.

 

[Carson Dyle]

If you enjoyed research then you should know that many people who do engineering/nursing/business Ph.D.s retire early into being a professor (mid 40s). It would mean moving twice in the next few years (once for the program and once for the job) but you're definitely not too old to get a job as a prof.

Sounds like something to make a note of if you're in your early 20s and considering sticking it out to get your PhD. Much less useful for someone in their 40s with a BS degree. Unless you want to go back to school and get that PhD when you're 50.

 

[Childs]

Yup sounds like she owned you!

That was an autocorrect typo. Please edit your post accordingly.

 

[rcpratt]

Not to be overly dramatic (and repeat what everyone else has said), but you need to let go of your parents and do what it takes to find a job...anywhere. I'm your age and my parents (kind of) live in the same town as me. I understand. It's great, especially if you need some financial support.

But your job situation at 27 is too critical. If you have a significant period of unemployment, it's going to make getting employed that much harder in the future. Money you don't earn and save now is going to massively impact your retirement.

Start looking elsewhere. Being in NY, you have a ton of options within just a few states. You can go visit the parents.

 

[boomerang]

So I am a single, jobless 27 year old living with my parents.

Cut the cord and move to Pittsburgh.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Also 27, also an engineer, also living in NYS ....

I recently took a new job back in Sept which required me moving (again). Though I wasn't living with the parents, I did have to leave very good friends and a few great co-workers. So far, this move and new adventure couldn't have been better. I took the new job for my own good and well being. Of course if I tried to keep close to home, this would never happen. Branch out dude, you'll never know what's out there unless you go for it. You can always revisit family.

When I was applying for new jobs I was getting emails/phone calls at LEAST 4-5 times a week by recruiters via LinkedIn & indeed/monster, etc. The offers were all over the country. If you don't have a LinkedIn, get one. I am sure you'll get plenty of bites.

Also, FWIW, I don't see why anyone is looking to buy a house in NY right now. Unless you've got millions stashed away or filthy rich parents - go south. 3x more house with 1/3 of the taxes.... wait, what?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

If you enjoyed research then you should know that many people who do engineering/nursing/business Ph.D.s retire early into being a professor (mid 40s). It would mean moving twice in the next few years (once for the program and once for the job) but you're definitely not too old to get a job as a prof.

I did not enjoy research, at least the research topic I was doing for my thesis (fractal image compression). The lab work wasn't directly related to my thesis topic; it just helped pay the bills but was fun and interesting (adaptive digital audio analysis and head-related transfer implementation; this was the mid 90s and I was designing a lot of really cool hardware). I have no desire to move for school or a job, as I make more now than I would as a professor and having to take a huge income hit for several years is not something I'd want to do. The potential for amassing a large amount of debt would not appeal to me either. Besides all that, I also would not ask my wife to give up her job to follow me around like that.

If I had it to do over again, maybe I would've done astrophysics or something like that.

 

[Dude111]

My position was terminated because the company is heading in another direction.

I am so sorry buddy..... I hope you can find something else

 

[NoTine42]

Not to be overly dramatic (and repeat what everyone else has said), but you need to let go of your parents and do what it takes to find a job...anywhere. I'm your age and my parents (kind of) live in the same town as me. I understand. It's great, especially if you need some financial support.

But your job situation at 27 is too critical. If you have a significant period of unemployment, it's going to make getting employed that much harder in the future. Money you don't earn and save now is going to massively impact your retirement.

Start looking elsewhere. Being in NY, you have a ton of options within just a few states. You can go visit the parents.

The whole "wait for the ideal job" that I used to hear in college is now BS. The best way to get a new job, is have an existing job.

With no children, I'd move in a heartbeat to a known job. I, also, would never dream about moving to Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh beats being unemployed. If you don't like it after a year, get another job and move, again.

 

[rcpratt]

Pittsburgh seems like a great city as far as I can tell from a few visits. You east coasters are so pretentious.

 

[Kev]

lol... Where have you guys been? I've been waiting for months to be judged by you guys. Most people have been pretty ambivalent so far. I've been mentioning it constantly.

But let me just reply: nowhere did I say my problem was with "thinking."



Nowhere did I say my problem was with having to work outside.

Please continue to make assumptions.

I'm actually working on my own business. Might fail, but I thought I'd take a chance and do something I wanted. I am so sorry I disappointed you guys.

P.S. I spent 5 years working in engineering with a 3 hour daily commute. Full-time + casual job, AND did my graduate degree part-time. I'm so god damn lazy.

You shouldn't have to defend yourself to them.

I swear engineers have to be the most condescending motherfuckers I've ever encountered.

 

[Mai72]

This is why I cannot recommend to young people to purchase a home, not in a nomadic work environment where you might have to move at a moments notice. You should have taken the Job in Pittsburgh and rented something. You need to be able to move and work where the work is at.

IMO, homes are overrated. I want to be able to travel so buying a home for me is not in my cards. My brother has a wife/kid and has bought himself a little house. The thing is he keeps remortgaging so I don't know if he will ever pay it off.

 

[preslove]

Move to Pittsburgh. I've heard it's pretty sweet. I'd much rather live there than Rochester, NY...

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

IMO, homes are overrated. I want to be able to travel so buying a home for me is not in my cards. My brother has a wife/kid and has bought himself a little house. The thing is he keeps remortgaging so I don't know if he will ever pay it off.

Depends.... Are you paying the same amount for Rent as you would for mortgage payments? If so... you could be owning a house.

Lesson learned from my wife: Her parents were immigrants from south america. After living in apartments their entire life, she realized they could have owned a house. The entire time they lived under the stupid apartments they kept telling themselves "Oh someday... we are saving up... next time we move it will be a house..."... blah blah blah... People that live in apartments STAY IN APARTMENTS.

Don't be one of those types. Buy a house early and get some equity under your belt. The difference? Don't listen to the bank when they say "Oh you can get a $300k home, WHY are you looking at a $150k home??!?!". DONT. LISTEN. It's bullshit.

 

[Mai72]

Depends.... Are you paying the same amount for Rent as you would for mortgage payments? If so... you could be owning a house.

Lesson learned from my wife: Her parents were immigrants from south america. After living in apartments their entire life, she realized they could have owned a house. The entire time they lived under the stupid apartments they kept telling themselves "Oh someday... we are saving up... next time we move it will be a house..."... blah blah blah... People that live in apartments STAY IN APARTMENTS.

Don't be one of those types. Buy a house early and get some equity under your belt. The difference? Don't listen to the bank when they say "Oh you can get a $300k home, WHY are you looking at a $150k home??!?!". DONT. LISTEN. It's bullshit.

Maybe it comes down to my experiences. My parents bought a house in their 60s. I thought they were nuts, but my mom always wanted a home. With the $20k my uncle gave them plus their personal money they bought a $250k house. Their payments were $2k a month. I thought they made a serious mistake. Then my mom passed away. My father just walked away from his mortage like it wasn't a big deal.

IMO, buying a home is good if 1) You're young. It's ridiculous to purchase a home after a certain age. Who wants to be paying on a home in their 60s? 2) You have a family. Obviously a house is a better option than an apartment when you have a wife and 2 kids.

I like to travel. I don't have children and I'm not married. I've worked in South Korea and Thailand. I'm currently looking at work in China. Doing this would be impossible to do with a wife and children.

To the OP. Do what you need to do. The problem with asking people for advice is they will tell you what to do from their experiences. Everybody is different. What might work for one person isn't a good fit for someone else. There is no correct way to do something.

 

[Kev]

Depends.... Are you paying the same amount for Rent as you would for mortgage payments? If so... you could be owning a house.

Lesson learned from my wife: Her parents were immigrants from south america. After living in apartments their entire life, she realized they could have owned a house. The entire time they lived under the stupid apartments they kept telling themselves "Oh someday... we are saving up... next time we move it will be a house..."... blah blah blah... People that live in apartments STAY IN APARTMENTS.

Don't be one of those types. Buy a house early and get some equity under your belt. The difference? Don't listen to the bank when they say "Oh you can get a $300k home, WHY are you looking at a $150k home??!?!". DONT. LISTEN. It's bullshit.

Derp

Have you ever heard of a "down payment"? Or taxes? Or maintenance? Or utilities?

 

[Mai72]

Don't be one of those types. Buy a house early and get some equity under your belt. The difference? Don't listen to the bank when they say "Oh you can get a $300k home, WHY are you looking at a $150k home??!?!". DONT. LISTEN. It's bullshit.

How true. I live in a resort town in New Jersey. I've see my town go thru many changes. When the housing market spiked in early 2000 a lot of homes in my area were being torn down for condos. People who should have never been given a loan were easily getting mortgages for $300k. These were people who are just average, pulling in average incomes. They were all told that they could rent their condos in the summer, and the money would start rolling in. They were all told lies, because many off those condos are now vacant and most owners have defaulted.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Derp

Have you ever heard of a "down payment"? Or taxes? Or maintenance? Or utilities?

...You mean all those things that go into an apartment rental payment? You need help. Mental. Help.

Down payment aside, which is no longer really necessary with an FHA loan since the government is so desperate to get people into homes these days (Obama is about to make a speech about a drop in the interest rate).

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Maybe it comes down to my experiences. My parents bought a house in their 60s. I thought they were nuts, but my mom always wanted a home. With the $20k my uncle gave them plus their personal money they bought a $250k house. Their payments were $2k a month. I thought they made a serious mistake. Then my mom passed away. My father just walked away from his mortage like it wasn't a big deal.

IMO, buying a home is good if 1) You're young. It's ridiculous to purchase a home after a certain age. Who wants to be paying on a home in their 60s? 2) You have a family. Obviously a house is a better option than an apartment when you have a wife and 2 kids.

Heh, thats why it's important to know your legal rights as well.

There are situations where you can just walk away from a mortgage debt. Part of the reason why our house mortgage is only in my wife's name. If something happened (an apocalypse) we both lose our jobs and have to run away from a mortgage, the only person whose credit is getting shot would be my wife (depending on state laws if they can come after me or not). That leaves my credit should we need to apply for another home.

 

[Fritzo]

OP, chip up, because the economy is in your favor. High paying jobs are showing up again as the economy improves. I bet you're going to find something awesome just out of the blue in the next few months (maybe sooner)! Just get out there and make it your job to get a job!

 

[Red Squirrel]

lol @ those telling him to move out. Typical atot. Perhaps he needs to find another job first before considering moving out. Accumulated savings means nothing if there's no income to continue to replenish it.

As for moving out of town even more LOL. I doubt he can afford that in his situation. The big cities have higher cost of living, crappier living conditions and overall arn't very fun to live in. Work to live, not live to work.

OP, with all the spare time now is a good time to see if you can start a kickstarter or something. I think we are at a time where starting your own gig is easier than finding a job. Everybody is outsourcing or relocating jobs these days and it's only going to get worse. There's no such thing as job security unless you're the owner.

 

[lupi]

It's not telling him he has to move. It's telling him to not eventually start complaining about not getting a job in your specialty if you are locking yourself into a very small geographic sphere.

 

[rcpratt]

lol @ those telling him to move out. Typical atot. Perhaps he needs to find another job first before considering moving out.

Has anyone even said that? I think the advice has been pretty clear:

1. Start looking for a job in an area wider than just Rochester.
2. If job is outside Rochester, move out.

...

 

[Subyman]

It is stories like these that make me grateful to be self employed. I briefly did the interviewing processes and junk, but didn't like that kind of life. Being self employed is tough and I have no one to blame but myself, but I also don't have anyone telling me what to do