Thinking About Moving Across the Country...

[goobernoodles]

I'm 23, currently living in Pittsburgh, PA... and have been thinking of moving out to Seattle, WA. My best friend lives out there and is looking for a new place to live at some point. We both currently have no leases, so the time table is very flexible.

I've been in IT for a little over 3 years now. Self-taught. Started as a student worker in an IT dept at U of Pitt, moved up to a full-time temp, then moved onto a sort of a "jr. systems admin" sort of a job at a smaller company. Got laid off from there in March after they lost a ton of business. Since then, I've been working at a tech management company (outsourced IT) supporting all of the public libraries in the county. I was "promoted" about three months in, to a "Help Desk Lead" with no mention of a raise... I'm doing more here than anywhere else - in terms of variety and workload and exposure to new technologies. Thousands of machines, constant stuff to do... Basically I'm getting very good experience that translates well to a resume.

Though I'm getting great experience here, this company has a tendency of hiring complete imbeciles. I have never seen anything like it. I'm not sure if it's because it's a family run business, or I've just been lucky to have mostly competent coworkers in the past or what? I've been wanting to tear my hair out lately.

Anyway - Does dropping everything and moving across the continent seem like a bad idea? I'm young and it seems like it'd be awesome on so many levels. Driving across the country - though tiring... seems like it'd be extremely cool.

Enough background... These are my main concerns/questions:
-What is the likelihood of being able to secure a job in the Seattle area from Pittsburgh?
-What is an economical way to move the larger things that I own? Queen Bed/Desk/Big Speakers... (I refuse to drive a ford van 2500 miles - no uhauls)
-Anyone know of any openings coming up next spring in the IT field in/around Seattle?

 

[nerp]

What is your educational background? The job market in the Seattle area isn't the greatest right now.

 

[jlee]

I have no idea what the job market is like - I'd highly recommend doing some research ahead of time. I want to do the same thing, but NH to AZ - no luck on the job front as of yet, though.

 

[goobernoodles]

What is your educational background? The job market in the Seattle area isn't the greatest right now.

Not good. Couple years at Pitt. I was living at home at the time and my parents split. I needed to have a job to pay rent... and I haven't gone back.

 

[Sukhoi]

Check out ABF U-Pack for moving your stuff.

 

[rasczak]

maybe xfer to U of W and go that route to Seattle?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

How well can you adapt to living in a cardboard box?

 

[nerp]

You may want to take the opportunity to finish school there. You can get financial aid and basically be a student and live off that.

 

[goobernoodles]

You may want to take the opportunity to finish school there. You can get financial aid and basically be a student and live off that.

I'd prefer to continue working, and take night/weekend classes. I'm trying to avoid going into any further debt.

 

[nerp]

I'd prefer to continue working, and take night/weekend classes. I'm trying to avoid going into any further debt.

That's an idea, but keep in mind going to school part time could mean taking classes for 5 years just to finish your bachelors. By then you'll almost be 30. Although getting debt might seem scary now, you will most likely be much more equipped to handle the debt by the time you graduate. Not to mention the job opportunities that will open. In today's job market, not having a degree can hurt pretty bad, regardless of experience. Remember you'll be competing against people with much more skill and experience and education for even entry level stuff. I just am concerned that you will get bored with your lot in life after a few years, even with an exciting move. Of course, you can find great success even without a degree, but it is something you'll find yourself having to explain away in job interviews.

I know a lot of people who now say they wish they jsut loaded the debt and got the degree done early instead of dragging the process out for years and years. It's not like you'll be high flying -- Seattle is very expensive and it's not like paying for classes out of pocket is cheap. You're goign to have to cough up a few thousand per semester.

But keep in mind you're young enough that a dramatic move like this is possible. You're not attached, have no family, and have some time to sort things out. Just be aware that the years tick by faster and faster as time goes on and you run the risk of hittng 30 and being pretty much where you are now. And that's frustrating.

 

[Farang]

http://www.wilma.org/wdclists/wdaArea.asp?area=000005
Here is some job market info.

If you want to go back to school you're better off staying in Pittsburgh unless your background is top notch. Living in Seattle as a working person trying to go to school is like living in Cambridge as a working person trying to go to school. . . there is this huge university in your backyard but they don't let anyone in. For an out of stater with a less-than-perfect academic record, you are looking at a one year hiatus (to gain residency) and then a year or more at community college depending on what your GPA is like.

So if you come out here and can't find work, going back to school won't really be a practical option until you gain residency.

The job market is bad like anywhere else, and if it were me I'd keep my current job until the economy gets better or until I get better (with education). You and I are both pretty expendable commodities in the job market and there are a lot of us out there looking for work, voluntarily putting yourself into the unemployment line at this time seems foolish.

Then again it depends how much you like your situation in Pittsburgh, I don't have a lot going on here in Settle so despite it not being practical I probably would drive across country if some friends had a cheap living situation for me. Why not.

 

[goobernoodles]

Very good points. Yeah, GPA is... pretty bad. :|

 

[drum]

Though I'm getting great experience here, this company has a tendency of hiring complete imbeciles. I have never seen anything like it. I'm not sure if it's because it's a family run business, or I've just been lucky to have mostly competent coworkers in the past or what? I've been wanting to tear my hair out lately.

Come on now, don't be so hard on yourself :awe:

 

[goobernoodles]

Come on now, don't be so hard on yourself :awe:

Haha yeah... Every time I complain about how this place hires morons, I wonder what that says about me. LOL

Anyway, according to that site it looks like there is demand:

http://www.wilma.org/wdclists/wdade...=151041&soctitle=Computer Support Specialists

Hmmm..

 

[d4mo]

What about that Pod thing. They drop a pod off for you, you load it up and they trasport it to where you are moving.

http://www.pods.com/moving.aspx

 

[hanoverphist]

I have no idea what the job market is like - I'd highly recommend doing some research ahead of time. I want to do the same thing, but NH to AZ - no luck on the job front as of yet, though.

arent you a cop? maricopa (the town, not the county) is hiring cops all the time, they have a permanent billboard up advertising it.

as for OP, best bet would be to start checking the seattle online stuff for job openings. if there seems to be a bunch youre qualified for, start applying. as long as you dont mind detaching yourself from family, moving across the country could be fun, as well as a life changing event.

 

[goobernoodles]

What about that Pod thing. They drop a pod off for you, you load it up and they trasport it to where you are moving.

http://www.pods.com/moving.aspx

Yeah, that's what I was looking at, but the rates seem really high. I did a quote from ABF U-Pack and the quote was nearly $1300. It's almost worth it to just sell my speakers/desk/bed and buy new stuff once I get there at that rate...

 

[goobernoodles]

as for OP, best bet would be to start checking the seattle online stuff for job openings. if there seems to be a bunch youre qualified for, start applying. as long as you dont mind detaching yourself from family, moving across the country could be fun, as well as a life changing event.

Yeah, I'm updating my resume right now and planning on sending some applications out to gauge any interest.

 

[Ausm]

How well can you adapt to living in a cardboard box?

Old refrigerator boxes work the best!

 

[esun]

My sister's friend did this recently (moved from Los Angeles to NYC). She had no problem finding a job and getting settled, but I'd imagine in most cases it isn't so straightforward. I would get as much as possible arranged (job, apartment, anything else) before moving. You don't want to be stuck in a bad situation once you get to WA.

 

[Saint Nick]

In my opinion, if you want to do this, save up your coin for a few months and be able to live off of it for at least three months.

Move out there, then look for a job. Looking for a job while you aren't there isn't exactly very easy, for you or the employer.

 

[lifeobry]

Sounds risky.

 

[goobernoodles]

My sister's friend did this recently (moved from Los Angeles to NYC). She had no problem finding a job and getting settled, but I'd imagine in most cases it isn't so straightforward. I would get as much as possible arranged (job, apartment, anything else) before moving. You don't want to be stuck in a bad situation once you get to WA.

Yeah, I have the initial living arrangements already. I would try to get a job offer prior to deciding to do it, but I could always live meagerly off of my tax refund/savings and/or a crappy job until I found something permanent.

 

[rudder]

You may want to take the opportunity to finish school there. You can get financial aid and basically be a student and live off that.

Keep in mind he will have to be a resident or pay out of state tuition. This can take 6 months to a year.

 

[goobernoodles]

Has anyone here actually made a long distance move on a whim?