Wanting to relocate to Austin after graduation (Round Rock, Pflugerville: sublets, 2015)

[Cincygrad2015]

Hey guys,

I am currently a student planning on graduating next month from the University of Cincinnati. I will have a Bachelors in Biochemistry. Over the past few weeks I have been searching for jobs and saw that Austin is becoming a major city for Biotech jobs. This has made Austin the #1 city I want to move too. I love living in Cincinnati, but want to try living somewhere else. I have applied to many places but have had no interviews yet. I currently work in retail and my job said they should have no problem transferring down there, but I am most concerned about moving down there and not finding a job that can support the expenses that I will have. Just wondering if anyone has any advice. Thanks guys!

[SmartGXL]

Hey there -

I am originally from Dayton, Ohio (although lived in Chicago for many years before moving to TX). My brother is an engineer and he lives in Austin as well. So, I know your point of reference. It is definitely a town that has an employment base that centers around the Sciences (Tech, engineering, etc). I am not surprised to hear that the Biotech industry is establishing a presence there.

Austin has become very expensive recently. You could transfer there with your retail job, but you probably wont be able to rent in the hotter areas. Im not sure what your income is, but there are cheap apartments to choose from in town, many in the hotter areas, but keep in mind that these are cheap dumpy apartments that were built in the 1970's. So just be prepared for that. I work in Tech, so I am familiar with that area of employment, but not sure how Biotech works. They key question is - "will you be able to find entry level work in your field, as a recent college grad". You may be able to. Austin is all about NETWORKING. Austin is an awesome town, but keep in mind, it has a relatively small feel to it (even though it is bigger than Cincy now) and employment options there do not strike me as being as robust as people would hope.

Also keep in mind, my brother has lived here for 8 years now, and still struggles with regional allergies. Midwesterners do not typically get exposed to Cedar pollen when they are growing up, so when you go to Texas, the local Cedar forest can wreck havoc on you. He describes it as "feeling like you have the flu all winter long, but you are not sick".

My advice is to visit there in June and see how things go for you. You wont have allergies at that time, but you can experience the 100+ degree temps and see how you handle it.

[ImOnFiya]

As long as your job has locations in Austin, I don't believe you will have an issue job-wise. You are moving to Texas, so you will hear many a twang, but there are many migrants from Chicago, California, and more recently northeasterners (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts). Rents have become very high compared to Cincy, but other than that, the climate is sunnier, warmer. Job base is more white-collar. I grew up in Cincinnati and Austin (back and forth) as a kid, so from my experience Austin has always been more fun (but Cincy has a culture all its own and Cincinnati chili - what can you say!).

The biggest thing is demographics: more a third of population is hispanic, about a tenth Asian, black population is around 6% and primarily lives NE (Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock).

I definitely miss my Skyline and Gold Star (and White Castle) -and Kings Island in the summertime!

[Cincygrad2015]

Haha Skyline Chilli is pretty amazing and I would definitely miss going to Reds and Bengals games. I do not mind living in an older and cheap place for the first year just to get established but I would want to move to a nice area after awhile. I heard that one place to stay away from is south Austin. But most of the jobs I have been finding are in south Austin. The highest rent I could possibly go would be around $700 a month. It can be a studio, it does not matter to me. Lets just say I make more than the Ohio minimum wage haha.

[Sam.adams33]

There's probably 12-18 biotech companies in Austin. Total. Might employ 1,000 people out of the 1.6 million here. That's not a biotech hub by any stretch.

South Austin is one of the better places to live.

$700 max won't find you anything.

But you won't miss the Reds and Bungles. We have UT. And Skyline chili pales in comparison to actual beef BBQ.

[Cincygrad2015]

Well it does not necessarily have to be Biotech. I am also looking at pharmaceuticals and just lab contracts.

[Sam.adams33]

Originally Posted by Cincygrad2015

Well it does not necessarily have to be Biotech. I am also looking at pharmaceuticals and just lab contracts.

12-18 includes all those. Unless it's a meth lab in Bastrop or Marble Falls or "pharmaceuticals" includes working the counter at CVS for $9/hr.

[ImOnFiya]

You probably need to have roommates. But, also consider sublets or cooperatives as well!

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by Cincygrad2015

I heard that one place to stay away from is south Austin. But most of the jobs I have been finding are in south Austin.

In this case, what you heard is false. South Austin is a fine, especially if you find a job in South.

[lzydogrnch]

Skyline is weird! My husband worked there in high school- any chili with cinnamon is questionable! He's a Cincy boy, but so happy to be in Texas for the past 25 years. You will find a place and a job. South Austin is great. Enjoy