Move to Boulder without a job???? (employment, living, shops)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by qfrost

'1) It's basically treeless here- I know from my CO friends that only New Englanders can see this fact, but it's like living in a brown desert.'

Ha! That's the one thing that I noticed too. Apparently it's not just New Englanders. Former Hoosiers notice it too. On point 3, what about hiking and biking? And having lived in L.A. for over 20 years now, there is NO PLACE that I will ever consider having bad traffic again.

I agree that a lot of the best recreation is in the mountains. Skiing, sledding, Skiing, hiking in trees, Skiing....did I mention skiing? But seeing where you came from, I could see your side of things.

Pennsylvanians are aware of the brownness (sp?) too. However, it's a trade-off. PA humidity is opressive!

There's plenty of hiking on the flats here, trails everywhere. Hills enough for sledding, too.

[JSGOOFN]

To JuanAntonioGonzalo - I appreciate your statement about thinking twice about leaving Upstate NY - you are right about the difference in trees. But that is one of the reasons I would like to live in CO. I lived there for a short time in 2005-2006 but I was working as a screener for TSA and the money was way too little to exist on so I had to move back East. The one thing that I LOVE about CO is the fact that you can see forever! I love being in the mountains not to mention sunshine! Here in Upstate, the clouds move in in November and then don't part until April (or so it seems...) Pretty dreary but it is still pretty in its own right. And I know about the lack of humidity in CO - someone told me that Denver was the "nose-mining capital of the US" - pretty funny actually.... Regardless, I know that CO is the place for me and having experienced the lack of money before I do not want to do that again. Nothing worse than being in one of the most beautiful areas of the US and not being able to enjoy it because you don't have any money to exist on... A Wal-Mart greeter salary just does not go that far... ) IT jobs are still out there, I just have to keep trying.... - either that or win the lottery!!

[JSGOOFN]

Katiana - who is DH? You mentioned that they work for a company that does not mind hiring older people... I tried to PM you but it wouldn't let me.... thanks! You can PM me if you like....

[qfrost]

'The one thing that I LOVE about CO is the fact that you can see forever!'

Now, when I hear that, I immediately think of Death Valley, Kansas, and every other Southwest desert. Blech! But the mountains being so close is redemption. Sun is nice too.

'Nothing worse than being in one of the most beautiful areas of the US and not being able to enjoy it because you don't have any money to exist on.'

Now here I do disagree. What's worse is having the same condition and being in a city you absolutely hate. And hiking and biking are free. But yes, having a job to pay the bills is a priority.

[I_Want_Snow]

To the OP, I know how you feel when you want to move to a place you love. I moved from my home state of MI in 05' and headed south for the warmth and beaches of FL... Biggest mistake of my life! I lived in FL for 3 1/2 years and now I am in GA, which I hate!

I am like you in that I work in IT. I do Network Engineering, Security, and Telecomm with VoIP. Like you, people are telling me I am crazy for packing up and moving to MI without a job. Everyone is like "Michigan... are you crazy? That place is Hell on earth" (that is an exact quote one of my managers said!)

Everyone tells me "you need to go where the work is", and that "you need to stay in GA because you have a job". And to them I say, I have busted my butt for years and years honing my skills and adding my skills to not live where I want to live and be happy. I have spent many sleepless nights reading self study books and watching training videos to not be happy.

EVERY business has computers now. You don't need to work in the "Tech Industry Sector" to find a job. Heck, one of the best jobs I had in MI was working for an independent Insurance agency that had 30 people in it. I was the one stop shop for all their IT needs.

One reason I chose to do IT work is so that I can move where I want to move to. If you got it in your heart you want to move there, then by all means make it happen. Heck, I am moving to one of if not THE worst state as far a jobs go. I am doing this because i am very unhappy living where I am not. Like is about experiences and doing what makes you happy!!

Maybe try doing some independent consulting to make some extra money when you first move there.

[I_Want_Snow]

Here are the steps I am taking for my move:

1.) Change cell phone number to a local number. Maybe go out and visit and setup a mailbox at a UPS store? I know some people frown upon this, but you gotta do what you can do to get to where you want to go. If you can't do the mailbox, at least change your number.

2.) Update resume at least twice weekly on the job boards, I do mine every other day. I was told by a recruiter that they not only search for skills, but also search by the last time your resume was updated. They assume that if you don't update your resume at least weekly, it looks like to them that you have found a job and they are less likely to call you.

3.) I would search for any and all Tech jobs that you qualify for and apply. If there is a number, I would follow up your application with a phone call or at the least an email. But don't be too pushy and become an annoyance.

4.) Go to yellowpages.com and in SEARCH put "employment" or "employment agencies" and for CITY just put what city you are looking in. Once you get a list of agencies, you will then have to go to their website and research what types of employment they recruit for as not all agencies do Tech work.

5.) Once you have filtered through those agencies that deal with IT work, I would then begin to call all of them and send them your resume. Keep a journal of who you spoke to on what date and time. Do the same for when you are applying for jobs online also. Nothing is worse then someone calling you for a job you applied for 2 months ago and you don't remember the job title or the company you applied at. That is not a good first impression.

6.) Follow up with weekly calls to recruiters. Tell them your plans and that if you don't have a job by xyz date that you are moving there anyways on xyz date. That way they all know that you will be in CO on a certain date. If you do go there without a job, make sure to set up a face to face with all the recruiting places you were in contact with on the phone. Example: If you know you will be in CO the first week of June, have your face to face with the recruiters setup for that same week. Set those face to face interviews before you move. Then when you move out there be sure to not miss those appointments .

These are the steps I took when I moved to FL. I sold my house in MI, had a garage sale and got rid of everything I could. What I had left I packed into my hatchback and headed south. No job, no place to live, car full of crap and about $5 grand in my pocket. I lived in a Motel 6 for a month, but job within 3 weeks and found an apartment once I had proof of employment. I know that was back when times weren't as tough (05').. but if you don't do it now, you may never do it! Again I say go for it and good luck... You only got one chance to make this life yours!!! If you want to make this dream happen, you will find a way to make it happen.

If you want/need any more advice just ask here or PM me.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by I_Want_Snow

1.) Change cell phone number to a local number. Maybe go out and visit and setup a mailbox at a UPS store? I know some people frown upon this,

It's not that I frown upon it. But you gotta be realistic. What happens if they think you live locally and they want you to drop by tomorrow to fill out some paperwork? Or they call you for an interview, you tell them okay, you buy yourself a plane ticket, you arrive in Colorado, and then they call you to reschedule for another day because something came up?

5.) Nothing is worse then someone calling you for a job you applied for 2 months ago and you don't remember the job title or the company you applied at. That is not a good first impression.

This isn't that big of a deal. 2 months is a long timeframe in a job search. They know you're sending out lots of applicatons, talking to lots of people and aren't going to remember. IT is mostly about technical skills, not salesmanship or people skills.

6.) Follow up with weekly calls to recruiters. Tell them your plans and that if you don't have a job by xyz date that you are moving there anyways on xyz date. That way they all know that you will be in CO on a certain date.

Most headhunters/temp agency/contract recruiters could care less and from one week to the next won't remember what you told them.

This is less true for HR recruiters who are salaried employees at companies where the work is peformed.

[katzenfreund]

Folks, can we please stay on topic? "Move to Boulder without a job"...
You can use direct messages to chat about off topic "stuff"...

[cztop]

Well what'd you do!? I'm interested to see how it worked out for you. I"m in a similar situation. Different circumstances, but same idea. I live in a place that's depressing and I desperately want to move somewhere else. I'm nervous about quitting my job before I can get another one. Basically because I'm afraid they'll wonder why I quit!

[JSGOOFN]

To I_WANT_SNOW! I really appreciate your job hunting tips!!!! You obviously thought things through very well and you were totally committed to your plan. I lived in South Florida for about the same time as you did and I thought I would be so happy being warm all the time. I was wrong about that - I like the warmth but it was boring. Same thing everyday and most of the people that lived in the area seemed to be really unhappy. Driving around there was scary and I just never felt welcome - even though I am an American. And like you - I missed the change of seasons and especially the snow!! That is a great idea about checking the employment services too. I will definintely PM you with specific questions!