Humboldt CA for Engineers (transfer, college, internship)

[YNGRL]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

I hate to be the one to tell you, but engineers live where the jobs are, they don't get to pick where they want to live and then get an engineering job there. I'm a BSEE, designing microprocessor and microcontroller hardware and firmware, and I'm living in big, bad, mean, traffic crazy Los Angeles because that's where the jobs are. Happily, I'm near retirement and I'll finally get to move away from this crowded city and move to some place pretty and quiet... Like Humboldt.

Hubby and you had better look for the best jobs and then cull out the ones in cities that you just can't bear to consider living in. You'll never get to pick where you live and then expect to find an EE job there.

Trust me on this. I have the experience to back up what I'm saying.

I appreciate your honesty. I think you are correct as is the other poster who said that you have to go to the bigger areas that have lots of companies... but there are other places that hire EE's that are not like Los Angeles... Like waterloo IA, where John Deere is or Marion IA where Rockwell Collins is... (we want to retire in IA) I just wanted to know if something like that was in humboldt CA because it was one of my picks to go to for my job and it also seemed like a nice place to raise our two kids for a few years. I was afraid it was a career suicide place and I was right I guess. Anyhow we have other picks: These are in order tampa FL, Providence RI, Humboldt, Fredericksburg VA, Tacoma WA, Oklahoma City OK, Boston (probably taken already) Norfolk VA Orlando FL, Guam.
Not our picks were dallas, Houston, miami, hartford CT, brooklyn, manhattan, seattle, Riverside CA, San Diego CA Los Angelos, San Fran.. The list goes on. Places where I would be on the road fighting traffic more than I would be with my kids at the zoo etc.

[Lovehound]

There's some avionics companies in FL, like Melbourne? And also avionics in Wichita KS. Tampa might have some jobs. Definitely Fredricksburg, Boston probably, maybe Norfolk and Orlando.

I'm a Los Angeles native and perhaps 12-15 years I wanted to get away from the big, bad city and went through my own analysis of the regional job situation for EEs and I came to the conclusion that any cities that would have an ample supply of engineering jobs were all just as "bad" as Los Angeles. Other than a change of scenery it would be the same hectic city and hectic lifestyle. I finally decided to just tough it out, and now I'm within 2-4 years of retirement and for the first time I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The other option is to start your own business, something a bit difficult for novice engineers and not that easy even for veteran engineers. Might think of that after hubby gets some experience under his belt.

Another place to look into is "Research Triangle." Google it. It's in NC. I have a friend who lives in NC and really loves the country and lifestyle. Read up on it, that might be the place for you and for hubby's career beginning. I think it might be good for raising kids too. Check out the CD NC forum after you read up on Research Triangle.

Wikipedia article on Research Triangle


Isn't City-Data great? You could research this stuff for hours until you came up with what you learned in this thread, or post at CD and have somebody answer your questions right at the get-go. I'm thinking of relocating (and retiring) to AZ or NM and I've gotten great advice and info and a reality check from the folks in those forums. I guess it's like they say, "pay it forward."

[Lovehound]

Hey I came up with another idea for you!

La Jolla, and northern San Diego county. There are a lot of tech companies locating there and starting there, living costs (housing) are relatively high but the country is beautiful and the beaches are nearby (if you can afford being near them). Also Carlsbad a short distance north.

[YNGRL]

Wow! I really appreciate all of your ideas. Its so hard to think about moving places and not knowing how good a place is or isn't.. city data is great!
I re-did my dream list and here it is. I can't change it now, but atleast places that are isolated like humboldt are not on there and wont hurt hubbies career.

Tampa,FL
Providence RI
Fredericksburg VA
Norfolk VA
Long Island NY
Hartford CT
Orlando FL
Tacoma WA
Oklahoma OK
Tuczon AZ

I have a feeling we will get fredericksburg since I haven't heard of anyone else asking about it. I will show my husband the website you mentioned..its pretty hard to get north carolina, Seems like EVERYONE wants to go there but its a good thing to keep in mind Wish us luck!

[Lovehound]

Good luck!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by YNGRL

Wow! I really appreciate all of your ideas. Its so hard to think about moving places and not knowing how good a place is or isn't.. city data is great!
I re-did my dream list and here it is. I can't change it now, but atleast places that are isolated like humboldt are not on there and wont hurt hubbies career.

Tampa,FL
Providence RI
Fredericksburg VA
Norfolk VA
Long Island NY
Hartford CT
Orlando FL
Tacoma WA
Oklahoma OK
Tuczon AZ

I have a feeling we will get fredericksburg since I haven't heard of anyone else asking about it. I will show my husband the website you mentioned..its pretty hard to get north carolina, Seems like EVERYONE wants to go there but its a good thing to keep in mind Wish us luck!

You want to go fishing in a barrel?

General: 10,000 jobs following BRAC 'a conservative' number - Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com

[CA central coast]

Most of these places you have cited are BIG cities. Nowhere anything similiar to Humboldt. That's a little interesting. Like I said there is a power plant up there somewhere. At least look into it. Where I live is gorgeous. Real estate can be expensive, but all in all, this may be one of the best areas to live anywhere, PERIOD. San Luis Obispo County. PG&E has a nuclear power plant here called Diablo Canyon in Avila Beach. At least look into it. If he was hired there, you wouldn't regret it. This area is wonderful and he would make a TON of money.

[YNGRL]

Originally Posted by CA central coast

Most of these places you have cited are BIG cities. Nowhere anything similiar to Humboldt. That's a little interesting. Like I said there is a power plant up there somewhere. At least look into it. Where I live is gorgeous. Real estate can be expensive, but all in all, this may be one of the best areas to live anywhere, PERIOD. San Luis Obispo County. PG&E has a nuclear power plant here called Diablo Canyon in Avila Beach. At least look into it. If he was hired there, you wouldn't regret it. This area is wonderful and he would make a TON of money.

I wish you had posted before. Oh well. Atleast in a big city we are sure to find work. Humboldt would've been beautiful but its off the list now. I thought the nuclear power plant was closed, I guess there were two of them.

[YNGRL]

Originally Posted by Charles

You want to go fishing in a barrel?

General: 10,000 jobs following BRAC 'a conservative' number - Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com

Its a recruiting job..... doesn't have to be by the water and most of the jobs are in big cities.

[CA central coast]

Originally Posted by YNGRL

I wish you had posted before. Oh well. Atleast in a big city we are sure to find work. Humboldt would've been beautiful but its off the list now. I thought the nuclear power plant was closed, I guess there were two of them.

Nuke plants in CA. Diablo Canyon in Avila Beach (SLO County) and San Onofre in the San Diego area. If I was an EE, I'd do everything I could to get hired by PG&E or Southern California Edison to work at one of those plants. The money employees at those plants make is unreal. Plus all the overtime during outages, it's insane money. Somebody tell me where you would make more money right out school?