Chattanooga or Nashville? Has anyone lived in both places? (Franklin: transplants, sales)

[Mary77]

We are currently living in Vermont and we hope to move to Tennesee this summer. We want to move to Chattanooga but there doesn't seem to be many job opportunities being advertised in my husband's line of work ( Maintenance Supervisor ). He sent in applications for two positions that were advertised over the past two weeks and neither of them called. I have seen posts on this forum saying that it's hard to get an interview in Chattanooga if you're not local. Is this really the case? Is it going to be difficult landing an interview simply because we are not living in Chattanooga (or Tennessee)? Should we focus our efforts on Nashville instead? What are the pros and cons of choosing Nashville over Chattanooga? Please, someone give me some inside info to work with. We really don't want to have to endure one more winter in Vermont. Thanks.

[Grizzlybear34]

Mary - What type of maintenance does your husband manage? If it is in a hospital, it may be better to apply to some of these positions in person, maybe plan a little mini-vacation around that. Typically, employers may not seriously look at an out of town application thinking that there are enough local candidates to go through the trouble of setting up an interview from out of state. I think if your husband showed up to a business from out of town and wanted to apply for a position that he was qualified for, most places would make time to speak with him. Maybe call the two places he has applied and state that he is coming to the area on ____ date, and would like a few minutes of time, either contacting the recruiter or the department head directly.

Just my two cents...

And what a great time to plan a little vacation!

[Mary77]

Thanks for the response. He does maintenance in a production facility. He has his Master's Electrician's license and is certified in HVAC, natural gas and has experience with PLC's and Total Productive Maintenance. So I was surprised that neither job even considered him for an interview. Believe me, I would love to visit Chattanooga right now, but gas prices are so ridiculus. I don't even want to think about how much it would cost to travel from Vermont to Tennessee with gas prices so high.

Do you know if there are other job advertisements besides the Chattanooga news paper?

[McMar]

I have found it very difficult to get an interview when you live out of town - even if the job is only a couple of hours from where you currently live. Many employers give preference to potential employees who already live in the area, even if they are less qualified. I suppose they think that there's a chance that the out-of-town candidate will change their mind about moving, or decide that they don't like their new city and quit after several months of training. It is unfair, and an uphill battle. The best way to get a job in Chattanooga is through personal contacts. There are jobs here in your husband's field, but he might have more luck in Nashville. There are a lot of transplants there, so employers may be more receptive to interviewees from out of town. Chattanooga's southern Appalachian foothills will remind you a lot of Vermont, and coming from there you might like the smaller size of the city. But Nashville does have more jobs. Good luck !

[drfranklin]

Mary77,

I've lived in both places, just moved from Chattanooga to South Carolina. It's been a while since I lived in Nashville, but visit there occasionally.

Now, Nashville is a considerable larger city than Chattanooga. It has amenities that Chattanooga currently does not have: professional sports (NFL, NHL), more upscale retail (there are malls EVERYWHERE in Nashville, Chattanooga has two [one very small], Nashville has several Costco's), better grocery shopping (numerous Publix stores and 2 Whole Foods, Chattanooga has one Publix and no Whole Foods), unique dining, and much better public schools (especially Brentwood/Franklin, these are the best in the state).

On the other hand, Chattanooga has excellent outdoor amenities that Nashville cannot match: mountains/whitewater rafting are 45 minutes away. The Chattanooga's RiverPark is AMAZING with miles and miles of biking, walking, picnicing. The revitalized downtown area of Chattanooga is wonderful: the Tennessee Aquarium, Children's Museum, pedestrian bridges, etc. Also, Nashville has nothing on Chattanooga's incredible mountain backdrop (especially with Lookout mountain). Signal Mountain schools there are the best the area (but with pricey real estate). I want to mention that Greenlife Grocery is a great, local organic store in Chattanooga that rivals Whole Foods (especially with their larger new store at North Shore).

As for job oppotunities, Nashville wins hands down due solely to its size. Both cities offer unique opportunities. Though, Chattanooga will be easy to navigate - no real traffic issues ('cept for the "ridge cut"). Weather is about the same with Nashville being *slightly* cooler, with a *little* more snow. However, nothing compared to Vermont.

Also remember: no state income tax! (But very high sales taxes.)

I would definitely visit the area before making such a move - very different than New England.

Take care

[Mary77]

Thank you. This is the kind of info I'm looking for. One of the reasons we are aiming for Chattanooga is because everyone talks about how beautiful it is there. I've lived in Vermont for almost 7 years and it is so beautiful here that I feel like I'm driving around in a calendar. So I'm a little spoiled when it comes to lots of trees, mountains and streams. We also prefer a smaller, close-knit community without a lot of traffic. Do you know if there are any towns just outside of Nashville that would have the natural beauty that Chattanooga has?

[Mary77]

drfranklin-
"I would definitely visit the area before making such a move - very different than New England."

Take care [/quote]



That sentence sounds like you thought about saying more but decided to be nice and keep it to yourself. Are there more drawbacks to moving to Chattanooga? Do you mind if I ask why you are leaving?

[drfranklin]

Mary77,

Suggestion: ask similar questions in the Nashville sub-forum (it's a bit more active than the Chattanooga sub-forum), you will get more specific answers regarding Nashville.

The topography of Nashville is one of flat terrain and "gently rolling hills". There are no areas around Nashville that match the topography of Chattanooga. You must drive east to the Cookeville/Crossville areas to see any similarities to Chattanooga.

As for moving to South Carolina, this was just a job change (and closer to family). The people and customs of SC are very similar to that of TN . However, my family and I do miss the 'nooga.

[Grizzlybear34]

Originally Posted by Mary77

Thanks for the response. He does maintenance in a production facility. He has his Master's Electrician's license and is certified in HVAC, natural gas and has experience with PLC's and Total Productive Maintenance. So I was surprised that neither job even considered him for an interview. Believe me, I would love to visit Chattanooga right now, but gas prices are so ridiculus. I don't even want to think about how much it would cost to travel from Vermont to Tennessee with gas prices so high.

Do you know if there are other job advertisements besides the Chattanooga news paper?

I think your husband could be considered for an interview if you let them know you are coming to the area.

He may try a phone call to the employers and see if they can talk to him on the phone, for a phone interview. If they have equal interest, it would be worth his time and "gas" to go for a face to face interview.

It sounds like he would go for the interview if they had interest - hence gas cost is mute??

[Mary77]

Oh yes. We definitely plan to drive or fly down there if he gets an interview. But for that much money, we would need to be assured that the potential employer is very interested. I'm just worried that when they see that we are not local, they may not even consider calling. This is the impression I've been given by some of the post's on this thread. I wonder if it would help if the kids and I moved to Chattanooga ahead of time? Then we could list a local address on the resume.

The main reason I posted this question was to find out if we should just give up on Chattanooga and aim for Nashville. Nashville seems to have a lot more jobs advertised in his field. But I don't know how different Nashville & Chattanooga are. Chattanooga has more natural beauty right? Is Nashville beautiful at all? We're not really into big cities and a lot of traffic.