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Old 11-05-2010, 12:16 PM
 
1,752 posts, read 3,755,512 times
Reputation: 2089

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Hello. For most of my life I've lived in a small town in New England. In May 2011 I will be getting my degree in Business Technology and Management. I'm looking to move out and move to DFW. I have an uncle in DFW, who grew up next door to me. He loves the DFW area and has done very well for himself. I was able to visit DFW a few years ago and fell in LOVE with it.

In March, I'll be taking a trip to DFW to make sure that its the same DFW I fell in love with three years prior. My girlfriend of nearly 2 years will be joining me. She is excited for the trip and is willing to move. Here are my questions:

JOBS
I am open to pretty much anything. I guess in this economy you have to be. I am intersted in Oil/Energy companies and I noticed FedEx has a lot of jobs down there. I wouldn't mind an office job where I can use my computer/office skills. A Management spot would be great, but I realize just because I have a degree, it will be handed to me. I am ready to start at the bottom and work my way up.

How soon should I start applying to jobs? My goal is to move mid June. How many jobs fly you in for an interview or are willing to do phone interviews?
Should I apply in Mid-February and mention that I'll be in the area end of March?

APARTMENTS
We plan to look for apartments in the Addison area, should we just browse or if we find one we like express interest in it.
What question should I ask when apartment hunting. What should I look for/beware of?

LIFE
Does DFW area have live open-air concerts? How are the parks? The people seemed nice and I was surprised at how clean downtown was. Any aviation clubs around? I know there are a few museums dedicated to aviation, which I find pretty sweet.

Thanks

Last edited by leadingedge04; 11-05-2010 at 12:41 PM..
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Old 11-05-2010, 12:29 PM
 
419 posts, read 998,418 times
Reputation: 510
Where is the ADS area? I've never heard of it. Most people will tell you to find a job first, then a place to live.
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Old 11-05-2010, 12:42 PM
 
1,752 posts, read 3,755,512 times
Reputation: 2089
Addison, sorry I was using the airport code. I fixed it. Yeah, of course I'll find a job, thats why I included a few questions about jobs.
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Old 11-05-2010, 01:16 PM
 
Location: Purgatory (A.K.A. Dallas, Texas)
5,007 posts, read 15,428,032 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leadingedge04 View Post
Yeah, of course I'll find a job, thats why I included a few questions about jobs.

That is in no way guaranteed.
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Old 11-05-2010, 01:18 PM
 
1,752 posts, read 3,755,512 times
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Sorry, I meant to say yes of course I'll find a job before I move. There, that makes me sound less cocky lol.
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Old 11-05-2010, 02:02 PM
 
13,194 posts, read 28,309,749 times
Reputation: 13142
Quote:
Originally Posted by leadingedge04 View Post
JOBS
I am open to pretty much anything. I guess in this economy you have to be. I am intersted in Oil/Energy companies and I noticed FedEx has a lot of jobs down there. I wouldn't mind an office job where I can use my computer/office skills. A Management spot would be great, but I realize just because I have a degree, it will be handed to me. I am ready to start at the bottom and work my way up.

How soon should I start applying to jobs? My goal is to move mid June. How many jobs fly you in for an interview or are willing to do phone interviews?
Should I apply in Mid-February and mention that I'll be in the area end of March?
Generic entry level jobs are tough to come by because you'll be competing with your graduating class and those from the past two years who are still looking for first jobs or who were laid off from first jobs already.

I would go have a serious talk with the career office at your college. Tell them you're interested in going to Dallas and register for as many campus interviews as possible with companies who have offices here in Dallas. Companies like FedEx may possibly even have a "college graduate training program" for which they recruit on campus. Get a list of all recent (last 10 years) alumni from your school who are in the DFW area....you'd be surprised where people end up after getting married, job transfers, etc. Call them and nework like crazy until you get a job.

Unfortunately, if you're applying for a single open position and you interview well in February, the company is looking to fill that spot ASAP....not hold it for you until you graduate in June. That's why management training programs are great because you all start on the same date- usually in June or September.

As far as companies, tons are HQ'ed here or have big offices- American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Frito Lay, Fed Ex, Exxon, all big 4 accounting firms, the big consulting firms, EDS, Texas Instruments, JCPenney.

There are some energy companies here, not a lot of oil companies. Houston is a MUCH better market if you are serious about a career in oil/gas/energy.


Quote:
Originally Posted by leadingedge04 View Post
APARTMENTS
We plan to look for apartments in the Addison area, should we just browse or if we find one we like express interest in it.
What question should I ask when apartment hunting. What should I look for/beware of?
The DFW area over 600 square miles- bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. I would HIGHLY suggest not being set on living in any one area until you know exactly where both your offices will be. Living in Addison is great until the only job you can get is in downtown Fort Worth and you're driving 3-4 hours each way in 20mph traffic.

FYI- the more popular area for 20-somethings is called "Uptown" which is the neighborhood just north of downtown Dallas. That's where the live music, bars, restaurants, art galleries, shopping, theatres, museums, pro sports, major concerts, etc are.....not out Addison.



Quote:
Originally Posted by leadingedge04 View Post
LIFE
Does DFW area have live open-air concerts? How are the parks? The people seemed nice and I was surprised at how clean downtown was. Any aviation clubs around? I know there are a few museums dedicated to aviation, which I find pretty sweet.
Superpages.com center is the main open air concert venue in Dallas. It has a covered pavilion and then a huge lawn. Most big shows (Tom Petty, The Police, Aerosmith, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Maroon 5, etc) during the fall & summer come through there. The other big venue is the American Airlines Center, where the Stars and Mavericks play. It is also in Uptown and off the top of my head, Lady Gaga, Usher, Carrie Underwood, etc have been through there recently. If your taste is more indie, check out House Of Blues (in afore-mentioned Uptown) and The Granada Theatre (just east of Uptown in the Greenville Ave/ M Streets area), as well as Good Records (also on Greenville), which is a fantastic indie record store.
Austin is a 3 hour drive away and ACL and SXSW are the two major outdoor music festivals there each year.

As far as parks, www.katytraildallas.org and http://friendsofsantafetrail.org/ are two great biking/jogging trails. The Katy runs through Uptown Dallas and the Santa Fe just opened and runs from Deep Ellum (east of downtown) out to White Rock Lake. Park Directory | www.whiterocklake.org is a wonderful in-town lake in East Dallas- 9 mile biking/jogging loop around the lake, plenty of tennis courts, volleyball, playgrounds, places to picnic and grill, fish, etc. There's even a yacht club and you can take small boats (sunfish, canoe, etc) onto the lake. No swimming.

Further out from town are:
Fort Worth's great parks & museums- Fort Worth Zoo, Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden, Kimbell Art Museum & grounds, etc. (30-45 minutes west)
Cedar Hill State Park for hiking, mountain biking, etc & Joe Pool Lake (20-30 minutes south)
Lake Ray Hubbard for boating, watersports, etc (20-30 minutes east)
There are tons of lakes around the DFW area- probably two dozen or more in a 2 hour circle around Dallas.
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Old 11-12-2010, 02:06 PM
 
40 posts, read 82,756 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by leadingedge04 View Post
I have an uncle in DFW, who grew up next door to me. He loves the DFW area and has done very well for himself.
I'd see if your uncle was willing to let you stay with him for a few months while you look for work and a permanent place. You could also offer to help him in some way to show your respect and gratitude.
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Old 11-12-2010, 02:09 PM
 
Location: Texas
44,259 posts, read 64,391,094 times
Reputation: 73937
Addison is favored by young people...and yes, there are TONS of open-air events, concerts, etc.
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Old 11-12-2010, 06:02 PM
 
Location: Dallas, Texas
4,435 posts, read 6,308,925 times
Reputation: 3827
A lot of out of towners on the site seem to not consider the great neighborhoods in central Dallas. M Streets, Oak Lawn, Uptown, Knox-Henderson, Lakewood etc etc are all such great areas with a lot going for them. Addison is a nice area but its so far to inner Dallas amenities.
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Old 11-14-2010, 06:59 AM
 
247 posts, read 568,185 times
Reputation: 190
I think you are making a smart move. The cost of living here is low, there are more jobs here than most other parts of the country, house are cheap and there is lots of opportunity if you are entrepreneurial. Good luck with your move!
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