I would like your opinion on my situation (Denver, Boulder: apartment, rent)

[indigo2]

I currently rent in LA and have a good job but living here isn't doing it for me. (I moved from MN 24 years ago) The job is the thing that is keeping me from moving to the Denver area. I work in IT and know if left LA without a job it may take a year or more to find employment although I have enough saved to live on for about a year. The job could last for a few more years too. Common sense says stay until the job ends but my apartment is really old and moving to a more modern one would mean several hundred dollars more in rent. I want more open space. They way the city has crammed apartment buildings next to each other here is ridiculous. I should mention I am a middle aged male and I know that won't help finding employment.

[2bindenver]

I'd plan an extended vacation and set up some interviews.

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

I'd plan an extended vacation and set up some interviews.

Ditto

Better yet, vacation some, but also plan on spending doing non-vaction things like runnng errands and commuting in traffic.

I'm not sure what age range you mean by 'middle age' but unless you're in your mid-60's or later, additional life/work experience can be a big plus when job hunting.

Sure, if you're interviewing for some entry-level tech job at a start-up run by 20-somethings sporting FauxHawks, then they might X you out for being a day over 40, but most employers value someone who's been in the industry a while.

[vegaspilgrim]

It's really a gamble... as one of my favorite posters here once said, quitting a job you already have and moving without one is playing "life roulette." And maybe that's just what you need to do-- or maybe not-- only you can make that determination. I would personally say if you were already laid off, unemployed as it is, might as well just move to where you want/need to be and then start the search full blast. In fact I was just getting ready to do that myself-- then I got lucky. But quitting a good job you already have is a different story. Bottom line, my opinion... for your situation, stay put, wait it out another year or two, wait till the job market really starts improving, then make the move.

[indigo2]

Thank-you for the great suggestions. They are excellent!
It certainly would be a life changing experience. I always think I will move in the spring of the following year but never end up doing it only because quitting a good job without another one is a hard choice to make. "life roulette" is a great way to describe it.
The job market is still pretty slow in IT, even in LA from what I have seen.

[whoisjongalt]

I was in a similar situation as you 7 years ago...21 years in LA, hated it, decided I'd rather live in Colorado than anywhere else, quit my job, sold my "LA cars", bought a Jeep, and just did it. It was the best thing I ever did. I didn't have a job here. It was rough finding one for a couple of months and then I found a perfect one. After 3 years, I was able to buy a loft for half of what I'd pay for a dumpy apartment in Santa Monica. Now I'm thankful every day I didn't stay there. My point is, go for it!

[80skeys]

IT employment in Colorado isn't terribly hot right now. But it's not at a complete standstill either. Jobs open up occasionally. The place I work on the Western Slope just filled an Oracle dba a couple weeks ago. If I were you, I wouldn't abandon all hope. You should start talking with IT recruiters in Denver. You might be able to land an interview or two fairly quickly.

Don't forget about Boulder, Colorado, either. There's a lot of IT there.

I work in IT, although I'm in the "isolated" part of Colorado (Western slope) so I'm somewhat out of touch with what's going on in the Front Range, although I do speak with our vendor support people out there about once a week.

[indigo2]

whoisjongalt,

That is so cool what you did! I am tempted to do just that except for gettin a Jeep
I just recently sold a '09 Clubman (hated it) and now have a '03 Tacoma PreRunner. Not a 4x4 but I like it a lot and it will do for now cause I can use it to move.
All of my furniture is really old so I would not need to take it with me.

80skeys,

I have not had any hits on my resume for any opportunities in CO for a long time. I thought of changing my cell phone number to the 303 area code. I am sure I'd get calls if i did. I would consider Boulder too.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by indigo2

whoisjongalt,

80skeys,

I have not had any hits on my resume for any opportunities in CO for a long time. I thought of changing my cell phone number to the 303 area code. I am sure I'd get calls if i did. I would consider Boulder too.

You gotta keep calling and talking to the recruiters every day so they remember you. Changing your phone number will definitely help. Denver recruiters tend to focus on local candidates to the exclusion of out of state people.

Boulder employers to look at:
Sybase
NCAR
Univ-Colorado Boulder

[jm31828]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

You gotta keep calling and talking to the recruiters every day so they remember you. Changing your phone number will definitely help. Denver recruiters tend to focus on local candidates to the exclusion of out of state people.

Boulder employers to look at:
Sybase
NCAR
Univ-Colorado Boulder

Would getting a 303 phone number be enough, or would he need to get a local PO box address as well? I would think recruiters and employers would still notice the out of state address on the resume even if the phone number was a 303 number.