What is the easiest way to move to houston? (Katy: apartment, lease) - Texas (TX) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

FDO · 03-10-2011, 10:29 PM

How long you think one would be able to find a decent job in the finance field? Financial analyst? treasury analyst?

cheryjohns · 03-10-2011, 10:41 PM

I have been trying to get my sister down for some time (finance). It was strong the last time she checked about 6 months ago - but that is strictly heresay from her.

v2four · 03-11-2011, 07:02 AM

speaking from experience...I think a lot of employers dont take out of town applicants seriously unless they are in dire straights....in most industries, the pool of local applicants is so large that they can just select a guy from the local area, instead of "investing" in an out of town applicant..

by investing I mean, paying transportation cost for interviews...paying for relocation and offering time off to relocate.....most companies are not offering any relocation, so my advice would be to stay employed where you are located, and if you can find a job here that pays a decent salary, then take it...at least that gets you to Houston..then you plan out your next gig after that.

katydiva · 03-11-2011, 09:16 AM

Ok. I am seeing a lot of these type posts lately. I get it. People think Houston has all of the answers as far as jobs are concerned. I have been getting calls from Detroit candidates for well over a year now. Here are some things to consider and yes, these are comments straight from the mouths of my clients:

1. We do not want to hire someone from out of town, because we have been burned in the past. Once the economy improves they will just leave and head back to Boston, NY, wherever and we will have to start our search over again.
2. We are not paying to relocate anyone when there are local candidates still looking. **they also will not pay for travel down here to interview in most cases.

So while not impossible, you need to consider certain things like this. I actually DO think it is easier to find a job once here. But then... what is your resume like? Have you jumped jobs a lot? i.e. one year with each company only? Are there big gaps in experience? Is your experience government related, or specialized? Maybe the industry is not a match (which is what I see most often) - Houston is an oil and gas town. Yes, we have other stuff, but even a lot of the manufacturing companies here cater to oilfield needs and products. So if you are coming from retail, you are going to have a very tough time walking into an Exploration and Production company.

I have clients right now on 2 different local jobs who will not even consider a candidate from Dallas or San Antonio.

davidthelocator · 03-11-2011, 02:07 PM

It all depends. I mean, do you have enough $$$ to get you by while you're looking and waiting? What do you do for a living? Have you done some research on this?Moderator cut: not allowed move straight from California to Houston with no job and found one pretty quick but that's not a guarantee for everyone. A lot to think and to talk to someone about I suggest before you make the decision!

FDO · 03-15-2011, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidthelocator

It all depends. I mean, do you have enough $$$ to get you by while you're looking and waiting? What do you do for a living? Have you done some research on this? Moderator cut: not allowed move straight from California to Houston with no job and found one pretty quick but that's not a guarantee for everyone. A lot to think and to talk to someone about I suggest before you make the decision!

My wife is in Finance/Treasury and I am in sales. Obviously, without a job will be hard to move and what if, we can't find a job for a long time. But, what if we do? If we have enough savings, maybe we can take the risk.

FDO · 03-15-2011, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasltx

If you have a cell phone carrier, then they will probably let you change your phone number to a Houston exchange if you ask them to. That, along with a local PO Box as others have suggested, will make your contact information local without requiring that you move here first. Good luck!

Is there a such thing as Houston exchange? I never heard of it. So, ok, once we have a PO box and Houston area code, we have a better chance of getting interview or call..right! Then we can tell them that we are moving in so and so date... thanks! hope it works

jasltx · 03-15-2011, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FDO

Is there a such thing as Houston exchange? I never heard of it. So, ok, once we have a PO box and Houston area code, we have a better chance of getting interview or call..right! Then we can tell them that we are moving in so and so date... thanks! hope it works

Your provider should be willing to switch you to a new phone number with an area code assigned to greater Houston (i.e. 713, 281, 832). This should greatly enhance your chances of receiving calls from local employers. Every little advantage helps!

FDO · 03-16-2011, 08:27 PM

I called my provider T-mobile and they told me that I cannot change my area code but the entire number. Also,I have to be in that area for it to be change.

jasltx · 03-16-2011, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FDO

I called my provider T-mobile and they told me that I cannot change my area code but the entire number. Also,I have to be in that area for it to be change.

That's too bad; I just told my carrier that I was going to be moving to Houston and they changed my number upon request. As an alternative, you could add a Houston line to your family plan for a "child" who is "going to school in Houston" or you could just get a cheap $10 Virgin Mobile phone and list a Houston zip code (i.e. 77006) when the website asks your location. Virgin is pay-as-you-go, so you'll need to add about $25 every couple of months to the account to keep it active. You'll have to juggle two phones under either these plans, but I do think that a local phone number would give you a big advantage in attracting inquiry calls from employers.