Engineering job market in Houston (Dallas, Austin: ski resort, fit in, transplants)

[MrJester]

I am currently a third-year Electrical Engineering major at UC Davis, and a lifelong Southern Californian. Very eager to move to Houston or Florida after graduation. Despite the Silicon Valley boom, I am looking for somewhere cheaper and more conservative than California.

A couple of questions:

1. Is it difficult to find a job in Houston if my degree is from a university in California? I am taking the control systems/signal processing specialization.
2. How is the job market for electrical engineers? Is there a large defense industry like there is in Huntsville? Are there numerous telecommunications companies like there are in Dallas? Obviously there is Johnson Space Center, but I'm curious about the private sector.

I've only heard great things about Houston. I spent 10 weeks last summer in New Orleans and Biloxi and I loved the hot, humid weather (believe me, Sacramento summers are far more brutal, dry, and ugly than anything in New Orleans) and the scenery was more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen. I'm sure Houston will be just the same, climate and scenery-wise. I'm also ultra-conservative (for California, which is like saying you're ultra-conservative for Canada) and a devout evangelical (Southern Baptist more or less), so I'm sure I'll fit in.

[houstonview]

Lived in Houston area all my life been living in the Bay Area for almost 2 years, I visit Sac frequently, I actually like it out there cool growing city, Davis is perfect.

Heads up Houston weather is NOT better than sacramento, in the spring/summer its hot like SAC but very humid, In sac its cool in the morning and nights. In Houston it doesn't matter you can sweat just going for a walk in the morning or night because of the humidity.

The scenery and lack of outdoor life is something you will have to get use to, but you seem prepared. Houston is great if you're into sports, shopping, and restaurants.

Not sure about the engineering job field but I do know the DFW and AUSTIN are booming in that field.

[MrJester]

Heads up Houston weather is NOT better than sacramento, in the spring/summer its hot like SAC but very humid, In sac its cool in the morning and nights. In Houston it doesn't matter you can sweat just going for a walk in the morning or night because of the humidity.

I spent ten weeks during the summer in New Orleans, and I loved the weather. I loved how I could walk outside in the middle of night in shorts and flip flops, not needing a jacket. Those 85-degree nights, with the humidity fogging up your glasses, were what I lived for.

If Houston is just like New Orleans, weather and scenery-wise, I'm down. Bayous, longleaf pine forests, oak trees with Spanish moss, cypress swamps, and Gulf Coast beaches with 85 degree water are the best. Wouldn't have it any other way.

[Texyn]

Originally Posted by MrJester

I spent ten weeks during the summer in New Orleans, and I loved the weather. I loved how I could walk outside in the middle of night in shorts and flip flops, not needing a jacket. Those 85-degree nights, with the humidity fogging up your glasses, were what I lived for.

If Houston is just like New Orleans, weather and scenery-wise, I'm down. Bayous, longleaf pine forests, oak trees with Spanish moss, cypress swamps, and Gulf Coast beaches with 85 degree water are the best. Wouldn't have it any other way.

I agree with you 100%. But you'll find that with these preferences, many in Houston would treat you like an alien from outer-space. No, they would rather waste time crying about the lack of mountains in sight, or shining the shoes of transplants that came from (what are perceived to be) more desirable locales

In all fairness, they do have valid arguments concerning the built environment. Houston's built environment features a lot of suburban sprawl compared to the fabric of older-grown like New Orleans. As a result, tight-nit historic charm is precluded, and focus is lessened on the vegetation in favor of concrete.

But all in all, the bottom line is that landscape appeals are what one makes of them. Many citizens here like to think otherwise, but the truth is that Houston's landscape, with its subtropical location, is conducive to several well-documented QOL benefits. You just have to show and not tell.

Just to get you started:



A lodge within an hours drive south of Houston:

[bu2]

Originally Posted by MrJester

I am currently a third-year Electrical Engineering major at UC Davis, and a lifelong Southern Californian. Very eager to move to Houston or Florida after graduation. Despite the Silicon Valley boom, I am looking for somewhere cheaper and more conservative than California.

A couple of questions:

1. Is it difficult to find a job in Houston if my degree is from a university in California? I am taking the control systems/signal processing specialization.
2. How is the job market for electrical engineers? Is there a large defense industry like there is in Huntsville? Are there numerous telecommunications companies like there are in Dallas? Obviously there is Johnson Space Center, but I'm curious about the private sector.

I've only heard great things about Houston. I spent 10 weeks last summer in New Orleans and Biloxi and I loved the hot, humid weather (believe me, Sacramento summers are far more brutal, dry, and ugly than anything in New Orleans) and the scenery was more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen. I'm sure Houston will be just the same, climate and scenery-wise. I'm also ultra-conservative (for California, which is like saying you're ultra-conservative for Canada) and a devout evangelical (Southern Baptist more or less), so I'm sure I'll fit in.

I think a UC-Davis degree will be well respected. Now there aren't the large number of telecommunications companies as in Dallas.

[Failed Engineer]

There is a healthy market for control systems engineers in Houston. There are some big players that have large groups in Houston. Honeywell, Emerson, amongst others. Smaller firms also have a significant presence here.

[MrJester]

In all fairness, they do have valid arguments concerning the built environment. Houston's built environment features a lot of suburban sprawl compared to the fabric of older-grown like New Orleans. As a result, tight-nit historic charm is precluded, and focus is lessened on the vegetation in favor of concrete.

I come from Irvine, California, essentially the Sugar Land or The Woodlands of Los Angeles. Very sprawly too. But I love sprawl! The world could always use some more McMansions!

Strange enough, didn't miss the mountains at all while in New Orleans. I guess Houston is only two hours away from Austin so you can see actual hills when you want too.

As for real mountains, like the ones you can ski on, I don't go skiing that often, so no big deal. I laugh whenever people in LA say we're "close" to skiing, by which they mean you can drive two hours to this tiny ski resort where all the snow is hard-packed, manmade snow (because of the drought). Two hours isn't close. I might as well live in Houston and fly to Denver to ski once a year or so. But Vancouver, Canada has skiing 15 minutes outside of Downtown. Now that's close!