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When my wife decided she was going to look for work out of state she started applying in the state I was already applying to. no luck after 6 months so we both switched to another location in the same state. 6 months later and still nothing.
3rd time she applied to another state and got an interview within a week and a job offer within 2 weeks. She moved in about 1 month and I followed her without a job after selling the house 3 months later. Turns out only 3 people applied for her job.
Well, when I moved to OKC, I had a carfull of my worldly possessions and enough money for a few hotel nights, food, security deposit, and one month's rent. About $900. My preliminary research (before I left, which helped me pick OKC) was on Craigslist. There were enough jobs at $10+ per hour that I felt confident I could get one of them. Without room for error, the first place I went to after arrival was the library. As it turned out, the job I got was through a temp agency. Found them online on Tuesday, met with them Thursday, started work on Friday.
Initially I alternated between hotel and car, but for my first week of work, I did a hotel 1-week stay for $200. As for an apartment, again my prelim research showed there was some market for 1-BRs at $400/mo with deposits between $150 and $400. With job in hand, I got a place that was $375 with a $200 security deposit. As you can tell, I was cutting it pretty close, but the checks came in weekly, and I didn't look back.
Now, things could have worked in MN, but I probably would have needed a second job. In OKC, I mostly did 40 hrs, and that was enough to pay the bills. With the extra free time and less financial duress, I was able to keep up with my self studies in programming. One thing led to another, and my first job as a software engineer starts with the new year. Unfortunately I have to leave Oklahoma, but I appreciate it's role in giving me a solid footing to pursue my objectives.
So, I'm in favor of moving, sight unseen if you so choose.
Last edited by ElectronicOverlord; 12-25-2015 at 06:16 PM..
Reason: clarity
1. Look up the address of all the soup kitchens in the area, having a hot meal really helps give you energy when you looking for work.
2. Make sure you know where all the homeless shelters are in the area, having a shower (sometimes they are even warm) warm bed to sleep in makes you ready for that interview the next day. In situations where shower facilities are not available, make sure you have lots of cologne or perfume on hand to cover up the stanch of living on the street.
3. Get to know the locations of all the supermarkets and department stores in the area, you'll to know where you can obtain building materials from the dumpsters they have to build shelters from the elements.
4. Have a good paper map of the area. Not only will it help you find out how to get to interviews, it also serves as a duel purpose of assisting you in locating underpasses to build you shelter under.
5. Learn the art of talking to yourself out loud, other homeless people know that people that talk to themselves are crazy. And no one messes with crazy homeless people, not even street thugs.
6. Starbucks are a good source of newspapers to look for help wanted ads. They also have free WI-fi and power to recharge, so you can get online to look for work. Just remember to keep your wireless device hidden from other homeless people of they might steal it from you.
This is my advise, in short moving to another area with no job lined up is a really bad idea. Unless you have a lot of money, you can looking employment for 6 months or more. You can burn through your saving in no time at all, and not having any support network (ie Family and Friends) you can make good use of the tips above.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AutumnRaq
How can you get approved for an apartment with no job? I have plenty of many saved and want to relocate, but I'm scared I can't get approved for an apartment.
Just live in your car until you get a job. Your savings will last a lot longer if you have less overhead, giving you more time to find a job. Then you can get an apartment, after you get a job.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gunslinger256
When my wife decided she was going to look for work out of state she started applying in the state I was already applying to. no luck after 6 months so we both switched to another location in the same state. 6 months later and still nothing.
3rd time she applied to another state and got an interview within a week and a job offer within 2 weeks. She moved in about 1 month and I followed her without a job after selling the house 3 months later. Turns out only 3 people applied for her job.
This is the way to do it, if one income earner gets a job first before moving, to support the family the chances of making it are greatly increased. Also don't limit yourself to one state or city, cast your net wide as possible to include several cities and states your interested in relocating to.
I'm sure some will think I'm being overly cautions, the simple fact in most people live paycheck to paycheck, an interruption of even a few paychecks can place you in a dangerous financial position. Of course you can live off credit cards for awhile, what's the worst that could happen?
Last edited by TechGromit; 12-25-2015 at 06:49 PM..
I'm sure some will think I'm being overly cautions, the simple fact in most people live paycheck to paycheck, an interruption of even a few paychecks can place you in a dangerous financial position. Of course you can live off credit cards for awhile, what's the worst that could happen?
An abundance of caution is certainly warranted, and that was a great post. I will stand by my position, that research and market sense can really help put the odds in one's favor (not to imply disagreement).
Come to think of it, it did take me a while to develop market sense; I know I'm pretty adaptable and have some good instincts, but I'm not sure if me at 24 could have pulled off what me at 28 did. So your point is well taken. Then again, me at 24 wasn't as hungry, so that's an important factor.
I am in my late 50's, without a job, but have a house to sell. What is the best step to relocating? I have enough money saved up for about 6 months of living?
I would really like to hear from the OP about what happened and whether or not they made the move...shockingly there are way more people being encouraging than I thought there would be.
I actually decided to spend a year teaching abroad to save money and pay off debts. I was able to save 15K moved directly to NYC stayed with my Aunt rent free and found a part-time job while I looked for full time employment it took me about 6 months but I found something permanently.
I as still recovering from making this type of move. I was lucky enough to be able to stay with my sister in law's family for the duration of my search. My story is a bit different because it involved the selling of our house as well as the move.
All I can say is that the process took longer and cost more than I had expected. It was very stressful, but I am very happy to have made the move to a warmer, sunnier state and to a place near family.
When I was 28, I moved across country and didn't know anyone, but I did get a job and a place to live before moving.
I can't say which way is better. My in-laws were impressed that I was able to secure a full time position within 3 months. They expected it to take at least 6 months. I was expecting it to take 4-6 weeks. That was frustrating and scary. My tips are to NETWORK on LinkedIn. Contact placement offices as soon as you get there and apply, apply, apply.
This is a risky move, but I did it too. I moved from Seattle to NYC with about 6 months of living expenses saved up. What I would recommend based on my own experiences:
1. Pay off whatever debts you can. I made sure my credit report was clean and free of any errors and paid off my credit cards and one of my smaller student loans.
2. Start saving. I had some savings already, but not enough to live for 6 months. Count the monthly bills you already have plus the cost of living where you want to go. Ask someone else to look over your budget because you will inevitably forget something.
3. Are there job openings in your field? How many? Are there a lot of job postings or just a few? What kind of background do people in your field have? Do they have graduate degrees or certifications that will make you less or more competitive?
4. Have a professional look at your resume. Is there an alumni network you can become involved in? Is there anyone in the area that you already know? Old college friend? Friend of a friend or relative? Former coworker? Anything! Start networking. Join an online forum for locals and start making some connections.
5. What are you taking with you? Everything (now add moving expenses to your budget) or just what fits in your car? Start selling off the things you don't need or can't take. I moved to NYC with 3 suitcases.
6. Figure out where you're going to live. I stayed in a hotel for 2 weeks while I checked out sublets I found on Craigslist. Many areas have rent by week hotels that are affordable.
7. About 7 days before you leave, start submitting your resume or applying online to as many places as you can. I used the address of the hotel I was staying at on my resume. Local candidates get better responses.
8. Leave, have fun, and don't look back!
Last edited by cbusoh415; 02-23-2016 at 10:01 PM..
Reason: Misspelled
As long as you have an escape plan, fly back to your parents house etc.... there really isn't much risk.
Go for it.
I have moved across states several times and the experience has been awesome.
I enjoy living in different places, experiencing new things etc.. so much that I am already thinking about my next move and what state I want to live in.
The world has so much out there to see.
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