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I would appreciate any advice you could give me about my situation.
My girlfriend and I are both 25, fairly recent college grads, and are looking to get away from the awful winters of upstate NY and Boston and do something different with our lives. We've always wanted to live down south, and we've been researching the Myrtle Beach area a lot. I vacationed with my family back in my teenage years for 10+ years and always loved it.
I plan on starting a new career by getting my golf teaching certification. At first, I am planning on doing something like waiting tables at night so I can work on my golf game during the day. I am fairly certain this won't be a tough job to find due to plenty of touristy nightlife in the area... so I'm not too worried about me.
My girlfriend however, is looking to continue her career in the advertising/ marketing field. She currently is doing very well at a large advertising agency in Boston, and wants to stay in that field if at all possible. Obviously I know that Myrtle Beach isn't exactly Boston when it comes to corporate jobs, so I'm a little worried about that aspect for her. I'd hate to see her throw away a great job and not be successful later on.
Do you guys have any advice on a couple of young people starting a family and new careers in this area? Does it sound like somewhere like Charleston or Columbia would be a better fit for both of us? Thanks a lot, any advice is much appreciated.
I wish the both of you nothing but the best, however, unless you have an ironclad job, I wouldn't move here on the 'hopes' of finding one.
I'm not at all familiar with the Columbia/Charleston job markets, so I can't comment on how much better or worse your potential possibilities would be in either of those areas, but I'm willing to bet they would be at least marginally better than any opportunities you would currently find here in the Myrtle Beach area.
It's still a great place to visit, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a decent lifestyle while living here..
Again, best of luck in wherever you decide to relocate!
Listen to the man ^^, he gives good advice. In this economy, I cannot imagine giving up a good job anywhere, to take pot luck in another location, but then I have neither the courage nor the optimism of a 25 year old. It's hard for a visitor to realize, but MB's golfing industry has suffered along with everything else. We have had numerous course closings in the area, which means there are a surplus of pro's, managers and maintenance folks. Since the industry overbuilt during the last boom, I don't see that changing anytime soon. Keep in mind that Coastal Carolina University, located just outside MB, offers one of the few PGA certified Golf Management programs, so you'll be competing with all of those graduates who want to stay in this area and have already made connections.
Wait tables @ nite and play golf during the day? Your girlfriend must love you an awfully lot. During the summer, you can probably find a temporary waitstaff job, if you don't mind working for tips and a couple $$/hour. Of course, you'll be competing with hundreds of high school and college kids who are not in it for the money. When Labor Day rolls around, many of those jobs go away.
Regardless, IMO, MB is not for 20-somethings. It's a fun place to visit, but otherwise, it's one big retirement community. You'll find a much more vibrant, open, and progressive atmosphere in places like Greenville SC or Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Cary NC. If you've gotta be at the beach, check out Wilmington NC or Folly Beach SC and compute to Charleston for jobs. If having kids is even a faint glimmer somewhere down the road, NC is a much better choice from an education perspective. Good luck with whatever you do.
Doesn't the Aiken SC area have a lot of golf courses? It's also fairly close to Atlanta, GA, where your GF may have a better chance of finding a job. It sounds like her best bets will be larger cities, such as Atlanta or maybe Charlotte, NC or Jacksonville or Miami, FL (if you really want to go south).
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. We are definitely at least a year away from making any firm decisions, but all this advice is really helping. We will definitely do as much research as possible and make the best decision we can. Keep the info coming!
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During the summer, you can probably find a temporary waitstaff job, if you don't mind working for tips and a couple $$/hour. Of course, you'll be competing with hundreds of high school and college kids who are not in it for the money. When Labor Day rolls around, many of those jobs go away.
