Networking for a new job in Nashville (apartments, leases)

[anicholls]

Hi all...
I'm planning a move from Boston to Nashville within the next 6 months or so, and I work in marketing. I'm interested in any networking events that people have attended that were helpful to them for establishing business contacts or job prospecting.

Also, here in Boston the best time of year to rent apartments tends to be August and September (just seems to be when most leases end), do you find a similiar "season" in Nashville?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!

[anicholls]

Ok, so judging by the views but no responses, apparently networking is not the way to go in Nashville... any suggestions on job events for marketing or consulting professionals? Any tips on the right time of year to rent an apartment? I so appreciate any help you could give!

[alleycat]

I don't think there's much of an "apartment renting season" here. The warmer months are when a lot of people move or buy a house (before the start of the school year), so you might be able to find some kind of "special" in the dead of winter. I think the overall occupancy rate has more to do with that than time of year however.

[hml1976]

I'll warn you that I worked in marketing in Nashville and unless you have health care experience it can be tough to find a job.

[anicholls]

Thanks for the tip. I have experience in pre-tax benefits and my current job has focused on "green" campaigns for some high profile Fortune 500 companies. I think the green aspect will be very marketable (I hope!)...

Can you tell me some of the challenges you faced? Not a big enough job market, or very insular? Were you trying to get agency work or work within a marketing department of a private company?

[hml1976]

Sure, we moved from NYC in 2003 and I had experience with entertainment marketing (book publishing and music) and thought that it would be an easy transition to working in Nashville. I found that most marketing positions with any kind of livable salary were all in health care and they all wanted health care experience. I eventually found a job with a book company and later with a record label but I had to demote myself a little and take a smaller position than I would have. I looked at agencies as well since I had worked on the client side but the salaries were so bad that I couldn't do it.

The agencies were very insular and often everyone went to the same college or private high school in Nashville. The record label I worked for was a great job but the pay was terrible. The book company was/is a huge force in the industry and the pay wasn't too bad but the environment was awful and a culture shock coming from NYC.

So I would recommend trying to get into health care or Nissan if you can

[keggers]

Stumbled onto your post. We're actively interviewing for a marketing director, now. dealerskins.com.

If you're a fit, give us a call.

[Whalers22]

I would be very cautious if I was considering relocating from the Northeast to Nashville. In two years in Middle Tennessee, I have found the environment to be extremely insular. For two years I was unable to find a decent-paying job with benefits despite many years of professional experience in both politics and education and a master's from an Ivy-calibre university. Salaries and benefits tend to be very low (despite a rising cost of living; note that Tennessee has the nation's highest bankruptcy rates) and most job searches are run without the kind of professionalism and emphasis on merit that you may be used to in the Northeast. The lack of unions and adequate state funding for basic services can be felt wherever you look. If you are not part of the "in" crowd, you are likely to have a lot of doors shut in your face.

Thankfully, I will be returning home in a few years for an outstanding job one could only dream about in Tennessee.