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This is my first post so please forgive me if it isn't located in the appropriate place!
I live in a depressing area in mid-Michigan with my husband and our two sons (aged 1 and 3). There's high unemployment, low property values, low morale, and poor schools. My husband's job will move to Grand Rapids, MI at the end of the year so this is our opportunity to see if there is someplace better for us out there. We were both born and raised here and long to get out. GR is a great place but we want SUNSHINE! We love warm weather so these MI winters are more painful as the years pass. We want to live somewhere that allows us to eat dinner on our deck pretty much year round. We want our boys to live outdoors as much as possible (beaches, hiking, parks, and just playing outside). This isn't possible half the year up here.
Our needs:
-Good job prospects. I have an undergrad in Communications and a grad degree in Management. I've worked in non-clinical areas of health care for 9 years. My husband's background is in construction, spending the past 6.5 years as a supervisor for a building supply company. We are not opposed to different industries as long as they are comparable in pay.
-Great public schools
-Great beaches. No more than a 1-2 hr drive, the closer, the better.
-Camping. Not a necessity but we did purchase an RV last year so it would be a plus.
-Safety
-Good community spirit adn overall pride
-Stuff to do! Outdoor festivals, restaurants, etc. A place that is lively but also family friendly.
-Good house rental market. We will rent a house for a few years. Want a fairly large place in a nice area for $900-1400/mth, depending on how comparable our salaries are to our current ones.
We have pretty much narrowed our search down to NC, SC, VA, and FL, previously focusing on the areas surrounding Charlotte and Fort Myers. We are VERY open to suggestions, as it's hard to plan a move like this when we really could go anywhere. We have 6-10 months to decide and find jobs, as we won't leave without jobs lined up.
I appreciate any input as to the best places for us. Thank you!
So your biggest issue would be employment....health care is usually fairly transferable...construction is down in Wilmington but is starting to come back...just on less overall projects that are less speculative. I'd be happy to answer more specific questions if you consider Wilmington or anywhere along the Coast.
Nope. Like every other such thread on here...
your NEED is for at least one good job lined up in advance of moving.
Find it (wherever that may be)... then move. Not before.
As I stated in my post, we will not be moving without jobs lined up. We recognize that we can't move anywhere if we can't afford to live once we get there. Our NEED RIGHT NOW is for seeking out possible places with good job prospects to narrow down the search. A job search not narrowed down to a couple areas is ambiguous and difficult to manage. I need to narrow the locations down to only a couple places that seem to fit the bill then search for jobs. I plan to plan trips for interviews and move once we are set. We have kids AND we are responsible parents-I would never intentionally allow our family to be without income, food, shelter, etc. So, if you have any input on areas that have good job prospects and fulfill several other needs, please let me know and they will be part of my next Careerbuilder search.
So your biggest issue would be employment....health care is usually fairly transferable...construction is down in Wilmington but is starting to come back...just on less overall projects that are less speculative. I'd be happy to answer more specific questions if you consider Wilmington or anywhere along the Coast.
I will definitely spend some time tonight researching the Wilmington, NC area. From what you said, it appears to have the right appeal. My husband is not opposed to getting into another industry. Fortunately, he was in a leadership role and has a CDL license, so he has a few options. So far my job searches in FL have produced better results for me than him (but, as you said, if I stick with health care, it's a safe place to be).
Do you live/have you lived in this area? Is there a good health care organization nearby? What seems like a typical commute time for work in general? Any thoughts on area schools? Any areas surrounding Wilmington that we should avoid?
I stated that we would not be moving until we had comparable jobs lined up.
I saw that. The larger point is that the list of possible places is pretty much the same list
it has always been and for pretty much the same reasons.
Unless you have some really arcane skill... the good job is not going to be found until after you
have committed to an area. Few employers want to even interview people who can't "come by the
office tomorrow so we can talk".
That leaves you with finding *something* that will pay the bills until that meeting proves successful
-OR- to have a serious pile of cash to pay those bills with until then.
This is as true in Raleigh NC as it is in Detroit. The only variable is in how many appropriate openings
will/might become available... and NO ONE can tell you that.
I saw that. The larger point is that the list of possible places is pretty much the same list
it has always been and for pretty much the same reasons.
Unless you have some really arcane skill... the good job is not going to be found until after you
have committed to an area. Few employers want to even interview people who can't "come by the
office tomorrow so we can talk".
Well, I'm out of the loop then on what that same 'ol list is. Is it the CNN Money list, the Best Places list, or something else? There is access to so much info, so many lists, that sometimes you just want personal info from somone who has been in a simliar situation or lived in a place you are cosidering moving to.
Many employers who consider job applicants from out of state understand that a phone interview may be first in the process, as long as the applicant can arrange for an in-person interview if/when they move on in the process (at least this has been my experience).
I'm preparred to put in the time and effort it takes to find a great job. I am an extremly motivated and determined person who wants better for her family, but I have to know where to start. "Warm" narrows it down a little but as for specifics, I need input from others to gain a better understanding of what these places are really like.
I mentioned I am in health care. I also mentioned I have a graduate degree. Without considering all the things I would love to do, this means I can at least work in heatlh care or I can teach at many community colleges. I'm looking for someone to say "Ya know what, City A really seems to meet a lot of your needs and they have three great health care organizations within a 20 mile radius." That would be helpful input because it would guide me in a potential direction.
All in all, I'm confident I will be able to find a good job but if it isn't higher paying and/or a step up, I'll continue to work my way up where I am now. That's what's great-we are choosing to look into this, not being forced to. Our backup is a promotion for my husband, but that entails accepting things like the weather and fewer opportunites for our children.
Anyways, I'm done defending the fact that I know I need a good job. I will look at the Forbes link posted above. Anyone else have brilliant thoughts about great locations?
Anyone else have brilliant thoughts about great locations?
The Tidewater Virginia area probably has a better employment picture than North Carolina. The weather is not quite so warm, so you might eat out on your deck 10 month a year (if you can stand the mosquitoes).
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