An Arizona Success Story (Phoenix, Glendale: fit in, renting, condo)

[johnp292]

I thought I'd post this for those out there who are asking about employment opportunities in the Phoenix area. Understand as you read this that I am in IT management with over 25 years of experience.

Those who may remember my posts from about this time last year might recall that I was excited about an opportunity my employer presented to relocate from PA to AZ. You may also recall that it was on-again off-again for a bit before it became official, and we moved to Anthem at the end of June 2012. My office was in North Scottsdale.

What I don't think I revealed before, though, was that despite assurances to the contrary, literally on the day before we were supposed to move my employer informed me that they were not going to pay for the relocation costs! I received this joyous bit of news about an hour after the ABF trailer had been delivered to our old home, which I now had to vacate within 2 weeks, as I sat amongst all the boxes of household goods that we had been packing for at least a month in anticipation of this very day. While that should have been a major red flag indicating what kind of company I was now working for (I had only been with them for 4 months at the time, having been laid off by my previous employer in December 2011!), we were committed at that point and had to make the move regardless. Besides...we wanted to live in Arizona! So my wife and I, and our three children, made the move to Arizona on our own, which caused us a severe financial hardship. The entire relocation cost us over $12K, of which the company ultimately only paid for mileage from PA to AZ, hotel rooms, and my meals (but not my family's).

Regardless, we moved, got settled, got the kids in schools (2 out of 3), and enjoyed our new life in AZ, again as you might know if you've read some of more other posts. Everything seemed to be going well, and having brought my Philly salary out to AZ with us, we were just starting to recover from the financial pain inflicted by the move (and the prior 2 months of unemployment in PA).

Then the roof fell in (not literally).

On the rainy morning of March 8, I got a phone call at 6:50 AM from my boss, telling me without any explanation or expression of condolence that my employment was being immediately terminated (yes...by phone...a real classy move). Apparently I was being included in a "reorganization" and was therefor being laid off. Now, I knew my now ex-employer was notorious for layoffs, but the program I was working in was one of the most profitable in the company and was actually understaffed, so I thought I was in no danger. Additionally, I had been praised repeatedly for my work up to this point (in fact when I saw the call coming in, I thought it might have been regarding my annual increase, which was due that week). In the weeks that have passed since that shocking morning, I have been in touch with many of the other people who were also laid off, and we've been able to discern a pattern in why we were chosen, but unfortunately I'm not at liberty to discuss that further, nor is that the intent of this post.

I was devastated. I had been totally dedicated to this company and they screwed me twice in 9 months. On top of that, and all the normal reactions one has to a sudden job loss, I was terrified. I had moved my family to a new state, where we have no family and very few friends (and almost none who were not associated in some way with my former employer). I had no contacts here outside of my old company, so networking opportunities were slim. I knew no recruiters, and I had no idea of the job market or the salary expectations I could have in the Valley. My wife and I discussed the many unpleasant possibilities, including how long we could hold out without losing our home (we are renting). We love this house and had planned to buy it. Since I was very concerned about being able to find a job at a comparable salary, we worried that even if I found a job we might have to move. We had moved our teenage daughter in between her 2nd and 3rd years of high school. To our happy surprise, she was doing much better in the school in Anthem than she had in PA, and we were worried about the effect yet another move would have on her. As many of you probably know, I had frequently sung the praises of Anthem on City Data, but now I was facing the possibility of having a miserable commute if I couldn't find a job in the north valley. It has been a bleak month.

So why is this a "Success Story"?

On the very day I was laid off, I hit the Internet looking for a new job. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of suitable positions that I was able to find in the Phoenix metro area and apply for. I sent over 20 resumes out that very day, and in the days since I have probably sent a total of over 100 out. While I certainly got no responses from many, and rejections from others, I also got interviews. Quickly. March 8 was a Friday. The first recruiter called me that Sunday. The following Tuesday, phone interviews started. Not a day went by that I was not able to find a new job posting worth sending a resume out to (I used Indeed.com, by the way). Some days there were so many that I would spend a full 8-hour day at the computer filling out applications, writing cover letters, and sending resumes. Nothing was panning out at first, and there were some days that were worse than others. There were a number of jobs I applied for that I could tell I would be a perfect candidate for, but as is normal in the job seeking experience, I never heard from many of them. But most of the calls I was getting were for jobs with comparable salaries to what I had been making. And then, on March 20 I got a call from the HR department about my resume, which I had submitted 12 days prior, on the very day I got laid off. This particular job was #1 on my list of hoped-for opportunities.

Three weeks and no less than 5 interviews later, I received - and accepted - their offer today. And it was the second offer I got (although the other one was out of state).

In the month since I was laid off, I had interviews, both in person and over the phone, with at least seven different companies. Two resulted in offers, two resulted in rejections (that I know of) and the other three are still pending (as far as I know). And there are still a whole bunch that I might hear from (and pass on, of course).

While all this was going on, I also had kept an eye on the job market back east, just in case. There were nowhere near as many opportunities as there were in Phoenix, and I ran the same searches there that I ran here.

I know that a number of factors were in my favor that not everyone may benefit from, including luck, being in a marketable industry (IT) that is in demand in this area right now, lots of experience, and prayer. But the point of this post is this...if you're here now, or are interested in moving here, there is opportunity in Phoenix, and from my view, opportunities are increasing. I heard this from recruiters during my search as well. Of course as with anything, YMMV. While I wouldn't recommend moving here without a job, if you do come here I think there is opportunity.

We are thrilled that we won't have to move. And the new job? It pays significantly more than the old one, and is a short, no-traffic commute from home!

Thanks for reading the longest post I've ever written. And good luck.

[PhinsFan1]

Good for you!! I'm always happy to hear about people who don't turn bitter and give up after they've been laid off. It sounds like you turned a bad situation into a good situation, and you've set a great example for your kids. I wish we had more of that nowadays.

Congrats on your new job!!

[PoppySead]

I'm so happy for you! That must have been one hell of a month for your family. Glad you get to stay!!!

[Callisto484]

This was truly inspiring as I am planning a move to Phoenix. I am a single woman, not married nor have kids, but I was nervous about making the move due to expected financial concerns. WELL, you have inspired and motivated me. I will follow suit and even though I am still in NYC, will sit my butt down and give it my all to find a job before I get there. Thanks! I really needed this message today..and GOOD LUCK and CONGRATULATIONS!

[NYorkFeinix]

Definitely an inspiration! Congrats and good luck!

[AZgarden]

Wonderful story and thank you for posting it. How scarey it must have been for you, and your family, not knowing what to do next.
BTW: my daughter, an accountant, is getting calls from recruiters daily, and is looking to move up to something that pays better. She doesn't have a CPA either, but she does have years of experience. Job market here is definitely looking up.

[NJBuddy]

So happy for you John. We're making the move from South Jersey in July to the Arrowhead area of Glendale.
You know how it is back here and your not missing anything. Yes, it's hard to leave your comfort zone but no risk , no reward! Be proud you kept your focus for your family... Good things happen to good people!!

[grmi66]

Moved back here in a leap of faith back in August. Had friends and family encouraging me to come back to Arizona after leaving the state for over 5 years. Was basically homeless and crashing on friend's couches for the first 6 weeks that I lived here. Within 3 weeks I had a couple of job offers and finally accepted one from a large international company trying to expand in Arizona. So now make more money and have better benefits than I did from the company that laid me off last February.

[Zeromus-X]

I'll chime in on this too... we sold everything we owned and moved from VA to AZ for a change of pace. No job lined up, etc. Took about a full month off and then started the job hunt. I'm now making what I was making in VA, but here I'm at the bottom with a lot of potential rather than being at the top with nowhere to go... cost of living is lower, quality of life is higher.

We moved literally with what would fit in the trunk of the car and the money we made from selling our stuff. Maybe $4,000 in our pocket(s). Our only "backup plan" would be to use the credit card(s), which were fully paid off and ready to go. Fortunately didn't really need to.

Can't complain one bit.

[Bummer]

A HUG CONGRATS, JohnP . . .

You heartwarming story is a perfect example of tenacity and determination turning a Big Ole Bag of Lemons into LEMONADE.

Once again, CONGRATULATIONS.