I'm leaving Phoenix . . . but I'll miss you . . . (Sedona: transplants, sales)

[Design7]

Well, after two years in Phoenix, the tough economy is forcing me to head back to New York City. In my real world occupation as a web designer I now need to return to where the action is. I will miss Papago Park, snow birds in the winter (like this Pintail), Sedona, hiking in South Mountain Park, winters that feel like a constant vacation, and a much lower cost of living.

I am curious if there are any statistics on folks leaving Phoenix in the quest for better job / career prospects. I can think of at least four families I know personally who are leaving for the same reasons. Grrrrr . . . bad economy!

[ArizonaBear]

Donald:

This recession/depression has been like no other that I am remember and I will be age 52 nest month---------read that you are not alone.

Hang in there; things will get better, even if it means laying low in NYC for the time being.

[canudigit]

We are finding ourselves in the same predicament. In spite of the great deals on housing and the relative low cost of living (well, except for the cost of car insurance and registration...) in Phoenix, I couldn't get a job here to save my life, and my husband's job here wasn't long term either. Ironically, while Michigan and Ohio are rated at the bottom of the barrel economically right now, I went home to SE Michigan for just two days and found a great job there. My husband has a great prospect there too. Hmmm...maybe all of the people who left the upper Midwest for places like Phoenix have left behind job openings? IDK, but for whatever reason, the economy is treating us much better there right now.

Here's how you can tell that I'm not a native Phoenician: Know what I'm going to miss the most? The speed cameras on the 101!!! Seriously, I have never had the pleasure of driving in any city, much less one as big and busy as Phoenix, where people are actually driving the speed limit!!! I feel so safe on the road here, since no one is swishing around me doing 85 and giving me the finger in a 65. I also like the traffic lights on the on ramps that stagger the merging traffic so that you don't have huge bottlenecks. Someone in AZ knows how to manage traffic better than anyone back east!!!

[KarmaPhx]

I am curious to why you are having trouble finding work? I do freelance web design, I only work a few hours a day, but I have had no problem finding projects, I have more work than I can handle right now. Lately I have been putting in 10 hour days to get stuff done on time.

I deal mainly with local business, sinced I stopped looking for work online and dealing locally my work has increased drastically. I had a guy pay me $75 to get him setup on Twitter, what a joke!

[ohio dave]

Thanks for all the great photos you've shared in this forum, especially for those of us not living in Phoenix. I visit it often to get my "Phoenix fix". I wish you the best on your impending move.

[Grannysroost]

ABQ...I have really enjoyed looking at your pictures around AZ while we planned our move here... I will miss seeing them! and best of luck in NY

[gsheridan]

I've really enjoyed the photos too. Thanks for posting them.

You obviously have a great eye. I'm a software developer with almost no artistic ability. When someone starts describing an interface they want, and it starts sounding a little artistic, I start to sweat. I can do it, but it's a struggle.

I would think your skills would be in demand, even in this economy. Have you tried doing work for NY based companies while living in Phoenix? There's nothing like being on site, but I would think you could do quite a bit remotely. I know there are way more jobs in NY though - something like 10 times as many last time I looked in my area.

Good luck. Maybe you can post some photos of NY for all the transplants in Phoenix needing their fix

[yukon]

abqstyle, why not move up here to ABQ? Good web designers who KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING are hard to find around here. Add to that the fact that many businesses here STILL don't have even a basic placeholder website (for those of us who use the internet instead of the yellow pages), I'd think there would be some good opportunities for someone like you.

Besides, how can you bring yourself to go to NY?

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by yukon

abqstyle, why not move up here to ABQ? Good web designers who KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING are hard to find around here. Add to that the fact that many businesses here STILL don't have even a basic placeholder website (for those of us who use the internet instead of the yellow pages), I'd think there would be some good opportunities for someone like you.

Besides, how can you bring yourself to go to NY?

From my experience, many business have been around for years, some before the recent internet boom, and don't think they can build/run a website, many don't even know there are people out there who will build them a website, and even manage it for them. You can even show people how to run the site themselves.

[yukon]

Originally Posted by KarmaPhx

From my experience, many business have been around for years, some before the recent internet boom, and don't think they can build/run a website, many don't even know there are people out there who will build them a website, and even manage it for them. You can even show people how to run the site themselves.

Which is why someone who has good sales & communications skills, AND is a good web designer can make a good living. Seems it's hard to find people with both.

And while we're on the topic....would some of you PHX web designers PLEASE contact the PHX area CPA firms and talk them into a professional website? I keep seeing the same exact template (only the colors change) AND same exact text on multiple websites (not kidding or exaggerating). I think they must get some out of the box package as part of their CPA registration. They think clients don't notice this? Makes me wonder what kind of customized accounting and tax service I'll get from those firms.

Hey, there you go - a niche market for someone in PHX!

Actually, here too....