Single mom thinking of relocating to Raleigh area from Southern California

[Francois]

> I simply would like to know if there truly are job opportunities for what I do

We can't possibly answer this--you'd have to do the research and find out for yourself what the job opportunities are in what you do, unless someone on C-D just happens to work in HR for your field. Start checking out the websites of the companies similar to yours, try calling and asking someone directly, etc--you're not going to get that answer with one post to a site like this.

Personally I think it's a HUGE risk to move a child all the way across country without a job in the bag. Others have done it to varying degrees of success, but luck, a good job market, and connections help the most with those. It doesn't sound like you have good connections, and the job market overall is not so good here. So I hope you're lucky... I would strongly recommending looking into many other cities than putting all your eggs in just Raleigh, though.

[RedZin]

I think they do a COLA on unemployment. You really should check that out before you move outside the state of CA.

[PatRoy1]

Good for you for looking at what the future holds for you and your daughter in California and wondering if there might be something better somewhere else. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all. (Hellen Keller)

Excellent advice to have a job lined up before you move. I realize that this is more difficult than it sounds, but with a trip or two out to interview, it can be done. And with a daughter to consider, it would be way too risky in this economy to move out here and hope for the best.

I would encourage you to carefully consider your support system. Phone calls are all well and good, but you will not have friends/family to give you a break from parenting, include you at Thanksgiving, etc. Flying back for the holidays will be spendy.

Are you looking at the West Coast as well?

[Grizzmeister]

Originally Posted by LeavingCaliIthink

I also have a 9 year old daughter, so need to find a safe neighborhood, good schools, daycare, options for sports, etc. She is totally for the move as she sees the problems this economy is causing people.

Wouldn't it be hard on your daughter being away from her father? Yes, I'm a man so I think about these things.

[ok2tx2nj2nc]

There are other pharmaceutical companies here that you can try. (Novo Nordisk, Novartis) This area has the lowest unemployment rate in the whole state. You could also look into Charlotte, I read an article that a Charlotte company is about to hire 1200 people. Its some type of call center job for health insurance so maybe thats something to look into. Good luck!

[kelly237]

If I were a young, unemployed, single parent I would move to
Cartersville or Dalton Ga. I am sure their are other Ga towns like this but I am only familiar with these two.

Reasons..
Ga gives a full paid college education to every student with a decent grade point
average

Low cost of living/housing

Good local schools

[NorriesMama]

Originally Posted by kwalk65

I think one of the biggest aspects of any long distance move is the understanding of what kind of support system do you have in California that you will be leaving to move here? So often the discussion to leave an area is about better job prospects, cheaper cost of living....BUT a support system of friends and family should be part of the discussion too.

We overlooked that when we came here from Northern California 6 years ago and looking back now I wished we would have added that to the equation in making our decision. BUT sometimes we have to leave something before we realize the important role it played in our lives.

Excellent point! We also moved from Northern California and have been here for 6 months now. Fortunately, people are very welcoming here and we've made friends very quickly, however, it's not the same as having access to family and old friends.

The job market is better than what you're currently experiencing in SoCal, but still not aggressively moving forward.

Some things are more affordable (housing), others are not -we pay more for water/sewer/trash than we did in CA. You'll also find that groceries are more expensive, especially produce, and the quality won't be anywhere close to what you're accustomed to buying.

You'll also want to take stock of what you like to do in your free time. There are a lot more options for activities & entertainment in CA. Overall, it's a nice place to live and a good, safe place to raise a family.

It's a big decision - good luck!

[macjr82]

Wilmington is another place with a lot of bio/pharm companies. You'll here people complaining about low wages for high cost of living, but the low wages come from low jobs. There's are high paying jobs there but you need education/experience to get them.