How's the IT job market in SA? (Houston, Dallas: houses, neighborhoods)

[BigDGeek]

I know San Antonio a bit; I have a few family members down there, used to visit a lot as a child but haven't been down there in a few years. I never cared much for it as a child but I don't really like where I am right now either (DFW).

I hear that IT job growth is pretty good in SA and that companies there have a harder time attracting talent than companies in Houston or DFW. I don't know if that's true or not. Basically my career here is in a serious slump. I've been looking for work for a month here and not having much luck and I'm starting to think about leaving DFW for greener pastures. The population growth and COL increases here are insane.

I know SA's a big city too, but the metro area isn't nearly as large as DFW or Houston. I am looking for a city where I can have a good standard of living and find a good stable job.

The only parts of SA I'm somewhat familiar with are a small portion of the northwest/far west side near 1604/Bandera and north central in the I-10/Wurzbach area; those are the areas where my relatives are. I don't know if those are "nice" areas or not; they seemed nice and safe enough last time I was there.

When I was a kid, the drive from DFW to SA took about five hours. Last time I drove it it took considerably longer, but I used 35 the whole way down (even through Austin) until 410. I'm guessing there are other faster ways. When I lived in Austin I always took 290-281 to SA.

Am I.....nuts?

[smuboy86]

You aren't nuts. I moved last year down from Plano, I could tell that COL was about to go through the roof. Yes there are IT jobs, Rackspace is probably the most prominate in town. There is very little about Dallas that I miss, I don't miss tollways, or central or LBJ. Nor do I miss ice storms or tornado warnings.

There is no equivalent to Richardson here or any of the large suburban cities, for the most part you will be living in the city of San Antonio, not to say there aren't equivalents here though. The stone oak area is like frisco, if frisco had only houses and small neighborhood shopping center( no stonebriar or sports stadiums or office buildings). The far west side is like the new areas of garland (again with no firewheel). Richardson is more like our inner/just outside loop 410 neighborhoods; castle hills, Dellview, inspiration hills, northwood, windcrest.

I just made the Dallas/ SA trip it took around 6 hours but I hit a terrible storm just south of Waco. It's faster these days to take the toll bypass around Austin and legally go 85 MPH!

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by smuboy86

You aren't nuts. I moved last year down from Plano, I could tell that COL was about to go through the roof. Yes there are IT jobs, Rackspace is probably the most prominate in town. There is very little about Dallas that I miss, I don't miss tollways, or central or LBJ. Nor do I miss ice storms or tornado warnings.

There is no equivalent to Richardson here or any of the large suburban cities, for the most part you will be living in the city of San Antonio, not to say there aren't equivalents here though. The stone oak area is like frisco, if frisco had only houses and small neighborhood shopping center( no stonebriar or sports stadiums or office buildings). The far west side is like the new areas of garland (again with no firewheel). Richardson is more like our inner/just outside loop 410 neighborhoods; castle hills, Dellview, inspiration hills, northwood, windcrest.

I just made the Dallas/ SA trip it took around 6 hours but I hit a terrible storm just south of Waco. It's faster these days to take the toll bypass around Austin and legally go 85 MPH!

I lived in Austin 93-97 as a student at UT and then again from 99-01. So the scenery and climate in SA wouldn't be totally foreign to me as I remember it has a pretty similar terrain to Austin, though its layout to me is a little weird; everything is SO. FAR. APART.

How's the traffic?

[smuboy86]

That's funny, I consider San Antonio to be very compact. I just switched job locations from one that took me from the near northeast side to the far northwest (15 miles one way) and you would have thought I was going to the moon if people comments are anything to go by.
Traffic is a breeze as long as you avoid the outer loop or 281 north of 1604. My previous commute that I mentioned took me under 30 minutes but it was all 410 to I10.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by smuboy86

That's funny, I consider San Antonio to be very compact. I just switched job locations from one that took me from the near northeast side to the far northwest (15 miles one way) and you would have thought I was going to the moon if people comments are anything to go by.
Traffic is a breeze as long as you avoid the outer loop or 281 north of 1604. My previous commute that I mentioned took me under 30 minutes but it was all 410 to I10.

So...I'm guessing all the jobs are spread out all over the place, right? Kind of like here?

[smuboy86]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

So...I'm guessing all the jobs are spread out all over the place, right? Kind of like here?

I would say that there are job clusters. It's usually advisable to secure a job then find a place to live.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by smuboy86

I would say that there are job clusters. It's usually advisable to secure a job then find a place to live.

Same as any major city then. Good to know. I think I'll give my job search in DFW one more month (been at it a month already) and if I don't get any joy, I'm going to put my house on the market and job-hunt in SA. I've had enough of this place. Seriously. And if I can't make a living here, I can't live here.

[Pancho-Villa]

I would make sure to secure a job here first, before making any move. What if you have trouble finding work here too? It's not all milk and honey here either.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

I would make sure to secure a job here first, before making any move. What if you have trouble finding work here too? It's not all milk and honey here either.

Thanks PV, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck; not going to jump without a net, but thanks for the advice.

[Pancho-Villa]

Great, can't read your mind, brutha. You'd be surprised that some don't look before they leap.