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Sorry this is a very long post. But it's intended only for those who either dream of or are planning to move to San Diego. I want to share mistakes I made and things I discovered in hopes some of you avoid them to clear some common San Diego Myths.
I moved from Las Vegas on January 1, 2005. Like most of you, I was deeply concerned about the cost of living, employment, uprooting from Las Vegas, not knowing anyone here, and the distance to my immediate family.
I consulted with family, friends, and forums similar to this one. The preponderance of advice I received was to stay in Vegas. I heard all the standard Anti--San Diego advice: "It's too expensive", "It's hard to make it there", & "Southern Californians are fake." This along with my own career misgivings made it an incredibly difficult choice to make. Bare in mind that in 2005 the California real estate market was insanely overvalued, making my choice even harder.
Ultimately, I decided that in life it's mostly the things we don't do that we end up regretting most. Accordingly, I decided to move.
I spent the ladder part of 2004 finding a job. I found that employers are hesitant to take a chance on people transplanting to San Diego. What they fear is that you're going to change your mind in a few months and hightail it back "home." I overcame this obstacle by signing up for local volunteer groups, and enrolling in a couple of classes at Mesa College. I contacted both inform them I'd volunteer and start class, contingent a job offer. This allowed me to establish ties in the community and note this on my resume.
The first real surprise I encountered was the reasonable cost of living. Most of the information about San Diego's cost of living is erroneous at best. The real estate market took a steep dive after 2006. For example, I recently closed on a 2 bedroom, 1275 SF condo in Pacific Beach for $232K. I could have gotten an even better deal or bigger place if I opted for a non--beach community.
As for my concern about being a stranger--well, that was quickly resolved. It's hard not to meet people right away. There's so much going on, so much to do, and neighborhood festivals on a regular basis. You will meet both locals and transplants as well. Also, San Diego is not LA! I can't stress that enough. People unfamiliar with California lump San Diego and LA together. In actuality, they are worlds apart. LA is about designer sunglasses and flashy outfits. SD is about flip flops and t-shirts.
One disappointing discovery I made was how overrated living at the beach can be. It's great to live close to the beach as I do know, but I have no desire to ever be next to the water. While there is nothing like the continuous sound of the surf, other things make it a bad deal. I hated the fact that I paid $1600 a month for a beach side apartment and my neighbors only two blocks down paid $1050 for a comparable place. Nobody told me that after living at the beach for a couple of months, my car would begin to corrode from salt. No amount of seal or protection works, either. After a few weeks of living at the beach, you will grow to hate tourists. Sorry, but it's true--especially after Memorial Day when you see more Arizona plates on the street than anything else. Tourists in San Diego get drunk and get loud. Also, the constant marine layer becomes an unwelcome companion. While downtown San Diego will be 72 and sunny, it's 65 and cloudy at the beach.
As for family, get ready to have lots of family visiting you all the time. With year round ideal weather and all the great things you will report back to your family, it's bound to happen. Also, Lindbergh Field is a relatively small airport and isn't a nightmare to navigate like other airports.
I've already taken up too much of your time so I'll end it there. Feel free to reply or message me if you have other specific questions.
In summary, moving to San Diego was the scariest but best life choice I have ever made. I was compelled to move here for the same reasons you want to come here. The #1 piece of advice I can give you if you decide to move here, is to stick it out. It is tough at first, but if you persevere, you will be paid off big.
AJ
Thank you for this. I am thinking about moving to SD for school (UCSD) and this was very helpful. I'm encouraged by this because my main concern was the cost of living.
Awesome thread, ajnsd. Thanks for sharing your story and insights. Could you explain a little bit more about your job search? Sounds like initially you volunteered some and took a couple courses at the local community college to start making connections with the community. How did doing these things ultimately help you in your job search?
We had an acquaintenance, not a close friend, but someone we saw now and then at parties. He worked as an executive with a major Hotel Chain. I remember him talking about moving to Costa Rica and managing one of the hotel down there, but he just couldn't pull the trigger, even when a possibility open up for him, due to his fear about uprooting his home life there in Virginia, his kids were in college out of state. Well while driving to work one morning a semi lost control on the flyover lane above him and tumbled its load of lumber on him killing him instantly. I always thought about what if he had taken that sweet job in Costa Rica - Life is Random! Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith - alas you know your own situation best.
thats really sad. you just never know. tragedy can strike anyone at anytime. i hate when people tell me that i can retire there or "maybe down the road you can live there." down the road is not a given!!!!
Thanks for this, AJ. My wife and I are preparing to move to SD in March. In spite of lots of research, there's still tons of things we don't know, and your post supplied a lot of them. If you have more to say about weather, traffic, jobs, food, housing, shopping, entertainment, or anything else, we'd love to hear it.
Awesome thread, ajnsd. Thanks for sharing your story and insights. Could you explain a little bit more about your job search? Sounds like initially you volunteered some and took a couple courses at the local community college to start making connections with the community. How did doing these things ultimately help you in your job search?
Securing employment was obviously my biggest concern and obstacle. I want to first preface my response to your question by saying that when I was job hunting (late 2004), the job market was far better than it is now.
I found out right away that employers were hesitant to hire out of state job candidates. As I mentioned in my initial post, they are concerned you either "won't make it" here or get home sickk. And their concerns are in fact warranted. Some people do fail to make it. In my six years here, I've met many people (mostly college age) who can't find decent paying employment. What they all had in common though was they didn't have a plan, were financially irresponsible, and thought a better paying job would simply materialize out of thin air. I count several friends among this group.
Another thing which happens is some transplants, particularly those from the Eastern Seaboard, become home sick and typically move back within 2 to 3 years. It's an interesting phenomenon. A few San Diego neighborhoods like Pacific Beach, have notoriously transient residents.
A common mistake some people make due to a combination of impatience and poor planning, is to move out here without a job. I've lost count of the number of people I've met or friends of friends who attempted this move and failed. While I admire their spirit, it's not a good idea for most. If you decide to move out here without a job, first perform your due diligence and ensure that your industry is at least hiring.
Some people have tried to "float" themselves during their job search while working in the service industry. Expect mixed results if this is your plan. Many people attempt this and are shocked by the amount of competition for what some might consider "undesirable" work. Example: There's a popular gym two blocks from my old apartment in Mission Beach named WAVEHOUSE. They recently had a job opening for a front desk job. I believe it only paid twice the minimum wage. Well, they received 300 applications. Also, you run the risk of getting pigeon holed into long term work you don't want.
After I moved here, I regularly discussed the job issue with many people who had recently relocated and secured employment. They all worked in different industries and education levels, but what they shared in common were the following approaches/tasks to find work:
--Be aggressive. If you score an interview, you must be ready at a moment's notice to be able to drive/fly to San Diego to present yourself. This demonstrates your commitment.
--Set up a PO Box in San Diego. Then have the post office forward your mail to your home address. You'll get better forwarding service if you rent a box from a mailboxes etc. type place. They are all over San Diego.
--During an interview, be honest and tell the interviewer that you are eager to move to San Diego. Believe me, they will understand. What's crucial here is that you NOT ask for relocation assistance. This is a tempting trap to fall into, especially if the company shows interest in you. As competitive as the job market is today, employers hold all the cards. If you do ask for relo assistance, you effectively reduce your chances of getting the job in most cases.
--Sign up for a class in one of the local JC's or something similar. One of my friends who recently moved from Boston, was taking an online class at Mesa College while he still lived in Boston. It didn't matter because he was able to note on his resume that he was attending a San Diego college--it worked.
--Volunteer with a local organization. Here's what I did. I identified about 20 San Diego based organizations and emailed all of them. I advised them I live in Las Vegas, but have a background in finance and offered any assistance I could, from Vegas of course. I received 5 responses. I was then able to use this on my resume, without adding the small detail pertaining to my remote assistance.
--Buy a cell phone and secure either an 858 or 619 area code. You can do this online or during your next trip out here. Use that as your contact number for prospective employers and on your resume. It's what I did and I still have the same 619 number.
--Stay current on what's going on in San Diego. This may seem insignificant, but this is a detail some people forget about. If you have the good fortune of securing an interview, be prepared to be asked why you want to move to San Diego and what you know about the community. Spouting out tourist destinations/beach/weather will not cut it. With the internet and forums like this, it's super easy but often over--looked. Not knowing about the city almost sunk me during my interview because my resume effectively gave the appearance of someone who practically lived here, but I was asked a question pertaining to some current event, and I just gave a blank stare. That error didn't cost me, but it could have.
If you follow a few of the above mentioned tips, your resume will have a San Diego address, a San Diego phone number, San Diego school ties, and San Diego community involvement. With only a few smart moves, you don't stand out from locals and you will be judged only by the merits of your resume and create a level playing field. There's a Spanish saying that says that "in a brutal unfair fight, smart men will use whatever weapons are at his disposal." I suggest you get a little dirty and do whatever it takes.
The whole point of these tips is that you need to get creative and NOT get discouraged. Hope that helps.
Another great post, ajnsd!!! My prospective employer is flying me over there to have an interview, probably next Monday (01/10/11). I am so excited. I have had several offers from around the country but if I receive a reasonable offer from San Diego, I will grab it, sign it on the spot, and scream like I'm crazy or something. Well, I may save the screaming part 'til later when I stand in front of the Pacific Ocean!!!
So excited, please wish me luck, guys!!!
oh, I forget to say that I really admire your initiative and planning skills!!! Also, can you let me know the recent remarkable events in San Diego. I'm interviewing for a health-care job, by the way! My prospective employer knows that I am from out of state but I think it would be nice to discuss some interesting local events.
oh, I forget to say that I really admire your initiative and planning skills!!! Also, can you let me know the recent remarkable events in San Diego. I'm interviewing for a health-care job, by the way! My prospective employer knows that I am from out of state but I think it would be nice to discuss some interesting local events.
Exactly. Have you seen what $232,000 can get in you in Phoenix, Houston or Las Vegas?
Yes, it gets you Phoenix, Houston, or Las Vegas
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