Moving from San Luis Obispo area to Bay Area (Oakland: real estate, rent)

[the city]

I just graduated from college with a sociology degree and I first looked for a job locally and could not find anything except a job at Whole Foods. I am originally from SLO County, but I now realize if I want to stay in a small town I will have to work on getting hired by the county or accept working for a non-profit that will pay me max $42,000 by the end of my career. I can't accept either of those options, so I applied for some jobs in different parts of the Bay Area and now I got two interviews coming up.

The first call for a job in the Bay is in Pleasant Hills. The second one is in San Mateo. I have not lived long in the city. I lived in LA for six months before and didn't enjoy my time in LA.

I am wondering if anyone has any advice for me? It's more likely I will be at the job in San Mateo.

[rzzz]

I'd rather be in San Mateo than Pleasant Hills. It's the burbs but has a little downtown, decent restaurants, CalTrain stop to get up to SF or down to SJ. It's super expensive though, I think the median home price is like $900K. My advice is figure out what the next Facebook is going to be and try to get a job there, doing anything.

[Ruth4Truth]

How do you know you'll be better off in the Bay Area, paying higher rents? You may actually end up with more disposable income staying in SLO. And don't forget--first you have to pass that interview. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

It seems to me that anyone who has job options with a sociology degree (county or non-profit) is doing well. If you want to be earning more, you should go to grad school.

[the city]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

How do you know you'll be better off in the Bay Area, paying higher rents? You may actually end up with more disposable income staying in SLO. And don't forget--first you have to pass that interview. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

It seems to me that anyone who has job options with a sociology degree (county or non-profit) is doing well. If you want to be earning more, you should go to grad school.

Well, I don't even have a non-profit or county job interview lined up in SLO county yet and all I have is Whole Foods working in the deli department.

If I do pass one of the interviews in the Bay area I see it as a job rather no job at all.

and just glimpsed on willow, and it does appear san mateo does cost a lot to purchase a home. pleasant hill seems more comparable to SLO for homes.

However, this is a starter job. And I don't know where I will go after I get experience in the field.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by the city

I just graduated from college with a sociology degree and I first looked for a job locally and could not find anything except a job at Whole Foods. I am originally from SLO County, but I now realize if I want to stay in a small town I will have to work on getting hired by the county or accept working for a non-profit that will pay me max $42,000 by the end of my career. I can't accept either of those options, so I applied for some jobs in different parts of the Bay Area and now I got two interviews coming up.

The first call for a job in the Bay is in Pleasant Hills. The second one is in San Mateo. I have not lived long in the city. I lived in LA for six months before and didn't enjoy my time in LA.

I am wondering if anyone has any advice for me? It's more likely I will be at the job in San Mateo.

Serious question: did you really expect a degree in sociology would pay better? If so, why? Did someone tell you so? Really?

[NorCalLover]

As someone who briefly lived in SLO in my early 20s I completely understand where you're coming from. Professional jobs are scarce, and jobs pay horribly compared to the COL. Living in the Bay Area has gotten exorbitantly expensive, but it does have a lot more opportunities for a young professional.

Pleasant Hill and San Mateo are both nice communities, they're family oriented but have cute downtown areas and access to SF. I'd be biased towards Pleasant Hill for you, mostly because it's cheaper and has easier access to SF and Oakland / Berkeley via BART. (Caltrain doesn't come as often and doesn't go to the East Bay at all.) But I'd go with whatever job has the best opportunity for you in terms of career advancement.

[the city]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Serious question: did you really expect a degree in sociology would pay better? If so, why? Did someone tell you so? Really?

all i am saying is i will make a little more in a city and not be limited to one or two places to work in a small town

[NewbiePoster]

Originally Posted by the city

all i am saying is i will make a little more in a city and not be limited to one or two places to work in a small town

More competition for that job in a big city, though, and the "little more" that you make will get chewed up by higher rent and/or real estate costs.

[the city]

Originally Posted by NewbiePoster

More competition for that job in a big city, though, and the "little more" that you make will get chewed up by higher rent and/or real estate costs.

i doubt there is more competition. it's tough competition where ever you go. like i said, i haven't gotten any interviews in slo county to santa maria. but i did get interviews for the bay area. at least in the bay area my resume gets an extra look for going to prestigious well-known college rather than some one who went to csu east bay, sonoma state, san jose state, or san francisco state. UC Berkeley graduates and some private college graduates r the main competition up there.

[04kL4nD]

Pismo Beach is paradise. I'd totally move there if I could find a decent job