Lining up a Vermont Job Before You Move (Burlington, Rutland: transplants, sales)

GypsySoul22 · 10-08-2007, 05:46 AM

Well, we've been here 5-6 weeks and still neither have us have seen a paycheck which does STINK.
My one day job still owes me a check...it's nominal but I better get it in the next few days.
My husband started a temp job last week right in the middle of the payperiod (hate being paid every 2 weeks..) so he won't see anything for at least another 2 weeks..

Yes, if you move ANYWHERE you need $$$ to live off of, even WITH a job. Hoard up your cash if you can--save for the time you can't work or won't see a paycheck.

68vette · 10-08-2007, 07:12 AM

If you don't have a job before moving anywhere you are setting yourself up for failure unless you have some money set aside to live on for a while, but even then it's a big risk. Especially in Vermont where the employment opportunities are even less. If a company won't hire you because you live out of state I wouldn't work for them in the first place. It shouldn't matter if you live 5 minutes away or 5 hours away. A start date is a start date. I can understand a person to person interview. I would want to meet the person who is going to work for me in person. If you can't find work in your field then don't move until you can. Your better off unhappy with an income and a roof over your head than potentially no job, no home and being more unhappy due to all of these stresses. 20 years ago I wanted to make the same move, but it took almost six years to make the move due to finding a good job. I feel you should research your job as much as the place you want to move to. Let's face it you can't live without an income and you don't want to work in a job you hate just to live in Vermont. That will carry over into your personal life.

This is a thought for people who are going to make the move but are between homes. When I moved to Vermont I had a hard time finding good housing at a reasonable price. I went to one of the local bed and breakfasts and worked out a deal to pay to live in a room by the week while I spent my evenings looking for the right place. It was much cheaper than renting an apartment.

arel · 10-08-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 68vette

If you don't have a job before moving anywhere you are setting yourself up for failure unless you have some money set aside to live on for a while, but even then it's a big risk. Especially in Vermont where the employment opportunities are even less. If a company won't hire you because you live out of state I wouldn't work for them in the first place. It shouldn't matter if you live 5 minutes away or 5 hours away. A start date is a start date. I can understand a person to person interview. I would want to meet the person who is going to work for me in person. If you can't find work in your field then don't move until you can. Your better off unhappy with an income and a roof over your head than potentially no job, no home and being more unhappy due to all of these stresses. 20 years ago I wanted to make the same move, but it took almost six years to make the move due to finding a good job. I feel you should research your job as much as the place you want to move to. Let's face it you can't live without an income and you don't want to work in a job you hate just to live in Vermont. That will carry over into your personal life.

This is a thought for people who are going to make the move but are between homes. When I moved to Vermont I had a hard time finding good housing at a reasonable price. I went to one of the local bed and breakfasts and worked out a deal to pay to live in a room by the week while I spent my evenings looking for the right place. It was much cheaper than renting an apartment.

You sound resolute and resourceful. Wise, too.

I will take your advice to heart.

tkln · 10-08-2007, 01:49 PM

I have worked for my company for 8 years, and my boss has told me that he would have no problem if I worked for him from a different state, they even will pay for the phone/internet. This made me quite happy, but of course, there are no guarantees. Who's to say that after we move, something doesn't happen and the company gets sold or I lose my job? There are soooo many variables in life. I am somewhat like you, Arel, in that I like to play it safe. But at the same time, does that mean I am destined to live in NYC for the rest of my life because job opportunities are more abundant here?

I don't want to wake up 10 years from now and say "I will move out of NYC one day". Yes, I have a huge sense of security here, and I have things easy in certain respects. But that doesn't mean I'm happy. And there is a lot to be said about that.

I figure as long as I make contacts and keep up with my industry and learn new skills, it will help in the case of things going sour...but I don't want to be on my death bed regretting playing it safe either. There has to be a happy medium. Right????

GypsySoul22 · 10-08-2007, 02:46 PM

tkln is right.
Think about this (it happened to my brother when he moved to Florida). He was hired at a great salary (good for FL). He moved down with his family. After a few months things were going great and then there was some incident and he was fired.

These things can happen all the time.

Point is, you can only 'play it safe' so long. We did 3 years of 'wanting to move.' Finally it was time to do it or forget it. Languish in NY the rest of our lives.

We chose to go. We picked the VT/NH border in the Upper Valley. As I said before, I would never move 'just anywhere' in Vermont. THAT to me is silly (unless you have a job lined up).

Not a good thing for everyone. It still might turn out to be stupid. But hindsight is 20/20. We've made three major moves in our lives. In the end, I am glad I did the other 2 (this is the third).

arel · 10-08-2007, 06:39 PM

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions and insights. I actually agree with all of you, even though you had different opinions. I need to find some compromise between risk management and risk aversion.

I think I will contact people in my field and explain my concerns about moving without a job lined up. Maybe I will speak with people face to face and ask for suggestions. I can start with emails, though.

I think the best way to do things is to address the problem directly. Also, I can contact therapists up there and ask how they made the move. If I do this I can get specific advice. Maybe agencies will themselves be helpful. At the least, I can develop relationships with contacts.

That's all I can think of now.

Oh well, there is a reason for everything.

Lillietta · 10-09-2007, 01:27 PM

Who's to say that after we move, something doesn't happen and the company gets sold or I lose my job?

I would MOVE (take the risk; usually proves beneficial) and work for them but at the same time look for another job and take the job, if offered, because you will be where you want to be.

Also want to add that Vermont is so desirable because it is unindustrial; hence lack of jobs. Great for retirement, but not good for employment.

68vette · 10-10-2007, 02:57 PM

One of the problems Vermont has is that if you are a professional or have a job in a specific field, you hopefully keep that job(not always possible). If you lose your job then you need to be willing to work in an unskilled field(if you don't have other skills to fall back on) and possibly several jobs to stay in Vermont. The other option which the majority of people do is move out of state. I work in a field that doesn't have many jobs in Vermont, but I also have job security due to my specialty. If I lost my job we will move and planned for that(we have several towns in a few different states we could go depending on where I get work).

arel · 10-11-2007, 05:56 AM

That is a big problem.

It is not a good situation to know that if you lost or quit your job you would have few or no other choices. In a big city you just look for another local job in your field. In Vermont you can't to that. And if you hate your job you can really feel trapped. That is a situation I would want to avoid at almost all costs.

I would also be concerned that employers would take advantage of the situation and make onerous demands for no extra pay, or treat employees abusively in other ways. Hey, if you don't like it, where are you going to go?

I suppose I have a little cushion against that because I am a health care professional. But I am a clinical social worker and I don't think I would have as much job security or choices as I would if were a doctor or nurse. But I do have the option of having a job, several jobs, and/or a private practice. And in Bratt, I would have access to Keene and the Pioneer Valley. I would also have access to the Retreat, but I have heard that they have frequent layoffs.

But there is little doubt that from a purely employment freedom perspective, I am better off staying in NYC.

68vette · 10-11-2007, 06:45 PM

Arel , your right about employers taking advantage of it's employees. I work at FAHC and about 8 years ago we had a manager who was not nice to the employees(this person no longer works there, thank god). I'll give you an example of how life was working in our department at the time. The pay at the time wasn't good and several employees mentioned that they would have to look for work elsewhere. The response given was go ahead and look elsewhere, but we are the only show in town(meaning that the hospital was the only one within about 40-50 miles). I don't want to discourage potential employees from FAHC because things are 100% better now, but I'm sure this mentality happens elsewhere.