hopefully moving to WA -- bad idea? (Seattle, Spokane: sales, co-op)

[mikisza]

hi, all. i am a 20 year old female and i have a high school diploma. i've been working in factory work since i graduated -- i don't have any college education and, aside from general machine operating positions and the experience that comes with that, no "special skill" that i can think of.

i've been reading this forum about everyone else who is planning the move, but it seems to me that everyone seems to be more established in their lives than i am, so it may be easier for others to find jobs...

my question is, i suppose, does anyone have an opinion on whether or not i would be able to find myself some work out there? is it an easy enough place to start all over for a 20 year old with nothing to keep her back home? i've been really itching for a change and i've got my heart set on washington.

[yukiko11]

If your heart is here, then you may be coming towards something rather than leaving something.
First, you have to have some money to get you through about six months of living expenses.
Second, you need to have a car because public transportation in Western Washington is very poor.
housing isn't cheap here, but you can probably find a roomate situation in a private house for 350-400 a month.
Manufacturing jobs in this area have dried up in this financial crisis, so you may need to try entry level food service or retail which may get you about 8.50/hr. If you are attractive, you could earn more as a waitress in a bar, casino or restuarant where you can earn tips. If you have big boobs (no offense) you could work as a barista in a coffee stand.
If you live frugally, you can probably live on about $1000/mo so when you come here, you should have about 6,000 in your bank account to start out with.
At your level, you probably cannot secure a job until you get here and can apply in person for it. On the other hand, if you changed jobs in your current location to some company that is nationwide like Wal Mart, you might be able to transfer.
If you are going to have to work at some alternative type of work than you now do, it would be good to get your experience where you are rather than try to do it here.
Good luck to you. Don't think of this as starting over, you are just starting out and you will have lots of experiences in your future.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by mikisza

hi, all. i am a 20 year old female and i have a high school diploma. i've been working in factory work since i graduated -- i don't have any college education and, aside from general machine operating positions and the experience that comes with that, no "special skill" that i can think of.

Good choice, then, because I believe we have the highest minimum wage in the nation, combined with the progressiveness of a sales tax not imposed on groceries. If you have to battle to take hold in life on youth wages, this is probably the place to do it.

The challenge is to find the place in Washington you like best, which has a lot to do with climate and culture. And cost of living. And mass transit.

[StealthRabbit]

You might have good luck at the packing plants during fruit season, (apple packing lasts till Thanksgiving). Try to work nights, so you can look for 'non-seasonal' work during the day. I might consider Wenatchee as a place that is close to many employment and some educational opportunities + good transit to region. It is also less expensive than the Seattle metro area.

Other areas I would consider are Vancouver, WA for some factory + edu + Portland culture; or Ferndale, near Bellingham, but less expensive with benefit of potential job and edu.

You should state some of your desires / hobbies / interests, climate, culture, population density ...

[mikisza]

thanks, guys, that was all really helpful. more than i could have asked, really.

i'm from a small town in western mass where there's really not much going on. i'm very eager to make something of my life -- to finally take charge of who i am and where i want to be. i've secured a good, sturdy car, and i'm working on growing my savings. thank you to yukiko - i do have big boobs (no offense taken) and i found your information very... helpful.

i picked washington because i like the climate there. i visited only once when i was much younger, but i remember it being very green and magical looking. i don't mind the rain one bit, and i also prefer to be somewhere with an "average" range of temperatures versus TOO hot to TOO freezing. i love the outdoors and i am holding on a to a thread of hope that i'd end up on the peninsula somewhere to be closer to the water. but to know that it is also a good place to have chosen for myself in other ways makes me feel much more at ease.

thanks again guys

[zinger025]

Eastern WA has Spokane as well. The town is smaller, but still offers lots to do. The public transit here is very user friendly. Housing costs are lower than the Seattle area, and easy access to Idaho, Montana and Canada for vacations. Much less rain than Seattle too.

[QnE]

go to google .com and type in dc craiglist and find apts

[M3 Mitch]

The "green magical" part of the state is the Western part, generally higher cost of living but if you are set on being there, there you go. Spokane gets a lot of snow, not every year but this last winter they got a lot, here around Tri-Cities it's more like California wine country for climate, although maybe both colder in winter and hotter in summer. But it's dry and the summers are sunny and warm, and the economy around here is better than most of the nation.

If you are going to drive from Mass, be sure your car is up to it, get a trusted friend/mechanic to take a good look at it, AAA is worth having. Depending on how much stuff you want to bring, you might be able to get most of it in the car.

Do you have any ideas about getting into college? Several good schools in Seattle and surrounding areas...

[j_k_k]

Heh. Mitch speaks the truth. This is the brown magical area (Tri-Cities). Except for a brief period of faint green on hills in spring, it's tan colored here year round.

[WA state]

Port Townsend or Port Angeles has great access to Peninsula College. You can get financial aid of course.
In PT there is a Food Co-op and a lot of work on farms and even right downtown in the farmer's market. THey often have room and board and it is pretty artsy/alternative feel. Try sunfield farms. You could of course wait tables or even dishwash in one of the cafe's Sweet laurette's for example and pull down around $23-$25 an hour while you pursued your muse or went to school.