Move to ATL without a job? (Atlanta, Columbus: apartment, home, job market)

[k374]

I'm interested in moving out there sometime in April and will be trying for a job but it's a bit tough to do remote interviews. If I cannot manage to get a contract I was thinking I would just move anyway and find work after I get there.

I'm a Sr. Software Engineer with 15 years experience, specializing in Enterprise Java, currently employed full time - there seem to be tons of jobs in the ATL area so at least for now it's looking pretty optimistic for moving there first and finding work.

There is also a certain urgency to make the move now - I want to buy a home in ATL before prices escalate even more and interest rates are still super low. I'm particularly interested in Johns Creek area and I have heard prices are shooting up there which is making me a bit nervous.

I have good savings to tide me over for the interim... thoughts?

[Tryska]

Well when I moved here in 1995 I did it without a job, fresh out of school, with savings. But it was also a great economic climate at the time. If you have your cushion and can manage for 6 months, I would do it.

[afdinatl]

Yes but only if you are a stripper, a rapper, IT/Engineering, a pilot, medical field or in the movie industry. Since you are an Engineer you will have no problem finding work especially since you have experience. You shouldn't have any problems. Now if you were one of these people in a ****ty field I would say no but you should be ok. I would get a short term apartment until you find your job and you can figure out the right neighborhood for your commute even though generally speaking most of those positions are north of the city which is where you want to live

[Tryska]

There are many in midtown and downtown too.

[noah]

If Atlanta is where you want to be, go for it - You have two things many people who posts similar posts do not. 1). Extensive experience in your field. 2). Tech Field. Plus you stated you have savings to help if you don't land something right away. Many of us moved to Atlanta without jobs with credentials much less than yours. That said, most likely in your field and experience level you will get interest even before you move here.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by k374

I'm interested in moving out there sometime in April and will be trying for a job but it's a bit tough to do remote interviews. If I cannot manage to get a contract I was thinking I would just move anyway and find work after I get there.

I'm a Sr. Software Engineer with 15 years experience, specializing in Enterprise Java, currently employed full time - there seem to be tons of jobs in the ATL area so at least for now it's looking pretty optimistic for moving there first and finding work.

There is also a certain urgency to make the move now - I want to buy a home in ATL before prices escalate even more and interest rates are still super low. I'm particularly interested in Johns Creek area and I have heard prices are shooting up there which is making me a bit nervous.

I have good savings to tide me over for the interim... thoughts?

I understand your sense of urgency, but I would strongly advise against moving to the Atlanta area without a job.

While the economy in the Atlanta metro area continues to improve and while the job market in the IT field appears to be in relatively better shape than the job market in the Atlanta area and the state of Georgia as a whole, there continues to be some noticeable degree of softness to the Atlanta area job market and economy as a whole.

If you are having difficulty getting a contract before even moving to the Atlanta area, that should be a sign that finding employment upon moving to the Atlanta area would not necessarily be guaranteed even in an Atlanta area job market that appears to be improving somewhat steadily if not slowly at the moment.

One major reason that I would strongly advise against moving to the Atlanta area without already having been hired to a well-paying job in the Atlanta area is because making such a move could potentially limit your options by putting increased pressure on you to find a job since you would have already quit your job and would be living off of your savings.

Without a job one might feel pressure to take the first thing that comes along even though that job may not necessarily be the right fit for that person, financially, socially and professionally.

Another major reason that I would strongly advise against moving to the Atlanta area without first being hired to a well-paying job is that many potential employers may not like to hire applicants without jobs. It is because of this bias against unemployed people that I strongly advise that you first be hired to any new job anywhere before quitting your current job.

(...I particularly strongly advise against attempting to move to find a new job without a current job in the still slowly recovering Metro Atlanta/Georgia job market where employers are prone to be very selective in hiring new applicants since there are so many applicants in many fields.)

We get A LOT of people on these message boards that want to move to Atlanta without first having being hired to a well-paying job in the Atlanta area and they often regret it and become bitter because they might have been in a hurry to move here or they moved without a job and tried to live on their savings and felt pressured to take a lower-paying job that they not really want or did not fit them professionally, culturally and socially.

We also get A LOT of people that think that Metro Atlanta is still the boomtown that it was back in the 1980's and 1990's and they often find out the very hard way that Metro Atlanta is no longer the boomtown it was but is now a town with severe growing pains that continues to struggle in the aftermath of one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression.

If you are seriously thinking of moving to Metro Atlanta/Georgia without having being hired to a well-paying job, my strong advice to you is DON'T DO IT!

GET THE JOB FIRST! THEN move to Atlanta AFTER first securing a well-paying job so that you will be able to have more control over your personal and financial situation in a large major metro region where so many people have lost total control over their personal and financial situations in recent years.

Just be patient and take your time to find the right Atlanta area job that is right for you BEFORE moving here and your Atlanta living experience will most likely be much better than if you try and rush out here with no job, no income and only your personal savings to live on.

Good luck with your job search.

[Tryska]

Meh....just because the first thing that comes along might suck, isn't a reason to not seize the day I think. If you are grown, and have your safety net, and actually have a trade. You can always leave a sucky job for a better one when it comes along.

But I am a riskier sort than most. (Then again I also always land on my feet by sheer will and determination)

[Columbuskidd92]

I wouldn't move anywhere without a job. It's only common sense.

[afdinatl]

Originally Posted by Columbuskidd92

I wouldn't move anywhere without a job. It's only common sense.

Some situations you can. I moved to DC years ago without a job and got one within 2 weeks

[k374]

The issue is that employers usually prefer local candidates, that makes it much harder to obtain a job without first moving there. It's a catch-22 situation unfortunately.