Help!!! Tech jobs in Austin, TX (Cleveland: to rent, condo, credit check)

[Muffy1]

Hello,

I recently received a job offer in Austin, TX. I would be relocating from Cleveland, Ohio. The pay that I was offered is much less than in Austin. The reason that I was thinking about Austin is because they seem to have a vibrant tech market. My husband is in IT, specifically networking but I was reading that it is very difficult to get a tech job in Austin especially if you are older. We are in our early 40s. Is this still true? Do tech companies in Austin focus more on degrees or experience? Is housing very expensive in Austin?

Thank you!!

[CptnRn]

Mar. 2012 cost of living index in Cleveland: 95.3 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Read more: //www.city-data.com/city/Clevel...#ixzz2pGhO7FRq

Mar. 2012 cost of living index in Austin: 95.3 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Read more: //www.city-data.com/city/Austin...#ixzz2pGhUXFFZ

Austin Median gross rent in 2011: $905.
Estimated median household income in 2011: $49,987
Estimated median house or condo value in 2011: $217,700

Cleveland Median gross rent in 2011: $633.
Estimated median household income in 2011: $25,371
Estimated median house or condo value in 2011: $76,600

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by Muffy1

Hello,

I recently received a job offer in Austin, TX. I would be relocating from Cleveland, Ohio. The pay that I was offered is much less than in Austin. The reason that I was thinking about Austin is because they seem to have a vibrant tech market. My husband is in IT, specifically networking but I was reading that it is very difficult to get a tech job in Austin especially if you are older. We are in our early 40s. Is this still true? Do tech companies in Austin focus more on degrees or experience? Is housing very expensive in Austin?

Thank you!!

Muffy, CptnRn gave good data above. I hope others chime in on "getting a tech job if you are older".

Regarding Housing. What is your definition of "expensive"? (& are schools of interest?)

Decent 3/2 in a decent neighborhood with "good schools" would probably run you 225K-350K. (property tax would be 2.2%-2.6% per year).

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by Muffy1

Hello,

I recently received a job offer in Austin, TX. I would be relocating from Cleveland, Ohio. The pay that I was offered is much less than in Austin. The reason that I was thinking about Austin is because they seem to have a vibrant tech market. My husband is in IT, specifically networking but I was reading that it is very difficult to get a tech job in Austin especially if you are older. We are in our early 40s. Is this still true? Do tech companies in Austin focus more on degrees or experience? Is housing very expensive in Austin?

Thank you!!

Is your job offer lower in Austin? Your post suggests not.

I don't know what your husband's skills are, nor what he might want to earn. But I see no reason that a person in their 40s would have difficulty competing for a job. What matters most is how good he is. The more skilled a networking guy is, the more valuable he is, especially to larger companies. Smaller companies usually don't have as much network to manage, so will naturally spend less for their networking people. That usually means younger. But lots of companies will need more than one networking person - and they know how important it is for that job to have skilled people in them.

[Tralfaz]

Plenty of tech work in Austin for experienced folks, I can't comment on recent grads or junior folks (though my bet is it's probably pretty good for them as well). It certainly helps being local though!

(I actually put all my stuff into portable storage and moved out here before I had a firm offer, it ended up working out really well, though finding a home to rent without getting stuck with property managers, credit checks and fees was a PITA. It's easier to own a home in TX than to rent, which is quite unusual compared to, say, NYC..)

[Muffy1]

Sorry, I should clarify. I will be taking a huge pay cut moving to Austin but my husband is in IT and the tech market is not good in Cleveland.

Our budget for a house is about 250,000.

[BriansZ]

It really depends on your husband's experience. I'm a network engineer and there are lots of opportunities down here, but it really depends on experience, certs, education, etc. If he gets his resume on Dice and Monster he should have some recruiters contacting him pretty quickly. Being in his 40's won't hurt him at all.

[Muffy1]

BrianZ, are the networking jobs mostly in large companies or smaller companies? Does your employer let you work remote?
Thank you for your responses.

[colombiunpride]

They don't discriminate against age here. You can be a 19 year old prodigy or a 50 year old computer pioneer. The point is if you know your stuff, they'll hire you in a heartbeat.

If you are suggesting that because of your older age you are "out of the loop" on the newer technology, then that is a result of not keeping up to date.

I'm 25 and that rule still even applies to me. Technology changes fast. If I'm not always spending time being on top of the latest trends, I can become obsolete in less then a year.

[ImOnFiya]

I am in the IT field. What matters here is your skill set - really. Nothing else matters. Make sure your husband highlights in bold applicable skills or hardware/software listed in the job description. If it matches, he'll get a callback.