Considering Relocating to Austin! (Houston, Dallas: where to stay, to rent, insurance)

[spchtx]

Originally Posted by AverageJoe83

Glad to see you're getting such help from the responses here! As a

For example - you could be going 65+mph, and the idiot up ahead trying to pull out of the shopping center will wait and wait and wait, and then when you're still going full speed, less than 100ft away, they'll decide "okay, I have enough time" and SLOWLY pull out in front of you, and go about 15 - 20mph for a good while. I'd say this happens to me on a daily basis, more than a dozen times per week. The aggression levels ARE rising as more transplants like us come here, too. 3 or 4 years ago it was pleasant and people were courteous. Recently it has gotten volatile and extremely aggressive.

That happened to me yesterday!!!! Then today I saw someone do it to the truck pulling a trailer in the lane next to me. He had to slam on his breaks, and his trailer went crazy. I had to hit my breaks so that I wouldn't get hit by his trailer. I have seen way more of the "stupid driving" stuff then the aggressive driving.

[spchtx]

Originally Posted by rayndgo

@Aquitaine

Thank you! I shouldn't have a problem with a job hopefully. The only problem is pay stubs..where do I stay until I have 3+ months of pay stubs to show lol..

Joe I will DM you to talk some more, you are super helpful!

I would call a few of the apartments now, and ask them about that. I'm sure they all have their own requirements, but they are probably fairly similar.

[rayndgo]

For sure! Thanks everyone so far for being super helpful. This thread will be active for quite a bit lol.

[rayndgo]

As for the stupid driving...=(

I'm not kidding I have been trying to take photos and videos going home so I can post them here to maybe help them feel better about the shi*** traffic you guys have now. at least 5 of those incidents a day going home and sometimes coming in. I had to pull over yesterday because some guy decided to go around the guy infront of him on (opposing traffic towards me) and almost hit me head on doing at least 55mph on a 25.

[AustinDude360]

Originally Posted by rayndgo

Yeah, I hear ya..

I used to freelance for a while and kind of lost my momentum after being a true 9-5iver. Wish I stil had it

I see this and think to myself...why don't you start it up again? Honestly if you want to move here and you have creative talent this is going to be the way to do it with the lack of large firms in town. So many small business owners out here. Come visit here (stay with a friendly local via AirBnb) and network yourself at a local business owner meeting (like South Austin's B.O.N.G. group)

I think finding a job here for what you want salary-wise is going to be difficult here in Austin. Many Austin companies are anti-relocation unless you try working contract or for one of the large sweatshops in town. This is coming from an hiring manager who would go against the grain and hire out of state candidates because their work ethic was better and they were more loyal . Some examples of Austin work-ethic can drive you nuts especially if you are from NY.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by AustinDude360

I see this and think to myself...why don't you start it up again? Honestly if you want to move here and you have creative talent this is going to be the way to do it with the lack of large firms in town.

Exactly the same thought I had. There is a reason Austin has the #2 percentage of home based businesses of all large metros in the US. I think there are two reasons -- first, people are willing to suffer the uncertainty and fear of self-employment because that is the price for living here. I know when i moved here in '84, I was amazed at the number of self-employed I met. They just were people that came to UT, weren't going back to Muleshoe or Colmesneil, didn't think they wanted to work for the state, UT or the IRS (biggest employers at the time), and just figured out a way to make it work. It is actually how/why Roy Spence, Judy Trabulsi, Tim McClure and Steve Gurasich started GSD&M. That turned out ok, huh?

So, that leads to the second -- this has always been a gig economy kind of place, way before that phrase was common. Nobody here thinks there is anything sketchy about being self employed.

If you can handle the fear, and can self-market, I'd say go that way.

[rayndgo]

Originally Posted by AustinDude360

I see this and think to myself...why don't you start it up again? Honestly if you want to move here and you have creative talent this is going to be the way to do it with the lack of large firms in town. So many small business owners out here. Come visit here (stay with a friendly local via AirBnb) and network yourself at a local business owner meeting (like South Austin's B.O.N.G. group)

I think finding a job here for what you want salary-wise is going to be difficult here in Austin. Many Austin companies are anti-relocation unless you try working contract or for one of the large sweatshops in town. This is coming from an hiring manager who would go against the grain and hire out of state candidates because their work ethic was better and they were more loyal . Some examples of Austin work-ethic can drive you nuts especially if you are from NY.

Hey Austin dude,

Appreciate the information, as always everyone on this thread so far has been very helpful.

I'd like to respond back to some of your points:

1. Getting the salary is going to be hard there
I've checked on glass door (that is my go to) to see what the median salary was for my position
And it was actually 80k. I'm not sure how accurate it is across the board but for the same search in la
You get a median of 65k so I'm actually slightly above...but my company is paying me a mid level/jr salary but that's another topic lol. I guess the job market is not booming in Austin and glass door is way off, sucks cause then I won't move there.

2. I've never really considered trying to apply for a job and have them relocate me. I know very few people who have done that and being from NYC I was raised to go out and get it my self so it always seem like a pipe dream to me so, I'd do things the hard way.

3. I'd love to be self employed again, I need to be my own boss and start a business. For design it's been tricky for me to want to jump back in it even with the experience I have because it's hard to make what I make off of small business and independent people. I need to pay my bills and stuff and I've had bad experiences free lancing. I wasn't as experienced as I am now though. Also my fiancé does not make much so all the pressure is on me for bills

Guess tech and creative jobs are not plentiful in Austin which is what all the hype is now.

[AustinDude360]

Originally Posted by rayndgo

Hey Austin dude,

Appreciate the information, as always everyone on this thread so far has been very helpful.

I'd like to respond back to some of your points:

1. Getting the salary is going to be hard there
I've checked on glass door (that is my go to) to see what the median salary was for my position
And it was actually 80k. I'm not sure how accurate it is across the board but for the same search in la
You get a median of 65k so I'm actually slightly above...but my company is paying me a mid level/jr salary but that's another topic lol. I guess the job market is not booming in Austin and glass door is way off, sucks cause then I won't move there.

2. I've never really considered trying to apply for a job and have them relocate me. I know very few people who have done that and being from NYC I was raised to go out and get it my self so it always seem like a pipe dream to me so, I'd do things the hard way.

3. I'd love to be self employed again, I need to be my own boss and start a business. For design it's been tricky for me to want to jump back in it even with the experience I have because it's hard to make what I make off of small business and independent people. I need to pay my bills and stuff and I've had bad experiences free lancing. I wasn't as experienced as I am now though. Also my fiancé does not make much so all the pressure is on me for bills

Guess tech and creative jobs are not plentiful in Austin which is what all the hype is now.

Glass door might not be the way to go. You should probably talk to a local recruiter who isn't a resume pusher to get you a better gauge. Most people moving to Austin are perfectly happy to take a significant pay cut to move out here...I know I did. You also have to keep in mind that most of the Austin job market is small business not large corporations so it's not comparable as say LA.

I'm not familiar with your portfolio or scope of services, but I would encourage you to reach out to the local B.O.N.G. group in Austin. You could always take a pay cut, move, and make up for it with the side-gigs.

[spchtx]

One thing my husband has found here is an abundance of networking opportunities and groups. Maybe it's different in L.A., but we lived in the Sacramento area. The professional associations he belonged to were not very active.

It's a completely different story here. We've been here 4 weeks, and he's been to at least one networking event each week, and last week he went to 3. He's also been to a couple of meetings that he calls "AA for the unemployed." He's not unemployed so the presentations were not a perfect fit, but he was able to network and make a few connections for new job possibilities.

[BKbredTXfed]

Hi Rayndgo,

Moved here from Brooklyn in 2008 no job just some cash car, fiancé and computers. Coming from NYC it's a lot easier to get moving in Austin. As a designer I know you shouldn't have an issue finding a job. I work NorthWest Austin near Apple and it's hard to say, but the jobs for you can be either North or downtown, but most of my friends end up North that work in the field.
Every company's seems to be on a huge User Experience kick so if you can work within a UX team whether visual or interaction you are set. Also, the Salary for a Sr UX member in Austin is 90k and up.

Apartments are not hard to come by and they are building more everyday. But, of course this all depends on location. I've always stayed North or Northwest and prices and availability are fine. Had a few friends from NY move into this new place called Aura Aura 33Hundred|One, Two & Three Bedroom Austin, TX Apartments And seem to love it. It's right on Wells branch and across the street from the light rail. People here are strange about location here in Austin, but to me a 20 minute drive downtown isn't anything.

Malls - Lakeline, The Domain, The Outlets, LaFrontera

Urban Barber - There are a few where I can get a decent cut. Gabrielle's Salon & Spa, Clean Cuts Barbershop, Birds Barbershop.