Moving to North Cal on a whim, where to look for jobs and place to stay. (San Jose: rental car)

[KGB7]

So in the next few days im packing a rental car and moving to North Cal with my dog. Ive decided some where between San Francisco and San Jose, but not sure where exactly yet, i as never been there before. Plus i dont know any one in Cali either, so its just two of us.

1. Need a dirt cheap place to stay that will accept a dog and has no monthly contracts, preferably on week to week basis. Kitchen is a plus as i cook food for my dog. Ive made good money in the past and lived well, and i also lived on food stamps. So dont need anything fancy as far as living arrangements.

Some type of motel perhaps?



2. Would rather work in IT field, rather then working at Home Depot and living pay check to pay check. Ive been in IT field for over 10 years, but ive been unemployed here for a year and cant find a job in DMV( DC Metro area). Even paid $700 for a professional resume service, and only got 4 interviews and still no job.

Not sure if Google or any big IT company will take me, as my IT experience is limited, but would be nice if they do. But ive done construction work in the past, limo driving, various other jobs, so not afraid to get my hands dirty if i have to for two of us to stay afloat. So will need something to get us started as soon as we get there.


3. Dont have a car, so im getting a rental to move, so public transportation is also a must to get around.



So i need you guys to give me some kind of coordinates so i can input in to GPS.


Thanks in advance.

p.s.

Im a male in late 30's, if that makes any difference.

[Ruth4Truth]

Take a look at Craigslist temp rentals and room/house shares.

Where are you moving from? You may be overwhelmed by the freeways, traffic, and the huge urban sprawl. Also be aware that "cheap" is an extremely relative term in the Bay Area.

Best areas to look for a cheaper (shared) base camp from which to launch your job search: Albany, SE Richmond, El Cerrito, maybe Berkeley. Close to BART commuter rail transport. Except that it doesn't go to San Jose, yet. You could hope for the best in Fremont, which has a train connection to some of the tech centers on the SF peninsula, as well as a BART connection around the East Bay, but it's not really a student town, there probably aren't many house/apt. shares. I hope you have some cash to see yourself through the first few months.

Don't overlook the area universities for tech jobs. Check out the UC (U of CAL) employment system online, and other area colleges: University of the Pacific, community colleges, etc.

[KGB7]

Moving from Rockville, MD, so im used to traffic. Plus ill be using public transportation once i get to where im going.

When i said cheap, i mean dirt cheap, 4 walls, roof and a door. Dont even need paint on the walls, just as long as its not infested with bugs or covered in mold.

Ive been on Craigslist for the past few days, but since i know zilch about Cali, i dont know on what area i should concentrate.

Thanks for suggestions.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by KGB7

Moving from Rockville, MD, so im used to traffic. Plus ill be using public transportation once i get to where im going.

When i said cheap, i mean dirt cheap, 4 walls, roof and a door. Dont even need paint on the walls, just as long as its not infested with bugs or covered in mold.

Ive been on Craigslist for the past few days, but since i know zilch about Cali, i dont know on what area i should concentrate.

Thanks for suggestions.

A room in a shared house in the East Bay will cost you about $500/mo., give or take. That's about as dirt cheap as it gets, unless you want to share your room with a roommate. The BART system is identical to the rail system in Rockville/DC. I'd land in the East Bay temporarily, to get your bearings and scope out job possibilities at UC Berkeley and SF, while doing construction or waiting tables, or something, while you send out resumes. (You can check out current job openings on the UC employment website. There's a separate page for temp employment, and another for part-time. A good way to get your foot in the door is to take a temp job, then working your way into a better job from the inside.) THen depending on what turns up, you can move to another part of the Bay, if necessary. Because of the university, it should be fairly easy to find a shared household situation in that area. (See locations listed in my first post.)

While doing temp work or part-time at UC or waiting tables, whatever, you can apply to tech companies around San Jose and the west side of the Bay. Rents are much higher over there, though. So the East Bay is the best place to start out, until you get on your feet job-wise.