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Professional Black female loses job, considering packing up without job or savings to North Carolina or Georgia, seeking advice on moving without job or savings
Timm, that is exactly it!!! Some really got the point, but there is always that selected few that like to be heard rather than listen. I appreciate everyone though.
I have never done what you describe. My male cousin did...but ended up living with our elderly aunt and he is still there...with no job.
My female cousin did the same thing, in her late 20's. She felt that she was missing life, by living in the small city we grew up in. She quit her job and moved to NYC of all places. HOWEVER, she enrolled in graduate school (for education degree...as she wanted to switch careers) and lived on student loans until she got a job. She then continued in graduate school at night and worked during the day. She eventually finished school and taught. She also met a great guy, married and had two children. It never would have happened had she not packed up, left upstate NY and moved to the Big City. But again, she enrolled in school.
So, if you are going to take the leap, based on what I have seen in my family, it is better to have some plan rather than none.
I have never done what you describe. My male cousin did...but ended up living with our elderly aunt and he is still there...with no job.
My female cousin did the same thing, in her late 20's. She felt that she was missing life, by living in the small city we grew up in. She quit her job and moved to NYC of all places. HOWEVER, she enrolled in graduate school (for education degree...as she wanted to switch careers) and lived on student loans until she got a job. She then continued in graduate school at night and worked during the day. She eventually finished school and taught. She also met a great guy, married and had two children. It never would have happened had she not packed up, left upstate NY and moved to the Big City. But again, she enrolled in school.
So, if you are going to take the leap, based on what I have seen in my family, it is better to have some plan rather than none.
Hope this helps--
T
Taben, your female cousin wasn't playin around...she knew what she wanted and sent the nay-sayers running with their tails between their legs. I think that's awesome that she didn't stop until she got everything she sought after. that's not everyone's story but for those who endure you'll win
Maybe not, but advice and hearing from those that have done it, definitely can and should go together when one packs up and moves. As I look back if I had the advice or had taken the time to listen to people that had relocated, I would have never left the east coast and moved to Portland.
I hear ya Jimrob1 but here's the thing: You look back on your decision to move as the worst one of your life. I look back on my decision to just pack up and move as the best one of my life.
It comes down to this: The way I see it, there are three possible outcomes of making a rash move, just picking up and going:
1. You are miserable and end up regretting it.
2. You end up happy and in the long run end up thrilled you made the leap.
3. You end up neither, find it's an okay spot, and feel ambivalent.
But are you happy where you are? No. At certain times in my life, I have always felt like I "jumped off a cliff" into the unknown. I'm in my late thirties and so far, I have never regretted taking the leap. I suppose I'm due for a bad fall sometime.
You're living in the "known" right now. If you feel strongly enough about jumping into an unknown, I say go for it. If Charlotte truly moves you and makes you happy, come here. (If it were me I'd probably be contemplating a move west myself... but then again I've already gone to DC and Charlotte so my next move's almost certainly going to be to the left. )
Timm, that is exactly it!!! Some really got the point, but there is always that selected few that like to be heard rather than listen. I appreciate everyone though.
I've done this a few times--packed up and left Washington DC area to move to Raleigh. I did not know anyone, or have a job. I was actually employed at the time in DC and took a one-week vacation to scope out the Raleigh area, ended up signing a lease on an apartment and then moved 30 days later. Of course this was late 90s when the economy was much better overall than it is today. I only had about 1 month living expenses saved up, and that was after paying the moving truck to get my things moved. It turned out I couldn't stand Raleigh so I did it again to Atlanta. Went to Atlanta on vacation and while I was down there I talked to a few temp agencies and found an apartment and moved 60 days later. I temped for about 5 months before I found a permanent job. The economy and job availability was a little better then than it is now. Then, in 2000 I decided to move to Charlotte-once again no job and didn't know a soul. I've been here 8 years now and have gotten settled in. It took me 6 months to find a permanent job in Charlotte. I believe the job market is rather tight in CLT at this time.
My advice would be to visit either NC or GA (or both) for a week to scope out the place and talk to some recruiters in the area you want to move and ask them what their perspective is of the job market and if they think with your skills and experience if you could get a job rather quickly, or at least get a contract job for cash flow. Hope that helps. If it's true you will lose your unemployment benefits due to moving to another state, I would definitely wait it out--there was some good advice from some of the other posters on that note. But maybe you could still at least visit NC or GA until that time, to get a feel for each place.
This thread really bothers me.It bothers me because there is not one responder that doesn't mean well in their reply. Everybody has a slant on the subject and nobody means to give this young lady bad advise. But lets pull this in focus and reality.
This woman is on social assistance right now that will end the day she doesn't show up to sign the papers stating she is unemployed in her home town and is still looking for work. She will be pennyless! It has been suggested she "goes for it!" OK...let's lay out the game plan. She buys a ticket Det. to CLT. What does that cost? Or...more romantic a Gray Hound bus with a guitar slung across her back and she arrives in CLT )where is the bus terminal? Fill in the blanks___________________.Night (not day)# one she is now in the A$$ end of town at a bus terminal. Where does she go? Remember she said she has 3..three...tres..days of money on her.
She manages to do something overnight. Maybe a church or a social service assistance program of some sort..that I don't know about. The weather is starting to get a little chilly. OK for us. Let's burn some firewood. Remember we discussed this in a thread a month ago. How romantic. How cozy. Not for her.
Day one she needs to find:
1)A place to sleep
2) Food
3) Money
4)a Shower
5) A job
6) a friend
7} transportation
8) a computer for research to find a job
9) a net work of people
10) a way to get thru the day until tomorrow which will be day two.
I visited CLT two weeks ago with NONE of these problems. Money in my pocket. Amex card. Friends. Cell phone. Computer. Ticket to NY on Thurs nite. Yet, after one year doing business in CLT I am still a stranger. It's not MY city. How does SHE do it??
I think we would less than a responsible group to suggest "Just do it..come on down..spend a week..go for it..get a feel for the place"
These are my opinions only and I respect the opinions of those that are not and were not in my shoes.
John
John you're correct in what you're stating, but Love_child7 is not seeking advice or suggestions from any of us. She asked us to share our storiesof leaving and never going back...what we endured, our struggles if any. I think she'd appreciate your being concerned with her welfare just as i would if i were in her shoes, but that's not what she's asking for.
she's not looking to the forum as a means to save her from her situation
John you're correct in what you're stating, but Love_child7 is not seeking advice or suggestions from any of us. She asked us to share our storiesof leaving and never going back...what we endured, our struggles if any. I think she'd appreciate your being concerned with her welfare just as i would if i were in her shoes, but that's not what she's asking for.
she's not looking to the forum as a means to save her from her situation
right, but when you ask, you can't just pick and choose. you will get one of each, and then dont mind getting scraps.
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Taking the Jump?
destined to win!
