Denver engineering jobs (car insurance, private school, income)

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by caper656

Current Salary: $55K Tulsa
For the life I want, id need to make $75K in tulsa/okc area
OKC Job Offer: $75K in OKC, OK. The pay offer is great increase and my proper average pay with accordance to fellow friends in the same field and same amount of experience. Again I am an engineer with 5 years experience.


Im worried if I take the OKC, ill be stuck there. especially having a child on the way. On the otherside, I can decline the OKC job, and keep on the search for a Denver job. The few denver jobs I have found, have 60K pay. Thats a 5K increase over what i have now, but probably a 10X increase in cost of living.

I'm actually in a somewhat comparable situation right now, so I understand what you're going through.

If I were you, if you're comfortable with the OKC company work environment, job responsibilities, envision it being a stable position, I would grab it!

There are three airlines with daily, relatively inexpensive flights from OKC to DEN. Or a long day's drive. With that $20k bump in salary you should have no problem visiting Denver and the Rocky Mountains several times a year.

The fact is that getting a job offer in Denver while you're still living in Oklahoma, unless if you have some extremely in-demand, hard to find skillset, might be close to impossible. So unless if you're prepared to quit your job and move to Denver unemployed-- which I'm guessing with 3 mouths to feed is not an option-- if you're going to have to be stuck in OK anyway, might as well be stuck in OKC making $20k more a year. There are many worse places you could be while we still continue to ride out the recession. That doesn't mean you have to live there the rest of your life, but maybe give it a few more years.

Is your family in OK? Do you have any family/friends in Denver? That will make a huge difference to QOL, probably way more than mountain views or "outdoor recreation," especially when children are in the equation.

[caper656]

Family is in Tulsa. I have an aunt/uncle in Denver and my best friend lives there as well..he works for an Oil/Gas company up there. He was lucky enough to get in while the money was good back in 2006/7...10K starting bonus, and starting pay of 70K off the bat as a Land Man... I had the chance but was scared to move right outa college to denver.

as far as OKC...dont know anyone really...all the OU college kids i went to school with have dispersed.

we feel the small mindset of Tulsa/OKC will handicap our child. She came up from a small town where kids view college as rich people education. We both want more things to do(not bars, but high educated people). A child is a huge thing, but in oklahoma its basically the end of life. The mindset for man is, you get a job, work hard, find a wife, have babies and die. The mindset for women is to act pretty, personable and find a rich husband, have kids, get fat and die old.

We both just have experienced larger cities and want a more variety of people to social with.

I stayed in denver for 7 days last year...waking up in the morning to a mountain view was the only coffee drink i need to motivate me to get up and out.


back to the job...I think you are right about the Denver using local talent. I do have a particular certain set of skills but still need the experience. I also had a 75K job offer in houston...but my wife and I decided to pass on it.

[maciesmom]

we feel the small mindset of Tulsa/OKC will handicap our child. She came up from a small town where kids view college as rich people education. We both want more things to do(not bars, but high educated people). A child is a huge thing, but in oklahoma its basically the end of life. The mindset for man is, you get a job, work hard, find a wife, have babies and die. The mindset for women is to act pretty, personable and find a rich husband, have kids, get fat and die old.

Your mindset it what you make it. Plenty of active, intelligent people living in OK - find them. Your child will be mainly influenced by you until she enters school anyway. You've got some time. Taking this job would not mean you have to live there forever. As vegaspilgrim pointed out - ride out the economy....acquire additional skills, experience and keep looking - or, you might surprise yourselves and like it. Who knows? You have a whole life ahead of you. Things are really just starting.

[WhereTheSidewalkEnds]

Originally Posted by caper656

I also had a 75K job offer in houston...but my wife and I decided to pass on it.

Smart. No offense to people who love Houston, but you couldn't pay me enough.....

[caper656]

haha why so? It was so hot my sunglasses fogged up as I stepped off the plane and into the Connector Boot. It was dirty as well. I spent about 3 hours driving around to different neighbors and some were nice and some werent...traffic was horrible but i guess denver isnt much better

[WhereTheSidewalkEnds]

Denver traffic is nothing compared to Houston. Nothing.

My husband born and raised in Houston. We were back recently for a funeral and each time we go back we are shocked - more traffic, more people....oppressive heat/humidity. I just can't stand Houston.

Again, apologies to anyone who loves it.

[caper656]

haha... I do love the weather in Denver. Snows in the morning, dry streets by noon. ha

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by maciesmom

Your mindset it what you make it.

It annoys me when people say this. Only someone who has a comfortable life free of want would say something like this.

If you were an American fighting in Vietnam against your will, you think your "mindset was what you made it?" Or if you're a kid growing up in a South American slum, hungry every day, you think your "mindset is what you make it?" No, it isn't.

[caper656]

I think he was just saying be positive.

My feelings lay in the middle. she never went to college because it wasn't a big deal and no one around her family said it was....her parents never went because they needed to start working. Its a vicious cycle and someone must fill the positions of restaurant worker and trash man, but not my children. I don't want the poison of those families around my children and undo what ethics and self-empowerment that I wish to bestow upon my children.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

It annoys me when people say this. Only someone who has a comfortable life free of want would say something like this.

If you were an American fighting in Vietnam against your will, you think your "mindset was what you made it?" Or if you're a kid growing up in a South American slum, hungry every day, you think your "mindset is what you make it?" No, it isn't.

Wow..You're taking it out of context a wee bit

The OP was complaining of the small mindedness of people in Tulsa/OKC. My point was that there plenty of small minded people everywhere (as well as "larger" minded ones). You can't stereotype the entire population of a city based on some vague generalization. Just FYI, I am a child of a military family and have lived all over the world growing up (and had to adjust accordingly - like it or not your own attitude does matter) and have family in many parts of this country. I do know something of what I am speaking.