[MamaBatt]

Hello, Florida!
Okay, so here's the deal. I need your help. I'm new to this forum....am I am praying someone out there might be able to help me out.
I currently live in Kansas. Yep, Dorothy, Toto, the who she-bang.
I've been actively seeking work for almost 2 years now. I am married with 4 kids (ages 3 1/2 months to 6 years). There's nothing up here.
I have a certificate in HR Management, a Bachelor's in Business Management, and am currently working on my MBA with duel concentrations in Global Management and HR Management. After a lot of discussion with my husband and looking at out options, we've decided to try to relocate to Daytona Beach. The job market seems better there (although it's not great anywhere). Cost of living is about the same, if not a little bit cheaper for some things.
SO, I've turned my search to Daytona Beach. The problem is, most places won't even talk to me unless I live in state. Well, it's not all the easy to move without having employment! See the problem? I've had some great phone interviews, made it clear I was willing to come down and begin work immediately (my husband and kids can follow in a month or so if need be...while not the ideal situation, we gotta do what we gotta do to take care of our family, you know?). However, I keep getting turned down. Not for lack of compatibility with the job or qualifications.. but primarily because of logistics.
Money is getting very tight. We have to do something, and we have to do it soon. My husband and I talked last night about getting a 5th wheel, hooking it up to our truck, selling everything of any value, closing up the house (we still have a mortgage on it), loading up the kids, and just coming down and living out of the trailer until I get something.
The thought of doing that with 4 little kids (one of which starts Kindergarten in a few weeks), terrifies me. I want my kids to have stability. It's going to be hard enough for them to leave their friends and their grandparents and move across the country to begin with.... add to it that living arrangement, I just see disaster. Plus, as mentioned before, I am still going to school (via online classes), and to try to do any homework with all the kids in such tight quarters... yeh, you can imagine the results.
Does ANYONE have any alternative ideas? Suggestions? Thoughts?
Anyone know of a place hiring down there? I'm willing to drive up to 90 minutes to work, so that kind of opens me up. I have experience in property management, retail management, office management, hospitality management... great with computers, organization, and pretty much anything I attempt. I've never had any trouble getting a job, so this situation is very frustrating to me! My husband physically can't work, so he is able to stay with the kids while I work (eliminating child-care costs--so that helps). Really need a minimum of $36-40K/year. (Still below poverty level for our household size, but we have learned to live very frugally...)
I need your help!
Thanks in advance for your suggestions, comments, etc. My family appreciates any and all insight!

[kyle19125]

I get your pain about relocating and trying to find a job. Outside of higher level corporate jobs it's nearly impossible. But why I have to ask...Daytona Beach? It's not exactly a thriving city as it's primarily tourist/service economy oriented. Orlando or Jacksonville would be my suggestions, probably more so Jacksonville as it's on the coast like Daytona Beach but with a much more diversified economy and a slightly lower unemployment rate. I would NOT leave your house. Walking away from a mortgage would be financially devastating. There are four Kansas cities with unemployment rates lower than most Florida cities. Manhattan and Lawrence have 5.5% unemployment rates, Topeka is at 6.5% and Kansas City is at 8.4%. The best city in Florida is Tallahassee at 7.7% and most Florida cities are right at 10% (or worse). If anything perhaps you should plan a trip after securing some interviews. Good luck!

[FloridaKash]

I think Daytona Beach is the wrong city for your skillset. I agree, Jacksonville, Orlando maybe even Tampa might be a better fit.

Either way it sound like its going to be rough going. Looks like you are the one who works, guessing hubby stays home with the kids. Does he have any labor skills? seems like it is much easier to find work down here if people have labor skills. Not too many companies are hiring HR people, since they are firing and not hiring. There is a glut of out of work admin assistance and the like, so being organized and knowing how to use office programs will likely not help a whole lot. Especially since once an employer looks at your resume they will think of you as over qualified and will know you will take the next best gig that comes along.

My advice... plan on working for a temp agency. You will not make anywhere what you want to make. If hubby has some sort of labor skill, I would have him do work. Likely one of you will have to work eves and one work day enable to make ends meet. Good Luck on whatever you decide to do.

[gypsychic]

OMG - with 4 little kids I wouldn't DREAM of making such a rash move. I would try to find a job closer to home, if you come here with no job, no plan you will probably end up homeless. We have a lot of people in that situation here. Unemployment is very high, and most places are going to rehire locals that lost their jobs. I am sorry to sound negative but I just don't want to see you make a huge mistake that you are really going to regret.

I agree with Kyle, try to find something in one of the cities in your home state with lower unemployment, surely you will have better luck there.

Good luck to you.

[daytonadewd]

This is SERIOUS business. I live in Daytona Beach and can tell you right now that our full homeless shelters are sending away families from other states right now who had the same plan as you do!

I'm surprised that with your HR background, you haven't sourced which areas in the country are showing significant job opportunities right now -- as I can tell you straight -- Daytona Beach is not.

Daytona Beach has only 61K people and only less than a half million in the entire County. Somehow you believe there would be more opportunities here (in one of the worst areas of the worst-hit States in the Union by this recession), than in Kansas.

It doesn't matter what credentials you have to offer -- there has to be a job available in the first place. And because Florida is such a transient state, any jobs that might be available will not usually be offered to "outsiders" to the community. Based on your OP, I think you've confused Southern politeness for a job turndown, which has given you a false sense of hope you need right now.

I know families who have lost their homes, commute to Jax or Orlando now -- or now stay with family in other states for work in order to support their households here. NASA just laid off the first wave of 1,500 advanced degree workers last week from the Shuttle program, with other waves to follow shortly. Florida schools are laying off teachers and teenagers can't get summer jobs at McDonald's or retailers because skilled adults have those jobs now to support families.

From what I know, Texas, Salt Lake City, Colorado, Alaska and DC have much more solid economies and jobs available right now than Florida does.

All I can say is you might be in the frying pan now, but you (your spouse and your 4 kids) will most likely go down in flames if you proceed (like those before you that are here right now, struggling to get some place else).

I hope you do more job research on your options and wish you and your family the best of luck in these uncertain times!

[SandmanSand]

With the job skills that you have, a husband, and 4 young children you'd be better off staying away from Daytona Beach. Not the best place to be looking for a job right now. It's more seasonal work there, like Bike Week, NASCAR, spring break, etc. What makes you want to move there?

You'd be better off looking for a job in Omaha, or Lincoln. Sure you have the winters still, but you can always vacation in Florida.
Omaha was just ranked high again - Kiplinger ranks Omaha No. 1 among '10 Best Value Cities' - Omaha.com

[MovedfromFL]

I'm curious as to what kind of phone interviews you were able to get thus far? Are these for decent jobs? Why would they even bother to call you if they can see that you are located out of state?

I agree that Daytona Beach would be the last place I would consider (but perhaps there are job openings due to the fact that the college educated HR labor pool is slim there?) In any case, the environment for kids in Daytona is horrible. (drugs, crime, homelessness, child molesters) It's just "scuzzy".

Things in FL are not getting much better. Most of our hiring has been in the low paid service industry. I've been following this very closely and it's scary. (I used to work in HR and have an MBA)

I would NOT make this move right now. FL's unemployment rate is just too high (the rate went up in June!) We are over 10%. On the national level, some very scary data just came out today. The GDP for 1st quarter was revised down to only .4%. Consumer spending is slowing down, and gas prices are killing folks.

I don't know what to tell you, but if I were you, I would NOT make that move. NO way, no how.

[ChrisA70]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

OMG - with 4 little kids I wouldn't DREAM of making such a rash move. I would try to find a job closer to home, if you come here with no job, no plan you will probably end up homeless. We have a lot of people in that situation here. Unemployment is very high, and most places are going to rehire locals that lost their jobs. I am sorry to sound negative but I just don't want to see you make a huge mistake that you are really going to regret.

I agree with Kyle, try to find something in one of the cities in your home state with lower unemployment, surely you will have better luck there.

Good luck to you.

Seriously. What Gypsychic is saying is exactly what most people on here will say. I would say the same but she nailed it, just like that last few members. I think it would be a detrimental move to your family. And Daytona? Why? What makes you want to make such a huge move like that? Sorry, I whole heartedly think it would be the wrong move.

I work in property management, as does my wife, it took her 2 years to get a 6 month temporary position where I work while the manager is on maternity leave. I am in Southwest FL the worst hit area of FL. We get people in all the time looking for work wanting to drop off resume's. look around in Orlando, Tampa and Jax like others say. DO NOT just come here without any sort of plan, a good amount of money, or without doing research of every aspect. i would not do it with my 1 child, let alone 4.

[tavernier town]

Hello, Key West, Marathon and Islamorada,fl. Call Cheeca and Outback and major hotels all need managers. go on line and check the classified in the Keynoter ,many businesses here include housing.

[mikereznm]

I know it's a long way from Florida but, have you considered other areas. Reason for asking we live and work on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico and currently need a HR person as I'm sure other reservations do. Indian Health Services(IHS.Gov) usually has a wealth of jobs listed on their site. And, the sites such as ours offer low cost housing, good pay and great benefits, and will on most occasions pay for all moving expenses. Some,but not all reservations are located near medium to large metro areas. Our for instance is 2 hrs. out of Albuquerque and the children that live here in staff housing have the option of attending the Navajo school or busing to the nearest school district which in our case is 30mi. away.
Just a thought. If you would like any more info. re: our rez.(Alamo Navajo Reservation)feel free to pm me.