Should I Move to Central Illinois, Maybe for State Job?

[AbbyJaneway]

From what I can tell, the majority of state jobs are in Springfield. And with the massive amount of debt the state is in, I don't think there's a surplus of jobs available. As far as state jobs in B-N go you could work for ISU, although I'm not sure how easy jobs there are to come by, or Heartland Community College, where I work. Heartland is growing rapidly right now and often hiring for clerical and teaching positions (higher-up positions as well but they tend to go to internal candidates, which I think has less to do with nepotism as with external candidates being comparatively very under-qualified). The major employer here as you're probably already aware is State Farm (and I swear it has to be like 50% of the population that works for them, because it seems like every other person I meet does), but competition for jobs there is incredibly stiff. Most of the students that I hear at Heartland who want to join the workforce after getting their Associates (many already have 4-year degrees and have returned to update their skills), their goal is working at State Farm. And some entry-level jobs SF farms out to temps because it's cheaper than hiring regular employees.

Housing prices here are high for central IL but compared to Chicagoland they aren't bad at all. The college population and constant influx of State Farm transfers keeps rent prices high. Home prices are higher than in Peoria but comparable to Peoria suburbs with strong school systems like Dunlap or Morton. Just based on state test scores the school system here doesn't seem to warrant the prices but I neither have kids nor plan to buy a house here so I don't know or particularly care. I pay $810 a month for a 3 bed, 2 bath apartment and this is fairly average for decent sq footage and upkeep, and not being near ISU. FWIW, I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and I like B-N better. If there wasn't the lousy Midwestern weather I probably wouldn't leave. It has most of the stores I like to shop at (only missing Trader Joe's and World Market...A few stores that aren't in B-N are 30 mins away in Peoria, like Costco), without the traffic nightmare of living in Chicagoland. Plus easy highway access to Chicago, St. Louis, and the other central IL major cities. It's convenient for friends to visit me via Amtrak or the airport. Personally I fly out of Peoria because it's usually slightly cheaper with a better selection of flights, but it's a million times easier to pick someone up from Central IL Regional than O'Hare! I'm not sure how long ago you went to school here but from what I've heard from people who've lived here their whole life, the town has grown immensely over the past decade. The population of B-N together is over 120,000. So it's likely better here than what you remember. I'm just not sure that job prospects in central IL are any better than where you are now. It's certainly worth exploring though.

[anonak]

Than you for your insight AbbyJaneway. I agree that my initial impression of state jobs being less competitive in central Illinois was wrong, but luckily, I am excited about the prospect of trying. I am not married to the idea of a state job, though, and I would like to explore my options.

In Chicagoland, it seems like most jobs that I would want and am qualified for are in the city, but commuting downtown would take me probably 2-3 hours/day and moving into the city would be extremely expensive, especially considering how much I would make.

I've had a desire to move "elsewhere" for quite a while, but I need to keep in mind that moving will mostly only change my location, not everything I dislike in my life

(Just for comparison, I recently moved out of a 2 bedroom, 1 bath bedroom in Mokena that cost $800/month and as far as I could tell, was the cheapest apartment in the area.)

[anonak]

Thank you Maintainschaos. Re: Springfield being kind of sleepy - Honestly, this would probably not be a big issue for me. I'm not one who goes into the city very often, though I suppose the fact that I have the option is kind of nice. I have actually never been to St. Louis, but would love to go!

Also, I'm sure that you are right regarding the competitiveness of state jobs, and I appreciate that the commenters here have given me a bit of a reality check.

[linicx]

Downstate functions a bit differently than Chicago because the lifestyle is different. You are more likely to find large groves of mature tree and John Deere than you are Gucci and a $300 steak. There is a ritual, and I use the word lightly, in the larger cities regarding entertainment. In Peoria for instance Wed thru Sat, and sometimes Sun afternoon is when you are most likely to find live music and network with your peers. While Quinn continues to dole out money for Northern Illinois projects he is reducing the number of state employees, not renewing state contracts, and is completely defunding some programs.

The cost of rental property is subjective. You can rent a decent place for $500, a very nice place for $800 or live in the lap of luxury for $2000. In Peoria you should be able to rent a house in a good 'hood for $7-900. A friend who moved from Springfield says there are jobs but not so much government. I don't know anything about Sangamon County. The City of Peoria and the County of Peoria pay well and so does the park district. I don't know how good entry level pay is. The cost of living in Central Illinois is cheaper but the pay is less, too. It's a craps shoot. If you want to get away from the mega city and have more personal space, less traffic, less noise, and less travel central Illinois is not a bad place to look. In Peoria which includes the City of West Peoria and Peoria Heights most everything you want is within 20 minutes travel. There is a city bus that is generally reliable, that also goes into Bartonville and to ICC the community college.