Possible move to PGH in October. (Pittsburgh, Forest Hills: apartment, attorneys, find a job)

[89david98]

I finally decided to move up to Pittsburgh in October. I was doing my budget and I can have 10k saved up for the whole move. I was wondering if this is a fair amount to leave with. I have been researching Pittsburgh for the last few months, and it looks very appealing and stable economically with a low CoL. Just looking for some advice about the general move. Thanks.
P.s. I won't make the move unless I have a job lined up. This puts me at a catch 22. How do you find a job out of state? Should I leave with a little more cash and then try to land a job when I get there? If so, how would I get an apartment/renthouse? Thanks again

[BrianTH]

It is hard for us to know how many months that $10K will get you, since that depends on a lot of personal factors. But if you had a job lined up in advance, and it is just you, I would say barring unusual circumstances that should be fine. Whether any given employer would do that depends--some are used to recruiting out of the area, others wouldn't consider it.

Doing it without a job would likely be more risky, but again that depends on a lot of factors. People are constantly getting hired here, so the question is what sort of marketable education/skills/experience do you have, what sort of job would you settle for, and so on.

And to finish with the same "it depends" theme: there are all sorts of landlords here, and some are used to taking out-of-state tenants, and others won't consider it, and similarly their policies on employment vary. If you had proof of a job lined up I think you could find something from out of town if necessary, and similarly you could likely find something if you were here and had the cash to make a significant deposit, but personally I would plan on making the first place cheap and temporary so you could explore more options once you were here and employed.

[WILWRadio]

You may want to consider getting in touch with a Temp to Perm employment agency or three to see what kind of jobs they have available. I've found that is a great way to get your foot into the door and at worst you can uses the experience to find a permanent position if that one only turns out to be temporary.

[BrianTH]

I also think temp to perm can be a good way to start here.

[tranceFusion]

My wife had a lot of difficulty finding a job here from out of state, even though she made it clear in her cover letter that she wasn't planning the move regardless and required no relocation assistance. We went ahead and moved and she found one very quickly and got a lot more action on her resumes submissions. I think with so many people out of work they are just spamming companies everywhere without any thought as to whether they want to move there or what it will take to make that happen. The companies, with so many candidates to choose from, probably just dump them all in the trash so they don't have to deal with those types of people, less flexible schedules for interviewing, etc. We are young and generally lacking in responsibilities so I'm not suggesting you doing something you will regret or that will negatively affect others, but that was our experience

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by tranceFusion

My wife had a lot of difficulty finding a job here from out of state, even though she made it clear in her cover letter that she wasn't planning the move regardless and required no relocation assistance. We went ahead and moved and she found one very quickly and got a lot more action on her resumes submissions. I think with so many people out of work they are just spamming companies everywhere without any thought as to whether they want to move there or what it will take to make that happen. The companies, with so many candidates to choose from, probably just dump them all in the trash so they don't have to deal with those types of people, less flexible schedules for interviewing, etc.

Very good point. I've had the same experience in a couple different parts of the country. No luck mailing out a resume but once I moved there I found wrk within a couple of weeks.

[gg]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I also think temp to perm can be a good way to start here.

Any good links or reputable places for this?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Any good links or reputable places for this?

That depends on your field. I know a specific person I would recommend to attorneys, but that may not be helpful for the OP.

[Faer]

When I moved out here, it took me about 6 months to get a job in my field. $10k would likely cover that, but I don't recommend it.

[PreservationPioneer]

$10k should be more than enough, if your expenses are low. I moved here with about $4k back in 2008. I got hired at Wal-Mart the same day I moved into my apartment. That job held me through until I found something in my field, about four months later. I would suggest taking any job you can get until you find what you are looking for (it can take a while, and it's nice to have something to pay the bills. Also, you will meet many contacts who can give you info about employment opportunities). I would also recommend finding the cheapest apartment you can (I lived in a $325 efficiency apartment with all utilities included in Forest Hills). You can always move somewhere nicer once you have secure employment.