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Old 05-13-2008, 01:54 PM
 
35 posts, read 107,270 times
Reputation: 19

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I made just under 28K a year in IT (a niche area of it(, and I quit my job. I have savings and a buncha money saved up. But here is how I did it:

-Lived with roommates, with parents, or in roach-infested East End dump
-No Internet while living by self.
-Family cell phone plan.
-Goodwill for clothes, Dollar General for bulk items
-Take bus

Most people don't want that kind of life, and I don't blame them. But I've been struggling for four years now, and it's not working anymore (except that I saved up money).

Currently, the job market is nightmarish. My skills are not wanted here, and there are few available positions. I chose between decent money and verbal abuse, tyranny, and daily bull**** by one of those misogynistic "traditional" bosses who views a woman's place as in his kitchen.

I went on an interview last week, where the woman led me on for 2 hours, and then informed me that the GROSS PAY for the position was 1.5K a month and no benefits. This is the type of job offers there are here.

I am living cheaply even unemployed: dollar store, leave the lights off during the day, no new anything, and I don't spend a dime at any entertainment venue here. By the end of the summer, I plan to take that money to Philly or NY or Baltimore. Pittsburgh doesn't want me here, and that's fine. I get the hint.
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Old 05-13-2008, 03:11 PM
 
439 posts, read 1,467,168 times
Reputation: 154
Quote:
Originally Posted by IAmAngieBowie View Post
I made just under 28K a year in IT (a niche area of it(, and I quit my job. I have savings and a buncha money saved up. But here is how I did it:

-Lived with roommates, with parents, or in roach-infested East End dump
-No Internet while living by self.
-Family cell phone plan.
-Goodwill for clothes, Dollar General for bulk items
-Take bus

Most people don't want that kind of life, and I don't blame them. But I've been struggling for four years now, and it's not working anymore (except that I saved up money).

Currently, the job market is nightmarish. My skills are not wanted here, and there are few available positions. I chose between decent money and verbal abuse, tyranny, and daily bull**** by one of those misogynistic "traditional" bosses who views a woman's place as in his kitchen.

I went on an interview last week, where the woman led me on for 2 hours, and then informed me that the GROSS PAY for the position was 1.5K a month and no benefits. This is the type of job offers there are here.

I am living cheaply even unemployed: dollar store, leave the lights off during the day, no new anything, and I don't spend a dime at any entertainment venue here. By the end of the summer, I plan to take that money to Philly or NY or Baltimore. Pittsburgh doesn't want me here, and that's fine. I get the hint.

What is your background/education? I have many friends in IT and none of them have had a problem finding jobs (good paying).

I work with many tech companies and they are always looking for people.
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Old 05-13-2008, 03:14 PM
 
2,751 posts, read 5,346,814 times
Reputation: 1779
Quote:
Originally Posted by IAmAngieBowie View Post
I made just under 28K a year in IT (a niche area of it(, and I quit my job. I have savings and a buncha money saved up. But here is how I did it:

-Lived with roommates, with parents, or in roach-infested East End dump
-No Internet while living by self.
-Family cell phone plan.
-Goodwill for clothes, Dollar General for bulk items
-Take bus

Most people don't want that kind of life, and I don't blame them. But I've been struggling for four years now, and it's not working anymore (except that I saved up money).

Currently, the job market is nightmarish. My skills are not wanted here, and there are few available positions. I chose between decent money and verbal abuse, tyranny, and daily bull**** by one of those misogynistic "traditional" bosses who views a woman's place as in his kitchen.

I went on an interview last week, where the woman led me on for 2 hours, and then informed me that the GROSS PAY for the position was 1.5K a month and no benefits. This is the type of job offers there are here.

I am living cheaply even unemployed: dollar store, leave the lights off during the day, no new anything, and I don't spend a dime at any entertainment venue here. By the end of the summer, I plan to take that money to Philly or NY or Baltimore. Pittsburgh doesn't want me here, and that's fine. I get the hint.
I don't know you, but I feel for you, and I like your moniker by the way. I grew up in Pgh., but have been gone for quite a few years and I'll tell you I live in a major metro area, not one of the ones you mention, though I did live in NYC and Baltimore for a while, but I think you'll find, and excuse the cliche, but it's tough all over. When I was a kid I lived in East Liberty, at a time when it was more livable; never great and we had no money, but just like everywhere then, the downside wasn't such a plunge.

You're probably a younger woman and believe me it's only a good thing, but I'm young enough to remember that feeling that everything was urgent, of the utmost importance, but you'll see that level out with the years. I guess it only makes sense that the less time we've been here the more important everything seems in relativity. My advice to you, and I know I might sound a little preachy now, even a little pompous; I can almost see your eyes glazing over and your head nodding in skepticism as I write this, but here goes...Stay close to the people that love you. New York's a big, exciting town, but it can also be the coldest, loneliest place on earth when you're down. Philly and Baltimore aren't much better than Pittsburgh, if at all. If you're from Pittsburgh and you have family and friends that care about you you've got it all.
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Old 05-13-2008, 04:43 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles Area
3,306 posts, read 4,131,693 times
Reputation: 592
Quote:
In your opinion, what is the problem with the "business environment" here?
I tried to start a business in the Pittsburgh area, but instead started it out in California. Here are the problems that I encountered as a small bootstrapped start-up:

1.) High taxes when making small profits.
2.) City and state state code that can't be understood by available information. You are pretty much forced to hire someone, which can get rather expensive.
3.) No local business partners
4.) Lack of suitable warehouse/industry space in the city. Most of what was available was too big and/or needed to be fixed up.
5.) Although a bit harder to characterize, we felt the city was just a bad environment for a business. The people generally don't respect it, they aren't interested in it and can get annoyed by it (try taking a bunch of packages to the post office).
6.) For our business the image of Pittsburgh was a downside, most the world/nation thinks its a gross place. When you're trying to do business nation wide and internationally this can be a factor. That is its sort of hard to give your company a hip image if its located in Pittsburgh.

3.) was somewhat minor because there were business partners in Philly and Ohio. 5.) was mainly just annoying. Being mocked among other things can get annoying after a while. The biggest problems were 1,2 and 4.

Just to note, we were planning on starting a LLC that is taxed as a Partnership, but looked into being taxed as a Corporation also.

I've never worked for a large corporation that was thinking about relocation so I can only guess why they don't consider the Pittsburgh region. I would guess it has to do with taxes, labor supply and annoying bureaucracy/regulations.
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Old 05-13-2008, 04:47 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles Area
3,306 posts, read 4,131,693 times
Reputation: 592
Quote:
If you're from Pittsburgh and you have family and friends that care about you you've got it all.
Just to note two things. 1.) Not everyone puts a lot of value in living close to family, I know I don't. 2.) If you can't find a suitable job then it doesn't matter, unless they are going to pay your rent and feed you.
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Old 05-13-2008, 06:02 PM
 
Location: Saint Petersburg
632 posts, read 1,733,291 times
Reputation: 319
Quote:
Originally Posted by Humanoid View Post

I've never worked for a large corporation that was thinking about relocation so I can only guess why they don't consider the Pittsburgh region. I would guess it has to do with taxes, labor supply and annoying bureaucracy/regulations.
Thank you. That was informative.
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Old 05-13-2008, 07:07 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,167,257 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by raynist View Post
What is your background/education? I have many friends in IT and none of them have had a problem finding jobs (good paying).

I work with many tech companies and they are always looking for people.
Can you give a ballpark figure of what your friends are making and what types of degrees they have? I don't man reveal anyone's salary, but just a general idea.
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Old 05-13-2008, 09:32 PM
 
22 posts, read 64,263 times
Reputation: 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by IAmAngieBowie View Post
I made just under 28K a year in IT (a niche area of it(, and I quit my job. I have savings and a buncha money saved up. But here is how I did it:

-Lived with roommates, with parents, or in roach-infested East End dump
-No Internet while living by self.
-Family cell phone plan.
-Goodwill for clothes, Dollar General for bulk items
-Take bus

Most people don't want that kind of life, and I don't blame them. But I've been struggling for four years now, and it's not working anymore (except that I saved up money).

Currently, the job market is nightmarish. My skills are not wanted here, and there are few available positions. I chose between decent money and verbal abuse, tyranny, and daily bull**** by one of those misogynistic "traditional" bosses who views a woman's place as in his kitchen.

I went on an interview last week, where the woman led me on for 2 hours, and then informed me that the GROSS PAY for the position was 1.5K a month and no benefits. This is the type of job offers there are here.

I am living cheaply even unemployed: dollar store, leave the lights off during the day, no new anything, and I don't spend a dime at any entertainment venue here. By the end of the summer, I plan to take that money to Philly or NY or Baltimore. Pittsburgh doesn't want me here, and that's fine. I get the hint.
Wow...are you and I living the same life? I thought I was the queen of Goodwill-Dollar Tree-crappy apartment-no Internet to save money.

I call bullsh*t on the people saying 'it's tough all over'. I've lived in several places around the U.S. and overseas, and some places definitely have it easier than others. Not everyone in the U.S. -- or in the world -- is living hand-to-mouth.

I moved back to the Pittsburgh area five years ago to be close to family, but guess what? The struggle to make it here just isn't worth it. I love my family, but I'll happily take a plane, train or automobile back to Pittsburgh to VISIT my family.

Please don't make the mistake of trying to stick it out in Pittsburgh when there are better opportunities elsewhere. In addition to being promoted faster in another region with a better economy, living elsewhere can give you an appreciation for other cultures.

It's been said that the 20th century was the century of the United States; the 21st will be the century of Asia. If you have the inclination, you may want to consider living overseas for a while. My brother was in IT in Singapore for a few years and did VERY well. (I found Singapore to be a superb base for travel to Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, etc.)

I applaud your decision to move on to greener pastures and in realizing that you'll have a better future outside of Western Pennsylvania.
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Old 05-14-2008, 05:36 PM
 
35 posts, read 107,270 times
Reputation: 19
Thanks, everyone, I appreciate your comments.

As far as family goes, my mother and I rarely speak -- and in fact, a *big* reason I want the hell out is because I am not putting up with her any longer. I feel bad that she has problems, but I can't solve them, and she won't work on them, you know? My dad is great, but he'd rather see me succeed than be miserable. And most of my friends have already moved away, because, like me, they were tired of ramen and secretarial work.

I don't want to have a family or own a car, either, so COL is irrelevant to me. I'm happy in a small apartment and relying on the bus.

My partner and I don't want kids. We love the performace art and fetish communities, and we rarely go out, because those events in Pittsburgh happen once in a blue moon, if ever. We both have our health, thank lord, though no insurance -- and that's another reason we want out. It's been too long between doctor's visits.
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Old 05-14-2008, 10:05 PM
 
439 posts, read 1,467,168 times
Reputation: 154
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana View Post
Can you give a ballpark figure of what your friends are making and what types of degrees they have? I don't man reveal anyone's salary, but just a general idea.
All have bachelors degrees.

Some people are starting out upper 30's to low 40's at the company I work for.

Have had other friends with more experience getting mid to upper 50's. One guy way higher than that, but he has more schooling.

IAmAngieBowie, did you look on the Pittsburgh Tech Council's website?
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