Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Having a hard time figure this out. Currently living in West Texas. I'm content with my current job. stable and great pay. Wife has not liked it out here and wants to relocate. No jobs, the desert climate, further from her family in the NE.
I have an opportunity in Houston that seems pretty solid, but no means the job of my dreams. It will be busy. The way my industry works, couldn't really move around after this job hop without shooting myself in the foot. I have the contract, I just need to sign it and don't have much time to sign it left.
I received an opportunity to interview for another position that I've wanted for a long time in Raleigh. Its government based and has a better life/work balance. Life wouldn't be as much of a grind as it is now. Pay isn't as great, but cost of living is less there is less, less traffic/big city issues, closer to my wife's family and has much better retirement benefits (pension and matching of the TRP?401k?).
Bird in the hand, two in the bush scenario.
Personally, I'd rather wait for the NC opportunity and if nothing worked out I'd still be ok with my current job. My wife isn't giving me that as an option. If I weren't to get the NC job, then I'm not sure where we would be. I've already explored all other avenues of moving to other big cities in Texas (and rejected a few other offers). I'd have to start looking to move outside Texas (which doesn't thrill me as my family lives here and adds even more expense on my end to leave Texas professionally).
I think you sound like Raleigh might be a good fit for you. Can you bring your wife along and come visit?
I think Raleigh is a very good fit. Houston's advantage/disadvantage is that its a much bigger city, but also driving distance to my family.
The NC job itself far outweighs the Houston opportunity. It allows me a better opportunity to take care of myself better and provides me a lot more opportunity to spend time with my family.
Houston isn't a big change from my current job if not a bit of a step down in terms of lifestyle and work. I spend a lot of time working now to earn my salary and maybe get 1-2 weekends a month with them. It's a lot of hours where I need to be a lot more productive. I have a friend who works there currently.
Money is better in the private sector, but I really do work for it. Money is still very good in this federal job, and over the course of my career I'd be losing significant income, but its made up the fact that the FERS pension system would more than make up for that lost income. I would be happier in that job as well.
If I had to choose based solely on job, it's hands down NC. I'm a texas guy and I'd prefer Raleigh over Houston any day.
Biggest issue is the risk of giving up a job in a location will be happier with. It's a known quantity right now. She wants the certainty of leaving where we are now. Houston gives that to us. Giving it up for an unknown scares her. And the way things are working out, will be harder to leave here, at least in the short term if I don't get NC.
I guess the hard part is getting my wife to buy into rolling the dice on NC. She's happy if it works, frightened if it doesn't
Wife has not liked it out here and wants to relocate. No jobs, the desert climate, further from her family in the NE.
NC is closer to the NE. There are lots of people from the NE here. Not sure where she's from, but we have lots of transplants from NY, NJ, PA, and elsewhere.
Certainly not desert here. Lots of green and humidity, but you'd get that in Houston, too. I think our climate, while still hot and humid, is not AS hot and humid as Houston. We do get 4 seasons, but winter is relatively short.
It's a fast-growing area (like Houston), super family friendly (not sure if you have kids or might in the future), clean and green. The current state politics are nothing to brag about, but it's not like Texas has so much to crow about there, either.
Come on up and visit with your wife. I think you'll like it.
Yeah, unfortunately, my interview in NC is really going to be for a few hours time. I fly in on a Saturday morning and fly out that evening since I work on Sunday night. She's a little familiar with Raleigh. Her mother raves about the city. She has cousins who live there. Short quick flight to NYC. So I think its provides her with many good things. Its not as big of an airport as Houston, something she wanted. But at the very least she can get direct flights to see her family.
Wife is unfortunately a NYC girl. Likes high rises, window front shopping, etc. Where I'm more small town country. She does understand that the job market for my field is horrible in NYC, harder to raise a family in NYC and we would need so much more $$$$
Well, Raleigh is no NYC, but we do have plenty of former New Yorkers here.
Is Charlotte a possibility? It's a little more big city.
What does she think about Raleigh?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
