Relocation: San Antonio TX OR Charleston SC??? (Austin, Corpus Christi: job market, neighborhood)

[oliva_tp]

Hello to all,

My wife (US citizen) and I (French citizen) are both currently unemployed and living in Los Angeles CA. Because of the high cost of life and the high level of unemployment, we have decided to relocate somewhere else, more affordable and promising.

We have done some research and are hesitating between:
Charleston SC - medium unemployment rate.
San Antonio TX - low unemployment rate.

We like Charleston because it is on the ocean and closer to Europe but the statistics (unemployment rate) encourage us to go for San Antonio, which also looks great.

I have a bachelors in Business/marketing with 5 years managerial experience and my wife worked in hospitality and as an office assistant/receptionist and we would like some feedback on which you think would be the best fit for our profiles.

Thank you for your opinions, they will make a considerable difference in our decision.

[majormadmax]

Both are great places (I used to do Air Force Reserves in Charleston during the late 80s, and was there as recently as last year), but obviously I will be biased towards SA since we chose to live here.

Given SA's huge tourism industry, I would think SA would be the better choice. There is also a larger professional community here for you.

In my opinion, there is a lot more to do in and around San Antonio, and just as much history although here you have to look for it more as it is mixed in with everything else whereas in Charleston it is the center attraction.

The ocean is nice, until a hurricane comes by then you'll be evacuating inland. Corpus Christi is about 2-3 hours from here, and while the Gulf isn't as nice as the Atlantic, it suffices.

Honestly, you probably won't go wrong with either; but given the choice I would pick SA. But, as I said, I am biased.

Cheers! M2

[scuba steve]

I know aerospace (if you're interested in it at all), and either city would be good for that in the next 5 years.

[oliva_tp]

Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate your imput and also believe that San Antonio is a fantastic town.

One of our fears, though, is to get to San Antonio in few days, to start applying for jobs and to not find anything anytime soon.

With an international background as Marketing Manager for major fashion companies (Green Spirit - Europe, Ed Hardy - Los Angeles) and as owner of my own retail wine boutique store (WineStyles), I am not sure to find any opportunity in any of the industries I've worked in , in San Antonio. I could be completely wrong though !

Based on our research, it seems that the growing industry would be:
- military employment (I am 30 years old, non citizen and doubt I could start a career that late in the army);
- health (I could not get back into such a long education);
- Education (not an educator);
- tourism (besides my french background, I have no degree in hospitality).

Aerospace or any other industry seems incredibly interesting and I am incredibly interested in any opportunity, but will I be able to find a real career opportunity and stability.

My strenghs (6+ years experience) would be:
- strategic planning;
- merchandising;
- product development;
- marketing.
Which are all skills adaptable to any industry.

Based on those information:
- Do you think I could find a job in San Antonio?
- How long do you think it would take?
- In which industry?
- What would be the best way to apply?

Again, thank you for your suggestions and advice, I know this is a lot of information and specific questions!

[ShaneSA]

I only know SA. But the hopitality industry is the largest employer in San Antonio. Your expertise and experience would do well in several industries and I would think there are companies here who could use you. I doubt anyoen would be able to tell you how long it would take to find the right job. Your wife, I would think, would find a spot right away.

[majormadmax]

You have thought through this very thoroughly, but honestly I don't think Charleston offers any more in the areas you listed than SA! Don't get me wrong, I love the Charleston area; but if I were in your situation and those were my two options I would definitely head to SA (and that is not a biased comment but one based on fact). The economy is much stronger here, and opportunities greater.

However, your areas of expertise are not ones that are abundant in SA; so you may have to expand your search if you want to stay specialized. As Shane noted, you should be able to find a job if you are flexible.

That said, there really is no way to answer your questions; it is something you are going to have to figure out yourself, either by choice or by experience. It is a gamble, but it would be no matter where you go...

[jules07]

The WORST 5 months of my life where spent in Charleston (actually, in Summerville, a "suburb" of Charleston). We were there on a temp assignment, and had been living in Southern California before that. MAJOR culture shock!!!! I absolutely detest the area! If you choose Charleston, be ready for the locals not liking you (because you're from the "Left Coast"), any "professional services" that you need to hire (like contractors, pest control, etc.) showing up on their own time (it didn't get the nickname "The SLOW Country" for nothin'!), MAJOR racism (the KKK is alive and kickin' there ), BUGS BUGS BUGS, horrible humidity (the humidity is SA has nothin' on Charleston's), there is bacon in EVERYTHING and a salad bar at a restaurant consists of iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded carrots, and things like mac salad or potato salad or coleslaw, the closest thing you can get to decent Mexican food is Taco Bell (that is NOT an exaggeration!), etc., etc.

Can you tell I didn't like it? We've been in SA about 11 years now. And while I certainly don't think it's perfect, I'd take it over Charleston ANY DAY!

Not that I'm biased.

[scuba steve]

Hey if you know wines this is actually a decent region of the country for that. There are a lot of wineries between here, Kerrville, and Austin with plenty of regional brands between them.

It's hard to comment on aerospace... some people who look at resumes look for experience in this field. However, in the business / marketing / finance area that's no so important as it would be for someone working with or designing actual product. Judging from the people I live around at least there seems to be a good market for your business management types. My neighborhood is full of them.

[oliva_tp]

Hello to all,

Report of the day:
- after 5 days of applying to SA, still no feedback unfortunatelly;
- after 3 days of applying to Charleston, already 4 interview scheduled.

Application were sent via Craigslist, Indeed, etc. and all other major search engines.

Thank you for your feedback.

[japan-virginia]

The WORST 5 months of my life where spent in Charleston (actually, in Summerville, a "suburb" of Charleston). We were there on a temp assignment, and had been living in Southern California before that. MAJOR culture shock!!!! I absolutely detest the area! If you choose Charleston, be ready for the locals not liking you (because you're from the "Left Coast"), any "professional services" that you need to hire (like contractors, pest control, etc.) showing up on their own time (it didn't get the nickname "The SLOW Country" for nothin'!), MAJOR racism (the KKK is alive and kickin' there ), BUGS BUGS BUGS, horrible humidity (the humidity is SA has nothin' on Charleston's), there is bacon in EVERYTHING and a salad bar at a restaurant consists of iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded carrots, and things like mac salad or potato salad or coleslaw, the closest thing you can get to decent Mexican food is Taco Bell (that is NOT an exaggeration!), etc., etc.

Gee, a little harsh on the place. It seems as if you are trying to paint the city asd some sort of provincial backwater, that is hardly the case. Consider the Spoleto Festival held each spring which is a first rate cultural event Spoleto Festival USA 2009 (http://www.spoletousa.org/2009.php - broken link) I spent a fair bit of time in the city of Charleston and didn't find any of what you describe other than pretty thick humidity (Nice sea breeze though and you won't find 50+ days of over 100 degree heat either!).

I would say that you'll absolutely enjoy Charleston. Along with Savannah, it is one of the most beautiful southern cities. Charleston also has quite a long gourmet tradition as well as its first rate low country seafood (shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, oysters, and a lot more..). From Charleston you can drive to the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina in around 4 hours and you are a day's drive to Florida or the major cities of the northeast. It is a much smaller city than SA, so I would have concerns about being able to find another job should you find yourself in the job market again, in that area SA gets the nod.

SA does have a very different feel which many enjoy. I think the two cities are quite different though and don't lend themselves to comparison.