Finding a job in SD (San Diego: new house, unemployment, college) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

starfish33 · 02-09-2011, 12:15 PM

My husband is currently looking for a product management position in SD. We've only been looking for a few weeks but haven't received any calls I know it's competitive in SD but he has received several calls from the midwest. We are originally from SD, we still have SoCal cell#s and his resume shows SD connections. My question is this, are companies more reluctant to contact someone from another state? Has anyone been able to negotiate relocation? We are willing to pay relocation for the right job, but it would be nice.

OregonDuck · 02-09-2011, 03:12 PM

In my case, yes companies are less likely to accept applicants from outside of San Diego. About half of the jobs I am looking at mention local residents only. In my cover letter I mention I would be willing to pay relocation myself, if necessary, however this has garnered little response. I also get the impression that companies are more apt to hire local candidates if their pool is sufficient. They look outside of California only if they have to. I am shocked to see even the larger companies balk at out of state applications at the senior management level. What is an extra 10K in relocation when you are already paying 125K+? Why screen out potential top tier talent?

What I have found successful is leveraging something like LinkedIn or e-mail guessing to make a personal connection with someone at the company you are interested in. Sometimes in the job description it will mention who you would report to. Google or LinkedIn search that position at Company X. Explain your situation via a short message. This has gotten me a few interviews.

The last hurdle I am finding is getting paid what I am worth. San Diego and its damn 'Sunshine Tax'. Not only am I not able to make 125% of what I am making now, many places will not even give me the same salary that Oregon provides.

Everyone keeps telling me to take the next job I am offered and find something else as soon as the boxes are unpacked. I hate to be a job hopper, but I have already turned down a few positions due to low pay. I expected more response to my skills, however I think I am getting screened out before human eyes are even looking over my information.

loveautumn · 02-09-2011, 03:33 PM

well, probably there is lots of top tier talent already here in SD that will work for the salary they are offering. Yes, companies are reluctant to go out of state because there is more risk that the employee won't stay in California (we have brought in people from other states and surprisingly a majority of them do go back where they came from) or will change jobs as soon as they find something else that they think is better (this is also very common). Companies usually go by past experience with out of state hires and if they have been burned too many times, they will restrict their searches to people who are already established here.

Especially in this economy, employers expect some "sacrifice" to get to live in SD, and usually that sacrifice is $$$. This was true even when I moved here in 1977.

Interesting, though, it seems from some postings here that people from Canada and the UK seem to have an easier time getting positions in SD than those from other states, can't really figure that out!

shmoov_groovzsd · 02-09-2011, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starfish33

My husband is currently looking for a product management position in SD. We've only been looking for a few weeks but haven't received any calls I know it's competitive in SD but he has received several calls from the midwest. We are originally from SD, we still have SoCal cell#s and his resume shows SD connections. My question is this, are companies more reluctant to contact someone from another state? Has anyone been able to negotiate relocation? We are willing to pay relocation for the right job, but it would be nice.

A product manager for what?

Recently, in my industry (Cellular) I have seen an influx of colleagues and acquaintances migrate North to the Bay Area and the midwest for career advancement and better pay.
Many of them never saw raises in several years but got way more workload. A good number of them just left and then found work afterwords.

Clevelandgal · 02-09-2011, 04:30 PM

I am not in your spouses field however I do want to share it is rough moving here from out of state. I will add my scare story. I have a Masters in my field and 15 years complex experience, great references and so on, and I can't get anywhere! I have never had an issue moving to a new area and getting a job until now. Heck last time I moved the phone was ringing when I plugged it in at the new house and I got that job. I have started applying for ANYTHING so I can get unemployment started (only need to make $60). I can't get an interview for job as a temp, a cashier, a grocery bagger -all jobs I had in HS-or anything else in between-let alone at the position level or income I was at before relocation.

In cruel irony I got called for 2 interviews (the only 2) but I was in Hawaii and it was too expensive to fly back. Neither employer could/or was willing to wait for the day I came back (about 4 days after they wanted me to come in) . So if he gets an interview, find a way to get there! Luckily my spouse's job is why we moved so we are afloat, but it is demoralizing for me to be in this situation.

OregonDuck · 02-09-2011, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loveautumn

well, probably there is lots of top tier talent already here in SD that will work for the salary they are offering. Yes, companies are reluctant to go out of state because there is more risk that the employee won't stay in California (we have brought in people from other states and surprisingly a majority of them do go back where they came from) or will change jobs as soon as they find something else that they think is better (this is also very common). Companies usually go by past experience with out of state hires and if they have been burned too many times, they will restrict their searches to people who are already established here.

Especially in this economy, employers expect some "sacrifice" to get to live in SD, and usually that sacrifice is $$$. This was true even when I moved here in 1977.

Interesting, though, it seems from some postings here that people from Canada and the UK seem to have an easier time getting positions in SD than those from other states, can't really figure that out!

Could be true about plenty of top tier talent, however some of those jobs are open for quite a long time.

I do question your assertion that companies should be wary of people moving back home or hopping to another job. Why would a person from out of state be more apt to job hop than a local? That statement I find curious. The former part of your claim I can fathom. Of course that is the polar opposite of the thinking 'everyone wants to move to San Diego' so companies can by default pay people less. I do realize you preface your post by saying "in your experience", so it is possible the company you were with was the culprit in new employees desire to leave so quickly and often.

I have hired numerous out of state employees, and none of them left within the first 2 years.

NYSD1995 · 02-09-2011, 05:09 PM

Most employers here understand that you are moving for San Diego, not the job, and as such will tend to discount relocations, out-of-state workers, and offer lowball salaries. This is especially true for those outside of the core military / R&D / tech / bio cluster where talent is not scarce and job opps are thin. Many employers may attempt to use San Diego as a bargaining chip, i.e. offering relocation but not the appropriate salary. This is typical, longstanding, and commonplace in San Diego and has been for many, many years. Many workers here are in denial and think 65k is a great salary for a white collar job, many others get wise and move on.

Product Manager, depends on what you specialize in, i.e. it's essentially a marketing job and due to the highly technical nature of the companies here... unless you have a strong tech background they can be impossible to get.

starfish33 · 02-09-2011, 06:22 PM

Thanks to those that responded.

shmoov: my husband is a product manager/developer in financial internet software. He currently works for a large bank on the east coast but has worked for small data companies too. I know that some product managers focus on marketing, and he does have a component of that, but his main focus is on developing and building the product, everything from the look, how it will work, user interface, etc.. Also writes up requirements and presents ideas for development to top executives. He has a degree in finance, but has always worked on the tech end and has a very good grasp of tech. Basically knows how a business needs a product to work and can work with programers to build it.

We know that SD does not really have many banking type jobs, but he is open to data or financial software companies. Also, I understand the reluctance to hire out-of-state workers due to job hopping, but it does show that he went to college in SD and worked there for about 10 years after. I was hoping that it shows that we have personal connects in the area, we both grew up there, our family's are still there though we can't put that on a resume.

Living on the east coast was nice before we had children, but now that we do we'd really like to be closer to family. Anyway thanks for any advice you can offer.

NYSD1995 · 02-09-2011, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starfish33

shmoov: my husband is a product manager/developer in financial internet software. He currently works for a large bank on the east coast but has worked for small data companies too. I know that some product managers focus on marketing, and he does have a component of that, but his main focus is on developing and building the product, everything from the look, how it will work, user interface, etc.. Also writes up requirements and presents ideas for development to top executives. He has a degree in finance, but has always worked on the tech end and has a very good grasp of tech. Basically knows how a business needs a product to work and can work with programers to build it.

He should be looking at Business Analyst roles in corporate IT rather than focusing on Product Manager jobs in software product corps (very few of those jobs in San Diego).

starfish33 · 02-09-2011, 06:44 PM

Sassberto: this is probably a silly question, but what's the difference between Business Analyst and Product Manager? I'm the one doing the searching in SD, he's willing to move there if something comes up but it's me that really really wants to get back there. He has kinda given up on the idea of SD, it's frustrating to me because he basically puts his resume out there and waits for companies to contant him (which isn't going to happen in SD, they have plenty of people aggressively looking already). On a positive note, he already has a bank in UT that wants to fly him out for a second interview.