OK, let's be honest, is San Diego right for me?

[JosephineBeth]

Maybe my post didn't come off that way but I think it is doable for you. I really do. I think that the salary is the sticking point --- but you can overcome some of that by doing things like having a room mate and utilizing the free stuff you can do in San Diego -- esp. if you are an outdoorsy person.

I absolutely understand about the salaries -- trust me I know that problem intimately. They are low in San Diego in higher ed-- I can tell you when I first started I worked at my day job AND I worked a hostess job (at the Brigantine in Coronado) at night several nights a week. That made my car payment. At the time it was worth it to me as I loved SD and really liked my day job. My old university also gave me tuition remission -- and back then it was not subject to the federal taxation that exists on it now. But that can be an option at a private-- and if you want to finish up your degree (and haven't) then this, in effect, raises your salary. Make sure you consider that in your decision.

What I meant about the hopping is that you have to make it work FOR YOU. To be honest I would downplay the money piece (trust me we all know why people change jobs) and decide what area of higher ed you want to work in and then tailor everything to that. So if you want to do admissions and recruiting then emphasize that you enjoyed the career services pieces and it really let you "close the loop" from where you started in admissions - recruiting. That you are a better admissions person BECAUSE you now know the end game -- because, after all, that is where people want to end up -- with a job in the end! I think this could be a great strength but you've got to leverage it.

You clearly have many characteristics that higher ed folks seem to like -- confident, self starter, good speaker, organized, and very capable of learning. Exp. in the different higher ed systems is important -- and yours is good so make sure that this gets "airtime" in the interview.

Right now moving up in higher ed is tough -- because the cuts in the public sector are making some of those folks look at private sector -- increasing competition in that arena. You have experience -- a big plus. Did you also look at trying to find a job with a private there where you are and then try to transfer. Many of the big names exist all over like UOP.

I did't post to discourage you - and hope I didn't. IMHO you are young and relatively unencumbered. Now is the best time to make a move like this -- if you can get your foot in the door if I were you I'd take whatever job and then try to find something at night to supplement it. My ex (he also left CA because the taxes, work comp, etc on his small business were just way too high -- he's in GA and very very happy) worked security a lot...seem to be jobs in that area.

Good luck!

[Twincam666]

No

[LeafLight]

I'd suggest setting up some interviews when you can, and coming out to the SD area for the interview, and also tour the area. SD is beautiful in areas, and the county has many interesting areas. But the population is fairly transient, in that when jobs don't work out it's an expensive place to live and people move on. If you do move out here, you may find yourself going through several groups of acquaintances before making real friends. People here socialize in groups and meet-ups based on common interests. If you're the "one or two best friend" type, you may find the culture here a bit shallow. Culture here is rather status conscious, and people will decide to befriend you based on whether or not you can give them a leg-up socially or professionally. Very FaceBook, even when not on line, and you might like that! Just something to keep in mind as you sort out your social scene.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by LeafLight

I'd suggest setting up some interviews when you can, and coming out to the SD area for the interview, and also tour the area. SD is beautiful in areas, and the county has many interesting areas. But the population is fairly transient, in that when jobs don't work out it's an expensive place to live and people move on. If you do move out here, you may find yourself going through several groups of acquaintances before making real friends. People here socialize in groups and meet-ups based on common interests. If you're the "one or two best friend" type, you may find the culture here a bit shallow. Culture here is rather status conscious, and people will decide to befriend you based on whether or not you can give them a leg-up socially or professionally. Very FaceBook, even when not on line, and you might like that! Just something to keep in mind as you sort out your social scene.

There is a lot of truth to this. In more transient areas or high impact areas where there are lots of younger crowds, this should seem obvious. I certainly saw it when I lived downtown during the boom and bust.
I have found it thus far less transient out east where there are some pockets which tend to be more established and conservative.
Real estate landscape has changed here and this is a big factor in who is moving where regardless of renting or owning. It used to be expensive just to live west of the 5 or one of the better suburbs with good schools. That has since changed and is changing in all directions.
There is so much of San Diego county that will take a different direction in the next decade. Some areas may go downhill others may gentrify.
Lets just say if you come from a small town where stability is a constant and things dont change much, this place can seem pretty wild. Exciting, but wild.

[dreamingofsunshine123]

Originally Posted by LeafLight

I'd suggest setting up some interviews when you can, and coming out to the SD area for the interview, and also tour the area. SD is beautiful in areas, and the county has many interesting areas. But the population is fairly transient, in that when jobs don't work out it's an expensive place to live and people move on. If you do move out here, you may find yourself going through several groups of acquaintances before making real friends. People here socialize in groups and meet-ups based on common interests. If you're the "one or two best friend" type, you may find the culture here a bit shallow. Culture here is rather status conscious, and people will decide to befriend you based on whether or not you can give them a leg-up socially or professionally. Very FaceBook, even when not on line, and you might like that! Just something to keep in mind as you sort out your social scene.

Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd

There is a lot of truth to this. In more transient areas or high impact areas where there are lots of younger crowds, this should seem obvious. I certainly saw it when I lived downtown during the boom and bust.
I have found it thus far less transient out east where there are some pockets which tend to be more established and conservative.
Real estate landscape has changed here and this is a big factor in who is moving where regardless of renting or owning. It used to be expensive just to live west of the 5 or one of the better suburbs with good schools. That has since changed and is changing in all directions.
There is so much of San Diego county that will take a different direction in the next decade. Some areas may go downhill others may gentrify.
Lets just say if you come from a small town where stability is a constant and things dont change much, this place can seem pretty wild. Exciting, but wild.

I think I'll be fine as far as the social scene goes. Where I live now in south Florida is also very transient....people coming and going ...usually from up north cuz they want to escape to the warm beaches and palm trees of south florida, only to be disappointed by the lack of high paying jobs and the traffic, etc....I sometimes refer to Ft. Lauderdale as the "blvd of broken dreams" for a lot of reasons. . . People will come, looking for sunshine all year long...that endless summer they can't get up north ...come down with big dreams of palm trees and margaritas on the beach, only to find out they cannot afford it, or they just dont like it at all. Or they dont like the transient feeling here, they dont like the immigrants, the pervasive usage of spanish, the diversity, whatever reason.

The shallow aspect of society exists here as well, especially in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. Totally used to that and to be honest, I don't really give a what about that. I can make friends anywhere I feel. Whether they are shallow, superficial facebook types or conservative annoyingly religious types. I've been to San Diego a few times and didn't really find the people here any different than anywhere else I've been. In Miami especially around south beach, everyone is a model or aspiring model, with big D&G sunglasses, driving fast cars and working on their perfect suntan in between morning gym sessions, sipping their protein shakes and drinking mojitos, bragging about which night club they got into the night before.....same goes for Fort Lauderdale.. however there are areas that are typically "american" away from the glitz and glam of miami and south beach, fort lauderdale. Suburban areas that are ur average get up and go to work everyday type of people.

This is exactly why I feel as if I'll be just fine in San Diego. I know I need to work. I'm not some country bumpkin either that will go into culture shock I don't think. I'm open-minded, have reasonable expectations and don't plan on living this dream-like life of big houses, sunset dinners every night, and lots oof material possessions. I know I need money and will probably be chained to a desk in front of a computer for a good part of the week, however on the weekends, I def wanna take advantage of what the area has to offer. So, thats why I wanna move there. I just wanna give it a go, so to speak.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Radical347

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, San Diego's unemployment rate is 10.4%. Florida has an umemployment rate of 10.7% (I can't find the exact data for Palm Beach County, but estimates put it even higher than that.) So while neither is great, San Diego is not worse. Of course finding a job is never guaranteed these days but if he had an easy time finding a job in FL, I don't think it can be too much different in San Diego. I know what's going on with the education system here, but is it really that much better everywhere else?

$10,000 is fine and with prudence should last at least six months. I agree with the poster who said it might be a good idea to use some of that money to visit first, though.

I was reading this am that the ue percentage rate will probably increase dramatically if Obama sticks to his jobs idea. People that have given up even looking for work will be counted again in the UE rate.

Another thing to think about is that many people who are working part time will be made full time before those jobs will list any new ones.

[earlyretirement]

Just keep in mind whatever % unemployment numbers you are seeing published are actually much higher in reality. Take a grain of salt with any of these official unemployment numbers you see from the government. When you count under-employment and all of the people truly unemployed or gave up looking for work the numbers are much higher. Not just for San Diego but nationwide.