Going to San Diego tomorrow to make sure I want to move there! (Orange: rent, student loans)

[marissa99]

I actually grew up in Orange County, but I have lived on the East Coast for high school in college, in Atlanta and Boston. I am currently back in Atlanta, and I think I am finally ready to move back to CA.

I am used to the city life and everything that comes with it. Higher cost of living, including rent and having fun. To be clear, I am a 23 year old graduate who has been working with a small TV & Film Production Company as the head of their marketing department for 6 months.

However, I am very timid to even take the idea seriously from reading the posts in this forum. To be honest I feel like making it there seems impossible. Reading things such as Human Resources will throw out your resume if they see you aren't from the area, landlords expect you to make 4 times your rent a month, etc...

My older sister lives there now in La Jolla. I would be able to stay with her for a short period of time so I could find a job and a place. I've been there plenty of times, and just fell in love...just like everyone else.

I don't even know if I have a question with this post, or if I am just trying to organize my thoughts in a place where people are familiar with the subject. I guess what I would like to know are your thoughts on the subject, and what suggestions you would have for someone in my position. Is the job market improving? Should I just wait? My plan would be to head out there by next summer.

Any thoughts/criticisms are greatly appreciated.

[cruitr]

Since you have TV & Film Production industry experience, you'd probably find a better paying job in the LA area.

[tonyinsd]

From what I can tell, the job market is improving. I wouldn't say it's a robust job market by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems like employers are slowly bringing people in.

In this week, I've had three interviews and would have had a fourth if I had managed to make it to an appointment on time. Unfortunately, there was a pretty bad accident and I showed up late.

There are jobs out there. It may take a while to find a good job, versus any job, but you can find one.

I'd sign up for a few temp agencies using your sister's address in La Jolla. That really helps.

It can be done, I promise.

[Clevelandgal]

I don't think in your industry they throw out any apps of qualified people, becuase they would expect people applying from all over the place....but competition will be fierce. Honestly there are some job vacancies here where hiring committees find few qualified applicants.... and then there are many other jobs that have 300 applicants way overqualified. The trick is to fall onto the zone of a very needed position. These are never entry level jobs, but usually onces with very specific education or experience. To be honest you might be able to build an amazing resume in a less glamorous location. Then move to somewhere moree desirable once you are really marketable....but still reasonably young. Although from my observations the TV on camera media folks are not all spring chickens which means the people on power probably are not either.

[earlyretirement]

I don't know much about the TV film/production industry other than the turn over rate seems very high. I know a few people that work at some production companies and the thing they all have in common is it seems like every few short years they are switching companies and moving somewhere else. It doesn't seem like many people stay working for their employers long. I could be wrong but the 5 or 6 people that I met in that industry seemed like it. You can correct me if I'm wrong.

At 23 years old you most likely don't have much experience at all. I'm not saying you can't find a job because that might not be the case. But I'm sure in a desirable city like San Diego you will have more experienced people also looking and competing with you.

It's GREAT that you have family in the area that you can stay with. That is a HUGE leg up vs. others. But just come up with a good game plan. For example, you didn't mention how much savings you have. So some good questions to ask yourself are, "how much savings do I have? How much money do I spend a month? What debt or monthly obligations do I have? How long can I stay at my sister's house if I can't find a job"? Those types of questions you should ask yourself on the front end. And definitely I'd recommend having a frank and open conversation with your sister about these things and talk about the matter of how long you are welcome to stay in her house, etc.

Some people just wing it and come out here but they don't even know how much they spend per month. They don't have anything lined up. Heck, some don't even have a handle what their debt obligations actually are. I recently spoke to my friend and his new wife (they just got married a few months ago). And my friend was shocked to learn that his new wife had over $100,000 in student loans! What's even more shocking is she didn't even know what all her monthly student loan obligations were or even know the amount until I made them sit down and add up all of the student loans. She claimed she had several different student loans and didn't even know what interest rates each were at. I sat her down and got her paying the loans with the higher interest rates first.

So a good thing is to first ask yourself questions like this and then figure out a detailed financial picture of how much savings you have, how long that will theoretically last you, what debts and obligations you have and then set a time frame and game plan if you can't find a job.

Atlanta is dirt cheap compared to San Diego. So you have to realistically prepare yourself for the differences. I'd use that as a starting point...

Good luck.

[marissa99]

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your thoughts. To clarify, I am not exactly in the TV & Film Industry, more the Marketing industry. My degree is in Communication/Advertising, which does have a lot to do with TV and Film, but it isn't the industry that I am necessarily looking to work. I know that with my limited experience that I can't really expect to get something exactly in my field.

As for finances, I am incredibly anal about money, haha. That is why I am so worried. I am someone who has always saved, started working at 15, and the only debt I have is a student loan with payments of $115 a month. I have a few thousand saved up, but I won't lie. I am fortunate and my dad agreed that he would help me out wherever I needed it, if I got to the point of trouble. I know that many don't have this type of help, but it isn't something I would ever want to depend on. I am my own person and want to be an individual, partially why I would like to move back out of my own.

The temp agency idea with my sisters address is a good idea! I was already planning on putting my sister's address on my resume once I start sending them out. That way, I can send out as many as possible about a week before I even leave to get a head start.

I am worried that if I go out there, I will go through my savings quickly and then I may just have to move back to ATL. I guess what I was trying to say was that most of the posts here make it seem impossible to make it in San Diego! I will be coming in tomorrow, and then I will likely make another trip or two before next summer. Still undecided if I will make the move, but I will always look here for everyones advice!

[Clevelandgal]

well the people that make it sound like it is impossible don't have a sister to stay with and dad to catch them so you are way a head of most...can't really compare at all.

[SDbeachbum]

San Diego is a wonderful place to live. You sound determined to make it work, so it will probably work out for you in one way or another. And besides, it's better to try and fail, the to never try at all, and always wonder "what if." Go for it!

[earlyretirement]

I think considering your fortunate circumstances of your sister to live with and your father to back you up and considering your younger age, it's better to try it now vs. later. Although the economy is not great and the job market stinks, you may not have this situation again with your dad and your sister to live in. If things don't work out at least you will still have time on your side.

[loveautumn]

I would say that, in your case, since you have a place to stay, I wouldn't send out resumes too far in advance of your actually moving here because most jobs in the marketing field would be immediate openings and they aren't going to wait for you to get here. That industry is typically quite low paying in this area though...so keep that in mind. It is also very rare these days that a mailed in resume is going to get any attention, almost all are done on line. You might have to do alot of research to see what companies you might want to work for and check out their websites for openings. Or go thru a headhunter.