From Florida to SF gainfully unemployed for 2 months (San Francisco, Oakland: sublets, apartments)

[tryrunner]

I was considering a move from Florida to SF or Oakland and was wondering if you know anyone that has done it? The Florida market is OK with several big business IT firms. But I have followed SF and have visited recently, the energy is totally different for software. That is where I want to be. I sent out some job requests and got luke warm responses. Most companies didn't response. Once again, if I move to SF, I will be really motivated to find a position.

I am a big IT Enterprise Java developer that has been unemployed for the past 2 months. All of the jobs here just don't interest me. I want to relocate to SF, get an apartment and continue the job search there.

* Me, I am 29, single, have about 7 years experience

* Unemployed 2 months, really looking to relocate

* I was able to secure tens of thousands after selling stock in my current company. I could survive in the city for 2 years without a position (60k saved up).

* I thought living in Oakland, getting a 1BR/Studio apartment for 900-1200k

* For the apartment, I saw some places near the Lake Merritt Bart, the West Oakland Bart

* The landlords seem to want paystubs or past employment. I would be unemployed but I could show 401k as assets also bank account balances. Would that still work for a 900+ apartment?

One concern is securing the apartment/housing. And my second concern is after I get there. How will IT employers see a developer professional that relocated unemployed? Also, most of my resume has Florida companies and Florida schools? Is that considered subpar in SF? I could connect with many companies in the Florida area and several IT recruiters in this area but wonder if I could connect with any once I get to SF/Oakland. I wouldn't lose that much. I am unemployed now. I am already eating through savings. I spend 850 on an apartment now. So a 150-200 increase a month wouldn't hurt. I may lose because all of my contacts would be back in Florida. How will employers in SF see a Florida person?

Who knows, maybe I will be a pioneer that relocated. The worst that could happen is I have to move back to the the network I am most familiar.

Do you have any thoughts? Doable?

[ccm123]

The IT job market is pretty healthy here. I would start the job search from Florida by using a recruiter, or posting your requirements on LinkedIn.

I think the challenge would be finding a rental here. I think most landlords would prefer a employed tenant.

[tryrunner]

I started the job search a while back, not getting much in responses. I talked to some landlords, they were OK with me being unemployed but I would have to show that I have assets.

Even if I lost 30k dollars by being down there for a full year. Averages out to 3k a month (where rent is 1200 a month), I could still survive.

It is either be unemployed in a job market I don't care for or unemployed in a market I am interested in. And then actually be available for job interviews.

The only disadvantage, employers may really not like a candidate that relocated in the way that I did. And then it would be more difficult to reset and return back to Florida. But I OK with that.

[bmw335xi]

I moved from Florida to San Francisco. You should make your linkedin account look appealing. Use craigslist to determine rent prices. If you have a car, most apartments don't include parking, so factor that. If you have any specific questions let me know.

[mayorhaggar]

a) if you are good enough to get an IT job in the Bay Area, you should be able to get a job lined up while in Florida. IT co's in the Bay Area routinely hire people from out of state.

b) Most landlords will not want anything to do with an unemployed person. Having a job will really improve your apartment search. Some might accept several months of rent in advance but the market is competitive even in Oakland and they will pick an employed person over an unemployed person every time.

c) don't look at West Oakland please, unless you really really want to buy a house in an area that might be gentrified (probably not) 10 years from now. Even if you look past the crime issues it's just kind of inconveniently located from the rest of Oakland and is desolate in terms of shops and restaurants. Lake Merritt is a waaay better place to live in every way, and still pretty cheap.

d) I don't think 60k would last you 2 years, maybe 1.5 if you're super frugal.

[TedH71]

Austin, Texas would be a better bet. Start by applying through various state agencies. Expect them to move slow in returning contact calls. At least a month or so after the applications have been filled. Independent firms move much faster. I just think state agencies are more stable. I used to live there for over 25 years and much more laid back vibe and cheaper living costs compared to California. California has sky high taxes compared to Texas which doesn't have a state income tax. Think about that.

[tryrunner]

"I don't think 60k would last you 2 years, maybe 1.5 if you're super frugal."

I was just saying that I wouldn't go that long but I was hoping that an apartment manager (in Oakland) might see past the unemployment, check my assets and based their decision on that. Plus, I probably would go 5-6 months and have to return if I can't find anything.


Yea, I am from Austin during the school days. I wouldn't mind going back there, there is some family. But I was more focused on Oakland.

I guess it is a catch-22. Austin has a smaller market with significantly less pay out but easier to buy a house/apartment. I also thought that it was very family oriented. E.g. a good place to raise kids but not that fun a vibe. 6th street is OK but it really is just one small street with a couple of bars. And that assumes you live close to that area.

[ccm123]

You would probably have better success if you were local, so that you can come for interviews.

Companies here in the Bay Area generally are interested in your skills, so whether you relocated or not, it would probably not matter. We have a lot of foreign nationals here and they seem to work out fine for the most part.

Originally Posted by tryrunner

I started the job search a while back, not getting much in responses. I talked to some landlords, they were OK with me being unemployed but I would have to show that I have assets.

Even if I lost 30k dollars by being down there for a full year. Averages out to 3k a month (where rent is 1200 a month), I could still survive.

It is either be unemployed in a job market I don't care for or unemployed in a market I am interested in. And then actually be available for job interviews.

The only disadvantage, employers may really not like a candidate that relocated in the way that I did. And then it would be more difficult to reset and return back to Florida. But I OK with that.

[zitsky]

I would normally say get a job in SF before you arrive, but you have a lot of things going for you. Your savings are key. I'd say go for it. Are you set on living in Oakland? It's not a bad place, but have you explored what rents are like on the peninsula? How would you be getting around, car or public transit?

Don't use up all that $60K. Use it as a buffer and then get a job ASAP once you get here. You might want to post your resume here or on the Employment forum to get some feedback.

Is Java as hot as it used to be? You definitely should target Oracle. Now that they own Java they might have a need for someone like you.

Good luck!

[tryrunner]

"Are you set on living in Oakland?"

I don't mind the grit (if there is any) living in Oakland. I see one side that Oakland is a hidden gem for most areas and then another side where you die and get mugged everyday. I will be in the area next it out (let's get a beer).

I want to live on my own and I figure the entry into the Oakland market would be easier. Even in the sublets in SF are 1500 with Studios and 1br 1700-2000+. The oakland places seem to be more reasonable.

But I guess I could try.

...
Java can't go away because there are still legacy apps out there and now you have Google, Oracle, Amazon all with new Java applications. So it hasn't really gone anywhere. I still don't think the Python, Ruby group has as much stable legroom. So really, in development, I think C#/C++/Java are pretty strong platforms to invest in.

The client side with all the JavaScript libraries are making headway but you still need a middleware/backend. People are doing nodejs, backbone.js, the facebook / twitter javascript libraries.