Would Seattle be a good bet? (house, job outlook, transfer)

[janlee9986]

I recently graduated from college with a BA in Business (Marketing and Accounting). I currently live in Massachusetts and I am looking for new and more interesting place to start my professional life (Boston is just getting overcrowded). I have heard great things about the Seattle area, but I have never had the opportunity to see it for myself. I am just not sure if moving across country would be the best thing right now.

I know that everywhere across our nation has bad unemployment rates and it is hard to find a job. I have been sending my resume around and talking to people at temp agencies. I need to be there to get any sort of job.

If anyone can provide some insight I would appreciate it.

Thank you!!!!!

[apocalypse0915]

I just finished b-school in Boston also and am also thinking of moving to Seattle.

Whether you move to NYC, stay in Boston, move to Seattle, etc, the job outlook isn't ideal in any city, so there is no "best thing." So I believe the opportune time to do this- given that you're younger, have no major attachments (maybe you do), and have some semblance of flexibility- is now. You may not find your ideal job should you immediately move to Seattle, but with time, you will.

So if you have the means to finance your living expenses for a couple of months, I say jump ship. Even though Boston is a beautiful city, I was kinda getting sick of it also

[Casportsfan]

Originally Posted by apocalypse0915

I just finished b-school in Boston also and am also thinking of moving to Seattle.

Whether you move to NYC, stay in Boston, move to Seattle, etc, the job outlook isn't ideal in any city, so there is no "best thing." So I believe the opportune time to do this- given that you're younger, have no major attachments (maybe you do), and have some semblance of flexibility- is now. You may not find your ideal job should you immediately move to Seattle, but with time, you will.

So if you have the means to finance your living expenses for a couple of months, I say jump ship. Even though Boston is a beautiful city, I was kinda getting sick of it also

Not really that easy. What if she has a support system in Boston if things go wrong? Friends, family, etc. The other great thing about graduating from a school in close proximity to a business hub is that you always have the opportunity to network. Faculty can be a great job resource, and the school usually offers student/graduate restricted job fairs and employment events. That is exactly how I landed my first job out of college.

Leaving all of that behind for a city where you know absolutely no one could be tough in this economy. If things got bad enough in Boston, maybe she could crash at a friends' house or stay with parents, but who do you turn to in Seattle? From what I have read, the job market is so flooded (especially in the PNW) with so many qualifiied people that now even menial coffee shop type jobs are competitive.

Not trying to sway your decision to stay, but what about the option of hiring on to a Boston firm with offices in Seattle and transferring after a year? Something to consider. In any event, I DEFINITELY would not move without having a job lined up first. That's the worst possible decision to make in the current economy and a recipe for misery in your new city. A safe bet may be to contact a temp agency and line up some temp work over there. I am sure they'd not require you to be in the area and you'd have both some gauranteed income and a way to network with local Seattle employers once you moved. That's one way you could make the move possible, and something I have considered myself.