....and yet another relo question thread (YAY) (Phoenix, Tucson: sales, 2015)

[NewYorkiforniainHouston]

Hi everyone. I've been following the Arizona threads (Tucson mostly) for the past few months, as I am thinking about relocating there. I want DRY (sick of Houston humidity and overcrowding from everyone and their grandmother swarming this city). I'm currently sitting in my office with my fan blasting, as I just got finished walking to the main building and my shirt is now sticking to my back....and this is in December.

I go to Vegas for vacation in August and I love getting off the plane because I can breathe haha. Here are my stats:

Mid 40's female, 10 years as an IT Analyst in the City of Houston. In-house and field desktop and peripheral break-fix (not helpdesk), install, config, reimaging, server updates, AD maintenance, and other related computer-y goodness. (No offense against helpdesk. I would take it if it meant getting in somewhere).

I would be bringing my car, my cat and about $25k. My monthly recurring bills (car pymt, ins, cell, food, gas, student loan, Netflix and Rhapsody subscriptions as I don't use cable) come to $1100.

Opinions requested on:

Given the job situation in Tucson, am I too old to be doing this? I know the University of Arizona is there and that means lots of squeaky fresh newbs to fill jobs

Should I try to get a job before coming out there? I've read so many posts warning not to even try, companies won't look at me until i'm there

I've been reading that apartments are $500-$700+. I'd like a studio, as I want to be comfortable about $$ for a year (before I start freaking out LOL). Once again, i'm no spring chicken, do you think I could find a job in a year?

Thanks

[Prodigal Native]

I haven't really looked into Houston, but from what I understand, IT is huge there with a very healthy job market. You will NOT find that here. IT in Tucson it tough. There aren't many jobs that pay very well and the competition is tight for those that do.

I don't know what kind of salary you are looking for, but I would assume you would have a hard time getting above $50,000 ($35-40,000 would be my guess) and that is taking your 10 years of experience into account. Have you looked at Dice or Career Builder to see if there are many postings that fit your skill-set?

See Jukesgrrl's post //www.city-data.com/forum/37642015-post2.html for the major employers in town.

[beTucsonan]

Pima County has a number of IT Analyst jobs listed at the moment, or as of a week or so ago, at least, and they actually pay better than the private sector typically. Also check: Raytheon, IBM, Sunquest, Intuit, Ventana, Tucson Electric and others.

Actually, an IT Analyst is one of the few tech-oriented positions that might do well here at the moment - Tucson is a fickle market, but not a non-existent one. Definitely worth looking into. It's funny - I was in IT when I left Tucson 12 years ago and when I moved I jumped over to software engineering (dev and qa) thinking that was the better track ... now I'm back in Tucson and really wishing I had stuck with IT!

Could you find a job in a year? Yes. Will it be the one you want ... well ... who can say? It's a much smaller market than Houston, but I doubt that fact and it's implications have escaped you in your decision-making process. Also, yeah, I had no luck even getting a first interview before I actually moved out here, so it's a risk you may have to take.

Rent is cheap, or it can be. On a general level I think it averages out about the same as most places, but I've found that to be because some places are much cheaper (1 bedrooms for $450) and some places are much more expensive (1 bedrooms over $1500) than in other comparable cities. So if you're willing to nab a studio or smaller 1-bedroom for cheap, you definitely can.

Best of luck and I think the main thing to realize is that there are naysayers in every city in the country ... if this is where you decide you want to be then you can likely make it happen, and Tucson could sure use some new people and new ideas!

[breakingbad]

Do your self a big favor and stay in Houston. I say that with authority because I am native to AZ and just left AGAIN.
Upgrade your fan and the humidity is not that bad there.
Good luck!

[Jukesgrrl]

Originally Posted by BajaAZ

... Could you find a job in a year? Yes. Will it be the one you want ... well ... who can say? It's a much smaller market than Houston, but I doubt that fact and it's implications have escaped you in your decision-making process. Also, yeah, I had no luck even getting a first interview before I actually moved out here, so it's a risk you may have to take ...

I came here in my fifties. BEFORE THE RECESSION. I had a great resume. Eighteen years with a Fortune 100 company, experience with non-profits, experience teaching, great references. I had no trouble getting interviews. But when I would get there, the person interviewing me was young enough to be my child and I would be told I had "far too much experience" for their lowly job and they were so sure I would "get a much better position elsewhere."

It took me a solid year to find job and it was a sales job that paid about 25% of what I was making in Pittsburgh. I took it in desperation and in two years the company went bankrupt as the recession hit. Had I been able to just give up and go home I would have but family circumstances precluded that.

I'm not saying that will happen to you. Forty is not fifty and you're in a different career field than I am. But be very careful. You could live here for a year on $25,000. Yes, you do pretty much have to be here to interview on short notice unless you are willing to pretend you live here and can fly in for interviews. Most people pre-interview on the phone these days and you can get a cell with a 520 area code. Do you know someone here whose address you could use? Getting a job today doesn't require much need for mail, but you should have a local address on your resumes.

Best of luck.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by breakingbad

Do your self a big favor and stay in Houston. I say that with authority because I am native to AZ and just left AGAIN.
Upgrade your fan and the humidity is not that bad there.
Good luck!

Moving is always a personal decision, and the fact that it didn't work for you really has no bearing on what will happen with the OP. Hope you are happier where you are now.

[breakingbad]

Originally Posted by observer53

Moving is always a personal decision, and the fact that it didn't work for you really has no bearing on what will happen with the OP. Hope you are happier where you are now.

Thank you! I am pretty happy so far...if you are in RE you would be happy too!
Don't worry I'll check in on AZ forum as much as I can
You must admit the economy in Houston is far better than Phoenix

[NewYorkiforniainHouston]

Originally Posted by breakingbad

Thank you! I am pretty happy so far...if you are in RE you would be happy too!
Don't worry I'll check in on AZ forum as much as I can
You must admit the economy in Houston is far better than Phoenix

This may be true, but the commute that used to take 15 minutes now takes 45. Every other car is an out of state plate, and there are long lines for service everywhere. A friend of mine invested in a couple of homes on her block back in 2008 for 140 and 120k, today homes in that area are 300+ (good for her on her investments though). Houston is no longer an on-the-cheap option

I spend way too much time weaving in and out of the newly transplanted yuppies zipping about in their Audis ballin' and shot callin' with their 60k/yr jobs

Thanks for the replies everyone!! Greatly appreciated. I was going to take a week off in January and am considering taking a sneak peek out there!!

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by NewYorkiforniainHouston

Hi everyone. I've been following the Arizona threads (Tucson mostly) for the past few months, as I am thinking about relocating there.

Thanks

My recommendation . . . GO FOR IT.

I relocated to Tucson from Northern California way back in the late 90's after thinking about it for years and my only complaint was / is . . . I didn't take the plunge sooner, many years sooner.

You can always find a job . . . the "small town ambiance," the great weather as well as the friendly people and the more realistic cost of living will make the relocation well worth it.

Good Luck

[beTucsonan]

Originally Posted by NewYorkiforniainHouston

I spend way too much time weaving in and out of the newly transplanted yuppies zipping about in their Audis ballin' and shot callin' with their 60k/yr jobs

Here in Arizona we like to call them "$30,000 Millionaires," and mostly they live in Scottsdale!