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After the end of the November, I looked back and had only applied to 4 jobs in Columbus and 2 in Hartford. That was abysmal for one month, so I decided to ramp things up. Big time.
Last week I had a phone call with the local employer here in Columbus, but I wouldn't even call it an interview. It was just a casual discussion about available opportunities with the company, so I don't really expect it to lead to anything (another forum member has extensively lied about my situation in the other thread, so please ignore that). I had abandoned that thread a while ago and just read through it today.
I am currently working with a recruiter here in Columbus and there is one company interested in my candidacy, but have not yet come forth and invited me for an interview, because they are allegedly concerned as to whether or not I will be committed to staying here in Columbus. So we'll see what happens with that. On the bright side, my recruiter called a reference of mine who happens to be in a high management position and was my direct supervisor in CT. He said that she was saying "one positive thing after another" about me, and that he enjoyed talking with her. So he will forward that reference to the employer here in Columbus who is thinking about inviting me to an interview.
WITH THAT SAID...
I have come to the realization that my career is quite specialized and I cannot rely on only looking here in Columbus (and Hartford, which has even less jobs). Therefore, I have aggressively ramped up my job search. Although relocating again would be costly and a hassle, I believe it would be the right thing to do instead of possibly being long term unemployed here in Columbus.
So, as of this moment, my job search is as follows, by metropolitan area and applications submitted:
Columbus, OH - 5
Hartford, CT - 2
New York, NY - 13
Washington, DC - 3
Rochester, NY - 1
Philadelphia, PA - 9
Chicago, IL - 14
So, I have one recruiter working for me in Columbus and three recruiters working for me in New York now.
I have also come to the realization that my specific career field tends to be in much more abundance in larger metropolitan areas. If my salary is commensurate with the cost of living, I'm okay with it. For example, I refuse to accept a salary anything less than $80K if relocating to NYC.
I was very impressed with all the opportunities in Philly and Chicago though!
So you are now open to living in areas you weren't previously? Remember, it took you a long time to find Columbus...and then there's the issue of you wanting to see your family quite a bit.
and here you are yet again and honestly at this point it all appears to be one big fantasy no matter who writes the words.
You really should keep your personal life, personal.
Yes, I am now open to living in areas that I was not previously open to living in before, as long as I'm getting paid in correlation with the cost of living, and have a job that is suitable for me.
I actually no longer care where I live. I've come to the realization that it just doesn't matter that much. As long as I'm living comfortably, am healthy and able to visit my family periodically, I'm good.
My new attitude/outlook is to focus on the positive things about any place, and that is the key to happiness. I think that's a better philosophy instead of trying to find the "right" place to live. Maybe I'm just getting older, but that's how I'm starting to think now.
Most of the places that I'm applying to jobs in now are actually easier to access family in CT. I mean, NYC, Philly and DC are in the northeast corridor and easy to get to CT by plane, car or train, in 3-6 hours. Chicago has direct flights to Hartford and are only 2 hours. Rochester is only a 4.5 hr drive to their house, too.
Hey, it was BobNJ1960's suggestion to look for jobs in large metropolitan areas. And I agree with him now. Those places just have MUCH more job opportunities that are up my alley.
I also no longer mind renting for the long term. I've come to the realization that purchasing a house should not be the be all end all in life. It also makes no sense to relocate somewhere just to purchase something.
But I mean, if I ONLY continue job searching in Columbus, I could be unemployed for 6+ months, which would be tragic. I cannot let that happen. Especially not with only 4 jobs applications per month.
I actually no longer care where I live. I've come to the realization that it just doesn't matter that much. As long as I'm living comfortably, am healthy and able to visit my family periodically, I'm good.
My new attitude/outlook is to focus on the positive things about any place, and that is the key to happiness. I think that's a better philosophy instead of trying to find the "right" place to live. Maybe I'm just getting older, but that's how I'm starting to think now.
I also no longer mind renting for the long term. I've come to the realization that purchasing a house should not be the be all end all in life. It also makes no sense to relocate somewhere just to purchase something.
Nep, is that really you? I'm quite encouraged by your post, good for you!
I actually no longer care where I live. I've come to the realization that it just doesn't matter that much. As long as I'm living comfortably, am healthy and able to visit my family periodically, I'm good.
Talk about a total 180. nep, your new outlook sounds great, but you were pouring over every single detail the past few years when it came to finding a new city to live in. I mean, even things such as landscaping and air conditioning came into play. And then while the places you mentioned are close to CT, according to your family thread...they aren't close enough.
I would think real hard about this. You constantly talked about how you'd never want to live somewhere like NYC ever again. So be sure this isn't just something you're feeling in the moment due to not wanting to end up unemployed long-term in Columbus.
Nep, is that really you? I'm quite encouraged by your post, good for you!
Yup! With every relocation I have made, it certainly changes my perspective on things.
If you recall, one of the reasons I moved from Fairfield County, CT to Columbus, OH was because of the high cost of living, traffic, gay community, etc. But in all honesty, life is.....well...kind of the same everywhere.
Also, the whole cost of living thing, I think is really blown out of proportion by people in general. If you're getting paid high enough, it shouldn't be a problem. Here in Columbus I am worth $63K, but in NYC I'm worth $82K. And even here in Columbus, there can certainly be severe traffic.
And even though the gay community here in Columbus is much bigger than it was in CT, it doesn't really change the dating dynamic that much. It really ends up being about the same anywhere.
All that matters to me now are the following things:
(1) my health and well being
(2) the ability to live a comfortable standard of living, whether it be renting or owning
(3) the ability to visit my family on a periodic basis
(4) career/job satisfaction
Everything else is a just a mixture of pros and cons, when comparing one place to another. So yeah, I don't care where I live, from now on.
^^^ Well, that's great. I doubt most of us could think like that. For me, life is not the same everywhere. I have to live in that place that suits me the best. Best of luck.
Talk about a total 180. nep, your new outlook sounds great, but you were pouring over every single detail the past few years when it came to finding a new city to live in. I mean, even things such as landscaping and air conditioning came into play. And then while the places you mentioned are close to CT, according to your family thread...they aren't close enough.
I would think real hard about this. You constantly talked about how you'd never want to live somewhere like NYC ever again. So be sure this isn't just something you're feeling in the moment due to not wanting to end up unemployed long-term in Columbus.
Yeah, I know that I was extremely particular about EVERY little stupid thing about every place that I was contemplating on moving to. I should have never had that mentality. But at least I think my new outlook is better. Right? It's a glass half full mentality instead of glass half empty mentality.
As for NYC, things would be markedly different if I were to live in that area again. The last time I lived there I was making $56K. Now I would be making $82K. Last time I didn't have a car, and now I have a car that is fully paid off and still has a few more years of life in it. Last time I lived in Manhattan, but this time I would live outside of Manhattan. But heck, half of the jobs I applied to in the NYC area are not even in NYC itself, but in northern NJ, Long Island or Westchester County. So, it would be a completely different living experience than it was when I lived there 7-9 years ago. Again, this is IF I do end up taking a job there, which is not likely.
So far, 31% of the jobs I applied to are in Chicagoland. It's much more affordable and less urban than NYC anyway.
In any case, good luck, and do visit Chicago for at least a week before you move there, should you get an offer. It's both an exciting and very, very challenging place to live.
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