relocation

Relocation and Those Unepected Things

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As is obvious from this blog, I am a big advocate of "effective relocation."  As much as I encourage people to put down roots, it's necessary to find the right place to put your roots down in.  You can't be happy if you're not in the right place, so I encourage people to find that right place first.

Many years ago when I had to do a job search, I decided relocation was in the cards, and aimed to get a job in a place that was right for me.  I was happy when I got to relocate to the Silicon Valley/San Francisco Bay Area because it's a major geek and progeek area.  Besides Silicon Valley, there are only a handful of places that are even close to being so heavily geektastic.

However, despite being in one of the geekiest places on Earth, I found one thing affected me that I wanted to share.  This is not a major issue, but is a good example of those little things you never expect when you relocate.  It is, after all, those little things that sneak up on you because they are, well, so little.

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Save us all from regional ignorance

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Recently, Bonnie posted a link to an article on the rather unsettling fact that only about 60% of employable Californians are working.  Yes, that doesn't necessarily mean they're looking for work – but it's a lower percentage than previously (the peak was 65% of the population working, which doesn't sound very excting either).  What I find most intriguing as this news rockets around the internet is that a lot of posters commenting on it don't really seem to know what they're talking about – which is a valuable lesson for relocation.

As I am a person that moved to California a few years ago, I quickly became aware that California is best understood as a country because of its level of complexity.  I also became painfully aware that, when it comes to California, most people don't know what they're talking about – this is a state with a huge constitution, complex politics, interesting issues in raising taxes on the state level (think it can be done with a simple majority vote?  Wrong, it takes 2/3), a prominent place in the US and world economy, and more.  Some Californians seemed clueless, but they were nothing compared to people I'd encounter in other states who assumed that, somehow, they were experts on where I'd relocated to.

And this is why all my past advice on using your fandom contacts and good research to understand targets of relocation is important.  California is on the high end of Incredibly Complex States, but it's not the only one.

And when you assess relocation, there's often a lot of misinformation.

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Some thoughts on career and mobility

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With many of my friends and family looking at career changes, many of them also talk relocation.  I'm consolidating a few random thoughts on relocation, with a fan-to-pro/geek-pro viewpoint here.

* Consider how permanent a move may be – as painful as it may be, a relocation close to but not at an eventual goal may be a good thing.  If you want to go to a particular city relocating nearby, in the same state, etc. as a temporary measure for a few years may be a good idea.  If you can find a job easier in a nearby location that lets you plan the final stage of your move, get a job in a lousy economy, and scope out your intended destination.

* Consider a tryout if possible.  Are there friends and family in a location you can live with for a few months to see if you like it and can find work?  It's tough, and can be scary, but may be a good bet.  It's also a good way to push yourself.

* If your career or job involves a lot of travel, or will, you may want to look at a good hub city as a possible relocation destination (permanent or temporary).  If you plan to fly all over the country, Chicago or St. Louis, for instance, could be good choices.  Even if transport hub cities are not your first choice, they may be good for awhile – and face it, it'll be easier to leave . . .

* Keep educational facilities in mind when you relocate because training is going to be vital to keep up with things in the future (not that it ever was NOT important).  Don't just think notable universities – see what kind of adult education, training companies, etc. are nearby.  I once had an interview with a company located right next to a major university – that definitely had me interested since classes would be easier to take with a walk right after work.

* Whatever you do, keep a city's fannish and geek life in mind – you do NOT want to end up in a personal cultural wasteland long-term (a few months maybe).  Go online and check meetups, conventions, groups, events, etc. in detail.  You'd be surprised what places do AND don't have fannish or geek culture.

So that's just some random thoughts from your friendly pro-geek blogger.  Anything you want to add?

– Steven Savage