The Job Hunt Thread

[wvugurl26]

Caiwau I would look hard in Maryland if you are going to move. DC is just so pricey and so much stupidity on top of it all. Commuting isn't great but when I have to go to DC I'm about a hour door to door. Plus I've noticed several new Harris Teeters around.

FDA is in Silver Spring, that's probably a likely place for you wife to look at. NIH is in Bethesda. Even CMS has some stuff in Bethesda. If you live near my area Baltimore isn't out of the question, I'm 40 minutes door to door because everyone is going Baltimore to DC and I'm opposite. I like my spot because I'm about a hour to anywhere I need to go for work.

WWBG can speak to the NOVA part.

[muttleynfelix]

Jan 17, 2016 19:55:49 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Well, two places have given me a pass.  I'm interviewing with 3 more in the next week or so.  All small places, under 500 employees.  I've never worked at a small company.  Is there a huge difference?  

My current work situation hasn't really changed.  It's been pretty sucky the whole time, so no big changes.  And it's only been a little more sucky for me than everyone else.  Honestly, I would have left a year ago if DH hadn't urged me to keep the status quo until we got settled into the new town. 

How big of companies? There is a huge difference between a company of 20 and a company of 200 just in terms of benefits they can offer. IME. However having gone from a company of 8 to 1100, there are plusses and minuses of both. Small companies are highly dependent on the people up top. A lot depends on their current thoughts and wims. The smaller the company, the more influence one person has. I miss the family atmosphere of my old company, but I like the upward mobility of the larger company and the more complex projects.

[muttleynfelix]

Carl - so sorry man. That sucks.

Be careful looking in the Raleigh area. I have friends that moved their from NJ for a lower COLA and have found themselves priced out of the housing market there. It has gone gangbusters in the year they have been there.

[TheHaitian]

Jan 17, 2016 19:54:59 GMT -5 atlast30 said:

Carl, I hope that this situation works out in the best interest of your family.  You should become familiar with your company's severance policy.  Some companies offer a severance payment in exchange for the employee signing some sort of contract indicating that they will not later sue the company.  I switched jobs in the past 8 months and, candidly, there was a part of me that was hoping that I would get fired before I left because I would have received severance that would equal 2/3 of my annual base salary.  Good luck to you!

Interesting... Thank you for the tip bit!

[TheHaitian]

Jan 17, 2016 21:26:13 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

Caiwau I would look hard in Maryland if you are going to move. DC is just so pricey and so much stupidity on top of it all. Commuting isn't great but when I have to go to DC I'm about a hour door to door. Plus I've noticed several new Harris Teeters around.

FDA is in Silver Spring, that's probably a likely place for you wife to look at. NIH is in Bethesda. Even CMS has some stuff in Bethesda. If you live near my area Baltimore isn't out of the question, I'm 40 minutes door to door because everyone is going Baltimore to DC and I'm opposite. I like my spot because I'm about a hour to anywhere I need to go for work.

WWBG can speak to the NOVA part.

Thank you, I will speak with the headhunter tomorrow. Harry Teeters only have a few stores in DC and many more outside in VA or MD. So I figure I can end up on either side as long as it is 1 hour commute within DC we should be ok.

My wife company will allow her to telecommute if we were to move for now; not sure how long that would last. They have 4 people telecommuting from MD, PA, Japan and Maine so she would not be an exception to it.

I just think for the "future" of her career we cannot afford to be too far out from DC; cannot just be about me. So stay outside of DC but within commutable
Distance of DC.

So between VA and MD which one would you pick? Thank you for the suggestions, I passed them along to my wife!

Preferably... We would love not to have to move! But what do I do if we get a job offer from them first? We just will have to go back to renting goes God knows we won't be able to afford to buy there.

Any suggestions on good rent wise locations that are close to the train station?

MD or VA?

[TheHaitian]

Jan 17, 2016 22:26:42 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

Carl - so sorry man. That sucks.

Be careful looking in the Raleigh area. I have friends that moved their from NJ for a lower COLA and have found themselves priced out of the housing market there. It has gone gangbusters in the year they have been there.

Thank you, we talked about it and it would be MA, NJ, NY, MD, VA or DC.

It is a toss at this point: wherever I get a job first we will make it work.

Top choice: stay in MA because we love our house and we probably cannot afford anything like it at any of the other places listed above. But what is a house we love if I don't have a job there.

Second choice NY/NJ : proximity to family within an hour or so. Just applied to a few companies, we will see if they reach back. But we will most likely end up renting there too but I think proximity to family and friends will make up for it.

Third choice MD/VA/DC: fulfill my wife long dream of working/living in the DC metro area and her career will probably go further there than anywhere else.
Downside: still 4-5 hours from the closest relative and cost of living is insane!
---> upside : the guy did not blank at my 85k base salary + 20% bonus and said I can make a lot more money working for his client. But whatever I make extra will be eaten by increase in
Cost of living.

Mind is going a million miles per minute and crazy headache right now.

[wvugurl26]

I would pick MD because it's a little cheaper and I think gives you the greatest options. If you go into NOVA I think you are tied to DC. I honestly think there are places outside of DC your wife would do well in. And DC gets old after awhile.

[zibazinski]

Think long and hard about being close to family as a plus. As I recall moving away from their drama was a plus.

[geenamercile]

Carl- a lot of your commute on the VA side can depend on if you use the Metro side or not.  Trying to remember exactly what it is your wife does, but there are a lot of jobs and companies that are not in D.C but in the Northern VA areas. The thing is Northern VA itself is pretty large area.  Manassas and Stafford are areas outside of the NOVA area but still close.    

[TheHaitian]

Posting this here too:

I hope God is looking over us and I think he is...

It snowed last night and our neighbor across the street did our driveway for us ... My wife started to cry when she saw start and how she doesn't want to leave the neighborhood/this house.

So I was feeling like shit but just checked email and I received a letter from the recruitment manager at one of the local competitors I applied at.... Thank you God!

Keep your fingers crossed guys, I can use all the prayers I can get right now.

[TheHaitian]

Jan 18, 2016 7:38:37 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Think long and hard about being close to family as a plus. As I recall moving away from their drama was a plus.

We don't miss the drama; but we miss the "family"....

[zibazinski]

Jan 18, 2016 9:28:00 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Jan 18, 2016 7:38:37 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Think long and hard about being close to family as a plus. As I recall moving away from their drama was a plus.

We don't miss the drama; but we miss the "family"....

It's the bitter with the better.

[Cookies Galore]

Jan 18, 2016 9:22:30 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Posting this here too:

I hope God is looking over us and I think he is...

It snowed last night and our neighbor across the street did our driveway for us ... My wife started to cry when she saw start and how she doesn't want to leave the neighborhood/this house.

So I was feeling like shit but just checked email and I received a letter from the recruitment manager at one of the local competitors I applied at.... Thank you God!

Keep your fingers crossed guys, I can use all the prayers I can get right now.

Good luck Carl! I hope you can leave your current company with your head and middle finger held high!

[Cookies Galore]

Jan 17, 2016 19:55:49 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Well, two places have given me a pass.  I'm interviewing with 3 more in the next week or so.  All small places, under 500 employees.  I've never worked at a small company.  Is there a huge difference?  

My current work situation hasn't really changed.  It's been pretty sucky the whole time, so no big changes.  And it's only been a little more sucky for me than everyone else.  Honestly, I would have left a year ago if DH hadn't urged me to keep the status quo until we got settled into the new town. 

How small a company? I work for a not-for-profit with 400-500 employees and I love it here. I will be a lifer if they'll have me (and if I keep enjoying what I do). I will have been here seven years in April. I used to work for a large university and the benefits here are world's better, and the university had pretty decent benefits!

[NancysSummerSip]

Jan 17, 2016 8:17:24 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Hi, sorry for leaving you guys hanging but been dealing with a lot. As of Saturday I was put on administrative leave (still getting paid) pending investigation and afterwards I can go through the ACT process to get my job back. The accusation is that some people in my stores never received the training that was charged for them... I am so fed up and pissed off! I have been at that store in total of 2 months and really? I don't want to work for them anymore. My wife is the one freaking the most and cannot stop crying, I just want to find a job and not go back to that place.

I have applied to different companies so far but the leading one is the Harris Teeters job. My wife would prefer we relocate to the VA, MD and DC area but the costs of living is just out of this world. I am more for NC and SC... lower cost of living and NO SNOW!!!

Anyway staying positive here. Even if I were to lose my job, MA unemployment should cover all our needs for 6-7 months at least and savings for another 5 (I would prefer not to have to use savings). So I know we have about 12 months covered or really 6 before I start freaking out.

Also not sure I am ready to relocate so that is why I am continuing to apply in this area... 

I'm sorry Carl. You are better than all this crap, though. It really does sound like someone has drawn a target on you. You could stay and fight if it matters that much. A good attorney can advise you on the next step. If nothing else, I'd make sure my time there was covered with a good letter of recommendation and a clean record before you leave. Issues or not, you do not want anything disclosed to a prospective employer. If you lawyer up, you let your current employer know that you are not going to take any crap from them, investigation or not. You'll either fight loudly or go quietly, is what I am saying. But you want to take your good reputation with you, no matter what.
North Carolina is really nice, and close enough to your families to drive there, yet not so close they are sitting on your doorstep all the time, looking for your money. And they get snow at the higher elevations in NC, but not very bad winters overall.
For what you put into your current home, and the price of real estate up there, you should do well if you decide to sell.

Oh, and although we do not have Harris Teeter down here, I do love that chain. Stop there any time I head up that way.

[Deleted]

TheHaitian, I think you mentioned a while back that you'd like to explore your options outside of retail. Are you doing that now?

I know this is scary for your wife and for you too, but from what I know, you've always found a way to make whatever needed to happen, happen. Maybe it won't happen as quickly as you'd like or exactly the way you're planning and hoping, but I have no doubt that you'll be ok. And when your wife calms down and gets her nerves together, I'm betting that she'll remember that she didn't just marry some random dude with no ambiton, she married Carl and he's a go-getter. Y'all can do this. 

[zibazinski]

Im sorry you aren't getting the support you need at this time

[TheHaitian]

Just got off the phone with HT. I have a phone interview scheduled for 5:45 PM this Wednesday.

Shaw's I told them I was available at 1PM any day this week so waiting to hear back.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Go Carl!

[TheHaitian]

Jan 18, 2016 10:24:15 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

TheHaitian, I think you mentioned a while back that you'd like to explore your options outside of retail. Are you doing that now?

I don't think now I have the luxury to do so; really focusing on lateral move to other companies then I can re-focus to look for something outside of retail.

Seems that would be easier and faster in my current shoes.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 18, 2016 10:53:45 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

Jan 18, 2016 10:24:15 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

TheHaitian , I think you mentioned a while back that you'd like to explore your options outside of retail. Are you doing that now?

I don't think now I have the luxury to do so; really focusing on lateral move to other companies then I can re-focus to look for something outside of retail.

Seems that would be easier and faster in my current shoes.

Carl, you need a new job. Do not limit your options.

[TheHaitian]

Jan 18, 2016 11:00:49 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Jan 18, 2016 10:53:45 GMT -5 TheHaitian said:

I don't think now I have the luxury to do so; really focusing on lateral move to other companies then I can re-focus to look for something outside of retail.

Seems that would be easier and faster in my current shoes.

Carl, you need a new job. Do not limit your options.

I am trying not to, but it seems that another store manager position would be easier to get vs a new line of work.

But I see what you are saying, I will keep looking.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

DH started his new job today.  All I'm interested in at the moment is when he gets paid and if they take out Iowa taxes.

He's been complaining about how Ali was the best job he ever had. He did they same thing when he left Tyson.  I figure is a "enemy you know" \stockholm type mentality.  It is hard being the new guy.

I think though this will be better for him. He's away from a crazy supervisor and tyrannical president.  From what we heard if things keep up I imagine the new owners are going to come down on the company.  Better DH is gone than get caught in the crossfire

[Deleted]

TheHaitian, have you been rehearsing your spin on why you are seeking a new position, particularly a lateral move that may come with a cut in salary?  There's nothing wrong with that; people do it all the time.  But you want to make sure that you have a convincing reason.  

You are a smart man! You will land on your feet.  

[geenamercile]

Carl- on the wife front and I'm sorry if this seems too personal.  But could part of her freaking out also be because you were about to try IVF and how a job and moving and all of that may derail that?  I am sure you and your wife will come through this together.  And good luck with the interviews.  


Drama I'm sure your DH will rock this job and love it soon.  Good luck to you.  

 

[TheHaitian]

Jan 18, 2016 11:22:43 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

DH started his new job today.  All I'm interested in at the moment is when he gets paid and if they take out Iowa taxes.

He's been complaining about how Ali was the best job he ever had. He did they same thing when he left Tyson.  I figure is a "enemy you know" \stockholm type mentality.  It is hard being the new guy.

I think though this will be better for him. He's away from a crazy supervisor and tyrannical president.  From what we heard if things keep up I imagine the new owners are going to come down on the company.  Better DH is gone than get caught in the crossfire

I am sure he will rock his first day!

[lurkyloo]

We're in southern MD and like it a lot.  Bethesda is very expensive and I don't think there are really any good commuting options; the area is horribly congested.  However, NIH is rumored to be considering suburban locations for a second campus.  I think FDA has a location in College Park?  Something to do with nutrition anyway.  The Laurel/College Park area is cheaper but not as nice.  University of Maryland would also be a reasonable place for your wife to look.

My coworker is looking for a 3bed/2/br SFH with garage in Montgomery County and having trouble finding much within his 400K budget.  I think if you're willing to forgo the garage you can find more options.  You can certainly find a townhouse for 200K or less.

User satisfaction is pretty low lately for Metro riders, and dwellings within walking distance of Metro stations pay a premium.  Agree with wvugirl that MD is slightly cheaper...I270 is famous for really awful traffic if you're commuting into the city, and 495 is usually a mess.  They are planning a new purple line of the metro to run east/west from Bethesda to (?Laurel New Carrollton? Somewhere east, anyway) but construction is not close to starting.

Since you're hoping for children, be sure to look at schools before you buy anything!  There are some very good school districts and some where you should plan on private school from the get-go    You also might like to confirm your Mil is on board for the move, because daycare is hella expensive here.

MD gets much cheaper farther away from DC, but that's probably not helpful given the circumstances.  Good luck whatever you decide!

[TheHaitian]

Ok I just got off the phone with the head hunter company after a 30 minute conversations.

They said things do not usually move that fast with HT and they were probably impressed with my resume and score on the survey I had to take on Friday. The lady already called her and said they have a phone interview with me on Wednesday at 5:45 PM.

Her job is to make sure I am ready and prepare to handle the interview and that I do well (I like this, next job might be head hunter all the way). Discuss the company a bit, what they would be looking for and what I am looking for. If my interview on Friday goes well they will fly me to VA for a in face interview with my future bosses (they will pay for it). And if all goes well, an offer will be given that same week....

On the other hand I heard back from
The local company. I have a phone interview with the local company at 1 PM on Wednesday....

So yes that is 2 phone interviews this Wednesday. The Lord is good!

Excited, freaking out inside and hopefully ... All mushed into one. My mother in law this morning said: if you are sick I am sick.... And my wife said: it's true, you bring 2/3 of the income in this house and basically support the 4 of us (max included) and soon the 5 of us; That is why I am freaking out.


Arrrrgghhh! Being a kid is so much more fun. So much responsibility, my wife and I agree thinks I grew more gray hair since Friday... It is not easy! And she apologized for making me spend so much money and I was right.

We need to go back to a more equitable split but not sure if that will happen. Either we need to spend way less or she needs to increase her income... It was much easier on me when I knew she could at least cover groceries and rent if something were to happen.

[TheHaitian]

Jan 18, 2016 12:35:47 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

We're in southern MD and like it a lot.  Bethesda is very expensive and I don't think there are really any good commuting options; the area is horribly congested.  However, NIH is rumored to be considering suburban locations for a second campus.  I think FDA has a location in College Park?  Something to do with nutrition anyway.  The Laurel/College Park area is cheaper but not as nice.  University of Maryland would also be a reasonable place for your wife to look.

My coworker is looking for a 3bed/2/br SFH with garage in Montgomery County and having trouble finding much within his 400K budget.  I think if you're willing to forgo the garage you can find more options.  You can certainly find a townhouse for 200K or less.

User satisfaction is pretty low lately for Metro riders, and dwellings within walking distance of Metro stations pay a premium.  Agree with wvugirl that MD is slightly cheaper...I270 is famous for really awful traffic if you're commuting into the city, and 495 is usually a mess.  They are planning a new purple line of the metro to run east/west from Bethesda to (?Laurel New Carrollton? Somewhere east, anyway) but construction is not close to starting.

Since you're hoping for children, be sure to look at schools before you buy anything!  There are some very good school districts and some where you should plan on private school from the get-go    You also might like to confirm your Mil is on board for the move, because daycare is hella expensive here.

MD gets much cheaper farther away from DC, but that's probably not helpful given the circumstances.  Good luck whatever you decide!

Thank you, our saving grace with the commute is if she telecommutes and keep her current job. But it is not something she would want to do long term but would work for now.

How about Franklin MD? Saw some affordable townhomes there 250k? How is the area?

We would probably stay within our current price range 250-300k and I know a townhome would be our best (affordable) option. 3 bedrooms / 2 baths....

We might want to rent first or look to see what we can buy.

[TheHaitian]

Jan 18, 2016 11:41:49 GMT -5 geenamercile said:

Carl- on the wife front and I'm sorry if this seems too personal.  But could part of her freaking out also be because you were about to try IVF and how a job and moving and all of that may derail that?  I am sure you and your wife will come through this together.  And good luck with the interviews.  

I think it is everything, so much happening at once. So yes having an IVF appointment for this Friday did not help the cause... But I told her not to cancel it.

We've waiting 8 years for the perfect time to have a kid and guess what? It hasn't come yet so moving forward with it.

So yes juggling a lot: job search, IVF treatment, possible relocation or not, new job... God we are freaking insane!