OK, So I am beginning to realize that I may not be headed anywhere with my current company... they want to push me towards sales, but I prefer salary.


Sooo...


I sent out my resume to companies that were looking for CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software Admins and got a few responses. The main 2 are for Seattle and NYC. The Seattle one is moving along rather quick, they would want me to contract with them for 3 months to help them with their Salesforce.com use. They pay 30/hr with potential to hire at 62,000 per year after those 3 months... The problem is that I am not sure it would be worth moving out there for 3 months at that rate because the cost of living around Seattle is ridonkulous! It's specifically Bothell, WA.

The NYC one I have a phone interview with today, but I would think I should expect ~80k to make a decent living there, even commuting from NJ. I would be a great fit with them, but I doubt my experience merits that pay. This one also would be a SF.com Admin position.

BTW If anyone local knows a company that uses SF.com and needs someone to manage it for them, let me know!

10/12/2007 1:45:09 PM

I wouldnt move to seattle for just 3 months, but it might be good experience. You could go on craigslist and find a temporary housing, or do the long term hotel stay thing.

10/12/2007 2:17:02 PM

Yeah, you can usually always find a sublet via Craigslist for a few months, or an Extended Stay hotel if it came to it. Try to get that at least partially paid for by them if you do that. Seattle's a long ways away, but a great city nonetheless.

Before worrying over money, I'd have to make 1000% sure you'd actually want to move your life to either of those locations. HUGE difference from anywhere in NC, even Raleigh.

10/12/2007 4:02:50 PM

Seattle is out Said it would be a little bit easier to work with local candidates... boo Oh well, it would have been a lot of trouble anyways. Here is hoping for NY or something better in NC very soon!

10/12/2007 5:01:53 PM

So they pay you $30/hr at a rate of $62,400 /year starting then in 3 months they may hire you at $62,000. At that pay you would NEVER be able to afford a house out there. And that $62k is POTENTIAL which probably will be less.

10/12/2007 10:56:00 PM

Bothell is a suburb and its actually fairly affordable to buy a house... even moreso if you move just across the King/Snohomish county line (about a 5-10 minute drive north)

that said, you dont want to move out to Seattle just to live in the rednecky suburbs with their franchise stores and strip malls..

you can get a cool (but small) downtown apt/condo with view and right in the middle of everything for $f1000/mo. living in the city of Seattle rocks.

but then again, we're on our way to winter. three months from now it'll be the dead of winter, dark, rainy and cold. and you would fucking hate it. move here in the spring or early summer so you can see it for its best, then you can tolerate the worst.

and there are a ton of jobs here in Seattle. thats the least of your concern.


I dont know anything about NYC, to be honest.

10/13/2007 4:24:31 AM

if you want to live in Manhattan I wouldn't take a position for less than $80k. I'm making a fair amount less than that and its tough, and I'm getting fed up with it.

10/23/2007 1:48:03 PM

Yeah, if I did get the job in NY it would have to be around that amount... and I would live way outside the city as well to afford a decent condo/townhouse.


Columbia, MD has entered the mix now and seems like the frontrunner I've gotten some great advice so far from TWW! Anyone who has experience with relocation negotiations would be helpful as well... I'm not sure how to ask for it and I have my third round of interviews coming up.

10/23/2007 6:01:26 PM

i've relocated 3 times since i started my job & i'm getting ready to move again

i can tell you ab things to think ab with relo so you at least have an idea of what expenses you might incur so you know what to ask for

10/23/2007 7:10:12 PM

if they pay you enough, it improves your career, and you have nothing literally tying you down here then go.

but yeah get as much of the cost of moving and CoL increases covered/factored in...

10/24/2007 9:41:26 AM

Heed Joe's advice, don't move to Seattle this time of year. My wife and I did it and ended up back in Raleigh a year later. Otherwise, if you are single and looking for an adventure, it's a great place to live if you can move there around June.

10/24/2007 1:25:00 PM

Moved to Seattle two weeks ago - this place rocks. Cost of living is a bit higher than NC - housing is no more expensive than downtown or the inner ring neighborhoods of Charlotte - it seems food and bars are a dollar or two more here and there, and if you need a car they tax the hell out of them here. But in the tech field at least wages seem to have kept up with the cost of living increases, so quality of life is far better than NC imo.

10/25/2007 9:30:56 AM

he's already out here

10/30/2007 9:29:47 AM

i'm going to seattle this weekend -- never been before so i'm pretty excited

not moving there though, think the rain would depress me too much

10/30/2007 7:22:21 PM

yeah, the weather sucks

10/30/2007 7:23:38 PM

He already left?

Well, if you are reading this and if you are contracting, ask them about per diem splits, you can take a percentage of your hourly as a tax-free reimbursement. It should help offset your cost. Im thinking its quite high for Seattle, but i dont know how that would fit with $30/hr. I suppose this is moot since youre gone and probably already in an agreement

11/1/2007 5:01:43 PM

I dont think i am going to buy a house for 10 more years, my career is taking me all over the place and i dont want to be tied down with a house. I am now in NOVA and i can see this lasting about 3 years before I head down south somewhere. It could change, just been here 2 weeks, could fall in love with NOVA....

I moved from NC to Texas a year ago to NOVA now

[Edited on November 12, 2007 at 10:11 PM. Reason : w]

11/12/2007 10:10:14 PM

i used to live out of the back seat of a '74 Nova

11/12/2007 11:48:32 PM