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I wonder how much of this is companies getting stingier with relocation expenses. Even in tech, companies which claim to be begging for more talent tend to offe

by jordanb 10y ago

I wonder how much of this is companies getting stingier with relocation expenses. Even in tech, companies which claim to be begging for more talent tend to offer either no relocation benefits or really kinda insulting benefits ("$5000 max reimbursable with receipts, and you have to pay it back if you are separated within a year" for instance). How many Americans could really cover a cross country move out of their own savings in search of work? Especially when job switching is so risky these days. I know a woman who relocated herself to SV to work for a startup and then was terminated a few months later after the startup shifted priorities and eliminated her position.

BuckRogers 10y ago
>How many Americans could really cover a cross country move out of their own savings in search of work? I've done this, twice. But only because I really needed a job. Now that we're settled, it won't happen again so easily. One time I did it with a job already locked-in. Second time for my wife with no job locked in but it did work out well. Once we're settled in our locale, it will take a great deal to get us to move again. Someone would have to be offered a lot of money and the other person have some sort of opportunity available. Eg. my wife is a teacher, we'd need it to be a state where they had reciprocity. The fact that we need to move like cattle and have such lax labor laws to be let go with no cause are not really conducive to each other. Like what happened to your friend. Hard to imagine they truly couldn't find her some other job to do within the company when they "shifted priorities". I say this as someone who is never a victim of circumstance, we are those who within reason, move or do whatever it takes to get ahead. So we moved but we've both also given up all our friends, family and the comfort those bring. But it remains that American work culture and labor laws are completely upside down and they need to change.
WalterBright 10y ago
American history is one of large migrations of people to where the jobs are. The quantity and kinds of jobs available in any location never were static.
jupiter90000 10y ago
Not sure how many could really cover it, but my wife and I did just that a few years ago. No jobs lined up and a few k in the bank account, some from selling what little we owned. It was a great decision for us and has worked out well. We both were in the social work profession, so were by no means rich. Maybe we're not a typical story, not sure, but it can be done successfully. Taking healthy risks is an exciting part of life sometimes, and I am glad I didn't listen to my own fears or to others who said we would fail.

by jordanb 10y ago

BuckRogers 10y ago

>How many Americans could really cover a cross country move out of their own savings in search of work? I've done this, twice. But only because I really needed a job. Now that we're settled, it won't happen again so easily. One time I did it with a job already locked-in. Second time for my wife with no job locked in but it did work out well. Once we're settled in our locale, it will take a great deal to get us to move again. Someone would have to be offered a lot of money and the other person have some sort of opportunity available. Eg. my wife is a teacher, we'd need it to be a state where they had reciprocity. The fact that we need to move like cattle and have such lax labor laws to be let go with no cause are not really conducive to each other. Like what happened to your friend. Hard to imagine they truly couldn't find her some other job to do within the company when they "shifted priorities". I say this as someone who is never a victim of circumstance, we are those who within reason, move or do whatever it takes to get ahead. So we moved but we've both also given up all our friends, family and the comfort those bring. But it remains that American work culture and labor laws are completely upside down and they need to change.

WalterBright 10y ago

American history is one of large migrations of people to where the jobs are. The quantity and kinds of jobs available in any location never were static.

jupiter90000 10y ago

Not sure how many could really cover it, but my wife and I did just that a few years ago. No jobs lined up and a few k in the bank account, some from selling what little we owned. It was a great decision for us and has worked out well. We both were in the social work profession, so were by no means rich. Maybe we're not a typical story, not sure, but it can be done successfully. Taking healthy risks is an exciting part of life sometimes, and I am glad I didn't listen to my own fears or to others who said we would fail.