4 ms·

Does one need to be more physically fit to be a developer in a rural area (I know of several places hiring) as opposed to the big city? In fact, the data sugges

Does one need to be more physically fit to be a developer in a rural area (I know of several places hiring) as opposed to the big city? In fact, the data suggests that city dwellers are statistically more fit as they are more likely to walk everywhere, while rural people are more likely to drive to their desk job. Agricultural work can be available in rural areas, but even in the most agriculturally productive areas, makes up a small portion of the workforce. The age where the majority of the population are farmers is long gone. Even within the agricultural sector, a lot of the work is in front of a desk.

ryandrake 8y ago
There are far fewer development (or other white collar, low physical effort) opportunities in rural areas. If remote work ever gains significant traction, this would be a viable way to save housing expense.
- randomdata 8y ago
  > There are far fewer development (or other white collar, low physical effort) opportunities in rural areas. In my foolish youth I once tried to maintain two development jobs at the same time. That turned out to be a really big mistake. With that in hindsight, I really have to question why people are worried about how much opportunity there is. Maybe you are better than me and can handle two jobs without issue, but three? How many jobs do you really need? One available opportunity is all I will ever need again.
  - ryandrake 8y ago
    As someone who's been through two major tech downturns so far and found myself scrambling without a job on several occasions, that seems like a risky strategy. I've been in situations where, without exaggeration, nobody local was hiring. When there's only one tech employer within 100 miles, a sudden job change means moving your family, possibly to a different state. In employment hubs, you're less at risk of this.
    - randomdata 8y ago
      I also went through both of those downturns while working in a rural area. The first time, which was early in my career, I voluntarily left one job to join another during it all. I found no issues with the job market at that time. I have found that, in general, tech jobs are often easier to come by in rural areas as tech professionals prefer to not live in such places, leaving no competition for what jobs are available. The second time, later in my career, I did find myself without work, but with the substantial savings I was able to accumulate thanks to a low cost of living, I didn't even bother to look for another job. I essentially took a couple of months of vacation during the worst of it and then employers started knocking on my door again when things started to turn around. I am sure another downturn will come again, and if that means having to move, so be it. I also have no qualms about working in other industries. I'm especially fond of the agriculture industry, which is convenient for me. But, as you well know, having a tech career for long enough to have gone through those two downturns, we're getting into the position that we could start to seriously think about retiring when that time comes. While the average career may not have that luxury, you can save a lot of money with a high tech income. The risk seems overblown to me. If the worst case scenario is having to move back to where you came, that's not a very big risk. You will be there even if you stay put.

ryandrake 8y ago

There are far fewer development (or other white collar, low physical effort) opportunities in rural areas. If remote work ever gains significant traction, this would be a viable way to save housing expense.

randomdata 8y ago
> There are far fewer development (or other white collar, low physical effort) opportunities in rural areas. In my foolish youth I once tried to maintain two development jobs at the same time. That turned out to be a really big mistake. With that in hindsight, I really have to question why people are worried about how much opportunity there is. Maybe you are better than me and can handle two jobs without issue, but three? How many jobs do you really need? One available opportunity is all I will ever need again.
- ryandrake 8y ago
  As someone who's been through two major tech downturns so far and found myself scrambling without a job on several occasions, that seems like a risky strategy. I've been in situations where, without exaggeration, nobody local was hiring. When there's only one tech employer within 100 miles, a sudden job change means moving your family, possibly to a different state. In employment hubs, you're less at risk of this.
  - randomdata 8y ago
    I also went through both of those downturns while working in a rural area. The first time, which was early in my career, I voluntarily left one job to join another during it all. I found no issues with the job market at that time. I have found that, in general, tech jobs are often easier to come by in rural areas as tech professionals prefer to not live in such places, leaving no competition for what jobs are available. The second time, later in my career, I did find myself without work, but with the substantial savings I was able to accumulate thanks to a low cost of living, I didn't even bother to look for another job. I essentially took a couple of months of vacation during the worst of it and then employers started knocking on my door again when things started to turn around. I am sure another downturn will come again, and if that means having to move, so be it. I also have no qualms about working in other industries. I'm especially fond of the agriculture industry, which is convenient for me. But, as you well know, having a tech career for long enough to have gone through those two downturns, we're getting into the position that we could start to seriously think about retiring when that time comes. While the average career may not have that luxury, you can save a lot of money with a high tech income. The risk seems overblown to me. If the worst case scenario is having to move back to where you came, that's not a very big risk. You will be there even if you stay put.