7 ms·

This is not as good as it sounds just because it works for you. People don't love moving, and they usually move for better work opportunities, not to accomodat

This is not as good as it sounds just because it works for you. People don't love moving, and they usually move for better work opportunities, not to accomodate a pay cut at their current job. Moving to a lower cost of living area also means moving to an area with less opportunities, and not to mention moving away from your social circles and the life you have established somewhere. The only way I can see this working if uber started hiring bew remote engineers in the US, but asking their current ones to move from SF so they can take a pay cut?

itake 6y ago
To add to this when I worked remotely for two years I was always worried that if I move to a low cost of living city and I lost my job I will be screwed. No one would hire me at the rate I was paid with the SF company.
- nkingsy 6y ago
  This has happened to me. Ended up working for a very scary company because they were the only local option that came close to matching my bay area salary. Moved back to the Bay Area less than a year later. Lesson learned, I won’t be moving again without a relocation package
  - justinclift 6y ago
    > very scary company What did they do?
  - lumost 6y ago
    This has always been my big concern with leaving a major tech city ( even to go to the suburbs ). your opportunities shrink. I'd be curious if this will change as more companies offer full-time remote.
    - ghaff 6y ago
      Silicon Valley (mostly) is "the suburbs." Although there are more tech jobs in downtowns than there used to be, in a lot of areas most of the tech jobs are in suburbs/exurbs.
      - lumost 6y ago
        It's a bit different here on the East Coast. While there are plenty of options in the suburbs - the number within an individuals commuting radius drops.
        ghaff 6y ago
        There are a lot of pretty bad commutes in SV too. I live (well) outside of Boston. About 20 years ago, there wasn't a single real tech employer in the city. That's changed primarily with Kendall and the Seaport. But there's still a huge amount in Metrowest and some in the northern suburbs going up to southern NH. I've been lucky that through several jobs I've never had a really bad commute except into Boston for a time--but I didn't have to do it every day and there is a commuter rail.
- ykevinator 6y ago
  That's the first guys point, remote enables cheaper american salaries, a better option for the company but bad for you (sorry)
bane 6y ago
Imagine if they didn't have to move for better opportunities but could stay living where they grew up in flyover country.

itake 6y ago

To add to this when I worked remotely for two years I was always worried that if I move to a low cost of living city and I lost my job I will be screwed. No one would hire me at the rate I was paid with the SF company.

nkingsy 6y ago
This has happened to me. Ended up working for a very scary company because they were the only local option that came close to matching my bay area salary. Moved back to the Bay Area less than a year later. Lesson learned, I won’t be moving again without a relocation package
- justinclift 6y ago
  > very scary company What did they do?
- lumost 6y ago
  This has always been my big concern with leaving a major tech city ( even to go to the suburbs ). your opportunities shrink. I'd be curious if this will change as more companies offer full-time remote.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    Silicon Valley (mostly) is "the suburbs." Although there are more tech jobs in downtowns than there used to be, in a lot of areas most of the tech jobs are in suburbs/exurbs.
    - lumost 6y ago
      It's a bit different here on the East Coast. While there are plenty of options in the suburbs - the number within an individuals commuting radius drops.
      - ghaff 6y ago
        There are a lot of pretty bad commutes in SV too. I live (well) outside of Boston. About 20 years ago, there wasn't a single real tech employer in the city. That's changed primarily with Kendall and the Seaport. But there's still a huge amount in Metrowest and some in the northern suburbs going up to southern NH. I've been lucky that through several jobs I've never had a really bad commute except into Boston for a time--but I didn't have to do it every day and there is a commuter rail.
ykevinator 6y ago
That's the first guys point, remote enables cheaper american salaries, a better option for the company but bad for you (sorry)

bane 6y ago

Imagine if they didn't have to move for better opportunities but could stay living where they grew up in flyover country.