I hate it when people answer a different question than I asked, but is it really, absolutely necessary to move to Cincinnati? I grew up in the Midwest -- born

I hate it when people answer a different question than I asked, but is it really, absolutely necessary to move to Cincinnati? I grew up in the Midwest -- born in rural Michigan, went to college in Chicago -- and I couldn't imagine being a software engineer there right now with the state of the economy. The stories I hear from my family, who are all still in Northern Michigan, make me very happy that I decided to move to the SF Bay Area as soon as I graduated from college. I wasn't married, but I had no money in the bank, $40k in student debt, and was living with my girlfriend at the time (we moved from Chicago to SF together). I don't know about your personal situation so I might be totally out of line. That said, if your situation dictates you must live in or around Cincinnati, I think it's just going to be a numbers game. Hit the streets, send off as many emails as you can, make lots of phone calls, and leave no stone unturned. Apply for every single job you can, whether you think you're qualified or not. Don't be dissuaded by "senior" titles and such. I'd plan for 1-2 months to find something solid.