Two Years Later

Two years ago today, it was a Monday and I walked proudly into the Herald offices. It was my first day at my first real job in journalism. This was everything that I had worked so hard for. Almost two years after graduation I was finally stepping foot into my career.

Despite the ranting, raving, complaining and crying I do on a regular basis, my job has been good to me. I write at least 12 articles a month and contribute to many more that don’t include a byline. In two years, my writing has come a long way and I think I’m pretty damn good. My editor and copyeditor make me look pretty awesome so thanks are in order for them.

Not a fan of Justin Bieber, but it was pretty cool to interview the hottest teen idol in the world right now.

My job does provide me with a paycheck that does pay the bills and allows me to put a little away for a future away from Long Island. In today’s economy and in this industry, it is nice to feel some job security. Yesterday, though, was a hard day to see the bright side of this place.

It started with sitting in 45 minutes of traffic to move five miles. Sure, there was a massive accident, but it didn’t help my sanity as I inched along the Sunrise Highway service road. Two years of traffic is starting to take its toll on my mental stability. I considered pulling over just to have a good cry.

I had two stories to write, only one of which I was mildly interested in. But, after writing a story about an animal control officer getting arrested for animal cruelty, I had to force myself to get through my lame story on beach erosion. With 99 percent of my stories being on topics that I don’t have any interest in, it’s getting harder and harder to push myself to write a good story. I always do though, since my name and reputation are literally on the (by)line.

I found it extra hard to push through because earlier in the day my good friend from college informed me that she and her boyfriend are taking their savings and picking up and moving down to Florida. Without a job lined up, like Tommy and Gina they’re going down with a prayer and a dream. “Should we just do that?” I asked myself. “Should we just go?”

A tweet from my friend Lauren answered my thoughts. She sent me a link to this Wall Street Journal article: The Next Best Career Move: Actually Moving

Wow. Thanks, WSJ.

The rest of the day was spent pondering if Chuck and I should pack our bags and hightail it out of New York. The WSJ article confirmed my beliefs that we would be better off if we moved down south with our savings and a dream. Easier said than done when you have minimal savings and every other article you read is about North Carolina’s 11 percent unemployment rate.

The mountain town of Asheville is the next area to be bombarded with resumes from Chuck and me.

Another blow was reading about the hiring freeze in the Wake County School District. This was great news after spending an hour printing out cover letters to accompany the 12 resumes that Chuck was planning on sending to various schools in the district.

So, what do we do?

Stick to our original plan on having a loose deadline of January 2011 to move?

Or, push up our deadline to August, save as much money as we can and just go?

Or, give up and take my mom’s offer of renovating the upstairs living room into an apartment?

I think some serious conversations need to be had between Chuck and me. The game is changing and we might have to change our strategy.

Job Hunt = Buzzkill

As the minutes ticked down to the New Year, I couldn’t wait to hop online and start searching for new jobs. I fought the urge to start sooner, waiting for January 2 to finally peruse the listings.

Now, I’m not stupid.

I realize the kind of economic climate we’re in. Many people I know are currently looking for jobs with no luck in finding anything suitable or hearing back for the jobs they do apply for. I was in this same position two years ago when I was let go from my previous job and it took me four months to get hired at my current position.

I didn’t expect to find anything right away and I tried to keep my optimism at a realistic level. But wow, does job hunting really take the happy-go-lucky out of you.

The problem isn’t lack of jobs. There are plenty of positions available. None of which I qualify for. In 10 years I could be hired as a manager or director, but right now I’m in that awkward spot between entry level and just above entry level. Apparently all the positions for the low man on the totem pole are filled.

Another obstacle is the inability to move prior to having a job. For some reason this makes me an undesirable for employers. I could see employers wanting me to be familiar with a community, but as I tell most people from Long Beach “I didn’t know Long Beach existed until I started working here.” In the end, I know more about Long Beach than I do about my own hometown.

I won’t ask for relocation and I would start just as soon as anyone else who had to give his or her current employer notice. Would I hop on a plane for a 15-minute interview? Hell yeah.

Sure, we would love to pack our bags but considering our savings, or lack thereof, it’s just not financially possible. We’re trying to do this responsibly in hopes that once we leave we won’t be forced to move back.

On the bright side, the state education department confirmed our information that Chuck could apply for a job and start working without certification. Hopefully someone will scoop up his science skills and pay him enough to support my butt until I find something.

I’m trying to say positive, especially since it’s only January 6 and we’ve only been at it for four days. Maybe I need to cut myself a little slack.

America’s Fastest Recovering Cities

For those like me looking to relocate, here’s a list to help you out.

Full List: America’s Fastest-Recovering Cities via Forbes.com

Makin’ a Move

Chuck and I began thinking of relocating before we even met.

I was laid-off from Four Seasons Sunrooms where I worked as an executive assistant in January 2008, one week before my one year anniversary. I took a week “vacation” then promptly started my job search. I often searched for positions in the Albany area since at the time, I had a slew of friends in that neck of the (literal) woods.

It wasn’t too long after I was laid off, I met Chuck and we began dating. Things were going to well that I kept my searches more local in the event that possibly, just maybe, I found something good.

Chuck had also been laid off in January. His graduate program at Adelphi University had been cut a week into the semester. Already going back to Adelphi under stressful circumstances, he considered moving to Tennessee where a friend was living in a cheap apartment with a decent job.

Moving was on hold until later that year when he decided to go back to Rochester University and we had loose plans to head up north. Knowing Rochester had a problem with unemployment even in good economic times, I was nervous, but I was sucked into a cheaper lifestyle of living.

Our best apartment find, was a two bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse that was under $1,000 a month. That’s if we had the money to spurge. I could deal with the snow and ice and cold 10 months out of the year.

I was terrified, but excited.

Had our plans worked accordingly, I wouldn’t have started this blog because I would no longer be living in my parent’s house. I guess things happen for a reason.

So, almost a year later, we find ourselves in a similar position. Instead of moving north, we’re looking south.While we have a list of potential locales that we’d like to check out,  right now, North Carolina is leading the charge with its cheap living and lack of masters-to-teach requirement.

We’ll spend six days down below the Bible belt in good ‘ol country living.

A year later, I find myself terrified, but excited. We’ll see how I feel this time next year.