Moving from New Jersey to California!!!!

1. This is the second to best option. I did the same two years ago with 5k saved and it only lasted me a bit before I was able to find work. Finding work is definitely not easy though (unemployment rate in CA is 11-12% and it is 15-20% for people in the 20's. You will need to tap the networks and make a strong case why someone would hire you.

2. This is definitely the best plan, although surf in SF is not the California sunshine you may be looking for. Ocean beach can be big, sharky, and is definitely cold. Then again, SF may be one of the best cities in CA, with smart people, pretty good weather, and a social life that has far less vanity than some parts of Southern Cal.

3. This is impossible (or almost impossible). There are so many people looking for work in CA, you will be hard-pressed to be hired before moving there. I did not even get interviews (with a BA and Masters) until I told people that I was in the process of moving or that I already lived there.

Best advice: Move out there, live on a friend's couch, take 2-3 months looking for work, and you should be in good shape. That's if SF doesn't work out (the surf is definitely good if you can stand colder water and sharks--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KvBx5EJEno).

 

Save some money and leave New Jersey. California has better waves and San Diego has Mission/Pacific Beach which has been deemed "Lil Jersey" so you will fit in fine but have a better lifestyle.

 

Just leave your **** here, you'll be back, they always come back! Or sell everything get on a plane, buy your new car there. Cheap $350 for 1 way ticket, just do it!

 

Ive made the 3000 mile drive back from cali alone ... Santa Cruz to LBI ... door to door took 60 hours ... heavily caffeinated .. was kinda crazy but that drive wasnt that bad at all as long as you have good tunes to rock out to

 

i did the drive twice from monmouth county to encinitas - first time through the south and the second time was through chicago then south. had a fantastic time on both drives - each took 3 days. find places to camp if you're low on $, that helped us a lot as we were still in college

 

I was serious and not a all surprised, it was meant to be helpful. Plus when you get tired of cali, usually takes about 12-18 months, the move back will be just as painless! Or you can drive your new car back.

 

hey man i don't know if he still checks the forums out but PM zach619. I'm pretty sure he moved to SD from VB and he always has great advice for EC guys moving over to Cali. Good luck! I wish you could take me with you haha

 

sign up with a temp or placement agency in SD before you go out there and line up some temp jobs, that way you aren't draining your cash that quickly and you may meet some people that can help you

 

food for thought

to begin with, do a little research about where you're moving. San Diego is primarily composed of retirees, the military and college students. In La Jolla you have the population of some serious upper class and south of San Diego proper you get into some areas that are a bit more sketchy and frankly more Latino/Mexican (Not that there's anything wrong with that). That means the job market is fairly limited to tourism and otherwise catering to people who exist there (service industry). Unfortunately, the very jobs that you would be looking for in that realm are being picked up by the enormous college population and the virtually unlimited manual labor that lives there (Interestingly, the interior border checkpoint is about 60 miles north of San Diego). If you have a particular skill or have a particular education that makes you marketable in some functional way, there are some tech firms down there as well as some individual private industry concerns that may be able to use people with specific skill sets, but you have to figure out whether or not that fits you. If you already have a job with a company like Comcast, see if they will transfer you there. It not only gives you a job, but they may even inclined to help you with some kind of moving expense… I wouldn't hold my breath on that by the way.

From what I understand, the job market there is a bit difficult right now, perhaps even more than places like Los Angeles. Also, because of the relatively high standard of living, living expenses can be a bit pricey, certainly more than Los Angeles, although not as much as San Francisco. Good luck in your endeavor.

 

Also, Scobeyville should be able to help you. I think he did this same thing about a year ago.

 

ive lived out there (San Diego) twice and did the drive both times. first time was during college and did a six month long internship out there. i got lucky and got a job through a friend of a friend by word of mouth. next time i was out there for a year after college and got hooked up with a job through one of the guys i worked with on my internship, so how i got my jobs were a little rare. but anyway, if i can give you any advice DO THE DRIVE!! it is an experience you will never forget and one that is totally priceless. ive made that drive 4 times and well worth all the time and expense. just such an amazing experience and you realize how much open land there really is in this country and how small you really are. as for the routes to take across country, i would do it based on the time of year. you only have a few options, but ive taken 70 twice, 40 once and 10 once.

i pretty much stayed in Motel 6's at each town i stopped in. they run around $60-$70 per night. as for apartments, the last time i was out there (in 2007) i had a one bedroom apartment and that was around $1200 per month. Studios will be cheaper. let me know if you need any other info. and by the way, you should totally make the move. its sick and theres a lot more swell than the east coast.

 

Here is an idea, buy a food truck, "Roach Coach", head out to San Diego, stopping in different towns selling tacos and what not. That way, you are getting paid to go out there! But, you might have some competition when you get out there! There are quite a few. Maybe you could market your tacos as, "Dirty Jerz Tacos, if you like the stink, we've got the pink".

 

no start selling fat messes out of your food truck. If you go out there selling cheese steaks that have mozarella sticks, fries and pork roll on them you will put in and out burger out of business.

 

most employers around here won't even talk to you unless you're a local candidate. try using a headhunter or recruiting firm for potential opportunities. if you have professional friends that is probably the best way to go because you'll already have a foot in the door before your interview.

live with roommates to save money. living by yourself is expensive. you are what you eat too so don't sell yourself short and eat cheap mexican every day. check junk mail and see what grocers have the best deals on meat and produce - making your own food will save you a lot each week.

don't get discouraged either - there are so many trolls on the streets and stinkeyes in the lineup that it may make you feel dejected after awhile. keep the ambition and spirit that you feel right now; really capture it and don't let it go. keep in touch with your family as often as possible... your friends will always change but your family will always be there so don't become too distant.

if you find yourself in the city of sd and need someone to charge with, let me know, i'll paddle out with you

 

I just registered when I saw this thread. I moved from OBX to San Diego in 2006. I grew up in NJ.

I had a couple phone interviews before I left, but I still had to do some face-to-face once I got out here. There are a number of places where you can get a job fairly quickly, just to pay the bills. Take a look at Ashford University, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Geico. I do not consider these long term, but they are fairly easy to get a position with and the pay is enough to get you started.

Realistically if you wait around to save money for a year+, you'll never move.

The less you bring, the easier it will be. I don't know if you are planning on bringing a dog, but I would say don't do it. It's too much of a pain to find a place that will allow dogs, and unless you know some people out here, you're probably going to be renting a room from someone off craigslist.

Don't worry about getting a place to live squared away before you leave. You can camp up in Cardiff and drive down to find a room. Most transplants live in PB or Mission Beach in the beginning. Craigslist is the best tool to find a room, or you can just drive the streets and look for signs.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. One thing is for sure, if you do make the trip, you won't regret it. The only thing I can't stand is all the Red Sox fans out here...