Leaving Home

[nissangirl74]

On the radio this morning, the talk show host was discussing the fact that more and more young people are less willing to move far from home to take a job, even for great pay and a moving allowance.

Example: This happened in the late 90s. There was a girl working part-time in a radio station, less than 12 hours per week, for $10 / hour in the SF Bay area. She was 25 years old, a college graduate, and lived at home with her mom. Someone in San Diego found out about how good she was and came up to try and convince her to move and have her own show, airing 5 days a week. She would be starting out at $30,000, full moving expenses paid, they would set her up in an apartment, the whole nine yards. She turned them down, opting to stay where she was and continue to live with her mom, and hope something would become available soon close by.

What would you do in that scenario? Would you stay close to home or would you venture out and take a chance on the great opportunity?

[alms24sebring]

Hmmm tough call. Id think twice about $30k a year and what kind of job security, and also the location. Its different if your hosting an actual talk show or if your sittin there eating Cheetos playing Ke$ha 4 times in an hour. But if I was skilled at talking about stuff and keeping a conversation and it was my passion as a disc Jockey, there's a good chance I'd try it out, especially if it was a paid trip and I already had an apartment reserved for me.

[nissangirl74]

It's been over a decade ago. $30K probably went a little farther then than it would now. I would go. Especially if they were willing to pay my way out there. If you are young, single, educated, and have nothing to lose, why not?

[dre1507]

Back then, I think what she did was without a doubt considered against the norm. Now, with the current state of the nation, people are feeling more and more insecure about everything.

[Jesda]

Moving to a new place is an adventure. I'd totally do it. I can make new friends wherever I go, so why not?

Plus, the NICO Travel Card means you automatically have people to hang out with all over the world.

[alms24sebring]

It's been over a decade ago. $30K probably went a little farther then than it would now. I would go. Especially if they were willing to pay my way out there. If you are young, single, educated, and have nothing to lose, why not?

I guess thats true. If it were the 80s I probly wouldnt have a care in the world. But now... it takes some planning and thinking ahead.

[Dattebayo]

Moving to a new place is an adventure. I'd totally do it. I can make new friends wherever I go, so why not?

Plus, the NICO Travel Card means you automatically have people to hang out with all over the world.

This is a really rosy way to look at it, but I'd be in too, just for the adventure. Travel is cool! And even if you do nothing for a social life for a while, it makes the daily struggle something to be proud of rather than cooling your heels at home, complaining about stupid BS.

[Bubba1]

On the radio this morning, the talk show host was discussing the fact that more and more young people are less willing to move far from home to take a job, even for great pay and a moving allowance.

Example: This happened in the late 90s. There was a girl working part-time in a radio station, less than 12 hours per week, for $10 / hour in the SF Bay area. She was 25 years old, a college graduate, and lived at home with her mom. Someone in San Diego found out about how good she was and came up to try and convince her to move and have her own show, airing 5 days a week. She would be starting out at $30,000, full moving expenses paid, they would set her up in an apartment, the whole nine yards. She turned them down, opting to stay where she was and continue to live with her mom, and hope something would become available soon close by.

What would you do in that scenario? Would you stay close to home or would you venture out and take a chance on the great opportunity?

Given her choice of career, the only route to making a lot of money in radio is by relocating for better gigs. No one is going to hand an unknown with no real track record a prime time slot for $100K+ in NYC. If radio is her career goal, she absolutely must move and hone her craft, gain expeerience. $30K is not a lot of money but she could easily live on it if she sets a budget for herself.

[Encryptshun]

I would guess that many of us on here have opted to move away from our families in order to pursue a career. it's a tough decision to make and then to stick with, especially as parents and grandparents age and start to experience health issues. I know the day will come when I need to be there to take care of my mom. So I've already talked to my wife about it and we're saving all the money we can now so we can retire early and move back to the farm where the cost of living is low and it will last. Unfortunately, with the cost of health care spiraling out of control and no socialized option likely to happen, I will probably spend 9/10 of my nest egg paying medical bills.

[TurboSauce]

I'd have taken it and tried it out, I mean afterall it's not like you can't ever quit and move back.

[Bubba1]

As parents, the notion of living long enough to be a burden to our children might be enticing, but I think most of us would strongly prefer for our children to live their adult lives independantly, and not get stuck taking care of us in our old age. It's not fair to our children. That's not say that we do not want to stay relevant in their lives, I just feel we didn't bring them into this world to take care of us.

[zacmil]

On the radio this morning, the talk show host was discussing the fact that more and more young people are less willing to move far from home to take a job, even for great pay and a moving allowance.

I would imagine that a good deal of this can be attributed to the current state of the economy. People are uncertain, and when people are uncertain they tend to take fewer risks. I suppose it makes sense. Unless you were sure the said position was secure, would you want to move away from your entire support network and try to star anew? I'm not saying people shouldn't take risks, but I understand why they may be hesitant.

What would you do in that scenario? Would you stay close to home or would you venture out and take a chance on the great opportunity?

Personally, I can understand why a person may be conflicted when deciding to move away from home. I tend to have a few friends that I am extremely close to, and I would find it difficult to leave them behind. Additionally, I like where I live. I love the landscape, the attitudes of people in the area, and the open space. On the other hand, I don't quite fit in to the culture or the political climate of the area. If I were to take a chance and move away I may find a place where I fit in a little better.

I think it really boils down to whether or not the costs outweigh the benefits. Is the job really that great? Will it enable me to significantly improve my quality of living, or could I find just as good of an opportunity closer to home? Will it help me grow as an individual? These are very personal questions and I don't think it's possible to say that any one situation can apply to another.

[BusyBadger]

What would you do in that scenario? Would you stay close to home or would you venture out and take a chance on the great opportunity?

I've been on my own since I got out of high school, I'll always take option #2.

[THawks]

After High school, I spent the summer with my parents until I turned 18 at the end of August. September 1st, I was on a plane to basic training and for the next 7 years i lived in Texas, Arizona, Mississippi and Maryland (parents are in Nebraska and Georgia) I moved back to Nebraska a little over a year ago (for my own wants, aside from the major paycut, and more for a girl than for my parents) even so, I am still about 3 hours away from them. I like being closer to where I grew up but honestly, I am right now as close as I am willing to get. If I hadn't just recently bought a house, I would be looking for a new adventure to move to...

[SBC 240Z]

I'm bored with Florida, I'm ready for adventure, I hope the Air Force stations me in Japan but I don't think there's a big demand for EOD there, lol. Ironically I will likely be stationed at Eglin AFB, a whole 1.5 hours from my current location.

[themadscientist]

If the pay and benefits are sufficient, short of deliberately harming myself I would do just about any job. If you gave me enough money I would work as a fluffer for Nala's dates, helping them prepare for what they are about to do and listening to their laments as the self-loathing starts afterward.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I think we all know what I chose.
That being said, it definitely does suck sometimes being away from friends and some family members. I spend a ridiculous amount of my yearly income on travel.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Family is huge to me. Nearly my entire extended family lives in northern Utah, and I see them all regularly. Moving somewhere that would change that is simply not an option. No amount of money is worth not being able to see my family every weekend. Money is the means, not the end. Nothing money can buy will ever make me as happy as seeing my family does.

[Jesda]

I'm a nomad. I can stay connected to friends and family electronically. I've lived away from my mom, away from my dad, its no big deal. I feel almost as connected over the phone (although I almost never answer it) as I do in person.

Experiencing a new place, living among new kinds of people, even if they're weird -- that's worth as much as seeing your folks daily. All I need is my dog, a convertible, and a cool job to put my feet down anywhere and feel at home.

And don't just do it for money. Do it because its awesome to go out and take a risk.
Unless that risk involves skiing. F*** skiing.

[nissangirl74]

While I am in a very different situation, if I were younger and had no attachments or obligations, I would relocate in a New York minute. I have always been very independent and self-sufficient, even as a young child.

There are a few places that I would refuse to go to, even for a lot of money. Anywhere it snows a**-deep to a giraffe or rains a lot would probably be out of the question unless I was dead broke and that job was my only option. If my two choices alternatives were Seattle, WA or Buffalo, NY, I'd stay at home with the parentals and keep looking.

[frapjap]

Option 2. Everytime.
Most folks in New England (james excluded) don't ever really leave New England- for work/personal reasons or vacation. I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to not travel once a month (or more) for work, drive more than 30 minutes to see some friends, or to not take a 4 hour drive to the mountains "just because."
My guess is this girl is insanely boring and has the same 6 meals every week that her mother cooks white having boring nights out with the two girlfriends she has.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Tell New England to get some damn Engineering positions back in there!

[S133P3R]

Haha, I lived this. But I took the opportunity and moved...
At 18, graduate high school with no plans for college. Get a phone call from my buddy in Hawaii and a week later I'm living there working as a wedding photographers assistant/ photo editor. Pay is great, weather is great, life was great. Pulled about 25k 1 yr out of School and changed my life forever. The on the job training from one of hawaiis premier wedding photographers is something you can't buy at brooks institute... The rest will be in my auto biography but the point is, TAKE THE CHANCE.

[Fenris]

Heh... I went to college after high school and graduated with a piece of paper and huge debt.

I Want to move, but I make just under 50k/year and in 2011 I paid just over $13000 in just interest on my student loans.

I live at home with my mum because 60% of my monthly income goes to student loans, then phone, car, utilities, insurance... Where does money for rent enter in?

That said, im moving to Colorado in about a year, if i can find work at the same pay level. Cost of living so much lower than New Hampshire, my fiancee and I can buy a house for less than it would cost to rent in NH.

[sbird1]

Bex, that girl in the original post is retarded. I'm planning a move here in about a month. I'm moving clear across country around April 15th because my cousin told me he had a job there for me. My job that I have been working was a temp job that ended abruptly yesterday. I'm planning to sell pretty much everything I have and move to California. I do have family there, but still. I've been looking for a job here in the south east for months, sending out hundreds of resumes. I have an Economics degree, but I can't get a callback from any job I apply for. I hope there are more jobs in California, but at least I'll have a job when I get there. All I have to do is sell the Cobra and Suburban and buy my ticket.

[NolimitZ32]

I am 26, single, no kids, and have been trying my hardest to find a job with one of the petroleum giants to go work overseas, I've done a good amount of traveling in my life already but while I'm not tied down i would jump at the opportunity to go explore the world even if it is a frigid taiga or endless desert. With people living longer (for the most part) and the world economy being what it is I think young people are divided into two schools of thought; One is willing to do damn near anything to secure financial freedom even if it involves working 150+ hour weeks and not being able to see family/friends for months on end. The other chooses the comfort of knowing that if they stay close to home they have a crutch close by if they need it. Now granted I still live with my folks, completely by choice as I see no reason to waste money on rent when All I do at home is sleep (my work hours are pretty extreme) and as I said, given the opportunity I would be on a midnight train going anywhere (little Journey moment, I had to)

[300ZXttZMAN]

Yea totally the fact that the girl was single and living with her mom should have been enough for her to pack it up. (if the offer was legit on paper)

[Dattebayo]

On the radio this morning, the talk show host was discussing the fact that more and more young people are less willing to move far from home to take a job, even for great pay and a moving allowance.

Just a second thought here... Where did said radio host get his/her information from?

[numbnuts240]

Tell New England to get some damn Engineering positions back in there!

isaac mentioned that electric boat is looking for engineers.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Jobs at EB seem to come and go with the wind, depending on what the flavor of the week with defense spending is. I knew a guy that worked there and I think he disliked it as I recall. I guess I could touch base with him again to get the scoop.