For clarity this is the second time I am searching for a job this year. Not for a second job to work at the same time as the first one. I kinda thought that was obvious, maybe not.
I know no one can tell me the "right" answer, and I have only begun to search, but I am looking for some input here. Last fall I signed on for a job to start this summer. Well, I got the call a bit ago that with the economy, blah blah I no longer have the job. Tough noogies. Honestly, the pay was really REALLY low anyways and I basically took it because it was the best job for me and the future wife.
Now, it is too late for us to both find a job and we are mid 20s so she is starting to realize that she will want kids eventually and we should focus on my job and she will find something when we get there. All good so here are the questions...
The companies I am looking at so far are: McKesson, Harris, Lockheed, Northrop, Boeing and just about anything in Austin, TX. We LOVE Austin and frankly if I can get a DELL/IBM/whatever job there we would be really excited. However, the economy has really been hit there and not many places are hiring and I have put in a resume just about everywhere I could find online. Can anyone weigh in on the companies I am looking at? Do you have better suggestions? I have interviews lined up with Lockheed, McKesson and Northrop already.
I do have a TS clearance, a Master's in Software Engineering (4.0), and relevant SOA/DoDAF experience so the def contractors will likely pay more than other places and that does matter, though I know cost of living can be a huge pain which brings me to my second question. The cities I am looking at are: Austin TX, Atlanta GA, Fairfax VA, Orlando FL, Sonoma Beach CA. Any thoughts? Some of the salary places say that Sonoma Beach is about 200% higher cost of living than ATL/Orlando, is this true? I went to San Diego once and it was expensive but 200%!?
Also, for the newly graduated, or not so newly graduated, do you have any general job finding advice? Just general stuff? I went through the first round last fall so I know the process and I got offers at every place I interviewed so I feel confident in my interviewing skills but part of me feels that it was my fault that I am doing this again because I picked wrong or something. Thanks in advance.
I know no one can tell me the "right" answer, and I have only begun to search, but I am looking for some input here. Last fall I signed on for a job to start this summer. Well, I got the call a bit ago that with the economy, blah blah I no longer have the job. Tough noogies. Honestly, the pay was really REALLY low anyways and I basically took it because it was the best job for me and the future wife.
Now, it is too late for us to both find a job and we are mid 20s so she is starting to realize that she will want kids eventually and we should focus on my job and she will find something when we get there. All good so here are the questions...
The companies I am looking at so far are: McKesson, Harris, Lockheed, Northrop, Boeing and just about anything in Austin, TX. We LOVE Austin and frankly if I can get a DELL/IBM/whatever job there we would be really excited. However, the economy has really been hit there and not many places are hiring and I have put in a resume just about everywhere I could find online. Can anyone weigh in on the companies I am looking at? Do you have better suggestions? I have interviews lined up with Lockheed, McKesson and Northrop already.
I do have a TS clearance, a Master's in Software Engineering (4.0), and relevant SOA/DoDAF experience so the def contractors will likely pay more than other places and that does matter, though I know cost of living can be a huge pain which brings me to my second question. The cities I am looking at are: Austin TX, Atlanta GA, Fairfax VA, Orlando FL, Sonoma Beach CA. Any thoughts? Some of the salary places say that Sonoma Beach is about 200% higher cost of living than ATL/Orlando, is this true? I went to San Diego once and it was expensive but 200%!?
Also, for the newly graduated, or not so newly graduated, do you have any general job finding advice? Just general stuff? I went through the first round last fall so I know the process and I got offers at every place I interviewed so I feel confident in my interviewing skills but part of me feels that it was my fault that I am doing this again because I picked wrong or something. Thanks in advance.