difficult life/career question

[NorthView]

Not enough information. If you have lifelong friends and close family ties in NY then it's a much tougher call than if you dont. How much do you love your current life? Are you feeling restless?

SF is the only place abroad I've ever been where I felt I could live happily. The weather's not oppressively hot, cold, wet or dry, the surrounding landscape's fantastic and I think both contribute to a general feeling of well being.

If this company's solid and expanding and you're not feeling committed to your current life in NY (and I guess you're not or you wouldn't post this), then I think layne's point about asking yourself if you'll look back with regret at not having done this, is the decider.

[Danhdan]

From someone who lives in in SF area: the weather is freaky (although living here my whole life and visiting other hellholes around this world, I love it more than any other), there is a ton of stuff to do (just like NYC), they have a pretty good music scene, and there is some pretty good live poker around here IMO.

Also, SF can provide ample opportunities for most career paths.

BTW, staying at a job in the Bay Area for longer than a year is a long term commitment. I wouldn't really worry about staying at the job long term in this area. I have very successful friends who are on their tenth or more job, and most everyone I know my age has had about 5 jobs at least while staying an average of 1.5 years at each location. Depressing, but standard in this area.

Another thing: the economy has been taking a sharp downturn in the past month or two, and although I really don't know how that affect the job market around where you are, in the Bay Area they lay people off around here in tight times very quickly. I am not sure what this means for the company you are getting the offer from, but a promising business can disappear really quickly in a bad economy if they lose their VC money.

Hope some of this helped.

[ua1176]

the company i'd be working for wouldn't be especially dependent on the local economy. their client base is worldwide and from what i understand they're positioned as one of the leaders in the field.

[Zmej]

[stickdude]

[emmasdad]

[KJo]

[oatmealforxmas]

east bay ftw

although its still a pipe dream to own a home, rent isnt that bad and the weather is way way better.

[Johnny Hughes]

It is impossible to advise someone about such a big risk. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I have heard the poker in California is better than any other state. In working with college students, I find that people uproot and move for a big job, then things go wrong. The company goes bust, etc. However, if you move there and it doesn't work, you can move back.

Where are you from? In general, I think it is best to live near where you are from, depending on your family preferences.

Time is a huge factor, not money. Many people in L.A. or New York have spent more time communting to work than I ever spent working. Ten to twenty hours of work a week should get it. Rents in mid-size Texas towns are half what they are in Dallas or Austin, but opportunites are capped or limited for most people. The bigger the city, the more expensive and the harder it is to live near work. If you put personal time as your top priority, iit changes all the trade-offs. Satisfyicing versus optimizing. The music business is in L.A., New York, Nashville, but also San Francisco. The music people I know who live in Austin and travel the world have very little money. Now Austin is so expensive that the lesser musicians are hurt bad.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Ironically, major reason I always stayed in West Texas as a young man was poker. Now poker is available everywhere.

[ua1176]

update: spoke to a couple people from the company on the phone. looks like im going out there for 3 or 4 days next week to see the office, meet the people, and explore the area.

there are actually 2 positions available- one in the SF office and one in Menlo Park. have to figure that one out as to which one i'd prefer

how much money would i need to make to live comfortably as a single 24 year old male? assume that i want a decent but not excessively nice apartment and that im good with managing money but i have a bunch of student loans and a soft spot for sushi.

also- im 3 months through a 1 year lease on my place in NY. how do i work that out? is it reasonable to ask the company to cover the remainder of my NY lease or would that be on me?

[Beavis68]

yes, that is very reasonable to ask.

Good luck with the rent. You should check some stuff out online and see what is available.

Personally I would take Menlo Park, but I am an old fart. I have spent a lot of weeks in that area on training assignments. Still plenty of restruants and you are not that far from SF, but it feels less like a giant city and there is not as much public urination/defication.

[KJo]