Texas job hunt

I live in California, where we have a home that would be difficult to sell in today's economy, and where most of my family lives. Today I'm putting in the mail a job application to be an information specialist in the governor's office in the great state of Texas. It would be quite a move, culturally and geographically, from California.

Luckily, my father-in-law lives in Texas, and that's the main reason we'd consider moving there. As long-time readers know, we went to Texas a few months ago to visit, and I came away with an appreciation for Texas and its still living economy.

Still, it's a little difficult to be applying for a job that I doubt I'll get because if I were in their shoes, I'd want to hire someone from Texas who knows the political ins and outs of the state. It's a longshot, but a longshot may be what I need now. Dec. 27 marked six months of unemployment, and it's time to move on.

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Howdy partner

Another video that has nothing to do with my job search, other than Emma possibly wanting to move to Texas if I get a job there and thus visit Grandpa Don a lot more.

I'm still awaiting word from the newspaper in Texas where I interviewed, and also waiting for metro openings at the paper in Austin. Newspapers are laying off almost weekly, but the Texas economy, I'm told, is doing much better than the rest of the nation and its newspapers are often hiring. And the wait continues.

Good and bad days

Everyone, whether they're searching for a job or not, has bad days. The trick to getting past them, I think, is to find some small accomplishment to proudly point to and not feel like the day was a total waste in the job hunt or whatever it is you're doing.

Some days feel like you haven't accomplished a thing, while others feel right on target with many accomplishments. Today was a mixed bag for me, but a lot of positives to take on a day that didn't start out so well as I ran into a lot of traffic on I-680 on my way to an informational interview. The talk, with a former CCT colleague, went great and was an inspiration to keep trying. I wanted to know how someone who has been a life-long journalist moved into another field and how they overcame the barriers employers throw up to people witih transferable skills, but maybe not the exact, defined skills they desire. The guy I talked with, for example, found a great job in corporate communications, but had never done such a job before. He turned his managerial experience at newspapers, his abilities under deadline pressure at newspapers, and other skills he used as a journalist, and turned them into a job in corporate communications. I'd like to do the same, among other job possibilities, and he helped me see how to do that better.

Other bonuses today: A friend who works for the state government forwarded a job opening to me, which I will apply for on Thursday. I'm looking into taking a PowerPoint class at the local adult education center in December, the earlies it's available. I plan to go to the local community college on Thursday to look into working as a guest lecturer and taking classes, if I can afford them.

Those were the highlights. The low? I found out from a recruiter that a Nevada newspaper is going forward with two candidates for an editor position, and so far isn't calling me in for an interview. And awaiting callback from Texas.

A wild time

These photos don't have anything to do with finding a job, but have a lot to do with keeping our daughter entertained. We went to a wild animal park Sunday in Texas, and as they say at the end of stories in community newspapers, a good time was had by all. Animals that you thought would be wild are enticed by free food, so they come right up to and sometimes into your car for a handful of some type of pellets they like to eat. The zebras tried to get food from Kristen, in the last photo, and I handfed a deer that kept chasing after us. Emma also had a blast, throwing some food (first photo) and getting a close look at one of her favorite animals.

It was a great trip and a state that I'd like to visit again. We didn't have enough time to explore Austin, although the city does offer relocation guides to anyone thinking of moving there. I never did get a "Don't Mess With Texas" shirt, but I did get a T-shirt with the state flag on front. Nice flag. Again, a state worth considering living in, if only I could find a job there. I did have an unexpected job interview while in Killeen, but haven't heard back yet.

With the short vacation over, it's now time to get back into job hunting mode. I'm now looking to take classes for accreditation in Microsoft Suite, which is something many job listings call for. I'm looking at adult school, but those look costly, so I plan to look at the local community college, which may also be costly. Maybe I can find some type of discount for the unemployed.

Moving questions

As we prepare to fly out of Texas this afternoon, I contemplate some questions that many people must face when moving out of state. For me, these are some of the issues we will look into and think about as my job search continues:

* Even if you find a great job, what happens if it sours in a year, or sooner? Some jobs look great going into them, only to learn the many pitfalls once you've arrived. Moving from California to Texas, for example, is a big step and I wouldn't want to have to start a new job hunt after moving.

* How important is family and a support group when moving somewhere new? Most of my family lives in California, while some of Kris' relatives live in Texas and others in North Dakota and Minnesota. I think it's very important and I'm sure I'd be happy living in Texas, but am torn from leaving my home state.

* Weather. Texas gets very hot in the summer, which Kris enjoys, but I'm not a big fan of such heat and would have to have a backyard pool.

* Big city vs rural. We didn't get a chance to explore Austin, which we'd like to do, but much of what we've seen so far is rural, or at least what I'd call rural-suburban. Concord is definitely suburban, but we're near BART and can get to SF or Oakland in 45 minutes or less. And while we don't get to those cities as much as we'd like to with Emma so young, we look forward to taking her out to events in San Francisco when she gets older, and she already has some favorite landmarks. If we didn't live in Austin, we'd probably want to live close to a big city for all of the options it offers.

* Politics, etc. We're Obama supporters and have seen all McCain signs. That was expected. But Texas politics would be quite a change from California politics. It would also take some getting used to seeing cowboy hats and other Texas things, although I do like the state flag. And BBQ.

Texas job interview

It was a quick interview this afternoon at the Killeen newspaper, and worthwhile. We discussed the many job openings the editor has in his newsroom, with the city editor job opening the one I'm interested in. We quickly discussed my qualifications, which he said were excellent, and how busy the newsroom is now with so many openings to be filled.

The editor told me I'm overqualified for the job, and that me walking in the door with my resume was better than finding a diamond in the rough. I agreed and told him I'm still interested in the job. He said he hoped to have the general manager call me, and maybe even interview me, before we fly out Monday afternoon.

With the Texas economy doing much better than California's, I plan to look at other papers in some of the metro areas to see if they have any openings.

And I now have my first Texas T-shirt, a simple one with the state flag on the front. I'll wear it tonight when we go out to an authentic Texas BBQ. I'm still looking for a good "Don't Mess With Texas" shirt.

Going national

For my entire life, California has been home. But what if my family has to move to another state because that's where I find a job? Leaving home is never easy, and leaving a place you love and where you have roots must be one of the most difficult decisions anyone can make.


Simply looking for work outside of the Bay Area can bring to mind all of the benefits and drawbacks of a new location. Applying for a job, no matter where it is, can instantly send you into daydreaming about the job and put you behind the desk, at least in your mind. You can imagine working at the company, the commute, possibly living in the city where you work, and all of the social activities that go with that area. For us, for example, the question of "Is there professional baseball nearby?" looms large.


So how far do we go and still feel comfortable? Texas, North Dakota, Minnesota, Connecticut and Nevada are all possibilities, although some much slighter than others. And can we sell our home in this horrible housing market? Or rent it and hope to break even why paying rent or another mortgage in another city? Or do I bypass these out-of-state jobs and continue looking in the Bay Area, hoping something will happen before unemployment benefits run out?


Besides the great weather, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose being so close, my parents and many life-long friends live in the Bay Area. We love our neighborhood and the friends we've met here, not to mention the schoolmates and friends Emma has met.

So this week we're taking a closer look at one state, Texas, where we have relatives and where we think at least one city, Austin, might be a good place to live. We don't expect to spend much time in Austin, but will try and will check out other areas of the state whose unofficial motto makes me want to at least buy a T-shirt. Later in the week: Blog updates, including BBQ restaurant reviews, from Texas.

Wherever we end up, it will be an adventure. Maybe if we're lucky, like Dorothy, we'll end up back at home.