Corrected: A few more words on the job market

[Dick Margulis <margulis -at- fiam -dot- net>]

Well, my test post was both garbled and truncated, but Eric graciously

requested that I repost it.


Folks,

In the heat of the moment yesterday I had some comments to add to the 
job market thread, but neither of the two messages I wrote made it to 
the techwr-l server. So here they are, combined and edited.

My impression is that when companies advertise that they want in-state 
or local applicants, what they're really saying is that (a) they won't 
pay relocation; (b) they want someone who can start pretty soon (not 
after a month of house-hunting, in other words); and (c); they want to 
be able to say "this isn't working out" after a few weeks without a lot 
of recriminations about the relocation expense incurred by the employee.

So if you can reassure a company on those three points ("I'm going to be 
staying with my sister to start and then I'll find my own place after 
we're sure this is going to work out," for example), a reasonable 
employer should consider your application.

One other thing that has not been brought up in this or the parent 
(India) thread:

Since the advent of economic civilization, people have migrated for 
employment opportunities. There is no natural right to stay where you 
are, continue to do the kind of work you are accustomed to, and continue 
to be paid as well as you used to be paid. Millions of people every year 
migrate for a better opportunity or a lower cost of living, whether from 
city to city or continent to continent.

Tech writing jobs moving to India? Maybe you'd enjoy living in India. 
Maybe your salary in India would afford you a richer lifestyle than it 
does in Seattle. Something to think about anyway.

My four cents.

Dick




---
[This E-mail scanned for viruses at mail.fiam.net]