Re: OT: Where? and What?

Bob Badour wrote:
> I am going to do a little self-promotion of my own.
>
> I think it is time for me to come out of retirement and
> relocate to the US. The first question is: Where should I
> target? The second is: What sort of work should I look
> for?

This sounds exciting and I wish you the best of luck. I'll do my best to provide some input. However, be aware I know very little of your industry.

> Where?
>
> I want to work on interesting stuff with smart people.
> That would make the Bay Area an obvious choice. Lot's of
> smart people. Close to VC's etc. It's easy to stay tapped
> into the latest industry trends there etc.

Have you considered the greater Boston area? With so many universities and colleges in a compact walkable area with old world charm and rich history, the Boston area is a vibrant place to live. The drawback is that to find more affordable housing with land sufficient for dogs you would need to live 15 to 20 miles outside of the city.

> But I hear horror stories about how expensive housing is
> getting in CA. My dogs have 4 acres to run in here, and
> it would seem cruel to move anywhere without at least a
> large yard.

It's true that it's very expensive to buy. However, it is possible to find reasonable rental properties south of SF in and around San Jose. Nice area, though more of a driving (as in automobile) kind of town than Boston.

> Other technology centers like Austin or RTP might be good,
> but I wonder if the same housing cost issue would apply
> there too?

Austin is getting expensive as well. Now RTP on the other hand is still very affordable (though perhaps not for too many more years). There weren't enough work opportunities for me there (as I have too little experience), but perhaps you will have a much better chance. A lot of banking and scientific research (particularly relating to computational biology) opportunities.

> While I have a preference for warmer places [he types from
> a drafty old house in Canada during a frigid windstorm], I
> would relocate anywhere in the US for interesting work and
> good pay.

Then you may also want to consider Stamford, CT (where I am now actually). I haven't been here long but so far I quite like the area. A lot of growth and opportunities here especially in finance. But, housing is ... expensive.

A few others I would consider are Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, and Phoenix.

> Does anyone here have any suggestions? Or any information
> about any places that might have a good quality of life
> near smart techie people?

I'll try to think more later (gotta crash now). If you email me a copy of your resume it would help.

Keith - Fraud 6 Received on Fri Feb 16 2007 - 07:28:17 CET