Moving out of state without a job lined up

Wondering anyones experience with this, I've come to dislike my job and entire life situation where I am at, and anywhere outside the twin cities are towns so small there might be 1 IT person per 100 square miles.
So I am thinking of up and moving Southwest, I am thinking Colorado as I've lived / traveled in surrounding states and always wanted to live there, and I am really on the verge of making a jump for it now before life bogs me down and I never get a chance to check it out.
Anyone have any links to discussions on this topic (such as applying for out of state jobs, costs, success stories), words of wisdom, warnings of failure for me? I may just stay in town and stick out a year lease before the move, but I have several thousand saved and it feels like this might be my last clear chance to take the leap, any responses appreciated.
So I am thinking of up and moving Southwest, I am thinking Colorado as I've lived / traveled in surrounding states and always wanted to live there, and I am really on the verge of making a jump for it now before life bogs me down and I never get a chance to check it out.
Anyone have any links to discussions on this topic (such as applying for out of state jobs, costs, success stories), words of wisdom, warnings of failure for me? I may just stay in town and stick out a year lease before the move, but I have several thousand saved and it feels like this might be my last clear chance to take the leap, any responses appreciated.
Back in my day we used to route packets on 56k lines, through the snow, uphill both ways.
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I think it really just depends on the area and your credentials. For example, if you are moving to a large city with plenty of IT opportunities (Denver, Dallas, etc) and you have years of experience and a degree, it may not be that much of a risk. For those seeking entry-level helpdesk positions, I would proceed with much more caution unless you have a large nestegg to live off of in the meantime.
Completed: LYT2, TFT2, JIT2, MCT2, LZT2, SJT2 (17 CU's)
Required: FXT2, MAT2, MBT2, C391, C392 (13 CU's)
Bachelor of Science - Information Technology Network Design & Management (WGU - Completed August 2014)
I want to move to another continent next year, but I definitely plan on having a job lined up before I go lol.
2019 Goals: CCSP, CRISC
"You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try." - Homer Simpson
That will be your biggest expense and thing that would concern me the most. A lot of places are going to want proof of income or employment before will rent to you. Would be best if you lived with a family member or friend until you get a job lined up.
I am considering staying in town for another year to sell off all my stuff, like I have a whole storage locker full of an entire apartment worth of furniture that I'm not sure what I would do with, and could save probably close to 5-6k at least before making the jump.
I know it's bold and I have done this before, but never by myself, and never while keeping trying to keep a pulse in a career so it's adding a bit more weight to my decision making.
So right now nothing is lined up, not really sure what to do beyond pack a bag of clothes and maybe rent a room that will take a few months rent down to let me stay, and find a job in those few months and get a place. That is all I've gotten so far, unfortunately.
EDIT:
Forgot I also have an AAS in ITT Advanced Networking as well.
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I recommend saving at least $5000 to $10000.
Plan to only rely on yourself. Plan to be living in a cheap apartment or your car too (just in case). Plan to be eating out of the grocery store or taco bell.
The absolutely minimum would be $3000 and that's pushing it.
Now with it all said, you can probably land a job quite easily if you are good at Cisco R&S and you do have a CCNA. I recommend you have a job lined up or at least a good game plan before you jump ship. I thought mine out for several months and its still not going exactly how I planned :P.
Best of luck if you decide to move!
I'm not sure how comfortable you are renting a room with someone or people that you don't know but thats what I did when I made my move because 1.) it's cheaper than an apartment and 2.) You don't have to sign any lease and most of the time is month to month so if you needed to move a little closer to your new job it would be no big deal.
The savings advice that GreaterNinja gave is great.. I was eating mac and cheese and frozen raviolis for quite sometime to save money.
As far as success stories goes some people on reddit had some good ones and I found those helped me before I made the plunge to make a move by myself with no job lined up in a unknown state I am not familiar with.
If I can do it with no prior education or certifications, you can do it....
If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
It definitely pays to do your homework and get estimates for your moving expenses and then how much its going to cost to live out there. Im expecting 3-5k of my 10k saved to go just to the cost of moving and relocation for instance. That only leaves me 5-7k to live on until i can find something there.
Did a majority of you have all your finances back home on the straightened arrow before you took off? I maybe have a couple renting related bills from my last place that are a couple hundred each, a couple medical related bills that total maybe a grand at most (very most). I'd also have time to sell all my stuff off, as I had said I have a storage space packed tightly full of an entire apartment (bed, couches, tables, dishes, etc).
Would you have made your move a year later if you decided to stay and take care of loose ends, or do you think that may have killed the momentum you had to go for it?
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If I was unhappy in the current situation I was in (which I was) and decided to stay for another year I would just think to myself.. Am I still unhappy? Do I want to move and try something new? if the answer is yes I would make the move.. for me I would probably still be unhappy and I would of made the move anyway.. It really all depends on your finances now though... If you feel financially comfortable once you sell your stuff I would just make the move right after... You have more of an idea than any of us...
For me personally I would of been miserable back at home working minimum wage at a retail job but since I moved somewhere completely new it was tolerable for me because it was a new beginning and exciting... scary at times but still exciting because you are experiencing something completely different and you almost feel reborn.
Also would you be transporting your car or driving you car to the new state? Also what is the age and condition of you car? Try to factor in what expenses you car might need once you move... I transported my car and took a flight over here. My car is old and unfortunately right when I moved I had to put more money in to it.. so try to think about that also...
One of the larger issues is I have that storage space full of stuff, that I would basically forfeit if I just bailed, not sure how I would try to sell an apartment out of a gated storage place.
I appreciate the advice on where I'm at mentally, I'd love a completely fresh start, but I think if I maybe I just get a new job and a new place to live I could keep my savings where they are at and re-assess my life over the next year. If in 6 months I still feel like I need to move on, maybe I can start redirecting funds into planning a move rather than jumping the gun.
Though I may still jump the gun and just go for it, I know how to live / survive cheap, and I have never had issues renting a room in a shared house. To be honest the if I didn't have a girlfriend I wouldn't think twice about just going for it, but I am unsure whether I want to take her along and try to support her in that type of situation, etc.
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*Bachelor's of Science: Information Technology - Security, Master's of Science: Information Technology - Management
Matthew 6:33 - "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Lots of IT jobs in Dallas-Fort Worth. Houston is pretty loaded too (especially HIT and energy sector) I would apply for one BEFORE you leave and just drive or fly to the interview. I've applied for and was offered positions in other parts of the state/country while living here in Fort Worth. Just takes a decent skills package and diligence with your resume/cover letter.
Arthur Ashe
Also yes I posted an updated resume a few hours ago, I am going to rocket that sucker around the area to see if I can get any bites.
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