IT Job Market: New Jersey

So I'm considering relocating, and one of the options is New Jersey. I realized that IT job opportunities in Alabama are almost non existent. How is the market currently in New Jersey? I heard that there are many businesses and corporate offices there, so I have a much better chance than in Alabama and other southern states. As far as the south is concerned, I've heard the only state with plentiful opportunities is Texas. It seems that the northeastern region has the most jobs. What is your input?

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eansdad

It all depends on what part of Jersey. We might be small but North or South could be a huge difference. In the North you have more big business and NYC which means more money but at a higher cost of living. In the South, if you want a good job, you might have to go to Philly or Wilmington/Newark DE to find it. Cost of living is better in the south but it is still Jersey. If you look around the boards most in Jersey want out. Cost of living is crazy (highest property taxes, highest car insurance, tolls everywhere) not to mention the nanny state problems.

If you have a great job that is well worth coming for then I'd say go but if your looking at NJ as a better stop then Alabama then you going to be in for a shock. You might be better served going to Texas.

cknapp78

Just my opinion, but if you want options, stay out of New Jersey. I just left there 3 weeks ago for a new opportunity in Baton Rouge, LA. The cost of living is astronomical and that includes housing, insurance, commute, etc...

I was making over 140K per year in NJ and struggling. I took a paycut of 30% to come down to Louisiana and I am actually saving 20% more a month that I did in NJ. I loved living in NJ. All my family is there. Just couldn't afford it anymore. Packed up and left 4 weeks ago and even my wife agrees, we will never go back. We might have some slots open here in LA. What kind of role are you looking for?

Corey

DissonantData

I am considering living in Northwest NJ. I agree that the costs of living are astronomical, but if I want my first job and want to get experience, then I may have no other choice. Big cities like New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, and have plenty of opportunity, but cities like Birmingham (largest city in Alabama) are lacking in industry. The southern states in general have very limited opportunities unless you are in a city. The tech sector and financial services are big in NJ and NY. I won't have to worry about cost of living since I will be with my parents. At this point I need an entry level job as a QA analyst or Helpdesk technician.

Corey, how did you find a job in Baton Rouge? Just curious.

cknapp78

They found me through a recruiter. Once I had decided that NJ wasn't where I wanted to be, I opened my Dice and Careerbuilder profiles to Nationwide relocation. They contacted 6 hours after I changed it. Great company to work for. #1 in the SouthEast for many years. I will PM you the available jobs they have.

the_Grinch

I am in Jersey and people are correct everything is expensive. That being said, I expect a huge tech hiring spree to begin in Southern New Jersey in the coming months. How/why do I expect that? I work for the Division of Gaming Enforcement and am a regulator for online gambling. November 26th is the go live date and after that you are going to see a massive amount of tech hiring. Network and Server people especially. The regulations require that all servers be in a Casino and that all staff be in the state of New Jersey. There are all types of technology related requirements that will need to be met and given Atlantic City's location within the state you won't see people travelling from Philadelphia, New York, or Delaware to come for them.

Always do your homework and I don't suggest that you move here without having a position. I field two to three calls/emails a day asking me to do contract work. So if you don't mind being a contractor for a period of time, then you'll be alright.

eansdad

the_Grinch wrote: »

I am in Jersey and people are correct everything is expensive. That being said, I expect a huge tech hiring spree to begin in Southern New Jersey in the coming months. How/why do I expect that? I work for the Division of Gaming Enforcement and am a regulator for online gambling. November 26th is the go live date and after that you are going to see a massive amount of tech hiring. Network and Server people especially. The regulations require that all servers be in a Casino and that all staff be in the state of New Jersey. There are all types of technology related requirements that will need to be met and given Atlantic City's location within the state you won't see people travelling from Philadelphia, New York, or Delaware to come for them.

Always do your homework and I don't suggest that you move here without having a position. I field two to three calls/emails a day asking me to do contract work. So if you don't mind being a contractor for a period of time, then you'll be alright.

Finally some good news....Was looking to be a down day with Christie winning, Albano losing and 3 of the 4 people I was voting for losing the school board election. Sign me up to work at the casino anything has to be better then where I am at now.

Shouldn't the hiring have already started if the go live date is Nov 26th?

DoubleNNs

The NJ job market would most likely be leaps and bounds better than AL,Especially if you live in Centrel to North NJ, you have NY to consider. Some parts of NJ are also very close to Philadelphia. Those two aspects pretty much makes Nj a commuter state, even tho there's still jobs to be had in state.

However, as previously mentioned, most people from NJ want out - including me. The cost of living is very high - comparable to NYC in many parts. The social scene here also sucks - if that means anything to you. For the most part, people usually only move to NJ to live in the suburbs and commute to either NYC or Philly.

If your parents live in NJ and you're going to move in w/ them, it might be worth it for your 1st job or 2. Get some experience, save money by living w/ the 'rents, then move out again when you can.

Good luck.

the_Grinch

I see a lot of future growth. I expect a few data centers will be built throughout the state and support functions to start hiring within a few months after go live. Without knowing how big it will be most of the casino are holding back on staffing, but I suspect it will do well and they'll need people. Also, Delaware goes live with internet gambling on November 8th (they're currently doing a soft open to test things out) and so I figure there will be jobs there as well. Plus almost all of the big banks are in Delaware so plenty of IT jobs if you want to either live there (cost of living is cheap) or commute to there from Jersey.