Looking to relocate to Santa Barbara - any leads for a job opportunity?
08-30-2009, 06:37 AM
#1
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Looking to relocate to Santa Barbara - any leads for a job opportunity?
Hey guys - I'm looking to relocate to Santa Barbara (but would consider anywhere in California for the right opportunity), or back to the East coast. I've been in Seattle for two years now and I'm definitely ready for a change.
If any of you guys know of a good potential job opportunity in product development, marketing, biz. development, or sales, preferably at a high growth company, please hit me up! i'm a 26 year old Dickinson College graduate w/ a great resume.
Thank you!
If any of you guys know of a good potential job opportunity in product development, marketing, biz. development, or sales, preferably at a high growth company, please hit me up! i'm a 26 year old Dickinson College graduate w/ a great resume.
Thank you!
10-29-2009, 05:20 PM
#3
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Not to mention the the cost of living for CA, especially Santa Barbara.
I have a good friend in the SB area for about 10 years now (head of marketing for some upstarts/clicks on sites tracking, etc.) and him and his wife do VERY well, but they still can not afford to buy a home.
if you get me your resume I can fwd it to him.
I have a good friend in the SB area for about 10 years now (head of marketing for some upstarts/clicks on sites tracking, etc.) and him and his wife do VERY well, but they still can not afford to buy a home.
if you get me your resume I can fwd it to him.
02-16-2011, 08:42 PM
#4
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Here's the scoop on Santa Barbara. Been here ten years on this tour but got here in 1967 originally. If you don't have a house plan on spending at least $850K for a beater that needs much work; or plan to stay in an apartment (also expensive).
If you plan to come to Santa Barbara to live the first rule of thumb is that if you are working class you can't really afford to be in SB. It's been that way for 150 years. Even Buffalo Bill recognized that. You have to bring money to this town to survive.
Employment. There are a few opportunities to work here but most of the HR types will preface hiring discussions with something like "we can't afford to pay you to live in Santa Barbara." What that means is that they want you to think that it's a privilege to be able to live and work here, and settle for regular wages.
Major companies (e.g., Raytheon) have a significant foot print here but they have a highly polarized base of employees. The old ones are vested and here until they retire. The young ones are routinely RCGs--Recent College Graduates" (as they call them). The RCGs come here, work about 3-4 years and then it suddenly dawns upon them that they will never be able to start a family here and purchase a home. They then leave. Raytheon is constantly going through that turmoil. There is a substantial hospital in SB (Cottage Hospital) but I still don't believe that they pay enough to afford to really live here.
There are many start up engineering companies in town but they are very risky. I wouldn't move to Santa Barbara and take that risk. You could buy a house, have it go upside down, and then you lose your job. Then you're in the hole $50K or more. I know several engineer families (both are engineers) who 'own' a home and are paying only interest. They pay nothing in principal.
The prices of homes will simply shock you. If you can afford at least $1.5M then you are fairly insulated from the economic mess in the country. If you're like most people you MIGHT be able to swing $800K but those houses are dumps in crappy areas and they suffer the most when there is any downturn in the economy.
I don't have to tell you plus side of SB because that's why you want to come. But don't forget the many issues that make it virtually impossible for people to survive here.
Property taxes. My neighbors bought a house for $1.4M in 2002. They pay roughly $14,000 a year in simply property taxes. Just keep that in mind. That's out the door and never seen again. It doesn't go toward principle or interest. It's gone.
The town is highly polarized. There are the rich (and I mean, extremely rich--billionaires) and then there are all the service personnel. They barely can survive. There is more traffic than there should be because the rich aren't working--they don't have to work. They, along with their trust-fund progeny, are running around town in their Range Rovers and AMG Mercedes, clogging up the roads. Everyone else is in 25 year old Hondas and Toyotas.
Because of the cost of housing, SB has a population of workers who commute daily to SB in order to work. They come in from the south from Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, etc. Or, they drive down from the north from Lompoc, Solvang or Buellton. Some come in via San Marcos Pass from Santa Ynez. Less are coming from there now as even the Santa Ynez Valley is pricey now.
Probably the most affordable homes within commuting distance are in Lompoc--about 60 miles away. The roads are okay--not as crowded as those coming from the south daily. But Lompoc is a terrible location. The weather is cold, windy, and nothing like SB. So, you get to WORK in Santa Barbara, but your time off is in a crappy environment.
I hope this 'reality check' proves useful. Drop me a line with your specialty and I can let you know if there are any companies who might be interested.
Good luck.
If you plan to come to Santa Barbara to live the first rule of thumb is that if you are working class you can't really afford to be in SB. It's been that way for 150 years. Even Buffalo Bill recognized that. You have to bring money to this town to survive.
Employment. There are a few opportunities to work here but most of the HR types will preface hiring discussions with something like "we can't afford to pay you to live in Santa Barbara." What that means is that they want you to think that it's a privilege to be able to live and work here, and settle for regular wages.
Major companies (e.g., Raytheon) have a significant foot print here but they have a highly polarized base of employees. The old ones are vested and here until they retire. The young ones are routinely RCGs--Recent College Graduates" (as they call them). The RCGs come here, work about 3-4 years and then it suddenly dawns upon them that they will never be able to start a family here and purchase a home. They then leave. Raytheon is constantly going through that turmoil. There is a substantial hospital in SB (Cottage Hospital) but I still don't believe that they pay enough to afford to really live here.
There are many start up engineering companies in town but they are very risky. I wouldn't move to Santa Barbara and take that risk. You could buy a house, have it go upside down, and then you lose your job. Then you're in the hole $50K or more. I know several engineer families (both are engineers) who 'own' a home and are paying only interest. They pay nothing in principal.
The prices of homes will simply shock you. If you can afford at least $1.5M then you are fairly insulated from the economic mess in the country. If you're like most people you MIGHT be able to swing $800K but those houses are dumps in crappy areas and they suffer the most when there is any downturn in the economy.
I don't have to tell you plus side of SB because that's why you want to come. But don't forget the many issues that make it virtually impossible for people to survive here.
Property taxes. My neighbors bought a house for $1.4M in 2002. They pay roughly $14,000 a year in simply property taxes. Just keep that in mind. That's out the door and never seen again. It doesn't go toward principle or interest. It's gone.
The town is highly polarized. There are the rich (and I mean, extremely rich--billionaires) and then there are all the service personnel. They barely can survive. There is more traffic than there should be because the rich aren't working--they don't have to work. They, along with their trust-fund progeny, are running around town in their Range Rovers and AMG Mercedes, clogging up the roads. Everyone else is in 25 year old Hondas and Toyotas.
Because of the cost of housing, SB has a population of workers who commute daily to SB in order to work. They come in from the south from Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, etc. Or, they drive down from the north from Lompoc, Solvang or Buellton. Some come in via San Marcos Pass from Santa Ynez. Less are coming from there now as even the Santa Ynez Valley is pricey now.
Probably the most affordable homes within commuting distance are in Lompoc--about 60 miles away. The roads are okay--not as crowded as those coming from the south daily. But Lompoc is a terrible location. The weather is cold, windy, and nothing like SB. So, you get to WORK in Santa Barbara, but your time off is in a crappy environment.
I hope this 'reality check' proves useful. Drop me a line with your specialty and I can let you know if there are any companies who might be interested.
Good luck.
