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Politicians and economists lament that certain alpha regions — SF, LA, NYC, Boston, Toronto, London, Paris — attract all the best jobs while becoming repellently expensive, reducing economic mobility and contributing to further bifurcation between haves and have-nots. But why don't the best jobs move elsewhere?
Of course, many of them can't. The average financier in NYC or London (until Brexit annihilates London's banking industry, of course...) would be laughed out of the office, and not invited back, if they told their boss they wanted to henceforth work from Chiang Mai.
But this isn't true of (much of) the software field. The average web/app developer might have such a request declined; but they would not be laughed at, or fired. The demand for good developers greatly outstrips supply, and in this era of Skype and Slack, there's nothing about software development that requires meatspace interactions.
[...]Some people will tell you that remote teams are inherently less effective and productive than localized ones, or that "serendipitous collisions" are so important that every employee must be forced to the same physical location every day so that these collisions can be manufactured. These people are wrong, as long as the team in question is small — on the order of handfuls, dozens or scores, rather than hundreds or thousands — and flexible.
Because the feedlot isn't hiring for Ruby?
(Score: 4, Informative) by bob_super on Tuesday April 04 2017, @11:20PM (9 children)
I ain't buying a house in the middle of nowhere just because my current job allows me to work remotely. Because my current job can vanish, and I'm now in the middle of nowhere without a job...
Also, and that's really personal right now, you learn more when you work as a team. Most people won't Slack or e-mail (or -shiver- document) even a fraction of those tidbits of information you can gather by talking to someone about tools or projects.
And if you want to exceed the code monkey status, very few jobs will let you have serious responsibilities if you can't be in people's face to argument your decisions.
You can be in a small satellite office away from the Big City and get some of the benefits. But if your family doesn't hold you back, you'll get a better career by being in the hub.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 04 2017, @11:52PM (4 children)
I was in a 'hub' office for years. They closed it. Out of work for a year.
No one, and I mean NO ONE will return your calls if you are not even in the same state. Number in my local area? 3 jobs to submit anything to. Got an onsite out of 2 of them. If you think they are picky in a big city you have seen nothing like those in a small city.
Moved to a much larger city where there are a lot more opportunities.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 05 2017, @02:01AM (2 children)
During each of my last two job hunts, after having been fired no less, I got flown diagonally across the country. That's about 3500 miles each I suppose, plus a north-south trip of about 2000 miles. It's not a big deal. Considering just the airports I used, I flew:
1. Boston Massachusetts to LA California
2. Boston Massachusetts to Fort Lauderdale Florida
3. Fort Lauderdale Florida to Seattle Washington
Your problem might be that you are more into art than tech, perhaps something involving web sites or phone apps or games. Real programmers write C and assembly for things like VxWorks and the Linux kernel. (that was me) Real programmers write code that runs inside things like radar, pacemakers, autopilots, anti-lock brake controllers, air-to-air missiles, LASIK surgery robots, hypervisors, telecom switching equipment, photocopiers, police radio handsets, satellites, VoIP conference phones, etc.
I don't love moving, but I expect it. Moving is required to get the best jobs, especially if you want to live in a place that feels like America or is affordable. I have my half-acre lot, and could have had either a beachfront house or a wooded 5-acre lot with room to shoot in the backyard. I don't pay state income tax. I have the security of a solid stand-your-ground law.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 05 2017, @10:39AM
Yup, no tech in game engines. Nope, not at all.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Wednesday April 05 2017, @01:03PM
sudo mod me up
(Score: 2) by mechanicjay on Wednesday April 05 2017, @04:24PM
No one, and I mean NO ONE will return your calls if you are not even in the same state. Number in my local area? 3 jobs to submit anything to. Got an onsite out of 2 of them. If you think they are picky in a big city you have seen nothing like those in a small city.
This is completely false in my experience. I lived in NJ, had Seattle targetted for my destination. This meant updating my location to Seattle on Linked-In, Monster, every recruitment agency that called, etc. Explaining that I was actively trying to relocate to Seattle when I would get calls back. I got interviews, was flown out here for an on-site, and landed two offers with about a 4-6 month search. I probably could have landed something sooner, but I had the luxury of enjoying the job I was in and didn't want to take just any job.
With cell phone numbers able to follow you around now for what almost 10 years? A local number means very little any more except to the small and provincially minded -- in other words, no one I want to work for anyway.
My VMS box beat up your Windows box.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by kaszz on Wednesday April 05 2017, @02:01AM (3 children)
I think you are right on target. Big cities = many people = many job opportunities to choose from. Rural setting = pray everyday your job continue to exist. And if it doesn't you are possibly stuck with a need to move really fast into a crowded city with few housing options. By settling in a big city there's usually always options for some nice work without the need to move.
On top of that, there's a lot more shops to supply any hardware needs, more entertainment, food and social options. But one doesn't necessarily have to live in the city. The important thing is to have quick and efficient access to it.
However there's some aspects of this that are less than good. If you need to take out a huge bank loan to afford a place to live to access the workplace then you are taking an economic investment risk in the property market for your employers benefit without any return. Should the market turn sour you will be stuck with a big loan for something you can't sell and no income to pay it either. Other situations may put you in a situation where you live in an expensive apartment where most of your money goes to rent and most of your time goes to sleep or work which perhaps is kind of pointless. Having hobbies that requires space is also an obstacle in premium price cities.
It may pay to optimize for the size of the city!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 05 2017, @02:07AM (2 children)
Keep a couple years of pay available in near-cash form. When the job goes, you pick another rural location and move.
The benefit: you get to live in places that are peaceful and cheap. You can spend $50,000 to $400,000 on a house, maybe getting an acre of land or more. Your taxes may be low. Your 2nd amendment is not infringed.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 05 2017, @06:27PM (1 child)
lol... 2nd amendment... yeah that's a priority when looking for a job. also if they ban homosecsurals from molesting baby girls in the ladies toilets.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 05 2017, @07:25PM
That was a pretty ignorant comment. Why did you bother with it? Is it supposed to be a form of humor to attempt to portray people who acknowledge the second amendment for what it is, as stupid bigots? If that is the case, then it was neither funny nor insightful. You should be embarrassed that you took the time to post and submit that comment. There is no need to be so immature and close minded here.