Relocation opportunities worth the shot or not? vol. share your experience(s)

[Mokorider]

Looked around to see if there was any other similar threads, but I didn't find any.

My job will be relocating to the midwest (Indianapolis to be specific). They're offering up to $10k if I remember correctly to cover moving expenses. I was born and raised in LA, so SoCal is all I know. I've visited Chicago and Philadelphia before but no where near would call that an experience of all year round weather conditions.
Being an aircraft mechanic this is something that may be of a shock to me as I'm exposed 8-10hrs+ a day to the weather conditions so, it's something to take into account.

I have no kids or married and hardly any expenses aside from rent and bills so my salary would definitely grow in the long run out in Indiana with the lower cost of living compared to California.

Now, sure it looks good on paper for myself but, the major thing keeping me and making me doubt the move is the separation from my parents and some family members. I tend to overthink so the thought of them getting older and being an only child the feeling of being responsible to be around (may god forbid an emergency were to happen), it's not like I'm a couple of miles away and the loss of time being so far as having no seniority takes a big toll as far as having any type of bidding opportunities to come back when it's about 100-200 of us being relocated who would want to come back who have more serious commitments out here, so we are talking about a 5 year move at the least if I decide to want to come back.

I've applied to local openings that the airlines have in hope to see if I can find something similar just to stay, but as the unknown deadline approaches on when the bumping rights will take effect and the relocation begins and nothing pops up then I will have no choice but to go.

Those who have been or went through a similar situation how was your outcome? good choice or regret?

Guidance/advice/tips on what to do for relocation? Should I attempt to purchase a house (if I qualify) or just rent?

Finally, where my Indy NTers at? Would like to hear how it is out there from personal experiences.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

never experienced it but finding new friends in a new location at an older age is pretty hard.

I would def consider my social life as well.

 

[danikerhino]

I'd be apprehensive as well. No offense to Indy, but I would do everything in my power to stay in LA. Quality of Life means alot to me.

 

[Fozz]

Moving out of your comfort zone is definitely a tough decision. Especially if your family and friends are within that zone. Back in 2016, I accepted a job offer in NoVA/DC and decided to make the move with my wife and my 9 month daughter. The biggest reason we decided it was a good opportunity for me and the family was the job experience and being able to move outside of CA. Quality of life played a major part of it. Fortunately there was plenty to see and do in NoVA. But it was honestly tough for us from work to depression to looking for a community to connect with. The biggest feeling of loneliness was during the holidays. We eventually made our way back to CA (Orange County) and then back to the SF Bay Area.

I know folks here can give you all the advice in the world. But in the end, you just have to do what feels best for your current place in life. Family is important and the thought of dealing with an emergency while being far away is stressful and scary (Ive been there). But getting up and moving out of your comfort zone is a scary and exciting experience.

If you decide to move, max out that $10k moving allowance. Driving solo from CA to the midwest is a tough drive.

 

[brian8598]

I'm in Indy. There are definite benefits here as opposed to SoCal (cost of living, much less population density, traffic, and pollution). We've got pretty good and relatively cheap professional sports that are all located in the middle of the city (Pacers, Colts, AAA baseball, Soccer), good concert venues, parks, and museums, and the best small international airport in the country. We are fairly centrally located amongst other mid-west cities, but not very convenient (3-ish hours to Cincinnati or Louisville, 4-ish hours to Chicago or Detroit, a bit more to St. Louis or Nashville). There is also very little night life to speak of, and relatively low population of Gen X/Millenial-age people, and it's all flat. No topography within 2 hours of the city. Large range of weather, from 0-20-ish in the depths of winter and 90+ with high humidity in the summer, but not as extreme as farther north. However, when someone tells me they moved here from SoCal, I can't help but say, "Why the **** would you do that", but it's mostly bias against the place from living here my whole life. It's always a job or significant other that is from here. I can't recommend it, but I can't totally besmirch it with a clear conscience.

 

[waukeganwill]

Im from the midwest. I personally wouldn’t leave LA for Indy for 10 bands.

 

[Comparison Ford]

If I was in your shoes I'd be making every effort possible to stay put.

The move doesn't seem worth it TO ME.

 

[ahat]

I'd def buy a house there. A quick Google search, the average price seems "cheap". Good investment even if you ultimately decide to not stay there anymore.

 

[superblytrife]

Indianapolis is pretty meh, OP. There are def benefits to living there, but there's approximately zero chance I'm leaving SoCal for Indy. Especially if you're not having any issues making it in Cali with the higher cost of living. I feel like the winter weather alone would have you questioning yourself.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Yeah really the only way I’d make that move is if I was absolutely struggling to survive in LA. Otherwise it just doesn’t seem worth it at all. Cost of living is the only advantage Indiana has over California, IMO.

 

[tr1ll]

Mid size towns > big cities. ESPECIALLY, if you’re going to keep the same pay. That ***** is cool until you have kids and you realize you got to raise them around these crazy *** people.

 

[frshstunna]

If it wasn’t Indy I would tell you to go for it OP…But No point in uprooting just to be miserable then have to leave again, any move sucks but long distance ones are especially heinous

Sad to say but it’s little poppin in the Midwest outside of Chicago if you already coming from the coasts or one of the big southern cities

 

[aepps20]

OP have you had a chance to visit Indiana first? I would scout out the place first but my advice is as follows.


1. If you think this is going to be a short term thing where if it doesn't work out you will move back to CA then stay where you are. Getting in the right mindset that if you move it will be a multi year thing will get you in the groove of things.

2. Cost of living is a huge thing but not the only thing. If you save a bunch of money living in Indiana save that money or invest it to build up a little nest egg. When you move to less expensive places it is tempting to spend your money on other things which will lock you in. We call this the golden handcuffs in the my industry. You make more and then buy more such that you can't afford to leave your situation unless the money and cost of living make sense.

3. Most places in the Midwest and Mountain West aren't nearly as diverse as California so if that's important to you then really think about it. Indiana is a very conservative state which might be a shock coming from California.

 

[Mark Antony]

I'm for relocation for a better opportunity and access to more opportunities. This sounds like the same job just with moving expenses covered, in a place with not as many opportunities if this one doesn't workout. Like bronze handcuffs. I'd pass, know quite a few people who made that move from an old company I worked for and they just seemed sort of stuck.

 

[moderndarwin]

Do it for the experience and challenge. That’s what life is about. But know that within 2-3 years you’ll move back. And that’s okay. It’ll give you some perspective and help you enjoy the grind out here.

There’s no substitute for family and friends. It gets hard as you get older to find a real community.

 

[kingkoopa]

I mean what’s the worst that could happen?

You don’t like it and you move back in a year.

If you’re single with no kids now is the time to take chances.

 

[HankHill]

Are there any changes in salary/compensation? LA to the Midwest May come with less pay due to COL adjustments. Definitely keep looking locally in that case

Are you a social person? You mentioned parents and family, but not friends and you’re an only child. This may or may not be a good experience in breaking your comfort zone

 

[frshstunna]

Family is important…But if you are lucky enough to have your folks healthy and stable in life then you def should try to take the years where you have the least obligations to em and anybody else to explore and try/go wherever you want…You can’t get the time back and don’t wanna be old bitter with regrets

I just wouldn’t do it in this case because the whole scenario sounds unappealing and it’s not like yo just packing up to drive SD or Vegas, this is a whole uprooting life logistical moving process from Cali to Indy when it doesn’t seem worth it

 

[agentorange]

I mean what’s the worst that could happen?

You don’t like it and you move back in a year.

If you’re single with no kids now is the time to take chances.

This. I relocated 3 years ago and it has definitely changed my life for the better and has allowed me to accomplish things that I previously didn't think were possible. Take a trip and see if you have any interest in living there. If so, why not?

 

[Nereyda Vuelve Por Dios]

Pay, from what you wrote, wouldnt change right? Only that your expenses wont be that high.

Off that alone it aint worth the hassle


Your profession seems like it carries a lot of value. Dont know the market but there are a hundreds cities better in your coast alone.

It seemingly only works to get out of your comfort zone and see if you can strive without any immediate support.

 

[Brownstone]

I moved and relocated a few years back and really recommend it. I moved from Minneapolis to Charlotte but was offered more to move and it was a new job not a relocation from my current one. Happy to address any further specific questions but our situations are not so different, I am also an only child so I get it.

Advantages:
-New Experience: As mentioned in this thread. Making friends in a new city has been exhilarating and pushed me out of my comfort zone. I have WAY more friends then I even had back home tbh.
-Cost of living- This can not be overstated how nice this is, Indy will most likely be cheap as hell
-Work- You will have a high paying job in a low cost area. STACK

Disadvantages
-Location- Sorry but Indiana is one of the lamest states in the union, I drove through Indianapolis when I moved and it was meh, boring and flat state, klan country too
-Weather- Your situation is unique because imo LA has the best weather in the country so you're pretty much screwed anywhere you move to
-Work- As mentioned before you are moving to a cheaper place but sounds like you will have a much more limited option to leave should you want to

Summary-I would take it, not for the 10k but for the change, home will always be there and if you give the new spot a chance it could change your life for the better

 

[fluid hips]

That weather will be depressing in winter

Depression in a new place with no friends or family around is a recipe for disaster

Pass. Only positive I can think of is buying a house for cheap near a university and renting it out in the future as an income source

 

[eracism]

I never really knew exactly where Indy was on the map. Looks like you can drive to 8-10 cities from there and explore. If you're in L.A. you're never gonna get to see Louisville or Milwaukee. Not really.

 

[storm2006]

My bad OP - I meant to respond to this days okay but forgot after the thread fell off the first two pages.

I think some folks missed parts of your post or I misinterpreted some thing but I’ll take a stab at responding.

1. $10K in relocation from LA to Indianapolis isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I don’t know your current living situation and how much you have in terms of clothes, furniture, electronics, other household items, etc. I am also going to assume you have a vehicle. If you can fit everything in your car then that’s great. If you can’t, things can get real pricey with movers; however, there is also the possibility you could ship some excess stuff that doesn’t fit in the car. Similarly, another consideration is that it is a 2000 mile drive that will take 2-3 days minimum. Personally, I am not about that life but working with $10K, it is kind of your only option because shipping cars can be expensive. People also keep telling you go first to visit for a few days but that would probably run you $500-1K for for flight + accommodations (hotel, food, rental car, etc) as well. I would consider all of these things, maybe even price some of it out. It’s also worth asking your employer if this $10K is grossed up (ie they pay the taxes upfront so you get the full $10K) or do they give you $10K and make it subject to tax. THIS MATTERS and too often I’ve seen people not ask.
2. I took a cursory look at the tax situation and it looks like you don’t get an income tax break at all by moving from California to Indianapolis. Since it appears you won’t be getting a raise, it seems like you will be relying on cost of living as the main driver in financial incentive. I would recommend going on Zillow and searching the apartment/condo selection adjacent to where you will be working as well as the downtown area (if you’re into that) and figuring out how much you could save in rent since it will likely be your biggest savings.
3. On top of that - another thing people seemed to have missed (or I am misunderstanding) is that you can’t simply go back in 1-3 years if you don’t like it, right? I believe you said you will be losing seniority and you would be up against 100-200 other folks for opportunities to come back so this would be a MINIMUM FIVE YEAR commitment. Is that correct? If that is in fact the case, they would have to throw some serious sweeteners in there for me, man. That’s a long *** time to be locked in to a situation you are unsure about.
4. Also, if I read correctly, you’ll lose your job if you decline to move, correct? In that sense you are kind of hamstrung. Could you still apply to gigs back in LA while out there? I would look into how long the retention period is on the $10K (how long you have to stay before you can leave without having to pay them back)
5. Finally, you mentioned you are an aircraft mechanic. Gutting it out until something comes back up is a real possibility. Domestic travel should be back at pre-pandemic levels by years end and globally it was ~80% pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and I expect ~90% by 2024 and a full recovery by 2025. I saw last week that travel for MDW actually exceed that of pre-pandemic. It was only like 1.5% but even getting close is meaningful. They are expecting travel to be booming this summer again as well. More flights = more need for mechanics so in theory opportunities should be opening up in the LA area.

So, it’s tough because it sounds like you are being forced to go or else you don’t have a job rather than being given a choice of staying or going. If you are being forced, just make sure you get the all the terms laid out so you don’t trap yourself or end up worse off. But a pros and cons list with tangible numbers could go a long way in this process

 

[numbah1]

Maaaaaaaaaaaan, when you're young and single you have all your energy- that's the time to make mistakes, try new things, and make moves.

You never know what you like until you try it. You might move to Indiana and embrace all that Hoosierness. You might hate it. Who knows.

Furthermore, unless you're joining the military, or you're a professional athlete, I don't think anyone should be signing work contracts for longer than a year if at all; life changes and you deserve your flexibility. You live in the second largest metro in the USA; provided you're half decent at your job, I KNOW you can find work if this opportunity doesn't work.

Always keep that resume updated and be on the lookout for newer/ better/ different opportunities. Any job should be happy to have you on their team, not the other way around. In your shoes, I'd be asking for a 20k or 20% raise, whichever is higher. If my employers want me to make a life changing move, I'm going to need life changing money. Then I'd stick it out for a year or so and be looking for a 30k or 30% raise to go back to California because it's expensive.

To quote the great Dom Toretto, family is the most important thing in life. You are more important than your job. ALWAYS make the right decision for yourself. Your job will replace you in a heartbeat. A simple Indeed search shows me over 200 aircraft mechanic jobs in SoCal. You will be fine with what ever choice you make.