Oregon Nesties
ScarlettBegonia
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
***Lindsay***
We got off to a bad start-no need to leave the board forever. We are actually pretty nice ladies when you don't jump our s*it 
I can definitely understand being scared. I was SO scared when DH was transferred: and I only had 3 weeks to find a job AND move our family across the country. We've been there.
So, if you're dead set on moving here, maybe we can help you find a job before you arrive. Most of us on this board are friends IRL too, so we can help you with finding good neighborhoods, etc.
Lets start over. What field are you in? What kinds of industry are you looking to get into? Maybe we can help.
Re: ***Lindsay***
At the moment I don't have a specific field, or any kind of degree that would land me a job in a certain field. I answer phones for a restaurant management franchise right now, but have been helping them out in marketing, accounting, and human resources so I have pretty good knowledge on how companies like this are run. I am honestly not picky at all when it comes to jobs. I know when we move we will have to take what we can get, but I've worked for 2 lawfirms running errands and filing things with the court, I've done serving/hostessing/to-go orders/catering at a popular mexican restaurant, and worked with elderly people in and out of nursing homes. I've seen different job ads for office assistants, part time receptionist, and some restaurant jobs, but didn't know how quickly these jobs get picked up on a daily basis.
We do have enough money saved up for a year of living with no jobs, so we won't be sucking up any resources or just living off of other people. I know what it's like to pay for other people's children and other people's food and I don't appreciate it either, so we will come prepared. We are giving ourselves a few more moths to save extra money before we actually do move. My husband's mom lives there already, and has for aboout 10 years, which is alot of why we are moving there. He has only seen her twice in the course of 9 years, and is ready to be near her again. We also have 3 or 4 friends that currently live there so we've been asking questions, but sometimes it's nice to get an opinion from people other than friends and family.
I personally would like to get into the photography business, but I know this is a field that is very difficult to really profit from anymore, so even just taking a class on the subject would be really great for me. Even if I cannot succeed in photography I would like to have the experience and skills for myself. I am still searching for what career would suit me best, so I will take any job to support myself with so that maybe I can try and go back to school after about a year of getting settled in.
As far as neighborhood's we would like to live in one that has people our age, mid-20's, that has alot of art, culture, and music, bookstores, and second hand stores. I'm not sure what decent rent is considered there, but definitely something that's not over the top priced.
I'm glad you came back. : )
Unfortunately, we're new enough to the area that I don't have suggestions for you as to where to live. My friend lives in Portland around NW 23rd, which is completely amazing. She's within walking distance to so many cute places, and I'm really jealous. I wish we didn't need to be in the suburbs to be close to Jeff's job.
Rent is subjective, so it depends on what you can afford. When we were in Boston, we were paying $2300 a month for a 1 bed/1 bathroom apartment. It was across from the train, had air conditioning, dishwasher, and laundry in unit which are requirements for me. So OR is SUPER cheap (especially when you have a real job instead of a living stipend) compared to that. We're now renting a townhome with 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, A/C, dishwasher, laundry, and so much more for less than half what we were paying in Boston. I think my friend who is in town has a 2 bed, 1 bath without A/C, dishwasher, or laundry, pays less than $800, and is in a great location.
If you want to go back to school, Portland Community College is pretty good. I've been really impressed with the classes and instructors I've had here. I have a DSLR that I can use to take pictures, but that's about it. I'm signed up for a photography class this spring and I'm really excited. : )
As long as nothing gruesome happens, then neighborhoods aren't that big of a deal. I live in a decent one now, but there is crime and shady people anywhere you go. We will only have 2 vehicles split between 3 people, and I know gas is atleast a dollar more than in Kansas, so somewhere close to public transportation would be really helpful.
For rent in Kansas we are paying only $500 a month for a 2 bed/1 bath single family home with a small garage(mostly for storage)! So anything there will seem expensive, but we've budgeted for $700 to $800 a month for rent alone.
I've heard good things about that college, and I would love to go, but I'm so nervous. Big changes give me alot of anxiety, and I find it hard to learn in a college environment. I just bought a 12.2mp Canon Rebel XSI last August and I've been going absolutely crazy with it. I have 3 memory cards already full, and my hubby got me a printer for Christmas so I've been having a ball! I'd like to take a basic class so I can learn how to do more cool things with it and get my pictures to come out with different effects, but I just haven't gotten that far yet!
Hey Lindsay,
Check out this job at TripWire, a local software company in downtown Portland. I work for another software company and while we're not hiring for anything administrative, TripWire is! http://tripwire.com/company/workingattripwire/careers/job.cfm?id=244
Good for you for coming back. I hope you can find useful information from us. When I moved to Portland in 2001 I found a 1-bd apartment in NW 23rd area for $800. I would definitely recommend that area and Goose Hollow and the SW Portland area near PSU. You are close to public transportation. But on-street parking can be daunting.
If you're interested in photography I would check out the Bump photography board. There are a lot of girls on there that are just starting out. Also check out ILP or the I love photography forum.
I have been interested in photography for many years now, got my first digital camera in 2001 and my Canon Rebel XT in 2004. Last year I upgraded to a Canon 50D. While I enjoy taking photos of my daughter and of the beauty of Oregon and I'm pretty good at it, I know it is really hard to make it a business. I feel that my skills are not good enough yet to charge people for it. And then there is the whole business aspect of it.
Here's an interesting article written by a good online friend of mine that will give you some insight into what makes a good photographer and how to pick one as a consumer. With the current trend in digital photography it is so easy to pick up a camera and start charging people but to become a successful photographer you need a whole lot more. Of course I know nothing about your skill level or anything, I am just trying to be helpful and warn you of the things to think about when you are contemplating making photography your business, similarly to how people wanted to warn you of moving to Portland without a job.
amyrophotography.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-good-photographer/
My amateur photo blog
I know what you mean about the anxiety. I get anxious about everything. The classes I've taken have been pretty small. But, PCC does have community courses you can take, too. I'm not sure what they're like, but maybe daisygirl and jenilovesneil could tell you about them? They're taking a sewing class right now. I know that they have community photography classes, because Jeff and I have thought about taking them together.
Good to have you back
.
My advice: register with several temp agencies. Many companies in the area don't even hire direct-they bring temps on first and hire the high performers within a few months.
You can explain your situation to them and take many of their tests online. You need to follow up constantly though, but diligence will pay off, trust me. When I was new to my feild, I got several great positions by being a temp first.
Also, don't hesitate to take even a 10.00 per hour job-you want to establish a work history in OR ASAP! Many employers won't hire 'outsiders' bc they'd rather give the job to an Oregonian (You're getting tired of this theme i bet
). The sooner you can show on paper that you are invested in the state, the sooner other doors will open for you.
OH! And get a cell phone with an OR # right away too that you can put on your resume-same thing applies-some employers wont call an out of state #.
ETA: I feel bad for snapping at you. I'm really hormonal these days, and uncomfortable too (There's a baby squishing my lungs!). I'm not usually such a jerk, promise.
I work in HR. I would be happy to help with your resume and connections in the area to help you network. Do you have a linked-in account?
Esther - thanks for the neighborhood advice, I will definitely check into those areas and see what things look like, and thanks for the tips on the photography boards. I've been into it since I took a photo journalism class in high school, but have just recently started to take and active role with it. I wouldn't be comfortable charging anyone either...mine are mostly snap shots of family, mainly my nieces and nephews, and just nature shots. They are all for personal use as of now though. I only know what I've read in books that I've picked up on the basics. I've also looked up tons of stuff on starting a business in general which takes ALOT of money and planning, but then to start a photography business is just a whole other level. You're right about it being easy for people just to snap photos and sell them, it is really killing the true art of photography because digital has brought us so far. You no longer have to know what kind of setting you need for the lighting or how long to keep the shutter open, or even the developing process. Developing my own pictures is really what got me interested in photgraphy because you really appreciate that picture as it slowly appears on the paper. Thanks for the link, I'm gonna check it out tonight!
Em - Do you have any idea how much the community college classes cost? I know for sure I won't be able to go right away, but atleast I would have a figure in the back of my mind so I can prepare for it and plan the right time to take the class.
Scarlett - Temp agencies are a great idea....I hadn't even thought of that as an option. Right now I only make $10.50 an hour so it will be no problem to say yes to a $10 job. Of course cost of living and everything else are more expensive so I will definitely have some adjustments to make. Thanks for the cell phone number tip, advice you can't find in articles about moving and getting a job! I have no idea what a linked in account is! ??? I don't even think I'm replying right on these message boards, I can't quite get the hang of everything...we just got a computer a few months ago so I'm out of the loop
I do have a resume ready to by typed up but I'm no good at that sort of thing so I can always use help! I'm sorry I snapped too... this is my first ever message board so I did not include all the info I needed to and I guess I just felt rejected right away so I got mad and fired back. I don't usually speak to people like that either, but we all have our bad days, I totally understand that.
And thank you all for having me back, it's been very helpful.
I think it will be a bit over $300 to take the photography class for credit. I don't know if there's a textbook or not or how much that evil thing would cost.
The link to PCC's tuition & fees page is here. The non-credit classes are listed here. It looks like some of them are a one time only thing, and others are longer to the price varies some.
I know that I'm a little late jumping in to help you out - but I do know that my place of employment just had a receptionist job open up that is more than $10 an hour with a great benefits package. My company does have a few other positions open too, but I don't think that it's widely advertised since most new hires are via employee recommendations. Since it's a huge company, if you have to move again, more than likely you can transfer to another location within the company (that was my safety net when I moved here), unless you move to somewhere really remote in the US.
Something else to consider in your budgeting is that Oregon State taxes are higher than Kansas' and so the take home pay here will be less. I work in payroll and knew that when I transferred here, but it was nothing like I imagines until I saw my first paycheck.
Neighborhoods are hard to judge on, and it depends on what you really want. I've lived in 4 different parts of this city in 6 years, and they all have something good about. I agree with the others here about being close to downtown you have great access to public transportation. Another idea is living somewhere along the MAX line to get to downtown easily and not have to pay the higher cost of apartments down there.
Hope this helps out some. Best of luck with it all.
Hey Lindsay...
I just moved here in July and moved with NO job so I'm sort-of in the same shoes as you. DH came here for law school to go to the #1 environmental law program..it's really want he wanted to do so we didn't have much of a choice. I have quite a bit of work experience and GREAT recommendations, so I didn't think it would take me too long to find a job. I thought maybe 3 months max..I moved from MI (#1 unemployment rate) to OR (#2). In MI, I found a job in 2 months. Well...it's now over 8 months since we moved and I JUST got a job. And the only reason I got a job was because I knew someone working at the company. In that time I only had 3 interviews. I got e-mail after e-mail saying "Sorry we had 200 applicants for this position". And, I was applying to jobs like it was my full time job. I personalized each cover letter, etc etc. I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just trying to be brutally honest.
Everything Scarlett said is correct. Many Oregonians don't like outsiders moving in. I LOVE Oregon and everything it has to offer; however, the one thing I don't like is the fact that I felt so unwelcome by many when I moved. (NOT this board...the girls on this board are amazing and many of them are now good friends IRL) But, for instance, I took a class through PCC and when my professor found out where I was from, he goes (in front of the whole class) "I hope you shut the door behind you when you left". Then, I took a ballet class and had to buy a leotard. At the store the lady told me flat out the reason I wasn't getting called for jobs was because I was from Michigan (we had been talking for a while about random stuff while I was trying on leotards).
It's just really hard because in a job market that is as bad as it is now...when employers are getting HUNDREDS of applications per job, realistically they just can't look at every resume. So, they find ways to eliminate some and unfortunately, when they see all of your previous work was in a different state, you go in the 'no' pile.
I'm only telling you all of this because I do NOT want you guys to go through what we went through. The last few months were really tough for me. I've suffered from depression in the past, and I sunk back into it these last few months. I was so discouraged and worried that I just had no motivation to do anything. Finally (thanks to a very wonderful awesome friend), I was told about a position through a temp agency, immediately applied and was hired. So scarlet is right...go to a temp agency...RIGHT off the bat. Trust me on this. I wish I would have gone to them months ago.
Anyway, good luck in your move, I just know you'll love it here...we do, and now that I have a job, we'll love it even more!
OH! And about pcc...if you take community ed classes (not for credit), they're pretty cheap! I'm in an online photography class now (but they also have ones not online) and it was just over $100 and I really like it!!!
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