So we have decided to move from Chicago to Seattle for a big advancement in DHs career. I am super excited bc I love Seattle and chicago never really felt like home to me, even though we have lived here for 6 years. However, the logistics of it all seems so overwhelming. There are a lot of job opportunities for me as I work in healthcare, but it is taking forever to hear back on any of my applications. (Well it's only been a week, but it feels like forever!!) we plan on moving mid-August but I'm not sure what we will do if I don't have a job by then. Anyone ever been in this situation? Any cross country moving tips with a 20 month old and two cats?! 
You might also enjoy...
-
Congrats! How exciting!
I found the same when we moved from the mid Atlantic to NYC. I work in healthcare, DH had a job lined up. I found it SO hard to get my foot in the door at the big institutions. Work your contacts hard. Old coworkers, reach out to a recruiter, seek out classmates on social media. Oftentimes having someone inside is the only way to get your resume past the HR wall and onto someone's deskHire out everything you can! Packing, moving, unpacking if you can swing it. Cats and kids are resilient. They will be fine.
How exciting for you!
-
Congratulations!
Financially do you have to have a job right away? Or could you stay home with the baby for a couple months? That could give you time to unpack, interview, find a daycare, etc.
-
Are you moving yourself? Or is the company paying? We are about to undertake a huge move, but the company is paying, so I don't have to take care of anything as far as packing and moving goes. I would outsource whatever you have the budget for. I would also get rid of as much as you can before the move, which is what I'm doing right now.
As for job hunting, I know a few people who have tried to job hunt before having a local address and it doesn't always work in their favor (recruiter sees a long distance address and doesn't go any further). So it could be that you need to be there before people will really be interested, so maybe keep trying but remain patient until you are physically there.
-
@Littlebit7: thank you! This is all great advice.
@T.H.O.U.: We could probably swing me staying home for about a month, but we definitely still require 2 incomes. It would make it so much easier to get everything settled if I was able to stay home for a bit.
@lamariniere: we will probably be paying for most of the move ourselves but are planning on outsourcing as much as possible. And that's a really good point about job prospects. In my cover letter, I do mention when we are moving and that I already have transferred my license so I was hoping that would be enough.
-
@peaches1038: We moved from Houston to Milwaukee a few years ago with a 2 year old and a dog. My parents flew in to help us and I don' t know how we would have done it without them. We priced out moving companies, but it was SO expensive and it was going to take so long to have access to our stuff that we just decided to DIY. We rented as big a truck as we could, and towed one of our cars behind it. My husband drove the truck with our dog, my dad drove our other car, and my Mom, LO, and I flew. It was a lot of work, but went pretty smoothly. Would it be possible for your to have some help for the move?
I didn't have a job and ran into the problem that I really wasn't even getting call backs on applications I'd submitted before we moved. Good news is that once we moved and I had a local address and was available for local interviews I started a new position within six weeks. I think that @lamariniere: is right that your application doesn't even get looked at because you're currently long distance. I would try to prepare for having a short lapse in employment.
-
@kiddosc: We helped my BIL and SIL do a similar long distance move. They packed everything themselves and had it ready. We flew up and I drove in a minivan with SIL and kids, DH and BIL drove the truck with a trailer for their smaller car.
They definitely got rid of a lot of stuff before they moved!
-
@T.H.O.U.: Yes! We sold/gave away a lot of stuff.
-
@kiddosc: my parents might be able to help us. We haven't priced out moving companies yet but I can see how doing it DIY would save a ton. And I was worried about how long it would take to get our stuff, so that is definitely worth consideration. I think I am running into the same problem regarding applications. 6 weeks isn't too bad of a turn around. There are 2 jobs that would be a perfect fit, so hopefully they will call or maybe they'll still be available in a month.
-
@peaches1038: Congrats on the big move! We just moved to the Seattle/Tacoma area (South King County) this May from Cleveland (husband got a transfer/promotion). Big adjustment but we are loving it so far.
As far as timing for your things, we had professional movers and our goods took 7 days to arrive in WA. From Chicago I would assume about a 6 day transit.
I've heard good things about U-Pack - moving service where you pack and load onto truck and they drive to your destination. Also, find free boxes if you can (they are SO expensive new!). Online local 'Buy Nothing' groups (check FB) are a great resource; everyone is always trying to get rid of moving boxes after unpacking.
My husband, FIL and dog drove across country with our car (took 4 days -- they didn't stop much!) and I flew out with our 3yo son.
-
@peaches1038: If you're really interested, I would contact the hiring manager and emphasize that you are moving to the area on X date for unrelated reasons. It shows how interested you are and lets them know you aren't waiting to find a job to relocate.
-
@peaches1038: We moved from Alaska to the Midwest with a cat three years ago. We had everything shipped (including our vehicle) on a barge from Anchorage to Seattle so I can't give any good advice there.
I do agree with @kiddosc: about calling the hiring manager and telling them you are moving to the area on X date. That's what I did when we moved & then they took me seriously and I had a job waiting for me.
Congrats & good luck!
-
Congrats on the big move! I'm from Seattle born & raised and I'm sure you guys will love it! All of our family and friends still live there too.
The job market is incredible there. I'm sure you will have much better luck finding a job once you are in Seattle with a Seattle address. If you are in healthcare (same as my DH), I'm sure you will find something quickly!
DH & I are in the midst of a cross country move too. We are moving in September from Portland OR to Atlanta GA. We booked PODS & movers to move all of our stuff into the PODS. We'll do ALL the packing & fly with DD who is 3 months old and our 2 year old cat. It just seemed much easier to go that route.
Edited to add: DH's company is paying for our relocation and we'll be having both of our cars shipped.
Good luck!
-
@Jadj13: oh wow! I am actually looking at a job in Tacoma. How do you like it so far?! I am pretty impressed that it only took 7 days to get your stuff. Do you mind sharing the moving company you used and an approximate cost? That's a great idea about checking fb groups for boxes. Dh just priced some and it was like $500!! crazy. I was trying to convince DH that i would fly with DS, but he thinks it would be "fun" to drive. oy. Did you just stay in a hotel until your DH got there?
@kiddosc: @mrskansas: I will do that! Thank you. I was worried about coming off as pushy/desperate, but i really want them to know that I am serious.
@mrswilson2012: Yay! I am so glad to hear hat you loved growing up in Seattle. I think it will be a much better fit for our family than Chicago. I hope my son will say he loved growing up there too
I started to look into PODS but got slightly overwhelmed. Was it considerably less expensive than a traditional moving company?
-
@peaches1038: we found boxes were cheapest through Uhaul and they buy back what you don't use. We also got several loads of boxes from donations (friends recycling etc).
-
We moved from Dallas to NYC area 5 years ago. We actually moved very little. My husband was given a moving allowance from his new job and we bought a used SUV (my husband sold his sports car before the move because it wasn't practical to be a commuter car) with the money and he brought 1 small uhaul trailer of stuff and we sold everything else and basically started over.
When we arrived here, we sold the SUV for almost what we paid and basically pocketed the 10k moving money and used it to buy some new furniture and just put it in savings. I did manage to find a job from dallas, but I had to use points to fly last minute for interviews. I actually found a job in 3 weeks of aggressive looking, sending resumes, and follow up emails.
That was pre baby, but I would weigh the costs of moving vs buying more stuff when you arrive. Moving is pricey! We were quoted something ridiculous to move a 2 bedroom apartments amount of stuff. Something like 8k. So we just got rid of it.
-
I've moved from Chicago to Las Vegas to Virginia and then to California. Every time, DH drives his truck and brings the dog, and DS and I fly. My car gets shipped and so does the majority of our household goods. I hate long trips and I'm also a horrible cocaption (need to pee every five minutes, gets bored really quickly, major motion sickness on long drives). We usually take a trip to Chicago and then meet DH wherever.
-
no advice here but best of luck to you guys!!
-
@peaches1038: Cannot believe this is happening in a month!!! Congratulations!!! I agree with posters above - give away/sell as much as you can get away with before you move. Then, be prepared for a sucky week. After that it will be DONE and everything will seem a lot easier when you're physically in the new place. (Do you have a new place yet?).
-
@peaches1038: Good luck with the move! I moved from Chicago to Seattle 11 years ago. I don't have any advice as I was single and the company I work for moved me, but I can tell you that it's lovely out here! Your income will see an immediate boost due to no state income tax too!
-
@peaches1038: My husband's company offered full relocation package for the move so I don't have the broken down costs. The relo folks selected Mayflower Moving Company. This was for a 3 bedroom house, with full basement (so around 2k sq ft, plus 3 car garage) all packing, loading and moving, including 2 vehicles. They also included full replacement value insurance and 30 days of storage in the quote in case we needed it per the policy. The estimate was $25k.
-
@peaches1038: Forgot your other question. My DS and I went to visit my parents for a week while waiting for our stuff to make it to WA. I knew with the move we wouldn't get a summer vacation so I wanted to visit some family before moving even farther away!!
-
Just a quick update! I was offered the perfect position exactly 2 weeks after applying! They are paying some relocation costs as well! We are getting really excited and can't wait to start this new chapter! I appreciate all of the advice!
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
22 comments