Should I Move to Idaho Falls?

[Chimera]

Prepare for a long post...

Nothing is set in stone, but I interviewed today for the position of Copy Writer with Melaleuca, a company based in Idaho Falls. The interview seemed to go well--the lady said she would be reporting back to her superiors, and that it was most likely they would contact me within a week to set up a time for me to come up to Idaho Falls and interview with some managers and such. Melaleuca is also coming down to BYU again in November, and I would probably do some more interviewing then.

I was so proud of myself yesterday. I went to BYU's Career Fair, found the one company that had a job title I recognized and was qualified for, gave them my resume, and got asked back for an interview. Then I went today and had a good interview. Look at me, being all career-savvy and pro-active. It's what everyone says you should do, so I did it.

This has caused a lot of deep thought on my part. What am I doing with my life? Where do I want to be in five years? Should I leave Provo? If you had asked me this last year at this time, I would have said definitely. Sign me up for the first ship outta here! I wanted to go to Boston to Simmons, actually. In fact, anywhere on the East Coast seemed appealing. Or at least back to California and to San Diego. (Idaho, however, was not on the list.)

Then, for the last while I planned on staying in Provo a little longer. It felt like the right thing to do, and I wasn't opposed to it. Now, once again, I find myself in a position with no specific reason to stay. I can go anywhere. Do anything. I'm pretty sure I know ultimately what I want (don't all the qualifiers inspire confidence?  ). Career-wise, I want to continue to pursue writing, get some sort of advanced degree, and eventually get a Ph.D. I'd like to teach in the college environment and eventually get published. I'm just not sure how to achieve all of this--where to go, which path to take.

I like my current job as Publicity Writer for BYU performance groups. Being a Copy Writer seems kind of similar. It could be good for me to work for a couple of years at a place like Melaleuca before starting graduate school. It might give me more of a chance to get my health under control, rather than trying to work and do school at the same time. But what if my health fails again, and I can't keep a full-time job? Nobody asks you in a job interview if you have chronic illnesses. They just assume you're healthy and normal. And I can act like it's not an issue. Sometimes it isn't. But when it is--it really is. I'd hate to leave everything that is comfortable and go all the way up there and fall flat on my face. (Don't you love how I'm predicting doom and gloom before I even know if I have a job offer? I can't help it, though--my fluctuating health seems to have robbed me of so many things as of late.)

But back to my original question. Do I even want to go to Idaho Falls? Or should I be looking for a job somewhere else? What's in Idaho Falls, anyways? If I get a job offer and accept, I would be moving up there in Dec/Jan. That's sooner then I like to think about.

What do you guys think?

[Archon]

I apologize if I am out of place, and I am pretty sure that you weren't asking me, but I wonder why you are so ready to leave where you are. I would be willing to bet that you could find opportunities closer to where you are if you look further into it. If you are concerned about taking classes and working at the same time, then only do one for the time being.

Basically, my point would be that you could most likely find the solution for any problem you have right where you are. You have friends where you are now, you know the area, and all of that. And, you don't know, allegorically speaking, where you are going. You have goals that you want to accomplish, but you don't have a plan of how you are going to accomplish them. Therefore, unless you are uncomfortable where you are, I would think that before you move, you would want to know more exactly where you want to be, and where you are going.

Again, this is only my opinion, and I know that you weren't asking me.

[Chimera]

You don't have to apologize, Archon. I appreciate the advice. I was talking to everyone--not everyone (except Archon).  

I do need to look around where I am. (That requires more work. Blah. But I need to do it.) This was just my first attempt to decide what to do when I graduate in December--my first pro-active action. But it did raise some questions. The job market is tricky. I might not be able to find a job in Provo, Utah. I may have to move.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[CtrlZed]

Idaho Falls isn't a bad place to go.  Fall and Spring are great . . . the summers are nice . . . the winters stink.  Melaleuca is a pretty good company.  I've heard both good and bad about it, though.  I get the impression that they're a little stingy with their workers' time--but that was from people who worked in the call center.

I would personally send out more resumes and see if I get any more job offers before committing to anything, and then make a decision.  Good luck!

[stacer]

As far as real, career-enhancing editorial or writing positions, you probably should be looking outside of Utah. I tried to stay, and went through the same thing you're going through. I didn't even get a good job on campus--I was (for about two weeks) the part-time supervisor of some office, the name of which escapes me, in the Smith Fieldhouse. I believe it was a library office for phys. ed. Not sure.

Anyway, my point is, that if you get an offer that you feel good about, even if it is in Idaho Falls, follow that feeling. I went home to Illinois and ended up editing a magazine in Chicago for a year and a half when I followed that feeling, and it really gave me the stability I needed to be ready for grad school.

My old roommate Sallyann lives up in Rigby and she says that the singles' scene in that area--she used to go down to IF regularly--is busy, but young and relatively uneducated. Of course it would be, with Ricks so close. But she loves it there, and it's home for her.

I'd go to IF and visit, if you haven't yet, and make sure it's a place you want to live (says the girl who accepted the Seattle job sight unseen). Be certain to weigh all your options--what do you want in a new place? Boston's got it all when it comes to a singles' scene that's intellectual, educated, and driven, and you're likely to find any kind of job that you want there. I've got friends in publishing and writing who can connect you to the right people to find a job.

But the thing is, with Boston, Chicago, New York, and D.C., and many big cities like them, you have to decide to move there, have a little in reserve, and be willing to temp for a month or two till you find the right job. I went to Boston for grad school and happened to find a connection at school who got me in touch with the right person at Houghton to get a job two months later, but I lived on a student loan those first couple months.

So, staying local, within the state or the next state over, will help you in job hunting in that you can go interview and check things out without having to move there first.

Personally, though, I say go for the big, scary move. That's the thing you should be doing at your age. Do it now while you're single and have the mobility you won't have later. Explore the places you've always wanted to go. So what if you fall flat on your butt? I did that several times myself, and I never had to give up and go home. You just dust yourself off and keep going, and you find that falling on your butt is exactly what prepared you for the next thing.

Oh, and some of Boston's hospitals have some great free healthcare for people living under a certain generous income, something like $35,000. I know from experience that being without insurance when you get really sick is really bad. I don't know how other cities do it--Chicago didn't have anything similar, I don't think, but I had insurance when I lived there. But Boston's hospitals and their related clinics are research and teaching hospitals (mine was affiliated with Harvard Med School), so they're well-funded.

Anyway, just my thoughts, taken from my own personal experience of having been in a similar position when I graduated. It was so wide open that I could go anywhere, and the choice really was mine--I even had spiritual confirmation of that. I could have stayed in Utah and it would have been fine, too. But I'm a much different person now than I might have been had I stayed in Utah, and so I'm really glad I left and explored.

[Chimera]

Thanks CtrlZed and stacer for your thoughtful posts.  

So much to think about...

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

you can't factor in "scariness" as whether you should take the move unless you want to stay right where you are and make little progression. Any move that will probably help your career and future will have some pretty scary ultimate consequences.

Like Stacy said, big cities can employ people locally. They have no desire to add a moving package into their hiring process. They will consider people close before far away. If you want to move to a big city on the east or left coasts, you move first, then look.

Of course, nothing I say here is absolute, there are always exceptions.

Anyway, Utah's got a horrible market for decent jobs. I wouldn't plan on staying there unless you have something very specific you're staying in Utah for (and I can think of a couple things). Friends are nice, but over the course of half a decade much of that will change, and so while it is a factor, don't allow it to be the dominating force. I'll bet you can make friends wherever you go.

Anyway, while it's nice to start thinking of this, you can't make any final decisions until you know what the real opportunities are.

[Tage]

As anyone in my family can tell you, I didn't like growing up in Idaho Falls. The place is too freaking cold, and there's very little to do. However, if you're looking for a relaxed atmosphere, that would be a good place to go. Most people who end up in Idaho Falls do so because it's quiet and the people are generally pretty nice. The city library, which is still one of the city's only selling points, in my opinion, is right by the Maleleuca building.

One thing to remember is that Idaho Falls has no colleges. BYUI is 30 minutes away, and ISU is about an hour away. So people tend to go to I.F. for activities and such, but you might not have a lot of singles actually living around you.

Speaking of which, if you take the job, you could probably get an apartment with my sister and her friend.

[Chimera]

Like Stacy said, big cities can employ people locally. They have no desire to add a moving package into their hiring process. They will consider people close before far away. If you want to move to a big city on the east or left coasts, you move first, then look.

Anyway, while it's nice to start thinking of this, you can't make any final decisions until you know what the real opportunities are.

Those are both important points. I've looked at online job search sites for "Copy Writer" and there happen to be quite a few. However, many of them want at least 2-3 years experience writing for a company, which I don't really have. I have about a year of experience actually working in a company and then lots of miscellaneous writing and editing experience throughout college. Which is why I wonder if I'll end up wanting to go with a place like Melaleuca, who is willing to take me right out of college with a year of experience.

And many of the entry level Copy Writer/Editor positions in big cities, like you said, are for local applicants only. So that's probably true--if I want to live in Boston or New York, I may have to save up and go and find a job. (Stacer, if I do decide to go to Boston, I'll definitely take you up on some references for possible job leads.)

I'll bet you can make friends wherever you go.

Of course. Everyone loves me.  
No, I like people, so I'm not worried about making friends. It does take time to build those deep friendships, though. There were a couple of years at BYU when I was friends with tons of people but not really close with anyone. I like to have some of both--close friends you can tell anything to and people you hang out with occasionally.

[Chimera]

As anyone in my family can tell you, I didn't like growing up in Idaho Falls. The place is too freaking cold,

That definitely is a strike against Idaho Falls. I hate the cold. I HATE it! Utah is bad enough. Upstate New York on my mission nearly killed me. However, East Coast is pretty chilly. I might end up being cold no matter where I go.    Unless I move back to California.  

Speaking of which, if you take the job, you could probably get an apartment with my sister and her friend.

Hey, that's cool. I already have potential roomies!  

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I've looked at online job search sites for "Copy Writer" and there happen to be quite a few. However, many of them want at least 2-3 years experience writing for a company, which I don't really have. I have about a year of experience actually working in a company and then lots of miscellaneous writing and editing experience throughout college.

Apply anyway. generally, those are their ideal candidate, but many will interview and hire people who are good finds but lack a year or two of experience anyway.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Its called molding... they like molding employees. Plus the worst they can say is no.

[stacer]

No, I like people, so I'm not worried about making friends. It does take time to build those deep friendships, though. There were a couple of years at BYU when I was friends with tons of people but not really close with anyone. I like to have some of both--close friends you can tell anything to and people you hang out with occasionally.

That's one thing that I've learned in this time of life, being single and LDS, doesn't matter where you live, usually. If you stay in one place long enough, your friends are probably going to be the ones moving away for better opportunities. If you move on, you move away from your good friends. So you just have to be sure to keep in touch with the people who are special to you, no matter how close or far away they are. You can't let that be a deciding factor. Sometimes I regret moving, usually within the first few months of a move, and it gets harder and harder to make new friends because the older I get the more settled other people are--except for the ones who are in a similar life position to me. But I also find that the friends who are as "driven" as I am (or at least, I was recently told I'm "driven," and I suppose in a way that's true) tend to be the ones who move around for the job opportunities, grad school, etc., so we have to work harder to stay in touch.

If it hadn't been for TWG, for example, I still wouldn't be in touch with most of the people here on the boards, and that's sad, because we've been able to get together a lot in the last couple of years, and I count many of the people here among my closest long-term friends. No matter where you go, you just make sure to keep in touch with the people who matter.

However, my dream place to live will have everyone I've ever been close to, mountains, a coastline, forests, perhaps a river to bike along, a quirky big city downtown to explore with those friends, and my family, all in one spot. Oh, and it'll have my dream job, too. So, everyone, move to Boston or Seattle. I mean, everyone go to the same place.

[CtrlZed]

I second Tage on the "too freaking cold."  Move to Mexico.

[The Jade Knight]

Man.  You guys would hate Montréal.

Not that I appreciate the cold, either, but…