Austin -- let me hear your voice.

[^Eagle^]

Originally Posted by sinking

I don't find this to be true. I had a much easier time meeting people and making friends living in New England. Odd that the people of NE are considered cold and unfriendly.

Well being from NE myself I would say that I am more similar to the average person there, so that in itself can make connections easy -- not sure if your origionally from there or not.

NE people have a lot more class than the average person in Florida, although good people can be found here. Not sure what the culture is in Austin but I figure it to be a college like laid back culture with a heavy southern influence and probably a formable hispanic influence.

In Orlando it's definately a mix pot. There is way less southern influence and it's more of an international type of place. People from all different backgrounds meet here.

People in NE are all pretty much similar in many ways, they have more class on average. You don't have radio stations making fun of people shooting their heads off by accident or cracking jokes about people who arn't 6'4 and muscular.

Up in New England it's more about who you are as a person and your character. Florida is more about how good you are at getting ahead and being fake while still being likable. How good of a hustler you are.

New England is not as easy to network or make new friends. People typically have no need for networking there -- people are more about trust and that takes time to develope -- but if your the right kind of person you can certainly meet people. I know Ive gotten more numbers in a short amount of time in florida than New England, then again I didn't feel the need to network as much up there. People will approach you way more commonly down here too, although half of them are out to get something out of meeting you.

[Dr.Mom]

In a quick search on Monster, I found 29 jobs in the restaurant industry. Many of them are manager positions with benefits:
Find Jobs: Search millions of jobs now | Monster.com

You may want to take a look on craigslist to see what local apartments go for and figure out what you'll need to ask for in terms of salary. Also, if you post your resume on Monster, you may get some interest. Good luck!

[sinking]

Originally Posted by ^Eagle^

Not sure what the culture is in Austin but I figure it to be a college like laid back culture with a heavy southern influence and probably a formable hispanic influence.


Up in New England it's more about who you are as a person and your character. Florida is more about how good you are at getting ahead and being fake while still being likable. How good of a hustler you are.

I've never really understood the term "laid back" for a city. I'm not sure if I would call Austin "laid back". I guess I have come across polar opposites here. A good portion of the population is very flakey, not good at keeping appointments or communication. The other part is conservative and traditional. For example, the company I work for is very conservative. In most positions we never come in physical contact with a customer but it is mandatory that I am completely shaved (not head to toe, just my face).

The second statement sounds like what my friend who moved to CA a couple years before I moved to Austin says about that area.

[hoffdano]

I have been involved in software in Austin since I moved here in 1984. The software business (which is different from simply "IT Tech") is very laid back. Jeans, t-shirts, sandals, shorts when it is warm, etc, are the norm and continue to be. Even stuffy IBM was pretty casual if you were in the engineering areas. Our hours have been highly variable.

People being on time is an entirely different issue. That is an issue of professionalism and part of a particular company's culture. Most of the software companies I have been involved with are very good about conducting scheduled business when scheduled.

If you work in IT and it isn't so casual - you are probably being asked to abide by the overall culture of the parent business.

[^Eagle^]

By laid back I'm referring more to the general demeaner of the social culture in a given area, not necessarily work environment. I don't think many jobs are laid back these days with the economy as it is. They are looking for reasons to replace you if you don't perform, show up on time, and behave in a manner that shows that you value your job.

[hoffdano]

I firmly believe the local culture of Austin is relaxed and fairly judged as "laid back." Some have a different experience of course - as it is never the same for everyone.

[80SC]

I think Austin is laid back, both in corporate culture and socially. In the three corporate jobs I've had since graduation (two at start-ups), there has been no dress code. It's definitely more common not to have to dress up for a professional job here than in Dallas.

Socially Austin is made up of a large number of young artists, musicians, actors, and free spirit types who are very laid back. There's also the conservative constituent, but that's more apparent in the outlying areas and suburbs.

[sinking]

Originally Posted by 80SC

I think Austin is laid back, both in corporate culture and socially. In the three corporate jobs I've had since graduation (two at start-ups), there has been no dress code. It's definitely more common not to have to dress up for a professional job here than in Dallas.

Hopefully at my next job I will be lucky enough to not have a dress code. I would love to be able to wear shorts in the summer. I have to wear dress pants and a button down dress shirt. At the end of my 50 minute commute each day my clothes were soaked from sweat.

[80SC]

I can see both sides of the coin. I mean, at one start-up, it was kind of embarrassing to see developers walk by in shorts and flip flops -- just did not reflect a very professional image of the company. But that's where things look to be trending.

'50's thru '70's it was mandatory to dress up for jobs. '80's thru '90's adopted "business casual". Now, it's just casual. Which is cool. Most people are probably more productive this way anyway.