Debating moving/relocating to northern MI, need advice please!! (Detroit: fit in, homes)

blue_eyed_girl88 · 10-15-2010, 04:22 PM

My husband and I curerently live in SE MI. We are in our mid 20's. He is finishing up his bachelors in MIS (management information systems), has 1 1/2 years left, and I work full time as an RN right now (which by the way I hate and want to change carrers when he graduates).

We LOVE going up north any chance we get to enjoy the beauty and all the wonderful outdoor activites and the up N lifestlye, and are debating a move (anywhere he can get a job, thinking most likely TC) after he finishes school. We just want a slower pace of life with less stress and less people...want a simple quiet country lifestlye.

Obviously, things aren't blossming anywhere in MI, but where and what are the best jobs up N to have? What are people successful with and make a good living on? Does anyone know about the MIS job market? He'll be doing database work or project management or like a systems analyst for businesses. Does anybody know if these jobs even exist up N? Possibly in the TC area?

We love it up north but have never actually lived there year round...I am kinda wondering if it will get really boring...esp in winter? Any input? How is cost of living in TC? I have heard different things. Thanks for any info!!!

scolls · 10-15-2010, 05:33 PM

My wife is a RN and couldn't find anything in the Gaylord-Petoskey-Traverse City area that wasn't part time and actually paid a livable wage. Northern Michigan isn't the place you want to experiment with career changes unless you want to become a cashier or fast food cook. Northern Michigan is like Florida. It's great to visit but living there year round has a lot of disadvantages but hey everyone will be coming out of the woodwork saying how wonderful northern Michigan is and how terrible I am. I only lived up there.

michmoldman · 10-15-2010, 07:04 PM

If you want the simple...less stressed life, then I say go for it. There are some awesome priced homes everywhere up north, and you dont need to make $70,000 a year to live there. If you want it bad enough..then youll find a way. How could you possibly be bored if its the life you want, and you will get lots more snow then SE Mi. gets, so you can actually enjoy winter. Do some research on jobs available, and see whats out there. Like I said...if you want it bad enough, you can do it.

Bydand · 10-15-2010, 08:53 PM

My wife is also an RN, but with experience, and has had plenty of full-time job offers from Traverse City down to Grand Rapids, with the lowest offer at $27 an hour. She likes where she is, so she just thanks them for the offer and stays put. You say you want to get out of that field though and your Hubby has 1 1/2 years left to go on his degree. Frankly, it would probably be best to stay where you are and let him finish his degree at the school he is at right now. Then if the bug is still there to move North, give it a good look and see what is available in his line of work that could support both of you while you make a career change.

Something to remember is that when you live in an area you used to vacation in it is more difficult. No longer do you have all day, every day you are in town to come and go as you please with no real commitments. Now you have to fit in working, and making a living and it is no longer a vacation spot. Some people adjust to the change very well, others don't because it "just isn't the same..." which of course is true because you are not on vacation.

Perferator · 10-15-2010, 10:12 PM

You can also check Otsego Memorial in Gaylord which is not a long drive from our town.....25min away. Petoskey's NMH could easily have an opening as well as the bazillion professional offices there. Charlevoix has a nice little hospital. It's really worth the search.

Sparrow_temp · 10-16-2010, 01:48 AM

I would STRONGLY discourage you from moving to northern MI. If your husband can find a job related to his MIS degree, it'll be a dead-end job. You really need access to larger companies with this career which means northern MI is the last place you want to be. Your best bet would probably be Traverse City if you had to do it and hope both of you could get jobs at one of the hospitals. Keep in mind vacationing somewhere and living there year-round are very different things.

This is a large country. Almost any state will have better job opportunities. There are also states with larger cities where you don't have to go far from them to get rural environments. I'm not trying to bash MI but an MIS career in northern MI is just not a good match. Certain jobs like an RN can be found almost anywhere you want to move but others really require an urban environment. Even if you do find a job match in northern MI -- you'll be trapped when looking for the next opportunity. There are more choices than just northern and southern MI - explore them.

michmoldman · 10-16-2010, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bydand

My wife is also an RN, but with experience, and has had plenty of full-time job offers from Traverse City down to Grand Rapids, with the lowest offer at $27 an hour. She likes where she is, so she just thanks them for the offer and stays put. You say you want to get out of that field though and your Hubby has 1 1/2 years left to go on his degree. Frankly, it would probably be best to stay where you are and let him finish his degree at the school he is at right now. Then if the bug is still there to move North, give it a good look and see what is available in his line of work that could support both of you while you make a career change.

Something to remember is that when you live in an area you used to vacation in it is more difficult. No longer do you have all day, every day you are in town to come and go as you please with no real commitments. Now you have to fit in working, and making a living and it is no longer a vacation spot. Some people adjust to the change very well, others don't because it "just isn't the same..." which of course is true because you are not on vacation.

Ive always been worried about what it would feel like living where I vacationed all my life, but then we mostly go camping, so there are plenty of places north, east and southwest of the TC area so it wouldnt be a big deal. Plus I would be closer to the U.P where I could go more then once a year, but I could imagine it would be tough at first. But like everything, you will eventually get used to it and go with the flow.

nordwulf · 10-17-2010, 08:49 PM

I lived in the Metro Detroit area for about 7 years and loved going up north for weekends and vacation. After I moved here, some of that went feeling went away. But it is still 100 times better working and living here than living in the big city. And on the weekends and vacations, I just go to the UP and northern Ontario. I can be at the Mackinaw Bridge in 65 minutes. (yes, I timed it many times but can't get it sown to an hour..

). The Canadian border is only 2 hours away so those places are my new "up north".

I work in IT and it took me about 9 months to find a new job. Yes, finding a job in IT up here can be challenging because there aren't a lot of big businesses. But smaller companies need IT as well and a degree in that field will definitely give you an advantage. And try to find it in unexpected places. I interviewed with Boyne Resorts and they had a team of about 6 in their IT department.

It won't be easy and can take some time but you can make it here if you really want to.