A few questions about moving to Texas. (Houston, San Antonio: insurance, job market)

[scscubasteve2124]

Hi, I have a few questions regarding my interest in these areas before I make a move and see how it is. First off, I have never visited TX and yes I definitely plan on it before I make any serious moves. I am lookong for a place that has a lot to offer a single male in the mid 20s-30s age range. I hear the people are on the friendly-er side of the spectrum which would be a plus because I will be making the move by myself. I consider myself very social and of course it would be awesome ro male friends right away as it would help the transition a lot more. Are the women nice as well? Also, aside from the people and atmosphere, how is the employment? From what hear Austin is turing into a mini-Silicon Valley as far as offering tech jobs...unfortunately thay does not apply to me. I currently work for Hertz in their US headquarters building...not in one of the branches. I work within the claims department and understand there are a few insurance companies in TX that I may benefit from. I also have experience as a paralegal and would definitely consider that job as well so long if the market is good down there. I hear a lot of great things about TX especially the cost of living, booming economy, atmosphere, and quality of life. If you have any insight or advice please do not hesitate. Btw I am literally 10-20 minutes away from NYC if that helps determine where I'm coming from. Thank you.

[majormadmax]

Well, for one the climate here is a lot different than NYC, so do you think you can adjust to weeks of dry, windy, triple-digit temperatures during the summer?

Secondly, while I love San Antonio I don't think I'd want to be a single guy living here. It's more of a family town. There is a social scene but it's not as obvious as places like Austin (a college town, so it's expected).

But folks are really nice here, and there's a lot to see and do in SA. Wages are a little lower here but that's because the cost-of-living is pretty low as well. Plus, with the large service industry here, don't expect to be a high-demand commodity with the skill sets you listed. I would advise trying to specialize in a field where you can be more competitive and seek better pay. That would require investing in education and/or training, but without those you will be just one of many nominally-skilled applicants competing for a job. Too many people here are stuck in marginally-paying jobs because they don't make enough effort to rise above the pack in the job market.

I would recommend visiting before moving if possible, you can get a good idea of what this town is like by spending a few days here.

Good luck with your decision!

Cheers! M2

[rynetwo]

Fred Loya
USAA
Farmers
Can't think of anymore insurance companies at this moment.

FYI your pay might be lower here for the same job because a recent cost comparison came out and you would have to make 130% more in NYC to have the same monetary lifestyle as here in San Antonio.

The social scene is alive and thriving but it is spread out across the whole city. The I-10 corridor is the most diverse in the city but the LoBro area is quickly filling up with people and diversity. Alamo Hts is a nice area with plenty of people your age but is more expensive and older than most of the city.

[txaquarius]

The people are pretty friendly for the most part. Half the year the weather is pretty unbearably hot. Definitely lots of single women here. A lot of them have kids though. I have seen a number of jobs in the insurance field. Some for paralegals as well. I knew someone who had a pretty nice job at the Federal Courthouse here. I'm sure you are aware that USAA is also in San Antonio. They are hiring a bunch of people right now. Something like 2500, if I'm not mistaken. Supposedly one of the best companies in the country to work for. They REALLY cater to people who refuse to learn English here though. A LOT of jobs here require that you know Spanish, just to let you know that. Good Luck!! Hope you make the move.

[Willsson]

Work in Texas dot com < no spaces, the dot is a '.' < Search All Jobs, use key words such as {USAA, San Antonio}, there were eight pages of results, 25 entries per page. Most appeared to be professional type positions. Work in Texas is a function of the Texas Workforce Commission.

As a social person, you'll do fine in any major Texas city, unless there's hidden issues - which I suspect are not. Bars close at 2 a.m.. Liquor stores close at 9 p.m., closed on Sunday. Beer and wine are widely available for purchase with some wee hour limitations. There are no 'cities that never sleep' in Texas. You and your buds can try but should probably be on private property.

Good luck with your adventure.

[BigDGeek]

Houston Houston Houston.

[High_Plains_Retired]

If you are 10-20 minutes from NYC, I may as well ask you to hop a rocketship to the moon before I encourage you to check out the Texas High Plains. However, if by chance your search includes anywhere in west Texas, we will certainly welcome you to any of our small towns and communities filled with friendly folks.

And if by "nice" you mean "pretty" in regard to women, then yes. The women in Texas are some of the prettiest in the world. Most, like my Texas wife of 41 years, are pretty darn "sweet" as well.

Best of luck in your planning.