Graduated May 08 > worked 8 months > laid off

[Trace One]

see, Andrew, I told you! Planners make less..Just kidding..I don’t know – despite the survey statistics, I pretty much detailed my salary experience, as a planner and as an LA..
Not to raise the old sore point, but I have also found an incredible pay bump for both professions in California, I don’t know why..A fully employed planner on the east coast can be hired at like $35,000 (gack!)…In Ca. that jumps right off the bat to $56,000..Not that much difference in cost of living – none, in fact, as far as I can tell..

[Jay Smith]

Trace, how many LA’s do you know making anything close to 100k? That doesn’t sound right to me at all. Are these people partners in firms? I have 8 years of experience and I would be suprised to be offered more than 50-60k in this economy (if that!). Perhaps you are thinking of high cost of living places live NY and SF?

[nca]

Austin-

You’re kind of coming out of left field here. Nice link on the previous, somewhat less cryptic reply regarding salary data. I especially enjoyed the salary list site which appeared to have some relatively accurate salary information despite going completely ignored, lol.

[Chris Whitted]

Very familiar, I assure you. : )

My own story is fairly similar. I knew from a young age that this is where I wanted to live (Colorado), and I headed here as soon as I graduated. Unfortunately the engineering firm I was with ended up phasing out their LA services just over a year later. Halfway across the country from ‘home’, a pile of debts, and no income. It was a very last minute thing that I was able to find a new position and keep living at least part of my dream.

Lasted another several years before this current downturn dried up all of my clients and I was laid off. Not that all sectors aren’t hurting, but we became too reliant on residential development which came to a screeching halt around here. Now I’ve been looking for almost a year, and while I see opportunities and signs of life in other parts of the country and particularly the middle and far east as mentioned, I just really don’t want to leave (‘temporary’ has a way of stretching out in my experience). As others have mentioned, right now I still feel I’d be happier here in an unrelated job I didn’t like than doing what I love somewhere else – just how the life balance breaks down for me.

I can relate to other parts of your post as well, from not getting the kind of experience you want (or any), to the dislike of sales jobs, to the struggle to stay positive and hang in there. Believe me, you’re not alone.

[nca]

Chris-

I just read your post and sympathize with the notion of living elsewhere plying your trade vs. living where you want. For me, I can’t live without skiing. It keeps me sane. Although I’ve seen signs of life crop up across other regions, and heard more experienced people suggest moving around a lot, I just can’t justify living in a place where I can’t do the things I love…the things I would really do for free everyday if I had to.

[Chris Whitted]

I’m something of a Colorado anomaly in that I don’t ski – it’s the hiking and 14ers for me. 🙂 But yes, it poses a particular challenge sometimes.

[Author]

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