Job Market in Dallas, TX Area?

danareale · 2013-02-20T14:54:13.000Z

Hello Spiceheads!

Well, sounds like my husband has been given a choice: Move to Dallas, TX (Irving, I believe) or he’s out of a job.

Since we do not have children, we are considering the move, if the relocation package makes it worth our while.

How is the job market there? I would be looking for a job for myself. I have no college, but 13 years of experience (basic help desk, networking, SQL server, report writing via Crystal Reports, working in/with EHR). Am open to moving from the health industry, but my experience is mostly in a health clinic / doctor office setting.

brendanparker3648 · 2013-02-20T15:02:22.000Z

It today’s market, It’ll be hard to find a job without a college education, However, the experience does help.

Marketing in Texas is doing very well, Texas is one of those states keeping us above our feet.

I support the move, and I hope you live a happy live in Texas.

brendanparker3648 · 2013-02-20T15:02:38.000Z

In todays market*

texkonc · 2013-02-20T15:03:29.000Z

Market is great here for IT. I just got a new job.

What industry is your husband in?

drx8163 · 2013-02-20T15:04:00.000Z

Dallas / Ft. Worth is a great place to move to, in fact it is one of the three places I am looking to move to. Go on MONSTER and you will see there are a lot of open IT jobs in the area. And the weather is better than where you are moving from

texkonc · 2013-02-20T15:05:02.000Z

BTW, I work in Irving and lived in the same area for a few years. I have spent most of my life in DFW. Let me know if you have questions.

garypechonis · 2013-02-20T15:11:31.000Z

Jobs can always be a bit tough to come by, but IT in Texas is booming. Especially in Austin but DFW is up there too:

http://www.statesman.com/news/technology/austin-tech-salaries-see-biggest-jump-in-country/nRjx9/

mschatte · 2013-02-20T15:11:45.000Z

It’s definitely a great place to live. With that much experience I think it qualifies you to work at any help desk type job. However, you should definitely dive into Dice.com or Monster.com before basing a move on it. Apply for some of the positions and make it known that you are coming from out of state. My friend is looking for a job right now and has been doing interviews almost every day. People are hiring for sure.

danareale · 2013-02-20T15:13:51.000Z

Thanks very much!! My husband is in the banking industry (software deployment for a large institution). We certainly hope that a move would mean a secure job for him for a few years, but if that doesn’t hold up, we hope that the job market is good enough to land us both on our feet.

Is there a good web site you’d recommend to look for houses or condos? What does the average newer (under 10y/o) home, 1,400 sq ft, 3 beds go for? We’re thinking it might make more sense to go the condo route for a while, especially if the standard of living is higher than Missouri, and we’d be working uphill, so to speak.

Also, I have a heart condition and would need access to a good cardiology department a few times a year for checkups. Any recommendations for hospitals? And how is the heat in the summer? Is it a dry heat, or will the humidity kill me?

brentwaggoner0080 · 2013-02-20T15:19:14.000Z

Housing in Texas is cheap compared to most states.

There are frequently commercials about Baylor Health Care. They seem to have a good reputation (Honestly, that is about as detailed as I can get.)

DFW is a great market. I’m probably going to move in a few years, and I am a little nervous about where I move, because of the amount of jobs here. I joked with my wife that if I got fired it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

texkonc · 2013-02-20T15:19:48.000Z

What kind of area lifestyle do you want?

Do you want the semi quiet and close drive to most areas?

Do you want to lively scene?

That way we can point you in the right area.

mschatte · 2013-02-20T15:23:38.000Z

DanaR:

And how is the heat in the summer? Is it a dry heat, or will the humidity kill me?

Yes, it does get hot but it won’t kill you. It’s definitely a dry heat. Now, if you were asking about Houston that’d be a completely different story.

danareale · 2013-02-20T15:25:25.000Z

We’d prefer a less lively scene, we wouldn’t mind driving to get to the excitement.

texkonc · 2013-02-20T15:28:53.000Z

The areas right by the airport are great choices. Close to the Airport and in the center of the Metroplex to get places.

Irving is a great quiet area and not a bad drive to things in the area. Stay away from the 183 side of Irving and focus on the Las Colinas area of Irving.

mschatte · 2013-02-20T15:30:01.000Z

Texkonc:

The areas right by the airport are great choices. Close to the Airport and in the center of the Metroplex to get places.

Irving is a great quiet area and not a bad drive to things in the area. Stay away from the 183 side of Irving and focus on the Las Colinas area of Irving.

That can also be the expensive side.

texkonc · 2013-02-20T15:32:03.000Z

It is not THAT bad…

mschatte · 2013-02-20T15:39:42.000Z

I guess it just depends on how much you’re willing to spend. I’m cheap We’re also saving for a house.

danareale · 2013-02-20T15:40:45.000Z

Are there any areas of Irving or Dallas that we should totally avoid, for safety or commute reasons?

My husband has a few co-workers that already live there, so thankfully we won’t be totally friend-less, but it’s hard to tell these sorts of things from a map!

danareale · 2013-02-20T15:44:48.000Z

MichaelSchatte wrote:

I guess it just depends on how much you’re willing to spend. I’m cheap We’re also saving for a house.

That would depend on the relocation deal and how much we can borrow. We JUST refinanced our current house in Missouri (at the end of December), so that’s going to sting a little - but if the move is enticing enough, we might rent the house here, and at least we would still be building up equity.

mschatte · 2013-02-20T15:45:38.000Z

DanaR:

Are there any areas of Irving or Dallas that we should totally avoid, for safety or commute reasons?

My husband has a few co-workers that already live there, so thankfully we won’t be totally friend-less, but it’s hard to tell these sorts of things from a map!

There’s only a couple of places that I know for sure. South Dallas (immediately south of downtown) is pretty ghetto. Also, parts of Oak Cliff have some ghetto-ness to them. But, for the most part it really isn’t too bad.