And it's not as if you'd be living in some Godforsaken corner of the country like Iron Mountain. Virginia's great and is probably where a bunch of organizations dealing with international issues base themselves. Northern Virginia is basically all DC spillover. If you want to use your degree and not be an over-educated barrista or telemarketer in New Orleans then you need to take this job.

Also, keep in mind that New Orleans has a slightly lower cost of living (although that may depend on exactly where you are).

I don't know if a slightly lower cost of living would make up for a salary that's half as much as it would be in Williamsburg. It may be in the DC metro area, technically, but I would think the cost of living in Williamsburg is pretty affordable, especially on 40K. Go with the Williamsburg job.

It's probably significantly lower. But 40k in your early twenties will get you by anywhere.

Take the job, vacation in New Orleans.

Take the job. Save the money. Retire to New Orleans. I'd love to live in Key West and will when I retire. For now, I'm in Cincinnati, Ohio - the exact opposite of Key West - because my wife's family and a good career are here.

Now that I have more time, I can tell you my story.

When I finished grad school, I was a bit at a loss of what to do. My graduate work was in an industry that wasn't big in my area. In fact, I was looking at places like upstate Vermont and New York, Texas, and even Asia.

Not only were these particularly undesirable places to live (to me at least), I would be leaving behind my friends, family, and new gf. It was quite rough because I had just spent two years studying to be in this industry.

Ultimately, I decided that my location was more important that my career, so I stayed where I was and looked for jobs outside my main field. Now, my story ends on a happy note, because with an MSEE, I was still very implacable and I ended up getting an amazing job, even though it isn't really what I'm interested in. The job is enjoyable enough, but my life is really defined by what I do outside work.

Obviously, the situation may be different for you as I have no idea what sort of demand your major has in the market. My point is, you have to decide on your priorities and go for it.

*implacable=employable Not sure how that happened. I'm not even on a phone.

I was going to ask what an MSEE had to do with you being unstoppable. :-)

And for the right job, I would have packed up the girlfriend with my belongings (if you were that serious about her) and gone to Vermont. It's beautiful up there. My nephew did that with his girlfriend when they moved to Corvallis, Oregon years ago. Now they are married and their combined income is quite comfortable and they are very happy on the opposite side of the continent from their families.

From a larger perspecitve, being in Virginia -- i.e. within striking distance of Washington DC -- is also going to give him the opportunity to possibly be aware of and more involved in causes that are important to him. Thucy seems to be a cause-driven person with a good soul (even if I give him shit all the time) - and that access to DC could be a powerful thing to do good....take the proximity to power, take the higher salary. $40K doesn't sound like much to some up there...but they have their heads in their asses. If you can make $40K now, it will be the last time you make $40K. If you go take $30K somewhere else, it might be five years before you make $40K. if you save 10% per year as a given - do you want to save $3K or $4K per year? Take Virginia.

Hey...this is a Life Choices question!!! Why isn't this in the appropriate thread????

http://webdiplomacy.net/forum.php?viewthread=1036500#1036500

I *AM* Your moral guide...bring me all that tests your spirit and froths your soul...

^I think krellin means save 2K or 4K per year. Big difference I'd say :P

Actually krellin said 30k versus 40k, although steephie is correct that we were given 20k versus 40k earlier. And honestly, 20k is barely over minimum wage in some places.

Money can't buy you love or happiness, but it sure makes finding both a shitload easier!

Actually, krellin implied if you are saving 10% per year - an average savings rate - then you will either save $3K per yer or $4K per year as a matter of the budget if you make $30K or $40K. Good practice is to "pay yourself first" in to an IRA or whatever...so that difference in salary has implications, regardless of cost of living. I'd take higher pay / higher cost of living and higher rate of savings any day...especially since it establishes a high baseline salary for future jobs.

"If you want to use your degree and not be an over-educated barrista or telemarketer in New Orleans then you need to take this job."

Haha not to sound too much like a shitstain liberal, but I was kind of *planning* on being an over-educated barista or telemarketer in New Orleans.

And to Draug who said I should retire to New Orleans, again, not to sound like a shitstain liberal, but I can't say for sure what will have become of New Orleans in 40 years. You know? I'm in love with it now.

Anyway yeah I could save a shit ton of money if I made 40k. I've learned to live pretty cheaply - I was already going to be putting away 25% of my total income in NOLA. If I maintain that standard I can potentially put away 25k. Which is a shit ton more than I need.

At the same time though... Williamsburg is cool, but I've lived there for a month, and it's not THAT cool. I do have friends there now though.

To those advising I take it because of career prospects, thanks for the advice, but keep in mind I'm not really planning on using this as a direct stepping stone to new jobs such as ones in DC.

Okay why don't I just lay out my stupid hippie plan so that you all know it, I'll probably be on this damn site the whole time anyway:

1) Work to save money, learn some lifeskills, have a little fun, and maybe develop my career for about 1-2 years (I had been planning on doing this in New Orleans).
2) Use the saved money to travel around the world (yes, yes, I know) cheap style on land transport, with many possible adventures along the way - TEFL in Asia?, travel to SE Asia, across Russia on train, through Europe, down from Egypt to South Africa, and home.

2b) While in France I plan to do a (few) stint(s) WWOOFing (Google that) to get hands-on farm experience (more on this in a second)

3) Once home I would probably work as an overeducated barista (:P) while I apply to the Peace Corps - hopefully as an agricultural extension volunteer, which requires more than 6 months farm experience (check) and a relevant bachelor's (check), plus I've been to Senegal, studied Africa, know some Wolof, and speak advanced French. Hopefully, I'd be a shoe-in (I have Plan B's if not, of course!)

4) After the Peace Corps I'll want to go to graduate school for an ag-related Master's on the technical side (such as crop science or horticulture), meaning I'll probably need to take some pre-req classes, I'll talk with the programs all along to get ready. But anyway, get a Master's in horticulture, or crop science, or even ag extension if I can manage that.

5) Career in agricultural development - go!

That's kind of the idea. Then I would have in-office research/analysis/data type experience (I've gotten that now), a theoretical big-picture education of the development world (Bachelor's), a technical know-how both hands-on and formally instructed (WWOOF/PC + Master's), near-fluent French, near-fluent in an African language (PC), and plenty of experience implementing programs and living in the developing world.

I think it's a pretty good plan, and of course I'm not married to it. As Sun Tzu said:

"According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans."

So anyway. But the first part, the saving money part, is the most flexible, which is why I figured it could be anywhere I wanted to live for a while. Enter New Orleans.

Now I don't really know.

Go to New Orleans and work on a fishing boat or dock. It'll give you more relevant experience than being a copy editor.

haha easier said than done. i would, believe me.

Yeah, it sucks that New Orleans' fishing industry was destroyed by BP. Still, I'm sure you could find something, even if it was unpaid on the side.

It seems to me you're going to be very unhappy at a desk job. You don't seem like the person who likes to live lavishly and the experience isn't even that relevant. VA is the safer, more traditional route, but you've been living pretty unconventionally for a while and it seems to suite you.

Go develop a new breed of pot in Jamaica! Practical horticulture experience and a hell of a lot of fun to boot.

Nah, Draug, designer drugs is where it's at.

But pot is becoming more and more legal, so find a safe place to develop it and start marketing it in countries where it is simply regulated and sold like alcohol and tobacco.

Draugnar, that doesn't sound so bad, honestly.

#NSA

lol

OK...not to sound like a shitstain conservative critic, Thucy, but exactly how much *IS* in the trust fund? Be honest with us, because it alters the discussion a great deal to know exactly how secure you already know your future is. So out with it!

You're probably right abge.

I've decided to ask to telecommute from NOLA with the willingness to go to VA for extended periods if necessary. I'd still come out ahead, and if he says no, fine, I'm back where I started.

It's the best middle ground I can think of.

Nothing, krellin. I have $1000 i saved during college. No loans because of scholarships and help from my parents that I'm very grateful for and certainly didn't really deserve, lol.

@Draug...I'm down with that plan, too. Maybe we should start a WebDip Hemp Farm and open it up to all those that wish to escape society as we know it. With the brains around here, it would probably be a highly innovative environment, with unique hydration rigs designed to be both environmentally friendly and hella cool engineering feats. We will tend to the crops (and sample) throughout the day, and retire to the community hut at night to duke it out over various version of Europe...

I would think they'd be willing to do it. You could offer to take a small pay cut for the telecommute provided they pay for the hotel and airfare when you do have to visit. Offer them a 20% pay cut in exchange for being on site one week a month and they pay travel and living expenses that week.

One week a month? Whoa lol. Is that normal? Even if I pay travel out of pocket I'd still be making more than I would have I think.