Calling all Mid A'ers and Westerners

[skid542]

I need your help/expertise. In a year I will graduate Virginia Tech with an Aerospace Engineering degree and am looking to move out west but don't really know where. This is where I need your help.

I've been out through CO, WY, a little of Utah, and part of AZ when my family took a three week 'camping' trip when I was 13. I'm really outdoors oriented and do a significant amount of hiking/backpacking/etc. and when after that camping trip when I was 13 I've been dying to get back out to the big mountains. I love the Appalachians but they just don't offer some of the challenges that can be found in the west.

There are a few states I'm currently looking at (in preferencial order) - Wyoming, Colorado, Washington, and northern CA (though I'd like to avoid some of the crazy hippy/extremist laws of CA). I should also say I'm not dead set on these states either. I'm not looking for a big city but it would be nice to be able to go into town and be able to find what I'm looking for. It would also be nice to be able to be in an area that will allow some social life. I want/need to be in the mountains and I also want to have snow during at least one season of the year. Privacy and some personal space are an issue (I'm a bit of a hermit sometimes) as well as I'd like to live in a relatively low crime area. And of course I need to be able to find an engineering job close by (within 45 min. driving)

I'll be looking for jobs directly soon and will be finding some potential areas that way but with such a large percentage of the LCO crew out that way I thought I should check with you all. I'm open to all suggestions/comments.

Thanks.

[Legacy777]

My first and main suggestion would be to not limit your career/job by local.

It sounds like you have a region you're interested in. What you should do is see what sort of aerospace companies are in that region and look for jobs accordingly.

If you don't find too many companies in the region, you may have to broaden your search.

The bottom line, especially with engineering....get some experience and an idea of what you like and don't like doing. You will be the most marketable when you have 5-10 years of experience.

I am coming up on 5 years of experience, and will be taking my professional engineers exam in April, assuming I pass it, I'll have my 5 years of experience, prof engineers license, and should be pretty damn marketable. Towards the end of summer, I'll probably start looking to see what else is out there.

I'm not a huge fan of Houston, experience, and have a better idea of the work I enjoy, so I can be a little more picky now then when I was just coming out of college.

[subawhatsubawho]

I vote for Colorado because that is where my heart is.

It is gorgeous out there. The weather is nice, the people are nice...every other car is a Subaru.

I'd give anything to be back on that rocky mountain high.

[J-MoNeY]

Dude, fucking come to Colorado. I'm in Arizona right now, but Colorado has so much to offer. We have some giant mountians that need climbing and an abundance of Boing, LM, and other tech jobs here. It's a growing community, all over the place and it's full of great people and hot women.

[206er]

I 2nd the colorado motion. especially considering you are an outdoorsman. all the hiking you can shake a stick at, freakin beautiful weather, nice high altitude, still a big city if you want it. I am probably going to stay out here. the only thing I dont like about CO is the lack of an ocean. there is very little crime where I am at.
WA is really beautiful too, just has a pretty gloomy climate. I prefer the scenery of washington to pretty much anywhere else, so green and the mountains are steep. seattle is kinda a mixed bag, lots of culture but it can get to be too much if you know what I mean. annoyingly liberal also, and I'm mostly liberal. I like olympia a lot, spokane is ok too but its waaay too hot in the summer. western wa has awesome summer weather.
OR is a cool place too, I just havent been to many places other than around mt hood or portland. pretty much like washington. OR has some awesome coastline.
dont go to wyoming. its a fucking dump. we should let them secede. I guess if you like 40mph wind all day every day 9 months of the year, go to WY.

[skid542]

Thanks for the input guys. Sounds like CO is the place to be. I also hear Boulder has some new laws that I like....

Josh, you're right that I do have local in mind and if things get desperate I'll open my search criteria but I'd hate to think I've busted my ass this hard in school to not be able to get in the corner of the US I want. But I know that there are plenty of aerospace jobs out west and I'm far from limiting myself to looking at the big companies such as Boeing and LM. Though I certainly acknowledge the power of a PE license .

Jason, why do you say that about WY? I've only been through the Snowy Range and also passed through Larmie (f' those mosquitoes). I do remember it being windy on the peaks in the Snowy Range but that was the prettiest place I've ever been. Where all have you been?

Thanks and keep it coming.

[subawhatsubawho]

Don't live in boulder! Unless you are stuck up. (No offense to the board member living in boulder...but you know I am right)

Granted there are an assload of Subarus in Boulder...you have to put up with everyones attitudes and their dogs. Yes I said dogs. These people take their dogs everywhere..even to the damn mall.

I vote for in and around Denver. Maybe Lakewood, thorton, englewood, castlerock, Aurora, CO Springs, Brighton, Broomfield (kinda stuck-up), There are a ew others but I just woke up and can't think of them.

Here is a link you might like if you want to check out CO.
http://www.wowworks.com/wowcity/cocity.htm

[206er]

was that towards me? my name is jeremy. added to my sig for clarity. anyway, the parts of wy I have been through were just desolate, windy, and I got a speeding ticket for like 84 in a 75. AT 4 IN THE MORNING with no other cars in sight!!!! about 50 miles before that I got passed by a big CTD with a 20' or so unloaded gooseneck going at least 100. keep in mind there were heavy duty crosswinds.
Its supposed to be real nice around jackson hole and whatnot, but there are definitely better places to live than wyoming.

[Legacy777]

I'm not a fan of wyoming either.....it sand blasted my car....high winds and sand blowing across the highway.

[skid542]

Jeremy, yes that was towards you, I figured I had the name wrong but I knew it started with a J, sorry. That sucks about the speeding ticket though, majorly. Thanks for the input though, I'll be doing some more rethinking about WY.

Subawhatsubawho, I'd probably not get your name right either but, you're definately not the first to tell me that about Boulder and I'm a bit conservative so that might not be the best fit for me. Thank you for that link though, very helpful.

[Legacy777]

I think I might be wanting to gravitate towards the Denver area in next year or so. It may not be Denver, but I feel a change is needed....so I wouldn't be surprised if I find a new job and move at some point and time...

[dzx]

Boulder is expensive, and Denver is a bit congested. I'd suggest Longmont or one of the smaller cities around. They are far enough to be relatively quiet and close enough that you wouldn't have to commute far. Boulder has a least one aerospace company, BAL aerospace or something like that.