A few more nights...

I have a few more nights left in this crappy hotel before I move into my place near the beach in the Outer Sunset district of San Francisco. It has been about a month since I quit my job. I was able to rest and enjoy my time in San Diego. I stayed in Hotel Circle while there. I really like San Diego but there were no opportunities for me. I am now employed and I like my new job. It's a medium sized agency (100 people) but I already see things are a little different. It took nearly two years to get wireless and a laptop at my last job. When I finally got my laptop it was a hand me down with 12" screen. A friend at work referred to it as the "etch-a-sketch" since it was so damn small. That seems like no big deal but when you are using a computer all day it is. Next week I'll get a MacBook. Next, we will install Project Server. Learning both how to navigate a Mac and how to setup Project Server through VMware will be great experience for me. I'm looking forward to it. I am very lucky to have found work so quickly. Most of the people I work with seem alright. A lot of cute girls which is definitely a plus in advertising vs. tech industry.

Even though I'm still living out of a hotel (near the ghetto), I signed up on match.com. Why wait? I won't have any furniture in my place until I figure out what to do with my stuff that's in storage in Dallas.

I found upack.com. They will ship it in a pod to my doorstep for ~$1200. This might be a good deal considering I'd probably have to stay in a hotel two nights and pay for the uhaul truck and gas which would probably be around $800-$900 plus the cost of a flight back to Dallas ($250). I won't accrue the needed vacation time for a few months. I may go ahead and do this. The best part is I don't think I would have to be there at the storage place in Dallas but could have my dad go. Hmmm...that might work.

The weather in San Francisco is so nice. It's really kind of cold. It does get down to the 50s at night. It's often foggy along the coast but I believe that the fog is usually gone by noon.

Long weekend ahead in South San Francisco

As I expected, one of the agencies I interviewed with on Tuesday offered me the job. As requested, I had submitted an application including my salary requirements and they were checking out my references. I knew an offer was imminent. Unfortunately, they basically offered me what I was making in Dallas. The job is in downtown S.F. I will counter on Monday. There is a $25K gap between what they offered and what I asked for so it could be difficult to negotiate something I'm happy with.

I visited the Google complex yesterday aka Nerd Mecca. Nothing much there. A soccer field and basketball court across the street. The offices were very generic. Apparently, most of silicon valley is just industrial office parks.

I have a phone interview on monday with a big CRM SaaS provider. :) It's a large company and would be great for my resume and probably end up being a long term gig due to the fact that it is such a large company, and would offer good benefits I'm thinking.

Back in San Diego, but not for long.

I left Dallas at noon Thursday, July 23rd. I used the (crappy) camera in my Blackberry Bold to take photos while driving which was dangerous but came out surprisingly well even though I was driving 70+ mph. I arrived in Las Cruces, New Mexico around 1:30 a.m. Friday, July 24th. I wanted to drive through New Mexico and Arizona during daylight so it worked out great. I stopped in Deming for breakfast. Then drove on to Tuscson, Arizona where I spent the night.

I arrived in San Diego on Saturday, July 25th late in the afternoon unsure of what the job market would have to offer. I'm staying at a hotel off of Hotel Circle and Taylor. It's not a bad location and is adequate for my needs.

The only interview I've had so far was with a 3 person "web shop" located about 10 minutes away. Since they cannot afford the staff they hire contractors when needed and that would have been the case with me. I'll pass.

I'm 15 minutes from almost all the beaches and about thirty minutes to Del Mar where I had applied for a web project manager position at a larger corporation. I have yet to hear anything from that company or any of the other companies in San Diego I applied to before I left Dallas.

It turns out that San Diego doesn't offer much for advertising jobs. There are a few independent, medium-sized agencies but L.A. and S.F. attract all the big agencies and where all the jobs are at. I'll be leaving San Diego on Sunday, August 2nd for L.A. to visit family in Santa Monica and stay overnight. Monday, I'll drive up the PCH through San Louis Obispo, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, San Jose, San Mateo, San Francisco, and finally across the Golden Gate Bridge to my hotel in San Rafael or that's the plan right now. As of Wednesday, I have 3 interviews in S.F. (2 with agencies, 1 w/recruiter) setup and I hope to have more on my calendar by end of this week.

Back to San Diego...
I have taken quite a few photos with my Nikon D40. I am finally learning how to adjust exposure which has lead to better shots. I just figured it out tonight while taking photographs of the Presidio in San Diego with bright afternoon sunshine. The photos came out pretty well.

Yesterday, I went downtown to Petco Park and watched part of an away game on the big screen located behind the stadium. It was a perfect day to be outside (73F). After taking some photographs of the stadium, I decided to lay down on the grass and watch a few minutes of the game.

Today, I went to Starbucks and sat outside listening to Pandora radio enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze for about an hour. Afterwards, I went up to Del Mar to try to find the beach. I think I could live in Del Mar as well. Anyway, I found the beach, but parking was not available and it was packed so I didn't get any photo opportunities other than with my crappy camera on my phone. On the way back, I stopped at Mission Bay and walked around the park. I took a few photos, mostly with the camera phone. There really wasn't much to photograph. Next, I stopped at the Presidio near my hotel. This will be the highlight of my time in San Diego. I was able to get some great photographs and am anxious to see how well they turn out when I have prints made.

I still have 3.5 days left to soak in San Diego. It's been great to just relax and enjoy this place and not worry about anything.

Random link I wanted to keep to visit later:
Audience Picks: 100 Best Beach Books Ever

Is this the right thing to do? Hope so.

I booked my hotel in San Diego earlier tonight. I have spent the last few days trying to figure out where to stay and for how long. I'm starting with 8 days in San Diego and I already have an interview the 2nd day I'm there. I think the company will offer me some contract work which depending how long it takes I may do it. The craigslist ad they posted was for 25-30 hours a week of work. It's a small shop and that to me like I may be regressing in my career. They don't want me to do project management but instead were "more impressed with my programming skills". I am not a programmer, so I am curious why they think I am. Their website isn't too bad, but they probably just hired a flash guy to knock out something quick. I noticed they haven't touched their blog they link to from their site. Not good.

So, I'm worried. Am I making the right decision? I want to believe that I am. This will make the third time that I've been to San Diego in the last 5 years. I interviewed for jobs but was not offered the position before.

I have 8 days in San Diego. If nothing substantial happens in that time I may continue on North to LA and then to SF.

Salary Comparison:
San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Dallas

Advertising Agencies in Dallas

Today, I quit my job at a top global agency in the DFW area. Two years ago my friend told me NOT to take the job because things at the agency were in shambles and people were leaving left and right. I interviewed for a position and was offered the max salary for the position.

I am not a Kool-Aid drinker/rah rah rah type. I just go to work, do the best I can, try to make changes for the better. After two years at this big agency I realized it was time for me to move on. While I was nicely compensated for the work I did, the job itself became stale. Perhaps it's ADHD, but I need to be challenged and this job no longer offered that. Instead, it offered a position in a chaotic environment where whatever it takes and however late you have to stay, the job gets done. This seems to be the case at another agency in Dallas.

Are they all sweat shops? The same comments the users make about IMC2, Tribal, Slingshot could also be made about the company I worked for. I interviewed at Tribal downtown and everyone looked completely miserable. A coworker came from Slingshot said she was bored there and there were no growth opportunities. Sounds very familiar.

Back to my friend who warned me about the job. I am thankful for the experience I gained at this company and I was able to save quite a bit. However, my friend wasn't as lucky. Due to the poor economy and slashed marketing budgets, many were laid off beginning in October of 2008 and continuing through 2009. I noticed that this wasn't a trimming the fat but getting rid of the most expensive people. The same line of BS was used that these people did not have the skill set that was needed. Some people had over 10 years with the company. It was demoralizing to see them layoff 12 in one day and the following day a corporate wide email was sent announcing promotions for executives and various managers. Could they have waited? Am I supposed to be happy for these six figure income talking heads? It left a bad taste in my mouth that never went away. Those that were laid off were replaced with younger people who lacked the necessary experience required in a digital agency which this company will never be, try as they will.

Sour grapes? Not really. I'm happy to moving on with the experience I gained. I was not fired, I was able to leave on my own terms which is always best. I am "rehirable" as I was told in my exit interview today. This is good as I busted my ass during those crunch times where you have to get things done in a short period of time.

One of the top clients I worked with on a daily basis told me that they appreciated the work I did for them and told me that they would provide a reference if needed. Very cool. Maybe it was worth the stress of the job, frustration with coworkers, sleepless nights, and the meds to keep me calm.

Now, I'm planning a job search trip to California. My focus will be on true "digital agencies" out there. I've already spoken with agencies in San Diego, LA, and San Francisco. I am confident I'll find something. My dream is that it will pay enough so that I can live near the ocean.

I leave in one week.


IMC2 Looks to Lure New Business While Helping Clients Get Comfortable in Category

California Trip Planning (MAP)

View Job Search Trip in California (2009) in a larger map

1. Dallas to Marfa | 545 miles | 9 hours


2. Marfa to Tuscon | 510 miles | 7.5 hours


3. Tuscon to San Diego | 409 miles | 6 hours

Total: 3 days | 1464 miles | 22.5 hours

4. San Diego to Ojai | 200 miles | 3.5 hours


5. Ojai to San Luis Obispo | 137 miles | 2.5 hours


6. San Luis Obispo to Big Sur | 108 miles | 2.5 hours


7. Big Sur to Santa Cruz | 70.9 miles | 1.5 hours


8. Santa Cruz to San Jose | 32.6 miles | .75 hours

Total: 1-2 days | 548.5 miles | 9.75 hours

Going Back to Cali

I'll be heading out to(El Segundo) next week to interview for a Senior Project Manager position. If all goes well, I'll transfer to LA in the next month. I am ready for a new challenge.

I've read and heard about how expensive it is out there but I'm single and I'm curious to know what life is like in California.

Without a doubt it's going to cost a lot though. To break my lease it will cost me $850 plus monthly until it's rented. Renting an apartment in LA will probably cost around ~$1700-$2000. Add in deposits and it will probably cost $3000 for the first month alone. They will offer assistance which should cover relocation, and best of all I would receive a cost of living increase.