San Francisco offers a wealth of job opportunities not only in the tech sector, but in various other sectors as well. The city attracts tons of new workers each year, but does have some peculiarities you’ll have to be aware of before you move here as a professional. Being thoroughly prepared will get you ready for the local professional climate and make sure that moving to the city will be the right choice for you. Here is a quick guide for tech professionals thinking of relocating to San Francisco.
Why Move to San Francisco?
If you’re a tech worker, there are other places in the country where you can work. But if you want to work with the best and become the best in whatever tech field you’re involved in, whether it’s customer acquisition, building products, or if you eventually want to build a startup, there’s no better place than San Francisco.
Just like the best filmmakers and actors go to LA, and the best traders go to New York, the best place to go in the tech world is San Francisco. So, if you have this kind of ambition, you shouldn’t think twice about moving there. And you should do it as soon as possible in your career since knowledge accumulates and compounds over time, and the more you have access to other top players in your field, the easier it will be later on to get opportunities.
There are also tons of positions to fill in the city and a high shortage of qualified people to fill them. Recruiters will basically beg you to move there if you’re talented and have what they want, so if you’re qualified, finding a position shouldn’t be a challenge. You won’t have trouble standing out either; as long as you can prove your qualifications and have a solid portfolio and resume, you should be able to land a gig if you bring your A game.
Build a Solid Nest Egg and Start Looking at Housing Options
One of the things you’ll have to calculate before you move is what’s called your “runway”, or the amount of time you’ll be able to live on your savings and monthly income without burning through your cash.
You’ll first have to calculate your cost of living. Meaning, looking at housing options in the city and knowing how much you can expect to pay. A good option when you just move to San Francisco is to go for a furnished apartment. This is preferable since you won’t have to worry about looking for a space as well as buying the furniture to fill it. Real estate tech company Blueground has beautifully furnished premium apartments in San Francisco that are a great option when relocating for work. When trying to adapt to a new environment, and get work done corporate travelers are too busy to focus on the little things. With Blueground, each unit is move-in ready and comes equipped with all the necessary amenities. So it eliminates all of the typical relocation stress.
Learn How to Network in the City
There are tons of meetups and opportunities to network around the city, but if you really want to put your networking on overdrive, you’ll have to learn how to use Twitter to your advantage. Most tech leaders in the area use Twitter as a broadcasting platform, and you’ll have a better chance to engage with the people who matter there than most networking events. But if you’re willing to put up with the trouble and would rather meet people face to face, you can always visit Meetup.com and look for tech related events in the city. There are literally hundreds of these being held on any given day, so that would be a good idea if you’re more of a people person.
San Francisco can be a great place for tech professionals to relocate because of its laid-back atmosphere, many job opportunities, and quality of life. Just make sure that you’re thoroughly prepared to make the jump so you’ll be able to adapt and thrive as a professional in the city.
