Sunday, August 4, 2019

Sure fire way to get ahead in America

It's simple: grab a U-Haul and move.

If you grew up in a location where all your family and friends are still there after 20 years, this doesn't mean that you have to stay there, too.  Yes, family and friends are important; that's why they make jet airliners and highways so that you can visit them from time to time AFTER YOU MOVE.

But the biggest mistake anybody can make, and I mean ANYBODY is to pass up opportunities that lie elsewhere just because nana or Grampy will miss you.  You are guaranteeing that your future will be less prosperous by sticking with your kin.

Words to the wise are to follow.  Get a job with a large company that has multiple locations throughout the U.S.  Do a very good job at your current location, and get recognized as a producer, a team player, you know, an asset.

Keep a lookout for opportunities that offer a promotion, better pay, working conditions or lifestyle than what you have, let the company know that you are willing to take on additional responsibility and are also amenable to relocating.

When the opportunity arises, TAKE IT.  Move up in life.  And then DO IT AGAIN; make yourself invaluable at that next job, and keep your eyes open for yet another step up in life.  AND THEN DO IT YET AGAIN.  

Yes, poor ol' nana and Grampy will miss having you over for supper every Sunday, but they will get over it.  If you think that staying within 10 miles of where you were born is a good idea, just ask all of those folks who thought the same thing in West Baltimore, Watts, Harlem, south and west sides of Chicago, Newark, Cleveland, Youngstown, Scranton, etc. etc.  Those guys have lots of family and friends around them, sure.  But they are as poor as church mice, and the bullets and rats do not enhance things, not at all.

Just move.  Works almost every time it's tried.

13 comments:

Adrienne said...

I've never had a problem moving. When people say, "But all my friends are in blah blah," my answer is always, "Friends are everywhere."

Minnesota to Texas, back to MN (big ass mistake), off to Sedona, AZ with a very brief sojourn in Phoenix, and then to North Idaho.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Agree with the moving - done it many times. Don't agree with working for large corporations. It is personal, my borderline asshole personality isn't welcome in corporate world. Instead, work for yourself,or small companies. Just make sure your productivity factor exceeds your nuance factor.

Fredd said...

Adrienne - yes, I've moved more times than I can count. I was in the military for 10 years, though, moved maybe 20 times in 10 years. Of course, for the first 5 or so, all I had to do was pack a duffle bag...

Kid said...

Asshole? I dunno. I see opportunities for that but judge me when I show up at the gate.

Otherwise, Excellent advice Fredd. I finally figured this out at 26 when it became obvious that if I was going to make more then 5.50 per hour in Pittsburgh, I was going to have to make a solid connection with a semi-gangster type, like a union boss or one of their peeps.

So, moved to Phoenix in 1979 at 26 on Feb 28th when it was 40 below with the wind there and landed in Phoenix at 80 degrees 4 hours later (With a .357 and a box of 50 in my carry on btw). Needless to say. Many more opportunities were available there and I moved up quickly and into white collar work as a self taught programmer. In a place like Phoenix, so many jobs were available there was no time for a company to sit around waiting for someone getting the nod from someone higher up in the pecking order. That was the key if you ask me and should be integral to your story. Go somewhere that they need so many people working they don't have time for any BS.

This is the situation today of course. UE at 3.7% ? Supposed to be impossible. Coworker's girlfriend works in staffing in Cincinnati, tons of jobs avaialabe and can't fill them. Ah yes, the Trump economy.

Kid said...

PS, Our last rental was Penske. I give them a thumbs up.

Brig said...

I've moved whole household something like 34 times. Have met a lot of interesting people along the way. Miss a few of those places, but thankful that I was fortunate enough to have experienced them.

LL said...

The recent move to Arizona was a leap into the dark - sort of. I have enough money that I don't need to work, so it wasn't about that. More about leaving people behind (for the most part). I have moved and traveled through my life, mostly for work. It almost always works out unless you are moving for the wrong reason.

Fredd said...

LL: I've lived in AZ for about a year (Phoenix area), liked it. But, another opportunity called, and off I went. Nothing wrong with AZ, a bit hot, but no humidity. And that's a big deal. You won't regret your AZ move from LA. From a filthy toilet to God's country. A no-brainer.

Fredd said...

Kid: of course timing is everything, like in comedy:

What's the difference between James Comey and a ham sandwich? You can indict a ham sandwich.

Get it? Yes, it's a twist on my Old Crone joke of a few years ago. That one is still valid, I am here to tell you.

PS> yes, Penske has it figured out. I like them, too. U-Haul is more universally known, so I used them, so sue me.

LSP said...

Ah yes, moving.

I once moved from South Kensington (London) to Detroit. Moving to the Maryland border of DC was smart too, so was a move to Philly and Calgary. Then there's Texas. That was a smart move and I haven't shifted since. Saying that, something Georgian in the shires and a flat in Soho might tempt me back to the old country.

Point being, move but do it right. Perhaps Comey will move somewhere hi-sec? We can but hope.

Fredd said...

Soho, Reverend? Whole lotta hippies there, folk that I don't see you mingling well with. You know, filthy no-bathing, no-Jesus loving no-tax paying dope smoking guitar playing kumbaya singing idiots.

Then again, the hippies might have been edged out recently by the LGBTQ types, also not exactly people that are easy to rub elbows with, at least for God fearing types like you and me.

Of course, I could be wrong, some good restaurants there.

LSP said...

Hmmm. True, witness Old Compton Street but that aside, I love the FRENCH HOUSE, Check it out. Point being, it's not ALL degenerate.

Larry said...

With the per/mile ding, U-hauls are very expensive and, in my experience, of questionable reliability. Penske is much better in both regards.