Job Applications

[I_squared_r]

As some of you may already know, I am living in Brazil and working for a NYC company. It's a smaller company and i've been here for 3 years. The problem is that my salary has always been behind and I don't see a great future there. I'm the top performer and do almost all of the work in the company: I design the electrical, fire alarm, low voltage, and lighting controls in high rise buildings (mostly residential) and I manage the BIM 360/Revit and set up the projects. So the yearly review came and my raise was 7% with a small 2.7% bonus (last year was 4.3% bonus). Normally a 7% raise is OK, but I really was expecting a larger increase because of cost of living increases. I started sending my resumes to larger international companies and I'm hoping to find something that can help me grow. Like, work on more difficult projects and have the option to get into a management position. I have a lot of time to sort through companies and save money while living here in Brazil.

My gf thinks that I should apply to international gas companies here in Rio, but I don't see how my services could apply to these large gas companies. And I definitely don't want to return to NYC so I've been applying to companies in Texas, LA, San Diego, Miami, Denver, and Seattle. The question is, what cities would be nice? I only know about Miami and I have family in South Florida. But I would miss the mountains and 3 seasons of NY. I could do without the crazy NE winter - too cold for too long! And I would be happy to never take a train again. And I would like something more affordable than NY. I'm thinking that LA would be too big of a city for me and I hear of rampant crime. With that said, I could do without the liberal/progressive craziness that also killed NYC. Those are just some things on my mind. I would like to hear some different opinions and experiences. Thanks!

Also, a member here said his father-in-law works for a electrical contractor in Tampa/Fort Myers? I can't remember who. I would like to apply there. Please PM me

 

[ripler]

I'm an E&I designer and there are a lot of jobs in the Pittsburgh area in the engineering field. I know you said you don't want the NE cold, but I love being able to ski in the winter and boat in the summer. People think of the Pittsburgh area as a steel mill town, but it's far from it. We have large Oil and gas companies here, large tech companies, and a bunch of engineering firms. I live 30 minutes SW of Pittsburgh, as long as you stay away from the county that Pittsburgh is in the cost of living isn't bad. I would not work in downtown Pittsburgh, the traffic in and out of the city is terrible.

 

[Julian]

As some of you may already know, I am living in Brazil and working for a NYC company. It's a smaller company and i've been here for 3 years. The problem is that my salary has always been behind and I don't see a great future there. I'm the top performer and do almost all of the work in the company: I design the electrical, fire alarm, low voltage, and lighting controls in high rise buildings (mostly residential) and I manage the BIM 360/Revit and set up the projects. So the yearly review came and my raise was 7% with a small 2.7% bonus (last year was 4.3% bonus). Normally a 7% raise is OK, but I really was expecting a larger increase because of cost of living increases. I started sending my resumes to larger international companies and I'm hoping to find something that can help me grow. Like, work on more difficult projects and have the option to get into a management position. I have a lot of time to sort through companies and save money while living here in Brazil.

My gf thinks that I should apply to international gas companies here in Rio, but I don't see how my services could apply to these large gas companies. And I definitely don't want to return to NYC so I've been applying to companies in Texas, LA, San Diego, Miami, Denver, and Seattle. The question is, what cities would be nice? I only know about Miami and I have family in South Florida. But I would miss the mountains and 3 seasons of NY. I could do without the crazy NE winter - too cold for too long! And I would be happy to never take a train again. And I would like something more affordable than NY. I'm thinking that LA would be too big of a city for me and I hear of rampant crime. With that said, I could do without the liberal/progressive craziness that also killed NYC. Those are just some things on my mind. I would like to hear some different opinions and experiences. Thanks!

Also, a member here said his father-in-law works for a electrical contractor in Tampa/Fort Myers? I can't remember who. I would like to apply there. Please PM me

I assume you have a really good LinkedIn profile that clearly states what you are looking for? If not, consider hiring one of the many services to fix that for you. They can work with you to optimize it for the types of searches employers will do, and also rewrite your resume so it gets lots of hits.

I don't blame you for not wanting to live up north.....I'm in NC and it snowed here (1 inch) and that was plenty (once a year). I'm done with snow.....if I want to ski, I'll drive to the mountains in NC and ski there. Raleigh and Charlotte are growing massively, so is Tampa FL - consider those. Tampa might work well if you say you have family in South Florida - it would be far enough away that they wont drop in, but not so far that it makes visiting an ordeal.

 

[Mesa50]

I'm an E&I designer and there are a lot of jobs in the Pittsburgh area in the engineering field. I know you said you don't want the NE cold, but I love being able to ski in the winter and boat in the summer. People think of the Pittsburgh area as a steel mill town, but it's far from it. We have large Oil and gas companies here, large tech companies, and a bunch of engineering firms. I live 30 minutes SW of Pittsburgh, as long as you stay away from the county that Pittsburgh is in the cost of living isn't bad. I would not work in downtown Pittsburgh, the traffic in and out of the city is terrible.

As some of you may already know, I am living in Brazil and working for a NYC company. It's a smaller company and i've been here for 3 years. The problem is that my salary has always been behind and I don't see a great future there. I'm the top performer and do almost all of the work in the company: I design the electrical, fire alarm, low voltage, and lighting controls in high rise buildings (mostly residential) and I manage the BIM 360/Revit and set up the projects. So the yearly review came and my raise was 7% with a small 2.7% bonus (last year was 4.3% bonus). Normally a 7% raise is OK, but I really was expecting a larger increase because of cost of living increases. I started sending my resumes to larger international companies and I'm hoping to find something that can help me grow. Like, work on more difficult projects and have the option to get into a management position. I have a lot of time to sort through companies and save money while living here in Brazil.

My gf thinks that I should apply to international gas companies here in Rio, but I don't see how my services could apply to these large gas companies. And I definitely don't want to return to NYC so I've been applying to companies in Texas, LA, San Diego, Miami, Denver, and Seattle. The question is, what cities would be nice? I only know about Miami and I have family in South Florida. But I would miss the mountains and 3 seasons of NY. I could do without the crazy NE winter - too cold for too long! And I would be happy to never take a train again. And I would like something more affordable than NY. I'm thinking that LA would be too big of a city for me and I hear of rampant crime. With that said, I could do without the liberal/progressive craziness that also killed NYC. Those are just some things on my mind. I would like to hear some different opinions and experiences. Thanks!

Also, a member here said his father-in-law works for a electrical contractor in Tampa/Fort Myers? I can't remember who. I would like to apply there. Please PM me

Florida would be great for boating, but if you want mountains, or even small hills, you’ll be sad. The Greenville South Carolina area is always ranked in the top 10 best medium sized cities. It’s just 3 hours from the coast, minutes to the mountains, and there are several very large lakes. We only get snow once every couple years. The upstate of SC is also home to several companies with electrical engineering divisions. Jacobs Engineering, Johnson Controls, Fluor, Honeywell, Bosch, ZF, GE wind turbine, and the largest BMW manufacturing facility in the world. The political climate is also probably what you are seeking. There are a few of the progressive types you mentioned who have ideas so great, that everyone should be forced to obey them, but most that come here from the west coast and the north, have done so to escape progressivism, not re-implement it.

 

[adrianp89]

That must have been me.

My Stepfather works for Power Design (https://www.powerdesigninc.us/). They have locations all over the country but I believe HQ is here in St. Pete. Their campus is amazing, and they treat their employees better than any company I ever heard of. They are always giving out cars/vacations/cash prizes. They have a gym/arcade/basketball courts on site, full cafe. I can't keep up with the cool stuff they do. A lot of secretaries there are Bucs cheerleaders so that's a plus.

Cost of Living isn't bad at all here (though inflation is highest in country here).

If you see something that fits well on the website let me know and I can inquire. He used to be a manager but had a heart attack so stepped back to a less demanding role. (BTW they kept his pay the same, which was really cool of them).

 

[swatski]

I'm not on LinkedIn (thankfully never needed it, yet) but @Julian is giving you good advice!

Probably not what you want to hear but I love it here in NJ!
Well, except for property taxes which are somewhat ridiculous, they just jacked up mine to like 30k, ouch.
Aside from that, and also taking 3 months off the calendar for the winter, everything else is GREAT and it is an amazing place to live .
mountains, lakes, and the shore - all close by.
Where we are (North Caldwell - think: Sopranos) and further out (west and the whole south of state) - no liberal craziness! just the opposite, lol.

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[I_squared_r]

I'm not on Linkedit (thankfully never needed it, yet) but @Julian is giving you good advice!

Probably not what you want to hear but I love it here in NJ!
Well, except for property taxes which are somewhat ridiculous, they just jacked up mine to like 30k, ouch.
Aside from that, and also taking 3 months off the calendar for the winter, everything else is GREAT and it is an amazing place to live .
mountains, lakes, and the shore - all close by.
Where we are (North Caldwell - think: Sopranos) and further out (west and the whole south of state) - no liberal craziness! just the opposite, lol.

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I know about New Jersey and I lived in Weehawken for a little. I don't know if I could reach an income that would allow me to live comfortably as a home owner there. NJ is too similar to my hometown in Long Island: Subtract 9% of my income for state income tax and then the property tax for a simple home begins at $12k

EDIT: and if I lived in NJ, it would inevitably mean that I would be commuting to NYC again by either bus or train

And on another note, I don't plan on having kids which is important to the discussion.

Florida would be great for boating, but if you want mountains, or even small hills, you’ll be sad. The Greenville South Carolina area is always ranked in the top 10 best medium sized cities. It’s just 3 hours from the coast, minutes to the mountains, and there are several very large lakes. We only get snow once every couple years. The upstate of SC is also home to several companies with electrical engineering divisions. Jacobs Engineering, Johnson Controls, Fluor, Honeywell, Bosch, ZF, GE wind turbine, and the largest BMW manufacturing facility in the world. The political climate is also probably what you are seeking. There are a few of the progressive types you mentioned who have ideas so great, that everyone should be forced to obey them, but most that come here from the west coast and the north, have done so to escape progressivism, not re-implement it.

My sister lives near Greenville, SC and it looks nice there. Its very affordable there and for what she pays in rent there, would afford me an attic here in NY.

That must have been me.

My Stepfather works for Power Design (https://www.powerdesigninc.us/). They have locations all over the country but I believe HQ is here in St. Pete. Their campus is amazing, and they treat their employees better than any company I ever heard of. They are always giving out cars/vacations/cash prizes. They have a gym/arcade/basketball courts on site, full cafe. I can't keep up with the cool stuff they do. A lot of secretaries there are Bucs cheerleaders so that's a plus.

Cost of Living isn't bad at all here (though inflation is highest in country here).

If you see something that fits well on the website let me know and I can inquire. He used to be a manager but had a heart attack so stepped back to a less demanding role. (BTW they kept his pay the same, which was really cool of them).

PM sent.

 

[2kwik4u]

If I was choosing out of the blue where to head. I think Tennessee or North Carolina hold the most interest for me. Mountains and lakes are everywhere. Cost of living is well within check, and there are tech centers within each state. Any further south and it's too hot too often. Much further north and its' too cold to often. I'm in Louisville, and I want to head south a bit because of that. Going West of here gets into "flat" country until you reach the Rockies. Going east starts sneaking into Hurricane potential land.

I would assume, that living in Brazil you're looking for remote positions only.....at least to start. If that is the case, finding a remote position from a company based on either coast will likely get you the pay rate you want, and let you take advantage of a lower cost of living location. Arguably, just stay in Brazil with your GF. I'm just thinking out loud here. Not sure how much I'm really adding to be honest.

Another thought.....if you're doing full remote work......Get a van/camper/RV/Etc. Work from anywhere. Try out everywhere. Go work in Tampa for a year, then go work in Knoxville for a year. Then try Raleigh. Maybe head out to Denver, or Portland. Premise being, just don't strap into a house/apartment right away. Maybe try them all?!?!

 

[Julian]

NC property taxes are nice.....my house....7k/year! (400k government value).
Tampa FL is higher - but their weather is nicer (being next to a large body of water keeps it moderated....most coastal towns benefit from ocean breezes). No State income tax either (but they get you on sales/property tax).

 

[adrianp89]

NC property taxes are nice.....my house....7k/year! (400k government value).
Tampa FL is higher - but their weather is nicer (being next to a large body of water keeps it moderated....most coastal towns benefit from ocean breezes). No State income tax either (but they get you on sales/property tax).

3k on a 200k value here in Tampa Bay.

 

[deubank444]

Check out https://www.siteready.com/
They were acquired by CBRE - based in Tampa, FL - but can probably be remote.
Your background in building technology would align well with them.

 

[I_squared_r]

Check out https://www.siteready.com/
They were acquired by CBRE - based in Tampa, FL - but can probably be remote.
Your background in building technology would align well with them.

This is interesting. I would like to know more about how they function. It's definitely a problem with coordination between owner, architect, consultants, project managers, contractor etc. through all the phases of construction. l'm dealing with it now: we're in construction, pouring foundation, and they sold the top 2 residential duplexes to 1 owner, who brought on his own team of interior designers/electrical/lv designers and now I have to coordinate with all these guys. And as the engineer, i'm at the mercy of the lack of management by our project manager who may or may not relay information to me.

If I was choosing out of the blue where to head. I think Tennessee or North Carolina hold the most interest for me. Mountains and lakes are everywhere. Cost of living is well within check, and there are tech centers within each state. Any further south and it's too hot too often. Much further north and its' too cold to often. I'm in Louisville, and I want to head south a bit because of that. Going West of here gets into "flat" country until you reach the Rockies. Going east starts sneaking into Hurricane potential land.

I would assume, that living in Brazil you're looking for remote positions only.....at least to start. If that is the case, finding a remote position from a company based on either coast will likely get you the pay rate you want, and let you take advantage of a lower cost of living location. Arguably, just stay in Brazil with your GF. I'm just thinking out loud here. Not sure how much I'm really adding to be honest.

Another thought.....if you're doing full remote work......Get a van/camper/RV/Etc. Work from anywhere. Try out everywhere. Go work in Tampa for a year, then go work in Knoxville for a year. Then try Raleigh. Maybe head out to Denver, or Portland. Premise being, just don't strap into a house/apartment right away. Maybe try them all?!?!

These are all things i've thought about. The general idea is to throw a big net and build my LinkedIn to find a great opportunity whether it's remote or not. I'm going to be 32 and I don't want to be stuck doing cookie cutter residential in NYC all my life. And without kids, and no attachment to any 1 location, it opens a lot of doors for me. I've thought of living in BC, Canada for 6 months on tourist visa while continuing remote at this company. Why not? lol

I was thinking about starting a BIM services company here and starting an LLC in Florida using my dad's address and maybe buy a condo nearby in PBC. Then bid on NYC jobs because I have a trustworthy guy there to meet clients.. But I'm finding that nobody here in Brazil has Revit experience and everyone is too laid back. Also i'm not sure where i'd find these projects. I made a mistake not to build a network when I started in this industry. Its not easy.

 

[2kwik4u]

And as the engineer, i'm at the mercy of the lack of management by our project manager who may or may not relay information to me.

I did low voltage installations for a few years. Security, A/V were included, but we really specialized in commercial voice/data infrastructure. What you described here is all to often the case. I would be fighting to get answers, and details from an engineer, but had to go through my sales guy to get to the PM of the other side, which would often be the building PM, and not the tennants PM, so I had to go off and search for answers through the customer, which had another set of people to work through. All of this while I was onsite trying to coordinate a team of guys doing the installation and have questions on placement, hardware, and setup that weren't 100% clear on the drawings......This would often lead to us just making a "best guess" in the field that was probably a 75% chance of being right.

With all that said, I can see some real value in having a "total project consultant" on the level of jobs you're talking about. Being both the PM AND the tehcnical expert is a huge advantage. Being able to make those technical, and managerial decisions in real time is a giant skillset that, IMO needs to be explored.........SO.....Have you considered branching out on your own? Running your own business is difficult, and time consuming, but you get to make the rules, and take the jobs you want. Location is flexible at that point.

Just another "thinking out loud" moment.

 

[I_squared_r]

I did low voltage installations for a few years. Security, A/V were included, but we really specialized in commercial voice/data infrastructure. What you described here is all to often the case. I would be fighting to get answers, and details from an engineer, but had to go through my sales guy to get to the PM of the other side, which would often be the building PM, and not the tennants PM, so I had to go off and search for answers through the customer, which had another set of people to work through. All of this while I was onsite trying to coordinate a team of guys doing the installation and have questions on placement, hardware, and setup that weren't 100% clear on the drawings......This would often lead to us just making a "best guess" in the field that was probably a 75% chance of being right.

With all that said, I can see some real value in having a "total project consultant" on the level of jobs you're talking about. Being both the PM AND the tehcnical expert is a huge advantage. Being able to make those technical, and managerial decisions in real time is a giant skillset that, IMO needs to be explored.........SO.....Have you considered branching out on your own? Running your own business is difficult, and time consuming, but you get to make the rules, and take the jobs you want. Location is flexible at that point.

Just another "thinking out loud" moment.

I think the large GC's like Skanska don't have the same issues because everything is done in house "Design-build" as they call it. It's easier to keep accountability when everything is within the same company. It's common that I work on a job that goes like this: Owner hires the architect, the architect hires the MEP consultant, the owner decides to hire his own interior designer, the architect refuses to put the interior design on their drawings bc of accountability. Then me, the engineer, doesn't receive complete architectural drawings. I have to coordinate with the interior designer and the architect. Interior designer wants something. Architect wont put on his drawing. I have to move my risers. Structural engineer says no. Architect says no. etc. etc. And the entire way is just face palms because everyone acts like children.

I would love to have my own business. Do you have any contacts for projects? lol

 

[2kwik4u]

I think the large GC's like Skanska don't have the same issues because everything is done in house "Design-build" as they call it. It's easier to keep accountability when everything is within the same company. It's common that I work on a job that goes like this: Owner hires the architect, the architect hires the MEP consultant, the owner decides to hire his own interior designer, the architect refuses to put the interior design on their drawings bc of accountability. Then me, the engineer, doesn't receive complete architectural drawings. I have to coordinate with the interior designer and the architect. Interior designer wants something. Architect wont put on his drawing. I have to move my risers. Structural engineer says no. Architect says no. etc. etc. And the entire way is just face palms because everyone acts like children.

I would love to have my own business. Do you have any contacts for projects? lol

I 100% understand that dance. I spent my first 5 years of "professional" work in a full service architectural firm that had Architects, MEP, Interior, and Structural all under the same company. The departmental "infighting" just happened to be in the same company instead of across companies.

I'm not sure my contacts would be worth much anymore. It's been close to 10yrs since I was in the business and did any meaningful work. Left to go back to school for mechanical engineering in August of '12. Even then, our biggest customers were Fidelity investments, and Hilliard Lyons. We took care of a LOT of the new branch and sustainment required to keep those places going and expanding. We also did some work for the local universities and a TON of small businesses (20-40 drops type stuff). My uncle owned (and still does) that company, but he's install side only. Very rarely does design side work on a building scale. If I hear of anything I'll certainly reach out though.

 

[AZMark]

@I_squared_r you seem to have a lot of flexibility to be working from Brazil for extended trips. You can’t get quite that level of flexibility at most jobs even these days with the pandemic.
7% isn’t nothing, I doubt most companies have caught up with recent inflation for their annual raises this cycle, mine certainly hasn’t.
Just stuff to think about.

 

[I_squared_r]

@I_squared_r you seem to have a lot of flexibility to be working from Brazil for extended trips. You can’t get quite that level of flexibility at most jobs even these days with the pandemic.
7% isn’t nothing, I doubt most companies have caught up with recent inflation for their annual raises this cycle, mine certainly hasn’t.
Just stuff to think about.

The reason I have this flexibility is because what I provide can't be bought with the salary that they pay me. I brought up my concern with the owner back in September and he said that it would be solved at the yearly review. The salary increase begins to solve the problem, but the bonus I was paid for 2021 doesn't come close to solving the salary I was paid in 2021. Shame on me for not being more aggressive in 2020 and early 2021, but the industry outlook didn't look good then and the company was quick with the layoffs. At last, the company did fine because of hard working salaried employees who endured the reduced resources and worked 50+ hour weeks. That is why there is "The Great Resignation" in the usa. This isn't limited to just my office.

 

[HangOutdoors]

My problem is that I can't get enough developers at top premium wage. The salaries are pretty high in "IT" right now. Just not enough people to fill the positions

 

[AZMark]

The reason I have this flexibility is because what I provide can't be bought with the salary that they pay me.

This trade off is what I was getting at. Could you be their highest paid yet work from a different continent?

Edit: I ask because I work in an industry heavily based in expensive places but I choose to live in AZ and therefore make quite a bit less than I would if I lived in Manhattan. It would be unrealistic for me to expect to make that money but have the flexibility to live here, no matter how good I am at my job. Covid and remote work has leveled the playing field some but not completely.

 

[HangOutdoors]

It would be unrealistic for me to expect to make that money but have the flexibility to live here,

If you want my opinion, do not think like that. For instance. I have a range for a developer, lets say for the sake of argument it is $110k-$130k. Depending on skills and languages. That wage gets paid regardless of where you live even if you are working remote. That is what I have budgeted for and have been allocated. I am not going to hire a developer from the upper pennisula in the sticks where the cost of living is low and pay them $70k because I can get away with it. That is not how I do business nor any company I have worked for. If I hire someone out of Manhattan, the wage is the same as well. Take it or leave it. I am paying for a skillset based upon our business model.

Wages should be based on the talent and the business model.

Do not discount yourself based on geography.