Foo - Changing careers/ relocating

My wife and I are about to take a big step in moving to S.F. She is pursuing a career in computer animation and is going to get her masters at the Art Academy.

I on the other hand, have no clue. I work as a helicopter mechanic for a contractor here in Hawaii. We work on military aircraft and the job does not require an A&P license. My background from the Marine Corps was avionics. The problem is, im not sure i want a job in aviation.

Its hard coming over to the civillian side of things. One day i'd like to open a bike shop. The only reason im not a wrench/sales person at one now is because they don't pay enough. Alot of jobs i look at ask for reqirements i don't meet, but they are jobs i know i can do. Plus how do you apply for a job 4 months away?

Does anyone have any advice? Its tough moving to a place with no contatcs. I know i could go and find a few "whatever" jobs and make ends meet. But its not what i want.

Don't open a bike-shop to make money. Make your millions elsewhere and open up a shop as a hobby.

"Alot of jobs i look at ask for reqirements i don't meet, but they are jobs i know i can do. Plus how do you apply for a job 4 months away?"

That's a tough one. How long will it take you to get certifications for those jobs? Best bet would be to find a job that'll send you to school/classes to get the licenses you need.

There's a TONNE of jobs in that area. You can look into what's available around Moffett Field, Ames Research, Boeing, etc. There's also a lot of high-end auto dealerships in the S.F. area if you want to work on Porsches, Ferraris and BMWs.

Are you absolutely sure that you have no contacts?

Remember the 6 degrees of seperation rule?

My girlfriend moved 8 hours away from home to college in a city where she knew nobody. Not long after getting there, she needed a lawyer (Americans with Disabilities Act violations). She didn't want to just yellow-page some schmo that might waste her time and money.

I called up a lawyer that I used about 6 months ago (case matters irrelivant) and asked if he knew someone in the city. He did, we got his contacts, said "[InfamousG's Lawyer name] referred us to you, this is what's going on..."

Yada yada yada, her lawyer took the case for free.

Basically whay I'm trying to say is that almost everyone has a contact almost anywhere if you look hard enough. If you have a friend who seems to know everyone, ask him or her if they know someone in that area.

Also, listen to DannoXYZ. There's a reason that he knows:

There's also a lot of high-end auto dealerships in the S.F. area if you want to work on Porsches, Ferraris and BMWs.
and it's not because he worked at them.

They don't have any military bases in SF? Check with your crew and see if you can network through that.

Koffee

I think he works on military aircraft as a civilian, through a defense contractor. At least that's what I read.

I really don't want to work with the military anymore. I think i need to do something different. Something new for a change. I might just take a pay cut and work at a bike shop and do something else part time.