Austin Improv

Hey everybody,

I'm an improviser and engineer contempalating a move to Austin sometime soon. My biggest reservation is finding a job once I move there. Can anyone tell me what the job market is like in Austin right now? or if you know of any companies that may want to hire someone with my experience?

I've got a B.S. in mechanical engineering and 5.5 years experience in consumer product design, mostly for products made using plastic-injection molding. I've also got graphic and web design experience. I've been doing improv since 2001 and subsequently have pretty keen social, creative, presentation and team building skills. I founded a comedy festival in 2004 and have overseen the growth of that annual event as the executive producer. Last year, I founded a 501(c)3 production company focused on entertainment and education through improvisational theatre.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Howdy Matt,

Austin is both a great and weird place. Traffic is better than the ATL (I lived there for awhile). The Texas job market is better than most, but unfortunately I can't offer you any leads on anything.

Hope to see you around.

D

PS we probably have some mutual friends.

No leads either, but the AIC would loooove it if a Black Boxer moved here.

Looks like you have the kind of skills that would tick in the market around here. One of the things to keep an eye on, though, is that the market is a lot more "spotty" than someone coming from a larger metroplex is used to. Atlanta (I think? Dan mentioned ATL but I don't think you specified) is really more comparable to Houston or Dallas. Austin is both smaller and has narrower markets. For example, there's oodles of microprocessor design and a good bit of web stuff, but the rest of the tech market can be surprisingly thin. Great place to start a business, if you're into that.

There is some proper product design up at Dell, so you could start hunting their postings. I don't have much other specific domain knowledge that would be relevant. UT and the state are big employers with accessible postings, but those can be a hard nut to crack.

Another option is to cast the net somewhat wider. Austin's within driving range of some other places, e.g. an hour and a half from San Antonio and College Station. That makes it hard to swing, say, mainstage casting that requires weeknight rehearsals, but if you're okay with sticking to weekend stuff it gets you in the area and you could keep hunting from there.

I find in general that tech dudes (and dudettes) thrive in Austin, especially if they have the communication and flexibility skills that you have. Many people here freelance/contract instead of getting a jobby job, but it's all good.

Thanks for all the advice so far. Right now, I'd say there is an 80% chance of me moving in the next couple of months. I'm pretty excited because this is a move I've been wanting to make for a long time.