Unsolicited job contact of the month

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Since you guys have been all over the west, I always throw these things out here when I get contacts from headhunters about open upper management positions. This one is for a quick care clinic. The description says "northern San Joaquin valley", but everything that I read points to Stockton. I have heard many things about Stockton - that housing costs are relatively low, but it has a high violent crime rate. I also know that there are other places in the general area to live even if the job is in Stockton, as I suspect (like Lodi, for example).

 

What can you guys tell me about this general area? I have never visited northern California (other than staying for a couple of nights in a condo in Truckee and circumnavigating Lake Tahoe), and I only know what I have read.

 

This is just an initial contact, so we are nowhere near the salary negotiation part. There hasn't been an offer, but I am open to doing something different for the right offer.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Vegas Halo Fan

[wopphil]

Vegas, Stockton is the worst city in California. It's horrendous. You'd probably be better off living in one of the suburbs of Damascus.

[wopphil]

That being said, I love the Sacramento area. The delta land north and west of Stockton is gorgeous. You could probably live in some cool areas that are within a 30-minute drive of Stockton.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Vegas, Stockton is the worst city in California. It's horrendous. You'd probably be better off living in one of the suburbs of Damascus.

 

i appreciate your frankness. I'm guessing that this is one reason that they have headhunters recruiting well out of the area for candidates. I suppose that they are hoping that someone will say "wow, California" and just jump on it. I have been around the block a few too many times to jump without doing some research.

[Adam]

Detroit is the Stockton of Michigan

[Tank]

chris isaak had only one hit.

[Docwaukee]

chris isaak had only one hit.

Leave Bourjos out of this.  

[Amazing Larry]

chris isaak had only one hit.

 

I like his song that runs through the credits at the end of True Romance.

[NJHalo]

[red321]

Stockton was hit hard by the housing crunch. My sister lived up there...well, rather her partner taught at UoP in Stockton but they lived in Livermore. There was no chance they were actually going to live in Stockton.

[Ray McKigney]

Karl Malone is thankful for Stockton.

[Homebrewer]

Stockton makes Oakland look like a resort.

 

Living high above the SJV, and watching Fresno based local stations, many times "Northern SJV" refers to Merced.

Many of the areas underserved by hospitals (like the town where I live) are getting urgent care places (geared to exploit Obamacare)

It could be in the Sierra foothill communities (Oakhurst, Mariposa, Sonora) and if that's the case, hey...life up here is pretty good.

Rural and slow paced, would be a bit of culture shock after Vegas. 

[deepdrive]

The one thing no one has brought up is how much cancer there is in farming areas. I know a couple people who live in the Fresno area. Everyone they know ,it seems, has someone close to them who has cancer, had cancer or died from cancer.

 

Spray baby, spray.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

And of course you would be subject to the California taxes and fees that has so many fleeing that state.

 

This would be heavily factored in to any salary negotiations. They would have to exceed my current salary by at least half for me to even continue the discussion.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Stockton makes Oakland look like a resort.

 

Living high above the SJV, and watching Fresno based local stations, many times "Northern SJV" refers to Merced.

Many of the areas underserved by hospitals (like the town where I live) are getting urgent care places (geared to exploit Obamacare)

It could be in the Sierra foothill communities (Oakhurst, Mariposa, Sonora) and if that's the case, hey...life up here is pretty good.

Rural and slow paced, would be a bit of culture shock after Vegas. 

 

My guesses about Stockton are based upon the company that is affiliated with these places. When I put in the name of the company and San Joaquin Valley, three locations in Stockton immediately popped up. Of course, I could find out that this is off once we start talking.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

The latest on this: I was contacted yesterday by the recruiter. So far, they are talking a 60 percent increase above my current salary, and we haven't even gotten to the interview stage yet. This is a new position, so the questions I would have had about the departure of my would-be predecessor are moot. Even having to pay state income tax, that would be a substantial jump in pay. I'm supposed to get a cal tomorrow with more information. The location has been confirmed as Stockton. The prospective employer is Community Medical Centers.

 

More as it happens.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Vegas Halo Fan

[Homebrewer]

Community has hospitals all over the SJV.

 

Stockton, though...man.

 

If you think of the SJV as a crotch in some well worn skivvies, Stockton would be the skid mark.

Not sure any amount of money would entice me to live and work anywhere near there.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Homebrewer

[Jason]

My parents own a home in Lodi (my deceased grandfather's place). It's on an 80 acre vineyard but it's in the unincorporated area. Most of the city is pretty nice. I love it there and go up to the area often. If you're willing to commute, Elk Grove isn't a bad place either but it's just south of Sacramento. In the area my grandfather lived, there have been very little issues. Stockton is about 12 miles away but it seems to be further than that. The foothill communities (San Andreas/Murphys) aren't bad but would be a bit of a commute for you

Edited March 10, 2016 by Angels N Skins

[mp170.6]

I've been going to Stockton multiple times annually since the late-1990's. The pockets of 'nice' Stockton are getting smaller and smaller. A year ago I was following a car in the downtown area. It stopped in a residential area and the occupants got out and dumped the contents of the trunk and backseat directly onto the street. Within seconds, local residents came running from their houses and began to rummage through all the junk, totally unconcerned with the stopped traffic. I've never seen anything remotely like it.

As for Molesto, which I also visit annually, Vladdylonglegs sums it up pretty well.

The reason you're getting unsolicited offers from this area is because nobody wants to be there. Nobody.

[mp170.6]

As for clientele in a hospital setting, Stockton has thousands(?) of homeless, most of which have substance abuse problems. I imagine the paramedics and hospitals have drugs like Versed delivered by the pallet if you catch my drift. FWIW.

[Amazing Larry]

My parents own a home in Lodi (my deceased grandfather's place). It's on an 80 acre vineyard but it's in the unincorporated area. Most of the city is pretty nice. I love it there and go up to the area often. If you're willing to commute, Elk Grove isn't a bad place either but it's just south of Sacramento. In the area my grandfather lived, there have been very little issues. Stockton is about 12 miles away but it seems to be further than that. The foothill communities (San Andreas/Murphys) aren't bad but would be a bit of a commute for you

 

Guess which mega-rich baseball agent grew up in Elk Grove?

[Jason]

I didn't know anyone special came from there.

[Jason]

Just looked it up. Apparently Bill Cartwright and Lance Briggs are from there too

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I'm going to listen, but I am not terribly inclined to move there, from what my research has revealed and what I have learned here.

[Redondo]

The way you guys are talking about Stockton it sounds worse than San Bernardino

 

That's pretty bad