[skudr248]

My thoughts and timeline in the last 6 months (I am a former Calgarian living in Vancouver btw);

- getting an interview in Calgary is incredibly difficult (hey, my parents and loads of friends live here... I miss them) and even through connections.
- new "normal" hourly/salary wages in Calgary have drastically been reduced since I left 3.5 years ago.. seriously, it was somewhat of a shock, wtf.
- Vancouver seemed to have more opportunity, faster recovery on the employment front June - Sept, wages seem the same (if not higher). I was looking all over and ready to move where the work was (albeit must be a major city)
- I got the layoff boot in mid-May, though hired as an consultant on the AFE 2 weeks later in a different role
- Very quiet on job/interview front until Aug/Sept, things started picking up
- Hired fulltime (yay benefits, first time in 2 years!) end of Sept away in Vancouver away from O&G but similar salary.

I am lucky I am a single guy with no kids so I get the added benefit of having the ability to pick up and go, but people on the fence of moving away from Calgary, I definitely say do it, at this current time at least. What I have seen is that Vancouver and Toronto markets are picking up steam and work is there if you go for it. Calgary will always be there and you can always come back when things pick up again, right now the competition for roles is insane and realistically the salaries/contracts being offered are atrocious.