I have lived in the city of Houston for 7 years now.  I am an aerospace engineer who took a job with NASA right out of college, and have worked on a wide variety of programs.  I would like to think my skill set is quite marketable and in demand.  After 2 years of living in Houston, I began to pursue positions and companies located in cooler climates.  Five years of job searching later, here are a couple of the things i have noticed:

1.  I get about 4 calls and e-mails a month for positions in the Houston area.  My target area is Denver, CO, so I know there is a market out there for systems engineers with NASA experience. However, I get nothing from out of state companies.

2.  My current company relocated a guy from a different city to the area to work a position that I applied for.  This is despite me offering to relocate myself (i.e no relocation assistance needed).

Has anyone out there had similar experiences?

I have lived in an apartment for 7 years.  I have put off getting a house because I never planned on staying in this city long enough to make it a good investment.  At 30 years old, if I got a job today, bought a house on a 30 year mortgage (worst case), I would have to retire at 60 to avoid making house payments on a fixed income.

I see a billion positions I am qualified for at company websites, and I apply for at least 3 a day.  This has been consistant for years.  Yet, all I get is a postcard thanking me for my consideration.  I have even applied for positions that would result in taking a pay cut.  Nothing.  I just don't understand.  Can anyone out there tell me what I am doing wrong?

I have been trapped in Houston for 7 years.....and it seems as if there is no way out.  It seems like every aerospace company has a houston office, and because of that I'm doomed to only local offers from those companies.