u/Few-Bus4137

hii everyone. looking for some realistic industry advice on where to focus my upcoming job applications.

i’m finishing up my final graduation requirements this summer and mapping out a strict domestic relocation out of texas by the end of the year. for my physical safety as a trans woman and my career growth, staying stateside in a strong sanctuary market is the explicit move.

instead of targeting specific cities right now, i want to look purely at the raw industry data. i need a dual-market hub where i can leverage my tech degree for standard corporate stability while keeping a foot firmly planted in high-end live video production infrastructure.

about my technical stack:
* education: bba in management information systems (mis) (graduating august 2026). key background in azure sql database design, relational mapping (3nf), and business networking topology.
* live venue exp: 2+ years of hands-on freelance v1/v2 video tech and stagehand experience routing signals, building/configuring led walls, and managing processors for major commercial music venues (5k+ capacity).
* certifications: dante level 1 (level 2 pending), it specialist - networking, network security, html & css.
* financials: moving with a solid $10k–$14k liquid runway from liquidating my main vehicle post-grad. in addition to some savings i'll be able to make as i'll have more time for work.

i know the massive national players (diversified, prg, 4wall, encore), but i want to find the cities where the local scene is actually thriving for someone with my exact footprint.

for the techs on the ground:

1. which metropolitan markets currently have the highest concentration of respected boutique commercial av integrators or active staging houses taking entries for their call lists?
2. are there specific regions where the local iatse halls are highly accessible for out-of-state technicians, or should i expect to lean entirely into non-union house av setups and staging shops to start?
3. which major corporate tech hubs also offer a heavy-hitting underground music and festival scene so i can easily jump between signal flow and backend network/database troubleshooting?

appreciate any leads, recruiter names, or blunt field advice you can drop. thanks x

Hi everyone! A few days ago, I posted asking for advice on moving to the UK or Germany after I graduate. I just wanted to drop a massive **thank you** to everyone who commented. Honestly, you saved me an incredible amount of time, money, and sanity.

Abroad is officially off the table. I am pivoting to a strictly domestic US move.

About Me:**

* **Demographics:** 22F trans women currently living in Texas.
* **Education:** Graduating this August with a BBA in Management Information Systems (MIS).
* **Technical Experience:** 2+ years of hands-on experience working as a V1/V2 video production engineer and signal router for major commercial music venues (5k+ capacity). I also have a strong academic background in Azure SQL database design and e-commerce implementation.

* **Financials:** I’ll have a solid $10k–$14k in liquid cash from selling my car right after graduation to immediately fund this move.(if u think this is a bad idea i’d like to hear why)

**The Pivot:** My family back home is highly transphobic, and Texas politics are a nightmare, so I still need a clean, total reset by the end of the year. Because I am established on HRT, I am strictly looking at sanctuary states (or highly protected cities) with immediate informed consent access.

I am targeting the "Dual Market." I want a city with a massive enterprise/corporate IT footprint for my MIS degree, combined with a heavy-hitting live music/AV scene so I can freelance or work for an AV integration firm.

**What I'm looking for now:**

* **Reality Checks:** Does my $10k–$14k runway make sense for these cities if I am willing to jump into a queer roommate situation immediately?

* **Industry Advice:** For anyone in IT or Live AV in these cities, who are the big local AV integration firms or tech recruiters I should be cold-emailing?

Thank you again for steering me in the right direction. I am shooting my shot domestically now!

hii everyone! I am shooting my shot in the dark hoping to get any type of advice from here. I'm finishing up a short study abroad program right now and it completely opened my eyes to what life could look like outside the US. I’m looking to get advice from anyone who has navigated a similar technical track or relocated care safely.

About me:
21F living in Texas
Graduating this August with a BBA in Management Information Systems (MIS).

Technical experience: Have 2+ years of hands-on experience working as a V1/V2 video production engineer and signal router for major commercial music venues (5k+ capacity). I also have a strong academic background in Azure SQL database design and e-commerce implementation.

Financials: Planning to completely liquidate my main asset (selling my car) right after graduation, which should give me a solid $10k–$14k chunk of liquid cash to immediately fund a fresh start.

Current status: Currently spending the month studying abroad in Glasgow, Scotland, and completely fell in love with it.

The urgency: My family back home is highly transphobic and Texas politics are getting increasingly hostile, so moving back to my old house isn't an option for my safety and sanity. I need a clean break and a total digital reset by the end of the year.

Medical context: I am already established on a starter HRT dose with an American provider. I'm fully aware of the multi-year public NHS waitlists at clinics like the Sandyford, so I will need to fund private care initially.

Looking for:

Advice on the best visa approach: Should I try to land an immediate corporate tech/AV job with a Skilled Worker visa, or apply for a 1-year postgraduate Master's program in Glasgow to utilize the 2-year Graduate Visa route?

Hormone continuity tips: If anyone has successfully transitioned their US care to a UK private specialist (like YourGP) and managed to get a "Shared Care" agreement with a regular local Glasgow GP for free prescriptions, I’d love to know how you navigated it.

Target cities: Deeply focusing on Glasgow/Scotland, but open to other highly progressive, trans-affirming hubs with strong electronic music/live production and enterprise tech scenes.