Best Cities for Recent College Grads
Naming the best cities for recent college grads requires more than just concentrating on job opportunities. Although that is clearly the most important for young people just starting their careers, they must also consider cost of living, social scene, recreation facilities, entertainment and other factors.Recent college grads need them all to help create a satisfying and affordable city lifestyle. You spend eight hours on a job, so other than sleeping, what do you want to be able to do for the other 16?The very reliable Forbes.com website recently put out its America’s Best Cities for Young Adults. It combined job opportunities with how new college grads can find personal satisfaction. The top ten on the list were Austin, Houston, Manhattan, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, San Antonio and Minneapolis-St. Paul.Not quite making the Forbes cut were the ocean beach cities of Los Angeles and San Diego. Maybe the Forbes beancounters have some kind of gripe against those California areas. And what about Miami, St. Pete and Ft. Lauderdale in Florida? Job opportunities are still good there. Further, the sand and surf lifestyle is certainly superior to cold, clammy Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago.Big cities are usually best for entry-level professional job opportunities, because large banking, insurance and other major corporations are headquartered in them. The downside is that living costs are much higher than in less populated areas.For example, according to rental rates.blogspot.com, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan is $2,470, Los Angeles $1,600, Miami $1,400, Ft. Lauderdale $1,100 and Tampa $800.Two other important factors for new college grads to consider when choosing a job are closeness to family and availability to attend nearby grad school classes. Many need to be near enough to family for both financial and emotional support. They may also feel their careers will be enhanced if they can combine their new jobs with earning masters’ degrees.A new college grad must be aware of today’s ever-changing economy, career opportunity and living style locations. Long before graduation day, the person just starting out must make thorough studies of all the factors.Consultation with college career advisors, as well as continuous research on the internet for job market trends are absolute necessities. Throughout the senior year, resumes and application letters should be exploring every possibility for securing good jobs in the most favorable cities.
