Why is it SO hard to find a job in ATL? (Atlanta: insurance, job market)

[brown_dog_us]

Originally Posted by SKB007

I grew up in the Atlanta Metropolitan area. I did my schooling and did undergraduate there. My entire family lives there. After finishing my school a bit less than a decade ago, I tried to find an accounting/ finance job and failed miserably. ...

What was your degree and where did you get it?

I have a nephew that is currently in college and considering accounting is why I ask.

[SKB007]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

What was your degree and where did you get it?

I have a nephew that is currently in college and considering accounting is why I ask.

I got a BBA in Accounting then did my CPA. Accounting is a decent field, but I think that intersection between finance and IT is a GREAT area to be in (i.e. IT audits, doing analytics on financial data, etc).

[peta2013]

As others said Georgia and Florida tend to be very hard hit during downturns. I'll leave it to the economists to define why but I'd guess that it's a lack of industrial and/or natural resource related industry. On top of that, never been impressed with salaries in either state. Ironically moving away and coming back will likely lead you to being viewed more favorably and able to demand higher wage.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

I couldn't find work in Atlanta either despite having lots of experience and connections. I struggled from 2009 to 2014 to find a full-time job with benefits in Atlanta. I also did not find a job until I left Atlanta and moved to Texas in 2014. The funny thing is, the same major company that I kept getting rejected from in Atlanta hired me with no problems in Texas. They literally handed me a job in Texas. I am still with the same company but I have transferred to Chicago and have been in Chicago since 2017 where I make even more money now. Jobs in both Georgia and Texas don't pay very well in my experience. I didn't start earning a decent wage until I left the South.

It is not just you. Tons of people in Atlanta have this problem. For some reason, Atlanta is a place where it's virtually impossible for a lot of people to get a job despite how much education and experience you have.

I appreciate you sharing your story. I'm glad to hear that things worked out for you. Do you mind me asking what your field was/is?

Originally Posted by SKB007

Appreciate it. I've been living in DC for close to 5 years and now in NYC. Enjoyed both places so far and NYC has TONS of people from my country. My family often visits me from ATL to NYC and they really enjoy the cultural hub and small businesses. Job opportunity wise, I often felt that I never had a chance to even prove myself in ATL (my job search there was 2+ more years). In comparison, DC and NYC were much more open to me for whatever the reason and found a job with no problem at all.



Between 2011 - 2014 was also the period I was job searching, but couldn't find anything. I left ATL in 2014 after TONS of effort. I agree, ATL works for some people, but its not for everyone it seems.

OMG you really gave it your all then. 2 years is a long time!! I'm looking to move in the future but for now I'm going to stay put. Education wise I have plans and so I have to stay in GA for that. We will see what happens after but Atlanta is getting very old. It's also been dating/friends...it's so much easier in NYC than in Atlanta for me, that is.

[Atlwarrior]

Hey, I graduated from Atlanta Metropolitan State as well. I currently have a very good legal position. I recommend getting your resume and LinkedIn account professional done, and networking. Relationships are paramount for getting into a good company. Many Atlantans struggle because they are self centered and don’t have legitimate relationships with like minded professionals. Landing a great job is 50% relational and 50% competence in that particular field.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

Hey, I graduated from Atlanta Metropolitan State as well. I currently have a very good legal position. I recommend getting your resume and LinkedIn account professional done, and networking. Relationships are paramount for getting into a good company. Many Atlantans struggle because they are self centered and don’t have legitimate relationships with like minded professionals. Landing a great job is 50% relational and 50% competence in that particular field.

This is a good point. I do wonder if Atlanta is very unique in that you have to do a lot more networking and/or "know someone" in order to get a job versus other major cities. I speak to a lot of people and they seem to echo what you said. They say that they "knew someone." I don't want to make it seem as if it's a problem unique to Atlanta but I just find it interesting the OP didn't have a problem finding work in DC and NYC not having a solid network.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by SKB007

Appreciate it. I've been living in DC for close to 5 years and now in NYC. Enjoyed both places so far and NYC has TONS of people from my country. My family often visits me from ATL to NYC and they really enjoy the cultural hub and small businesses. Job opportunity wise, I often felt that I never had a chance to even prove myself in ATL (my job search there was 2+ more years). In comparison, DC and NYC were much more open to me for whatever the reason and found a job with no problem at all.



Between 2011 - 2014 was also the period I was job searching, but couldn't find anything. I left ATL in 2014 after TONS of effort. I agree, ATL works for some people, but its not for everyone it seems.

Atlanta was one of the slowest cities coming out of the 2008 recession. Atlanta's primary industry in 2008 was "growth." When real estate stopped, growth stopped. And it took a long time for Atlanta to get back on its feet.

There's a good chance 2019 would be very different from 2014.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

This is a good point. I do wonder if Atlanta is very unique in that you have to do a lot more networking and/or "know someone" in order to get a job versus other major cities. I speak to a lot of people and they seem to echo what you said. They say that they "knew someone." I don't want to make it seem as if it's a problem unique to Atlanta but I just find it interesting the OP didn't have a problem finding work in DC and NYC not having a solid network.

After the entry level, networking is critical. Most of those higher level jobs get filled by someone who knew someone. I don't think Atlanta is unique in that. Managers are risk averse. They want a known quantity. The bigger the network, the more opportunities to hear about opportunities that fit.

IMO that is a far bigger hindrance to minorities than actual discrimination.

[Huntsville_secede]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

Jobs in both Georgia and Texas don't pay very well in my experience. I didn't start earning a decent wage until I left the South.

It is not just you. Tons of people in Atlanta have this problem. For some reason, Atlanta is a place where it's virtually impossible for a lot of people to get a job despite how much education and experience you have.

Texas jobs pay a good bit more especially in certain fields like Engineering and Tech. You will get lowballed in Atlanta compared to a lot of other cities. Also to echo what others have said the economy was horrible here during the recession. I know a lot of people that moved from Atlanta during that time to Texas and other places because they couldn't find jobs. It's improved a lot and there are more openings in a lot of fields than there have been in quite some time, but it's still not as prosperous as places like Nashville, Charlotte and the Texas cities right now as far as potential job and economic opportunities.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Huntsville_secede

Texas jobs pay a good bit more especially in certain fields like Engineering and Tech. You will get lowballed in Atlanta compared to a lot of other cities. Also to echo what others have said the economy was horrible here during the recession. I know a lot of people that moved from Atlanta during that time to Texas and other places because they couldn't find jobs. It's improved a lot and there are more openings in a lot of fields than there have been in quite some time, but it's still not as prosperous as places like Nashville, Charlotte and the Texas cities right now as far as potential job and economic opportunities.

Unfortunately I have to agree with this.

I never really had problems finding a job in Atlanta. I will give it that for me atleast employment seemed pretty plentiful. I did however have problems finding a job paying a competitive salary decent enough to make a decent standard of living. Even in IT and with certs under my belt I had a hard time getting above $55k annually. I moved and my salary bolstered to $100k instantly and has gone up since then.

Georgia like many southern states was a state that originally based its economy off of slave labor and although it has long graduated from that, some of the mindsets are still intact. They want to pay as little as possible while obtaining the absolute most they can get.

New York and other northern cities are union cities are are generally more protected in the workforce aspect.