Ohio v.s. Atlanta (Columbus, Duluth: health insurance, new home, job market) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

Dytdude · 01-20-2007, 12:33 PM

I will be completing a degree in HR and Business Administration this June. I am currently in the process of studying for my (PHR) certification.

I am looking at relocating to the Atlanta area after I graduate, mainly for a new start and I can't stand Ohio any longer. I have heard from friends in Atlanta that the area is saturated now and it is very competitive in terms of finding employment.

Is the economy in Atlanta still vibrant? I know in recent years the job growth has slowed, but what about for college grads in the HR field? Is this a good move or should I consider relocating somewhere else?

Thank you!!

osasco · 12-29-2009, 06:22 PM

Did you move from Ohio? I am still in Ohio, but thinking about going to Georgia.

northstar22 · 12-29-2009, 07:19 PM

It can't be any worse than Ohio. I'm a recent grad from Michigan, and I just moved down here (living with family).

I don't know much about Atlanta's job market. I haven't really looked at many job postings since I've been here, because I was still holding out hope of moving back to Michigan and finding a job there. I realized that's not going to happen and have decided to grow where I'm planted here in my new home in Georgia.

From what little I've seen on the job boards, it seems like there are far more jobs in the Atlanta area than in either Michigan or Ohio. NCR is in Duluth, and they're hiring like crazy right now. I'm sure they need HR people.

spotch · 12-29-2009, 09:55 PM

I grew up in Atlanta and lived on the north side of the city (around Ga Tech) and in various northeastern and northwestern suburbs for 27 years before moving to Columbus Ohio for grad school. When I was in Ga I complained a lot about the state government's hard right-ward tilt. (NOT Atlanta, mind you, just the rest of the state).

Now that I'm out, I wish I could go back

Ohio sucks. My experiences in Columbus, which is supposed to be somewhat representative of the state, are that the people are rude, there's absolutely no diversity whatsoever (vs atlanta, where there are people from all over the country), and the food is mediocre-to-bad (vs Atlanta, which is literally saturated with good restaurants). The summers in Atlanta are pretty crappy, but the winters down there are far better. Atlanta has terrible sprawl, but so do Ohio cities. I mean Cincinnati and Dayton have spread enough that they're basically suburbs of each other, and for a city of Columbus' size, there is an insane amount of sprawl.

Overall, I'm not impressed with Ohio *at all*. From afar you can list a ton of things that should make it a great place to live, but once you get here you learn the truth.

residinghere2007 · 01-05-2010, 01:34 AM

I moved here from Toledo, Ohio about 12 years ago and back then there were a TON of jobs here compared to OH, but now not so much. You might see more advertised but that is jus because Atlanta is a large metropolitan area. Also, in my experience a lot of jobs here require you to have more qualifications, yet they don't pay any more than a job with less qualifications/experience/education than in OH. I miss a lot about OH, basically just the cleanliness of my hometown, as even though I like it here in Atlanta and have no plans on moving back, I am always amazed at the clean and upkept streets and miss the good city services that Toledo had and still has according to my mom who thinks I'm crazy to live here as she thinks it's country and backwards mixed with a big city feel, which is kind of the truth.

But people are friendlier and the unemployment rate is lower here than in OH. I have been thinking of getting a masters in HR lately and really when I checked for HR jobs, I didn't see to many and I didn't just look on internet job sites, I checked with people I know and on job boards of companies located in the area. I don't know if I would take a big jump like that in your position as the economy and job market are bad in most places now a days. But before moving I would look around where you are first and if you can't find something in your city or surrounding area, then, maybe consider moving.

spotch · 01-05-2010, 10:52 PM

I think it's funny when people from Ohio think that Atlanta is 'country' just because it's in the south, when it's got more people (at least in the metro area) than any of the cities up here.

For instance, Cobb county has roughly 700,000 people as of July 2008, which is more than twice that of the city of Toledo (which is falling as people continue to leave looking for work elsewhere). And that's just one county in Metro Atlanta (and not even the most populous one by far).

I've met people in Columbus with that attitude too, even though you can get on the expressway in downtown columbus and drive 20-25 minutes in any direction and be surrounded by nothing but farmland.

blondandfun · 01-06-2010, 02:04 AM

Ohio is the same everywhere? I thought they had cities there??? How stupid, Ohio has more vibrant cities than Georgia. Half the pop. here is in Atlanta, whereas in Ohio there are several major cities to choose from.

residinghere2007 · 01-06-2010, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spotch

I think it's funny when people from Ohio think that Atlanta is 'country' just because it's in the south, when it's got more people (at least in the metro area) than any of the cities up here.

For instance, Cobb county has roughly 700,000 people as of July 2008, which is more than twice that of the city of Toledo (which is falling as people continue to leave looking for work elsewhere). And that's just one county in Metro Atlanta (and not even the most populous one by far).

I've met people in Columbus with that attitude too, even though you can get on the expressway in downtown columbus and drive 20-25 minutes in any direction and be surrounded by nothing but farmland.

I don't think it's country just because it's in the South. The reason I think Atlanta is kind of country (and really it's my mom who thinks it is when she comes to visit me) is because there are mailboxes on the curb. You only see that in rural areas where I'm from. Also, there are a lot of overgrown lots and instead of cutting the grass in a lot of places here they jus put up a sign that says "DOT Wildflower Project" which always cracks my mom up. We rarely see overgrown areas in OH, even in rural areas because people cut grass and take care of the landscape in that sense whereas here landscaping is ignored and it is left to be wild so that is kind of country. It doesn't really have anything to do with population it's just the look and feel of the place and when people are used to a city being one way and looking clean and in order and they go to another city that is suppose to be more metropolitan, they expect the same look, yet more refined and not overgrown and wild looking.

RudeBoy21 · 01-06-2010, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blondandfun

Ohio is the same everywhere? I thought they had cities there??? How stupid, Ohio has more vibrant cities than Georgia. Half the pop. here is in Atlanta, whereas in Ohio there are several major cities to choose from.

Yep you been to one Ohio city you have been to them all. There all medium sized cities. Columbus is my fav though.

spotch · 01-06-2010, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blondandfun

Ohio is the same everywhere? I thought they had cities there??? How stupid, Ohio has more vibrant cities than Georgia. Half the pop. here is in Atlanta, whereas in Ohio there are several major cities to choose from.

I've been to Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland and I wouldn't describe any of those as 'vibrant'. Neither would the census bureau, in most instances... Columbus has been shielded quite a bit by the healthcare/health insurance, corp. headquarters and financial services jobs but the rest of the cities in this state are suffering anywhere from 'a little' to 'tragically' thanks to the manufacturing jobs disappearing.

I do think Cincy is pretty.