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I'm a recent college grad and single female. I'm looking for a job in either Charleston or Charlotte (my field is public relations). I've grown up in NC and love it but I also lived in Charleston for a summer and loved it as well. I really want to know which city is better for a young professional starting off in their very early 20s. I really want a lot of people my age because I want to meet friends (and date because I'm single but am definitely more of the type to settle down at a young age). I know a few people in both cities and have been to both but have no idea which would be better. I've pretty much ruled out Atlanta because of crime and traffic and the only other city I would possibly consider is Nashville. Finding things to do isn't so much of an issue with me because both offer great shopping and restaurants. I really want to know the better city to meet people and make great friends. Also which city would have more opportunity, better housing, better ability to find a roommate, anything like that. Does anyone have advice about either city?
Since you are a new grad I would list the job finding as my top priority, unless you already have offers from both cities. Once you get job offers, then go for what suits you best in your professional carrier.
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Originally Posted by Recentgrad77
I'm a recent college grad and single female. I'm looking for a job in either Charleston or Charlotte (my field is public relations). I've grown up in NC and love it but I also lived in Charleston for a summer and loved it as well. I really want to know which city is better for a young professional starting off in their very early 20s. I really want a lot of people my age because I want to meet friends (and date because I'm single but am definitely more of the type to settle down at a young age). I know a few people in both cities and have been to both but have no idea which would be better. I've pretty much ruled out Atlanta because of crime and traffic and the only other city I would possibly consider is Nashville. Finding things to do isn't so much of an issue with me because both offer great shopping and restaurants. I really want to know the better city to meet people and make great friends. Also which city would have more opportunity, better housing, better ability to find a roommate, anything like that. Does anyone have advice about either city?
Based on what you want as a job, I'll tell you none of the above. Apply in Philadelphia & DC & get a couple of years of experience, then make this decision. There are more agencies in NY or Chicago, but I think that you'd be more comfortable in Philadelphia or DC. Don't tell them that you only plan to stay short term or you won't get hired. It's quite possible that someone in the agency that you work at might know someone at an agency in one of the towns on your wish list.
The number of PR firms in Charlotte is down since 5 years ago but there are still several big ones (Eric Mower comes to mind). Not only that, but every large company in Charlotte (and there are many more than in Charleston) have corporate communications departments. So finding a good job will be easier in Charlotte than in Charleston. Having said that, in my early 20's, I think I would have had a lot more fun in Charleston. Tough call. Good luck.
I would say Charlotte. It's bigger, has more companies than Charleston, and I would say a better nightlife. As for meeting single professionals... again, I'd say Charlotte more than Charleston. And the good thing is Charleston is only about four hours away, so you can plan a day trip to enjoy its charms.
Congrats on this new chapter in your life - I'm sure it's very exciting and also intimidating. I agree with other posters who have already responded: you might want to take a look at a wider range of cities in order to find a job that makes sense for you. That said, there's nothing wrong with choosing a location first - just know that putting place before employment might mean that you'll have to settle for a job that isn't totally perfect. But again, in my opinion it is absolutely valid to do that.
My opinion would be that if you are deciding between those two cities, CLT is likely more up your alley. It is larger and there are more people - particularly more transplants - and has a significant young professional scene. Compared to other mid-sized cities, it's really affordable and has all the resources you would need. Plus, the quality of life is really high there, and there always seems to be fun stuff going on. Full disclosure is that I moved to CLT after undergrad (pretty much by accident, as I stumbled upon an internship there) and found it to be a thriving and lovely place (and this was in 2009, at the height of the recession - things have gotten slightly better there since then).
I disagree that you need to "expand your horizons." Yes, you should dream big and really consider all of the fantastic cities that you could call home (especially if you’re prioritizing your job search); however, if you really feel instinctually that CLT or Charleston are places you’d like to explore, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that and I think you’ll be just fine.
Congrats on this new chapter in your life - I'm sure it's very exciting and also intimidating. I agree with other posters who have already responded: you might want to take a look at a wider range of cities in order to find a job that makes sense for you. That said, there's nothing wrong with choosing a location first - just know that putting place before employment might mean that you'll have to settle for a job that isn't totally perfect. But again, in my opinion it is absolutely valid to do that.
My opinion would be that if you are deciding between those two cities, CLT is likely more up your alley. It is larger and there are more people - particularly more transplants - and has a significant young professional scene. Compared to other mid-sized cities, it's really affordable and has all the resources you would need. Plus, the quality of life is really high there, and there always seems to be fun stuff going on. Full disclosure is that I moved to CLT after undergrad (pretty much by accident, as I stumbled upon an internship there) and found it to be a thriving and lovely place (and this was in 2009, at the height of the recession - things have gotten slightly better there since then).
I disagree that you need to "expand your horizons." Yes, you should dream big and really consider all of the fantastic cities that you could call home (especially if you’re prioritizing your job search); however, if you really feel instinctually that CLT or Charleston are places you’d like to explore, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that and I think you’ll be just fine.
Charlotte may not have the public relations needs of a bigger city like Philadelphia or New York, somewhat obviously, but it's noting to sneeze at either. It'd be a great place to work and if you choose to later, you can move to a bigger city then. Since you live in NC, you know that Charlotte has a lot of big companies and two pro sports teams, not to mention being in the heart of NASCAR country. I think the oppurtunities should be fantastic.
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