[sevdie]

How are things in Stamford/Greenwich as far as jobs in general? Is it generally hard to find a good paying job? Easy? Or does it depend on what your skills are? By good paying job, I mean a job that pays enough for a couple to live up to the costs of living there without having to live in a dangerous area or ghetto. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[JayCT]

This is a difficult question to answer. One person can live comfortably on $50k, another can't make ends meet on $150k. Stamford is an expensive city to live in but most jobs pay better than other areas. It is all a matter of perspective and expectations. In general it is a good place to live because there are so many employment opportunities. JMHO, Jay

[RDeemy]

There are a lot of jobs in that area, but you will be contending with the nightmare that is I-95 everyday. It also depends on what type of education/skills you have. A lot of people work in those areas because the pay is better, but live in more reasonably priced areas (which are still VERY expensive!!!) Overall, CT is way overpriced and the salaries are not keeping up, my husband and I are relocating to Florida because of this!

Renee

[ctman1987]

The Stamford/Greenwich job market is fairly strong, thanks in part to its close proximity to NYC. Many companies have moved to Stamford so that they can be close to the city but avoid the costs of it. Stamford is an expensive city in comparison to the rest of Connecticut outside Fairfield County but is cheaper then New York City itself.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by RDeemy

There are a lot of jobs in that area, but you will be contending with the nightmare that is I-95 everyday. It also depends on what type of education/skills you have. A lot of people work in those areas because the pay is better, but live in more reasonably priced areas (which are still VERY expensive!!!) Overall, CT is way overpriced and the salaries are not keeping up, my husband and I are relocating to Florida because of this!

Renee

While I agree that Connecticut is not a cheap place to live, I do not agree that salaries are not keeping up with the costs. Furthermore, Florida is not the inexpensive place to live it use to be. If any state does not pay its workers well, it is Florida. Pay levels are significantly lower there. I know people that moved there and could not find jobs that paid well and offered no benefits. Renee, I would strongly recommend you read the postings on the Florida Boards before running down there. There are so many that have found it is not the wonderful place everyone thinks it is. JMHO Jay

[sevdie]

Thank all of you for your responses. Wish me luck.

[shylard]

Stamford definitely has a lot to offer in the employment area. With RBS building its US headquarters directly across from UBS, there should be a lot of jobs available by end of year. Jay is right that a lot of headquarters move to Stamford, if you've been around as long as I have (born and raised in Stamford), you've seen the massive amount of companies relocating to Stamford. With RBS and UBS, Stamford is becoming a good spot for a quant to find work. The pay is definitely decent, you'll find the closest pay to a similar job in NYC. There is no other city in CT that will pay you anywhere close to the outrageously high NY salaries than Stamford.

I've relocated to Branford, and work in Hamden, and definitely took about a $20K pay cut, but my commute is fantastic, only 10 minutes, as opposed to my 2 1/2 hour commute in to the city.

Overall, you shouldn't have much of a problem finding work in Stamford. It's one of the cities that tends to keep on growing despite the economic crunch the rest of the nation is feeling.

Hope this helps...

[sevdie]

It sure does help. Thanks

[jjbradleynyc]

I'm currently transitioning out of a real estate career into finance, as a financial advisor. I received an offer right away with a company in Norwalk, CT. My job search was limited to just 2 weeks!! I was surprised. So now, I'm studying for my series 7, series 66, and a couple of other exams until I'm hired on full-time. The financial sector in Fairfield County is an excellent way to go.
On another note, I have been looking for a temporary job to "bridge the gap" between ending my real estate and beginning finance (during training), but that has come up very short. Most agencies tell me they don't have a lot of jobs right now.

[JiminCT]

I-95 and the Merritt can be summed up in one word for the commute to Stamford...HELL.