Bloomington Indiana (Indianapolis, Lawrence, Bedford: home, job market, university)

[Jac527]

I would like to know how is the job market in Bloomington? Bloomington seems like a nice town to raise children, but not so sure about jobs. I heard that you have to know someone to get a job. Any recommendations of big companies in Bloomington? I'm a recent Mba graduate with concentration in finance, but no professional experience. Thanks in advance!

[rrah]

The largest employers in B-ton are Cook and IU. It certainly helps to know some one at IU to get a job.

It is a great place to raise children, but the job market is tight unless you are looking for a low wage job in a service industry. Consider that the university graduates plenty of MBAs and other types of graduates every year. There is just not the demand for them here.

[LakeLifePA]

Bloomington could be a good place to raise kids for you, but I don't know anything about you OP. Where are you from originally? What type of attributes do you think are important in raising children. I love Southern Indiana, but please know even though Bloomington is mainly a college town the area is more "Southern" than most people realize. That doesn't bother me at all, but it may bother you. Expect to see confederate flags and country boys (aka rednecks) in jacked up pick up trucks, etc.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Robert20170

Bloomington could be a good place to raise kids for you, but I don't know anything about you OP. Where are you from originally? What type of attributes do you think are important in raising children. I love Southern Indiana, but please know even though Bloomington is mainly a college town the area is more "Southern" than most people realize. That doesn't bother me at all, but it may bother you. Expect to see confederate flags and country boys (aka rednecks) in jacked up pick up trucks, etc.

I don't think I've ever seen a confederate flag in Bloomington.

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by Robert20170

Expect to see confederate flags and country boys (aka rednecks) in jacked up pick up trucks, etc.

While this may be true in some parts of rural Monroe County, it's not a prevalent attitude in Bloomington itself. There may be a few characters of course, but again, it's not a prevalent attitude.

[rrah]

Originally Posted by Robert20170

Expect to see confederate flags and country boys (aka rednecks) in jacked up pick up trucks, etc.

I've traveled through most every area of Monroe County and live out in the county. The only time I've seen a confederate flag in 15 years was in Bedford (Lawrence County). While there are plenty of pick-up trucks, there are very few jacked up pick-up trucks. There is certainly a "redneck" element in some areas, but nothing like this. One is more likely to run into single parent, living in poverty types of people than true rednecks. There is also a small bit of the population with a bit of a southern accent, but I hear that in Indianapolis just as often.

[Serious Conversation]

I'd imagine that Bloomington itself is pretty liberal. I've never seen anything remotely close to a redneck in Bloomington, though my visits there have been admittedly limited.

Still, I've seen quite a bit of jacked up trucks in rural Indiana. I've seen some Confederate flags, but nothing like I see back home in TN and rural VA. People in the country, no matter where you go, are going to have some amount of jacked up trucks.

[LakeLifePA]

Right, people from the rural areas around Bloomington never wander into town.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Robert20170

Right, people from the rural areas around Bloomington never wander into town.

People in rural Michigan have confederate flags and drive jacked up pick-ups. Do you issue the same "warnings" to people inquiring of Grand Rapids?

[LakeLifePA]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

People in rural Michigan have confederate flags and drive jacked up pick-ups. Do you issue the same "warnings" to people inquiring of Grand Rapids?

No, because I've never lived there. I have, however, lived near Bloomington. Any other areas you'd like to ask me about while you derail the thread off topic?

My original point is that Bloomington and the surrounding areas are more "country" than people realize. I was trying to make the OP aware of that fact. It's not exactly a liberal oasis that many assume when they think of a collegiate town. I had no idea that I would get some of you all puffed up over that fact. Me personally, I love rednecks and would take an entire city of them over some of the people that have contributed to this thread. You are the one making my posts out to be "warnings". They aren't. See how a simple mind works?

For future reference, it's hard for me to take someone all that seriously with a screen name that begins with Toxic...