competition for jobs at U of Iowa-Iowa City? (Cedar Rapids: job market, university)

[angelaMS]

I've recently been looking to relocate from the Phoenix metro area and I'm seeking employement in higher ed. I am looking at a handful of cities- Iowa City being one of them. Are support positions at the University of Iowa very competitive? Also, because I would be relocating, would this hinder my chances even more?

A little background- MS in Special Education, BA in Psychology, 5 years experience in Training/Non-Profits, no experience at a college/university.

Anyone have experience working at the University?

Any input would be appreciated.

[WoodwardGirl]

Angela, from what I hear, it is fairly competitive because of very good benefits. I would expect you could find something at the community college, Kirkwood, that has a large facility in Iowa City, while you pursued work at the University, though; things are also less competitive at the private colleges in Cedar Rapids and Mt. Vernon.

[Bloviator]

I live in Iowa City. It's a really tough job market here. The standing joke is that the city transit buses are driven by PhDs. LOL. The sad thing is that it's not even too far off base. Unemployment rates often hover around 2 percent. Ouch.

I just left the university to work independently for a scientific journal, from home. I was making $43 K. I consider that to be a fairly mediocre salary, especially for someone like me who has been in the work force for 20 years with two BAs (journalism, political science) and an MA (journalism).
It took me a long time to get a job at the university. I finally got my foot in the door through a niche area I had worked in, scientific publishing / scientific journals.

If you are a nurse or an IT person (which I realize you are not), it woud be much easier for you to get in. Secretarial positions are also abundant, and are often filled by people with BAs or even MAs.

The university's benefits are unbeatable. I was probably crazy to leave but I was offered a very, very sweet deal.

[angelaMS]

Thank you so much for the responses. I understand that higher ed. jobs are a tough business in general-very competitive, specifically for my chosen field. I'll definitely give it a shot, but I won't hold my breathe!