Please Help me/ Moving to Oregon in Summer 2008 (Portland: live in, law)

[Africa]

Hi, I am African women, currently live in Washington DC area, I have education BA International Business and Economics, most of my Care experience is Banking Field, Although i want to move my Carer to international development type of jobs, i am used to the hectic city life here, in DC militia cultural environment....where do i fit when i move to Oregon and where can i find jobs related to international development or banking...please help me

[bobmulk]

Your best bet is going to be the Portland Metropolitan Area. That is the only realy place with any diversity in the state. Even then, the diversity level will not be what you're accustomed to. Oregon is pretty lily white. We have a large population of hispanics and illegals, that's our biggest minority group.

Nevertheless, I think you'd like Portland. The pace of life won't be what you're accustomed to neither will you find Portland as sophisticated or worldly. It's very provincial.

Best of luck.

[Leisesturm]

My girlfriend's degree is in International Policy and we plan to move to Oregon late spring. She is working with the graduate student center of her alumni to locate companies/organizations in Portland that she can interview at when we arrive. Is that something you can do also? As to where you will fit that depends on why you want to go to Oregon. So, what is it you hope to do when you get there? If you said for instance, windsurfing or windsailing I wouldn't advise a location in Oregon's high desert area! And remember Washington Mutual is all over Oregon, heck, they are all over NYC. Good luck.

H

[Silverfall]

Your only shot would be Portland for anything like that. Oregon is not particularly diverse (having come from Chicago), but that is slowly changing. I love the vibe in Portland and it is really changing. Coming from DC will be a huge change though. I had a little shock coming from Chicago 17 years ago. I LOVED Portland when I lived there.

Our large banks out here are Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America. There are also some small firms that do international finance, but I think you would just have to google them.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Wow. I'm not so sure Portland is enough of a challange for you.

You might throw a resume out to Nike and some of the larger law firms that may deal in the international arena (like Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt) as well as the larger banks.

I think Portland in the last 10 years or so has started a swing towards being a 'world' city, but we're not really all that far along. I wish you all the best!

[marita]

sounds to me like Seattle would make you happy.
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[OR9]

You sound like an educated woman, I personally would recommend you try another city. I don't think the diversity issue would be a problem. most seem to be pretty open and friendly. They have a lot of other issues in Oregon, many financial. With your economics background you would figure out very quickly that many of the elected officials could not run a newspaper stand let alone the state's finances.

[Africa]

Thank you so much for your honest feedback.

[WorkinStiff]

We's nothin but a bunch of proveeenchial gun totin, pickup driven hillbillies out here in oreeegone..wy our cousin sasquatch got more culture en we do!....only question i got fer ya is...are ya purty??

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by Africa

Thank you so much for your honest feedback.

You might try Seattle/Bellevue if you are looking for something in the Pacific Northwest... or Vancouver, British Columbia?