Tampa: The Worst City for Young Professionals (credit, school)

[BGF]

Originally Posted by Bluefly

^^
The list that puts Tampa last has cities such as San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Milwaukee, Raleigh, New York, and Chicago as amongst the best places for young professionals.

So, yeah, a lot of those places are more expensive, but it's a completely different lifestyle and American Dream in many of those places. No one's getting the house with the yard and settling down at 24 to raise a family in those cities. They are young, unmarried, highly mobile people living in small apartments and often having no need for a car or at least not one they drive everyday. So, you can live pretty cheaply in such an urban environment.

Florida took a beating in those rankings - Miami, Orlando, and Tampa were near the bottom.

If I were starting out in fresh out of college, I'd go to any of the top ranked cities and climb the corporate ladder, save some bucks, and maybe move to Florida in the future if I have some plans other than continued corporate ladder climbing. BTW, corporate ladder climbing is not for those who do like to lick ass. OK, kiss ass would have been the polite term to use, but lick is what it felt like when I saw it done in person.

[big mean bear]

Originally Posted by Michaelsaurus Rex

The Worst City for Young Professionals | Re/Creating Tampa

For the second year in a row Forbes ranks Tampa, Florida as the worst city for young professionals.
They pin part of the blame on USF, asserting that it’s not doing enough to climb the ranks of noted research university’s (despite their incessant bragging, it turns out that number 3 in Florida isn’t much to brag about). But, it’s not just USF, it’s that there’s no network of local universities. As Forbes notes, “innovative new companies and technologies coming out of research universities are critical to local economies.”
Of course, Florida cannot afford universities. The USF budget has been slashed, as have been the budget for cops, teachers, nurses, firefighters, and paramedics. That doesn’t mean that the state of Florida doesn’t have money. They have plenty of money to give to developers, but none to give to education.
Not only does Tampa not have much home-grown talent, but grads from top universities choose Tampa last. Detroit attracts more top university graduates than Tampa.

USF isn't even in South Florida, so why did they name it University of South Florida? Maybe USF's founders should have taken a geography lesson or two before naming their school. It makes no sense at all.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by big mean bear

USF isn't even in South Florida, so why did they name it University of South Florida? Maybe USF's founders should have taken a geography lesson or two before naming their school. It makes no sense at all.

Here is a paragraph quoted from "Wikipedia" on history of USF, explaining why it is called that:

"USF was founded in 1956. However, the university was not officially named until the following year, and courses did not start until 1960. Some of the original proposed names included "Citrus State University", "Sunshine State University," "The University of the Western Hemisphere," "Ponce de Leon University," "Flamerica University," and "The University of Florida at Temple Terrace."[11] Former US Representative Sam Gibbons was instrumental in the school's creation when he was a state representative and is considered by many to essentially be the school's founder. It was built on the site of Henderson Air Field, a World War II airstrip. Although located in west-central Florida, at the time of establishment USF was the southernmost public university in the State of Florida, a geographic situation that lent USF its sometimes confusing name."

[tampaguy03]

Originally Posted by big mean bear

USF isn't even in South Florida, so why did they name it University of South Florida? Maybe USF's founders should have taken a geography lesson or two before naming their school. It makes no sense at all.

If you really want to know:
USF was founded in 1956. However, the university was not officially named until the following year, and courses did not start until 1960. Some of the original proposed names included "Citrus State University", "Sunshine State University," "The University of the Western Hemisphere," "Ponce de Leon University," "Flamerica University," and "The University of Florida at Temple Terrace."
Although located in west-central Florida, at the time of establishment USF was the southernmost public university in the State of Florida, a geographic situation that lent USF its sometimes confusing name.

[amsterdamque]

Originally Posted by tampaguy03

Talk to people that are graduating from USF with Bachelors, you will find MANY stay in the Bay area and are placed into Medical, Tech/Research, Finance, Accounting and other Business jobs with starting salaries(45-65k)...at least the ones that I know personally.
The article makes some good points, but it only questioned students that graduated from a few very select schools.

Please email me @ amsterdamque@yahoo.com, as I've graduated with an MBA and relocated here after the Ibanking bloodbath and am searching vigorously for a career in Finance. I'm looking for entry level positions in that reasonable starting range, but my experience tells me that the only way to those positions is through a strong network (ie nepotism, playing golf with the VP , high net worth socialite circle,etc.) or already have 5 plus years experience. To combat the problem there don't seem to be places in Tampa that will serve as the springboard to acquire the requesite experience , which leaes one in the circular equation of not getting a job due to no experience, and no experience due to no job...

Again please email me and let me know o these companies

[JSnFla]

Originally Posted by amsterdamque

Please email me @ amsterdamque@yahoo.com, as I've graduated with an MBA and relocated here after the Ibanking bloodbath and am searching vigorously for a career in Finance. I'm looking for entry level positions in that reasonable starting range, but my experience tells me that the only way to those positions is through a strong network (ie nepotism, playing golf with the VP , high net worth socialite circle,etc.) or already have 5 plus years experience. To combat the problem there don't seem to be places in Tampa that will serve as the springboard to acquire the requesite experience , which leaes one in the circular equation of not getting a job due to no experience, and no experience due to no job...

Again please email me and let me know o these companies

honestly, u r in the wrong city and your assumptions are correct. there is almost no investment banking scene in tampa bay. its all in nyc, boston, chicago, sf, DC and LA. if u r good and persistent u may find something semi related in finance but i wouldnt waste your time in tampa if you are building a career in finance/investment banking. your best bet would be to get the 5 yrs experience in a major market then try and find something in your ideal location. good luck.

[Michaelsaurus Rex]

Originally Posted by amsterdamque

Please email me @ amsterdamque@yahoo.com, as I've graduated with an MBA and relocated here after the Ibanking bloodbath and am searching vigorously for a career in Finance. I'm looking for entry level positions in that reasonable starting range, but my experience tells me that the only way to those positions is through a strong network (ie nepotism, playing golf with the VP , high net worth socialite circle,etc.) or already have 5 plus years experience. To combat the problem there don't seem to be places in Tampa that will serve as the springboard to acquire the requesite experience , which leaes one in the circular equation of not getting a job due to no experience, and no experience due to no job...

Again please email me and let me know o these companies

Try Raymond James or Price Waterhouse

[tampaguy03]

Originally Posted by amsterdamque

Please email me @ amsterdamque@yahoo.com, as I've graduated with an MBA and relocated here after the Ibanking bloodbath and am searching vigorously for a career in Finance. I'm looking for entry level positions in that reasonable starting range, but my experience tells me that the only way to those positions is through a strong network (ie nepotism, playing golf with the VP , high net worth socialite circle,etc.) or already have 5 plus years experience. To combat the problem there don't seem to be places in Tampa that will serve as the springboard to acquire the requesite experience , which leaes one in the circular equation of not getting a job due to no experience, and no experience due to no job...

Again please email me and let me know o these companies

I Sent you a private message...

[tjax1000]

Just an observation, but I've been watching the forums on a few different websites recently. One of the others is a career web site. All of them seem to paint a gloom and doom picture of whatever the current topic is- be it a city, career field, etc.

So, I'm left to believe that basically the world is ending and nobody told me until now (and thank God I checked these boards or I still wouldn't know it!) or, there are a disproportionate number of people unhappy with their current situations who frequent a this type of message board. America is big- much bigger than 5 big cities. And there are people (many of them happy) with all types of jobs living everywhere.

To young adults going into college, I would recommend you think hard about your major. Look at where we are and where things are going and of course also consider what you enjoy doing. What careers currently have shortages and which ones do you think will be in demand 10 years from now? Or, in your field, will it matter 10 years from now if you're already a senior guy/gal? Does the major you are thinking about basically put you in a huge, general pool of graduates with little specialty and little demand and/or low pay in the areas you'd like to live?

One last tip to the college-minded young adults. Look for a school that offers a strong co-op program! I did this- it was a major reason I picked my university. Friends, nothing was so sweet as having a full time, good paying job to walk into the day after graduation (a job in which I already had 1 year seniority!) So many young adults don't get any pertinent job experience at all during college, when in reality it is a great way to get a head start, and sometimes to earn really decent part time money.

[glastron_79]

Originally Posted by tampaguy03

Not the two graduates that we met at dinner last night...I know for a fact that the company I work for(Large Financial Services Firm), hires College Grads in Accouting and Finance positions starting at 45-55k...and if they Co-Op with the company they can start them higher...

I was a business grad from USF, and can tell you that me and my alumni friends certaintly did not end up in call centers...Contact the local Tampa USF Alumni Chapter...you will not see many if any call center alumnus...

Im not saying Tampa is the best for opportunities, but it really depends on what your looking for, how you want to live, etc...I graduated with people that got jobs in NY, Boston, Chicago...loved it for a few years, but came back to Tampa, and then I have friends that left the Bay area for jobs, and love where they live now....

I would LOVE to apply for one of those 45-55k jobs! Where do I go? I have a college degree, 15+ years working experience in the finance area and I can HUSTLE to get the job done accurately and efficiently! I guarantee you I can run circles around any new college grad, too.