Boston job market too competitive? (high school, university, salary)

[notafan]

I grew up here but have relocated several times, and have been back in the Boston area for one year now. I'm finding it difficult to secure a decent paying position and am wondering if the over saturation of recent college graduates in Boston makes it increasingly difficult to secure jobs? There are thousands upon thousands of college grads in Boston that are likely applying for the same jobs I am (I have a Masters degree and am in my 30's). Also, I believe that having a Masters degree in Boston is not that special since the population tends to be highly educated here. I'm wondering if job markets in other cities may be less competitive without these factors.

Has anyone had experience with this or given it any thought?

[Mach50]

Originally Posted by notafan

I grew up here but have relocated several times, and have been back in the Boston area for one year now. I'm finding it difficult to secure a decent paying position and am wondering if the over saturation of recent college graduates in Boston makes it increasingly difficult to secure jobs? There are thousands upon thousands of college grads in Boston that are likely applying for the same jobs I am (I have a Masters degree and am in my 30's). Also, I believe that having a Masters degree in Boston is not that special since the population tends to be highly educated here. I'm wondering if job markets in other cities may be less competitive without these factors.

Has anyone had experience with this or given it any thought?

The same thing applies to the San Francisco Bay Area, not only graduates, but highly talented foreign workers flock to these coastal cities.

Oddly my wife and I both left the SF Bay due to competition, but we ended up working for BayArea and Boston companies remotely.... go figure!

[Xx2O11xX]

A lot of people in Boston that I know of got their jobs because they "knew somebody". It's actually quite irritating.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by notafan

I grew up here but have relocated several times, and have been back in the Boston area for one year now. I'm finding it difficult to secure a decent paying position and am wondering if the over saturation of recent college graduates in Boston makes it increasingly difficult to secure jobs? There are thousands upon thousands of college grads in Boston that are likely applying for the same jobs I am (I have a Masters degree and am in my 30's). Also, I believe that having a Masters degree in Boston is not that special since the population tends to be highly educated here. I'm wondering if job markets in other cities may be less competitive without these factors.

Has anyone had experience with this or given it any thought?

I have a Master's Degree, am in my 30's and work a job that probably should only require a high school diploma. My job pays enough but if I wasn't married I'd be living with roommates.

[Urban Peasant]

Question is, how many other places in the US offer as many opportunities to well educated persons as Boston and not be as competitive? San Francisco is already mentioned and I might as well throw in New York, DC, Chicago, Seattle, and LA. All of these cities are highly competitive and relatively expensive to live in. Somehow, Boston still draws a great many young and well educated individuals from other cities.

[timberline742]

This is not new. Most people I worked with in low level admin had Master's. That's fine though. I'd rather work with an overeducated workforce, than an uneducated one.

Still, the economy here is great. I've moved away many times in my live (lived in 7 states) and keep moving back not because it is home, but because there are always jobs here!

[notafan]

Originally Posted by timberline742

This is not new. Most people I worked with in low level admin had Master's. That's fine though. I'd rather work with an overeducated workforce, than an uneducated one.

Still, the economy here is great. I've moved away many times in my live (lived in 7 states) and keep moving back not because it is home, but because there are always jobs here!

Thanks for your feedback. I know it's not new. I for one can not afford to work in "low level admin" given that I am in my mid-30's, have invested a fortune in an advanced degree and need a salary that is commensurate with my background.

[notafan]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

Question is, how many other places in the US offer as many opportunities to well educated persons as Boston and not be as competitive? San Francisco is already mentioned and I might as well throw in New York, DC, Chicago, Seattle, and LA. All of these cities are highly competitive and relatively expensive to live in. Somehow, Boston still draws a great many young and well educated individuals from other cities.

That is my whole point. Boston being the educational mecca that it is, makes the jobs market overcrowded with many highly educated and highly skilled job seekers. I have lived in other cities both in the US and abroad, and while the cities you mentioned are also highly competitive, the most difficulty I've encountered in a job search has been in Boston, and I believe it is due to the fact that there is such a large pool of recent university graduates; be they undergrads, grads and/or PhD's. I suspect cities such as Chicago and LA, while still very competitive, do not have such a high percentage of candidates with advanced degrees.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by notafan

Thanks for your feedback. I know it's not new. I for one can not afford to work in "low level admin" given that I am in my mid-30's, have invested a fortune in an advanced degree and need a salary that is commensurate with my background.

I get it. What are your expectations? It takes an insane amount of money to really live in Boston as opposed to merely getting by.

[notafan]

Originally Posted by Dm84

I get it. What are your expectations? It takes an insane amount of money to really live in Boston as opposed to merely getting by.

My expectations are low given the current job market climate, but as a single person with a decent background and education (and in my mid 30's; not a freshly graduated young person!) I need a bare minimum living wage. I don't even want to live in Boston, but cost of living is still high in surrounding cities and towns as you know. I am looking for something with a minimum salary of 42k.