Reality check: recent college graduate (Denver, Boulder: for sale, apartments, rent)

[cornellgrad]

I'm sure questions like this are a dime a dozen, but any insight/consideration/anecdotes would be greatly appreciated.

I graduated from Cornell University (Ithaca NY) last May with a biology degree, and after some soul searching decided that an immediate jump into grad school was not for me. I have lived in Ithaca for my entire life (22 years) and my resume reads like a Cornell brochure: intern in this lab, research technician in that lab...

My current one-year position as a technician in an ecology lab will be up in June, and while I have no idea what I plan on doing with myself, I do have one rule set in stone: I've got to get out of here!

I've gotten all sorts of advice about what to do after college, and much of it along these lines: find someplace new and appealing to you, get out there, and make it work. Boulder is one of several communities that I know vaguely that come to mind. Boulder strikes me as an amazing place to live, given my leanings toward the great outdoors, liberal college communities, and semi-urban environments. I recognize that this is probably a "hip" opinion for someone in my position to hold, and that this is all most likely dripping with naivety from your perspective. So...

On a scale from "man, this kid is a dope" to "there's an opportunity worth exploring here," where do I stand? Does anyone have a similar story of up and moving after college (to Boulder or elsewhere,) or know someone who does, that ends either happily or disastrously? If I am willing to work hard in an entry level job related to ecology/the outdoors, are such positions promising or even available? If I am willing to take any old job-- retail, food service, etc-- could I live affordably? I have no objections to low-end housing and frugal living.

In other words, does Boulder either embrace or abhor people such as myself?

Thanks for any thoughtful response, and please tell it like it is.

[livecontent]

It seems to me that you do not really want to move out of your little comfort zone. You have lived in Ithaca, your whole life; you went to Cornell. Now you want to move to another similar city that is dominated by a university and has the same mix of residents.

I would suggest try something different and explore life. Maybe go to a bigger city, where universities students do not dominate the culture. Get, to see some of the other parts of life; see how other people view the world; see how other people work. Maybe go to an area with a more diverse economy---either big and small. Perhaps try your hand at a poorer and more challenged city.

I grew up in Western New York and I live near Denver; I know both cities--to me Boulder and Ithaca are just to similar in culture to allow you to really see life.

Or you can enlist in the Armed Forces.

Livecontent

[cornellgrad]

A valid observation and I appreciate the advice, though it's not what I'm looking for. If my short term goal were to gain worldly experience, then relocating to a city like my own would certainly be foolish. However, worldly experience is not necessarily on the top of my list, for better or worse. The similarities between Ithaca and Boulder are on the one hand limiting but on the other hand wonderful. I LOVE that Ithaca is a small, extremely progressive city, surrounded by beautiful natural areas-- to find these rare qualities elsewhere is not a reason to automatically avoid that place. While stepping out of your comfort zone can be an enriching experience, knowing what you love about your environment and maintaining it can be too. Armed forces? Not so much.

[sandycat]

hey, I say go for it. Boulder is a great place to live and if it weren't so darn expensive, we'd still be there. I think you need to consider cost of living. Will you be renting? Buying a house in Boulder is not doable with an entry level job. A run down 1970s ranch will cost about $400K in Boulder. Rent is high, but honestly, there is no place like it and I feel very fortunate to have been able to live there for 8 years.

[Stolicakes]

I am graduating this may from UNC chapel hill with a BS in Bio. My fiance and I are moving to the Boulder area mid June. He will be gioing to CU law in the fall and I hope to get a job at a biotech company while he's in school and then go to grad school myself after him. We are sooo excited about it. I say go for it too, but I guess I am bias.

We will be moving to Broomfeild as it is much cheaper than living in Boulder, but is an easy commute.

[Micktooth]

Boulder is awesome. My family and I moved to the area about 2 yrs ago and we love it. I've lived in NY,MI,TX and LA and this is by far the best place I've ever lived. Check out Craigslist craigslist: boulder classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events for some possible job openings. You will love it here!

[Katarina Witt]

On a scale from "man, this kid is a dope" to "there's an opportunity worth exploring here," where do I stand? Does anyone have a similar story of up and moving after college (to Boulder or elsewhere,) or know someone who does, that ends either happily or disastrously? If I am willing to work hard in an entry level job related to ecology/the outdoors, are such positions promising or even available?

They are hard to find and competitive. You should have a ton of savings to live on during your job search.

If I am willing to take any old job-- retail, food service, etc-- could I live affordably? I have no objections to low-end housing and frugal living.

It would be hard to live in Boulder on $10/hr or less. You would definitely need a roommate. Low-end housing is still pretty expensive in Boulder. For ex, my DD has a 2 BR, unfurnished apt there for $900/mo.

I am not saying don't do it, I'm offering a reality check. I tend to agree somewhat with livecontent, too. It's good for a person to seek some new experiences.

[CObound]

Coming from a fellow biology major...go to grad school now! What theY didn't tell me (and probably didn't tell you) in undergrad was that you have an awesome degree with which you can do awesome things....IF you get a grad degree. You won't find much work with just an undergrad bio degree and I can guarantee you that. Your salary will jump at least 3-fold if you go to grad school. Move where you want, but move where you can get a grad degree. I decided to go to pharmacy school right after undergrad and I am so thankful that I did. I will be done in a year and I have friends that I graduated with who are just now realizing that they want to go back to school...for physical therapy, law, med school...you name it, they are almost all going back to school. All I can think is that I will be done with school in just one more year (thank God) and they still have 3+ years to go. My brother's girlfriend majored in genetics in undergrad and never went on to grad school and she is now stuck working in a university lab and can't get away from the job (she likes the job, but she doesn't make any more than someone without a degree). Just a word of advice...so I hope it helps!!! P.S. I think Boulder would be awesome...or why don't you apply to the CU health sciences campus in Denver for grad school? You would be very close to Boulder!

[McGowdog]

You are very young. You've got that working for you. If I could encourage you to be patient about moving away from any resources you might have, such as family friends and connections... Look at the resources that are available to you now.

Job One for you now should be to land a decent job as soon as possible. Isn't there any way that your internship experience in Ithica could land you a permanent employment in your field? Maybe there is work for you in Boulder, but be open to looking at other areas in the Front Range. If you can consider grad school, which schools in Colorado would best support your field? Maybe CU is great? But what about the School of Mines or DU?

No matter where you go, insist that you take on employment that will be a stepping stone in the right direction. Don't settle for a job in any old field at this critical time. The iron is hot. Start thinking about what you want your resume to look like. If you don't seek a job in your related field now, it's gonna be harder down the road to get back on track. I'd consider moving anywhere that my skills are in demand, get about four years of work experience under my belt then you can relocate to where you want to be.

You'll still be pretty young in four or five years. Boulder will still be here.

Now is the time to get your career on track. If you can stick it out and continue your grad school now, you'll be thankful down the road. It certainly won't hurt your career down the road. If you can't afford it now, you may have to revisit it later.

I'm an Engineer. When I entered the job market in Denver back in 91, I had to take a job as an assembler. But that eventually turned into a tech job, then an engineering position. I did it the hard way. If I'd have gone out to the South Bay area, like Sunnyvale or Santa Clara back then...

See, would you rather have regrets about your career in your early 20s, or your early 40s?

Good luck on your promising career. Go ahead and dream big. But back it up with realistic and methodical planning.