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What kind of job prospects can you expect with the Western Texas region? How sparsely populated is the area? What are some of the better cities in western Texas?
Some might consider west Texas begins at Sweetwater, some in Fort Worth, but that's only along I-20. The view along I-10 is waaayyyy different, at least until they merge. If you're headed that way you probly want to have a future lined up otherwise you're not likely to get the one you expect.
As far as cities, you have a size in mind? There's Midland, Odessa, El Paso and smaller.
There is a general lack of consensus regarding the boundaries that separate East Texas and West Texas. Walter Prescott Webb, the American historian and geographer, suggested that the 98th meridian west separates East and West Texas. The Texas writer A.C. Greene proposed that West Texas extends west of the Brazos River. Perhaps, the truth is that there is no distinct line that separates East and West Texas. Rather, there are places that are clearly in West Texas and there are places that are clearly in East Texas, and then there are places that fall within a transitional zone between these two regions.
It's all preliminary, I'm not even sure Texas is for me, I'm hoping this site would help me find out. I always thought El Paso sounded appealing, but I wouldn't rule out anything, particularly the Trans-Pecos. How about prospects for a business major?
Most Texans wouldn't really think of El Paso as West Texas. El Paso is really a border city and culturally it is really almost more a part of New Mexico. Or more specifically, the Las Cruces New Mexico/El Paso border region is really one region. The city of El Paso is about 90% Hispanic and most of the non-Hispanics in El Paso are probably there for Fort Bliss, the large Army Post just outside the city. I'm not telling you not to go to El Paso. But it is something of an insular place and not where I'd chose to start out, especially as a business major.
Frankly, unless you are in the oil and gas business, you'll probably find the job and business prospects better in say Fort Worth, which is the most western-feeling of the major cities in Texas. Houston would be the most eastern-feeling.
PS, there is a town north of Waco called West. So here in Central Texas there are a lot of people who might think you are talking about the town named West Texas rather than the region of West Texas if you don't specify.
Most Texans wouldn't really think of El Paso as West Texas. El Paso is really a border city and culturally it is really almost more a part of New Mexico. Or more specifically, the Las Cruces New Mexico/El Paso border region is really one region. The city of El Paso is about 90% Hispanic and most of the non-Hispanics in El Paso are probably there for Fort Bliss, the large Army Post just outside the city. I'm not telling you not to go to El Paso. But it is something of an insular place and not where I'd chose to start out, especially as a business major.
Frankly, unless you are in the oil and gas business, you'll probably find the job and business prospects better in say Fort Worth, which is the most western-feeling of the major cities in Texas. Houston would be the most eastern-feeling.
PS, there is a town north of Waco called West. So here in Central Texas there are a lot of people who might think you are talking about the town named West Texas rather than the region of West Texas if you don't specify.
Well, I figure that I could use El Paso as a hometown while the stereotypical Western Texas region you speak of could be more of like a weekend 'adventure' thing, because I'm very big into deserts and scenic beauty, plus I think I might be able to get into hunting. Would the commute be feasible for spending a weekend in Western Texas and getting back into El Paso for the weekday? New Mexico interests me as well, so it sounds like a two-for-one deal.
Fort Worth seems a little far from my ideal western United States outlook, but I'll definitely look into it. According to Wikipedia, El Paso is home to more than 70 of the Fortune 500 companies. What makes the prospects for a business major so low?
I edited my original post to refer to the region specifically, thanks for the tip!
You'd be interested in the Big Bend area then. I understand it gets really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter and that the best time to visit would be fall or spring.
Also bear in mind, from Abilene, along I-20 to El Paso is 444 miles.
texasdiver, I thought about the West, Texas reference also but decided from the concept that it really didn't fit, but you're right, plenty just don't recognize that.
Well, I figure that I could use El Paso as a hometown while the stereotypical Western Texas region you speak of could be more of like a weekend 'adventure' thing, because I'm very big into deserts and scenic beauty, plus I think I might be able to get into hunting. Would the commute be feasible for spending a weekend in Western Texas and getting back into El Paso for the weekday? New Mexico interests me as well, so it sounds like a two-for-one deal.
Fort Worth seems a little far from my ideal western United States outlook, but I'll definitely look into it. According to Wikipedia, El Paso is home to more than 70 of the Fortune 500 companies. What makes the prospects for a business major so low?
If you are into deserts and scenic beauty then you should be looking into New Mexico. Albuquerque is where I'd be looking, not any city in Texas. The desert is prettier there and there are actual mountains. The southern Rockies to exact. I'd much rather be a young single guy in Albuquerque than El Paso. And the recreational opportunities outside Albuquerque are much better.
As for El Paso. Unless you are bilingual you'll be at a disadvantage. The whole city is bilingual. It is also somewhat insular in the sense that if you are an Anglo outsider you'll be at something of a disadvantage when interviewing for work. Albuquerque and the other cities in Texas are likely to be friendlier places for a newcomer to get established. But don't take my word for it. Take a road trip and go see for yourself.
Oh, and there's no way that 70 fortune 500 companies are headquartered in El Paso. Perhaps 70 have a presence there in the sense that they have an office. But that could be said of many cities. Here in Waco we have FEDEX, UPS, American Airlines, McDonalds, Wal-Mart, a Coca Cola bottling plant etc etc. There are probably 70 fortune 500 companies here too.
Well, I figure that I could use El Paso as a hometown while the stereotypical Western Texas region you speak of could be more of like a weekend 'adventure' thing, because I'm very big into deserts and scenic beauty, plus I think I might be able to get into hunting. Would the commute be feasible for spending a weekend in Western Texas and getting back into El Paso for the weekday? New Mexico interests me as well, so it sounds like a two-for-one deal.
Fort Worth seems a little far from my ideal western United States outlook, but I'll definitely look into it. According to Wikipedia, El Paso is home to more than 70 of the Fortune 500 companies. What makes the prospects for a business major so low?
I edited my original post to refer to the region specifically, thanks for the tip!
And most of all, thanks for the help!
I own property in the Pecos, TX area and I try to visit at least twice a year. I'm originally from the Houston area. Of all of the posts on this thread so far, I would say that texasdiver is most on par with my own thoughts.
Simply put, except for UTEP, Ft. Bliss and the Border Patrol, there are no jobs in El Paso. This should serve as a rough guide--
Echostar is the only major non-government employer. Yeah, there's Wal-Mart, but we're not going to count that.
You're more than welcome to move there, I'm not going to stop you. It's a free country, right? However, I could say what I would do, and quite frankly, unless I have serious connections/ties to that area, I wouldn't go.
Someone did mention that EP is almost entirely bilingual. Save the military population and dependents, that is correct.
El Paso is a grand place to retire, visit, go to school, IMHO, but there's really no native industry there that makes money. El Paso is basically an overgrown military town with a university on the side. You have the rest -- Austin (govt., education, computers) , Dallas (telecoms., defense, computers), Houston (energy, NASA, and medicine)
BTW, I don't think a business degree means jack without connections. Personality and who you know are key. If you do have a business degree, I think you should focus on building connections/ties in the area that you are most familiar with. With the job market today, I don't think it's practical to just plop down in the middle of place X and then go looking for a job. I would have that arranged before you move.
Last edited by Alphalogica; 02-09-2010 at 12:35 AM..
You'd be interested in the Big Bend area then. I understand it gets really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter and that the best time to visit would be fall or spring.
Also bear in mind, from Abilene, along I-20 to El Paso is 444 miles.
texasdiver, I thought about the West, Texas reference also but decided from the concept that it really didn't fit, but you're right, plenty just don't recognize that.
What about I-10 and US 90?
Quote:
Originally Posted by texasdiver
If you are into deserts and scenic beauty then you should be looking into New Mexico. Albuquerque is where I'd be looking, not any city in Texas. The desert is prettier there and there are actual mountains. The southern Rockies to exact. I'd much rather be a young single guy in Albuquerque than El Paso. And the recreational opportunities outside Albuquerque are much better.
As for El Paso. Unless you are bilingual you'll be at a disadvantage. The whole city is bilingual. It is also somewhat insular in the sense that if you are an Anglo outsider you'll be at something of a disadvantage when interviewing for work. Albuquerque and the other cities in Texas are likely to be friendlier places for a newcomer to get established. But don't take my word for it. Take a road trip and go see for yourself.
Oh, and there's no way that 70 fortune 500 companies are headquartered in El Paso. Perhaps 70 have a presence there in the sense that they have an office. But that could be said of many cities. Here in Waco we have FEDEX, UPS, American Airlines, McDonalds, Wal-Mart, a Coca Cola bottling plant etc etc. There are probably 70 fortune 500 companies here too.
Yep, I've been looking into New Mexico as well, just trying to get a feel for what Texas would be like. As for speaking Spanish, I took 3 years of it in high school, though I don't know if that would adequately prepare me or not. Why are WE expected to learn a different language to live in a city in our own country?
So if El Paso is so unfriendly to new faces, are most of the people that live there descendants of the original population?
Not headquartered, just offices. I'm still not clear why the job prospects would be so bad there, but I'll take the word of someone who knows what they're talking about I guess. Then again, I would choose living location over ideal job any day of the week. Wal-Mart in El Paso sounds better than CEO in New York in my opinion.
I own property in the Pecos, TX area and I try to visit at least twice a year. I'm originally from the Houston area. Of all of the posts on this thread so far, I would say that texasdiver is most on par with my own thoughts.
Simply put, except for UTEP, Ft. Bliss and the Border Patrol, there are no jobs in El Paso. This should serve as a rough guide--
Echostar is the only major non-government employer. Yeah, there's Wal-Mart, but we're not going to count that.
You're more than welcome to move there, I'm not going to stop you. It's a free country, right? However, I could say what I would do, and quite frankly, unless I have serious connections/ties to that area, I wouldn't go.
Someone did mention that EP is almost entirely bilingual. Save the military population and dependents, that is correct.
El Paso is a grand place to retire, visit, go to school, IMHO, but there's really no native industry there that makes money. El Paso is basically an overgrown military town with a university on the side. You have the rest -- Austin (govt., education, computers) , Dallas (telecoms., defense, computers), Houston (energy, NASA, and medicine)
BTW, I don't think a business degree means jack without connections. Personality and who you know are key. If you do have a business degree, I think you should focus on building connections/ties in the area that you are most familiar with. With the job market today, I don't think it's practical to just plop down in the middle of place X and then go looking for a job. I would have that arranged before you move.
Well, I decided long ago that I'm not going to settle for a place to live just because a company asks me to nor am I going to do it for a larger salary. I don't consider a business degree a badge of honor or something sacred that only I'm capable of achieving, I'm just stating it as is so as to inquire what I could expect in El Paso (not much, apparently).
None of the other major Texas cities sound appealing to me to be honest, I'd much rather just skip Texas and move further out west if El Paso doesn't have what I'm looking for.
Not sure if this means anything, seeing as it's dated now, but this is what Wikipedia had to say about it:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiki
Analysts in the area say that job growth in 2005 will be in the form of health care, business and trade services, international trade, and telecommunications.
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Would the commute be feasible for spending a weekend in Western Texas and getting back into El Paso for the weekday? New Mexico interests me as well, so it sounds like a two-for-one deal.
