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Old 07-20-2008, 03:48 PM
 
Location: Logan, Utah
1 posts, read 4,420 times
Reputation: 10

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My husband and I have just about had it with the long winters of landlocked Utah (Logan), and we really like the idea of relocating to Florida in May upon graduation. I've lurked on these forums for quite some time, and I'm terrified of what I'm reading about the job prospects in Florida in general, with college graduates working at gas stations and whatnot.

My question is, are there any areas in Florida that *won't* be experiencing such poor employment prospects in the next year or two? Our degrees are in Physics and Environmental Engineering, so I'm especially concerned about the limited job market we may be facing.

I should mention that I'd like to stay away from the craziness that is south Florida, and I'm somewhat intimidated by the size of Tampa. I've visited the Panhandle and Daytona Beach areas, and they were particularly nice. I'm a small town girl at heart, but I know I have to go where the jobs are.

Any thoughts?
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Old 07-20-2008, 05:13 PM
 
5,500 posts, read 10,524,468 times
Reputation: 2303
I think the claims on here about jobs are more about those without a college degree or one in a useless field. I know various friends who got environmental engineering jobs right out of college in FL. You may have to stick to a bigger town like Tampa, Orlando, or Jax though.
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Old 07-21-2008, 12:43 AM
 
Location: So. Dak.
13,495 posts, read 37,454,401 times
Reputation: 15205
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatornation View Post
I think the claims on here about jobs are more about those without a college degree or one in a useless field. I know various friends who got environmental engineering jobs right out of college in FL. You may have to stick to a bigger town like Tampa, Orlando, or Jax though.
Your reply kind of perplexes me. Florida seems to have a lot of employment for people without degrees because it is a service-oriented state. It'd be strange for those people to complain that they aren't finding employment.

Holly, there is a thread about this on the "Tampa" subforum that you may be interested in. Some of the posts explain the employment situation in that part of the state.
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Old 07-21-2008, 05:29 AM
 
Location: Palm Coast, FL
58 posts, read 212,582 times
Reputation: 28
For a young person I would try Orlando. Lots of employment oppor. and also things to see and do. Check the Orlando paper for jobs on-line and that will give you an idea. The beaches are about an hr away in Daytona so not too far. Be sure to have a gas friendly car though.
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Old 07-21-2008, 06:22 AM
 
10,599 posts, read 17,905,940 times
Reputation: 17353
The idea of relocation is great but sometimes when you get here it has no semblance to what you imagined. If you haven't been here, I suggest you come and hang out a bit. Especially coming from the beautiful state of Utah, where the geography AND the people are very different. Palm trees only go so far....but it is fun to try new things I agree with you there.

You might want to read this thread for an interesting discussion about the uncertainty of say, life, real estate and wages here, where members were arguing IF there WAS even a bubble or bust a year ago....a debate that has now been settled lol

//www.city-data.com/forum/flori...tml#post872597
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Old 07-21-2008, 06:32 AM
 
17,537 posts, read 39,154,399 times
Reputation: 24289
Quote:
Originally Posted by HollyinUtah View Post
My husband and I have just about had it with the long winters of landlocked Utah (Logan), and we really like the idea of relocating to Florida in May upon graduation. I've lurked on these forums for quite some time, and I'm terrified of what I'm reading about the job prospects in Florida in general, with college graduates working at gas stations and whatnot.

My question is, are there any areas in Florida that *won't* be experiencing such poor employment prospects in the next year or two? Our degrees are in Physics and Environmental Engineering, so I'm especially concerned about the limited job market we may be facing.

I should mention that I'd like to stay away from the craziness that is south Florida, and I'm somewhat intimidated by the size of Tampa. I've visited the Panhandle and Daytona Beach areas, and they were particularly nice. I'm a small town girl at heart, but I know I have to go where the jobs are.

Any thoughts?
I would say you have better prospects than most in getting a decent job somewhere in Florida. The only thing is, you will need to be in one of our major cities (Tampa, Orlando, Jax or Miami). You could always live in a smaller suburb or town that is near enough to commute.

I recommend you check some of the major employment sites online to see where the jobs are, then visit the area in person. Sometimes the idea of something is better than the real thing. But since I assume you are young, just being out of college, I don't think it's that big a deal if you come here and decide you don't like it, I think you can probably easily get jobs elsewhere in your fields.

Good luck to you!
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Old 07-21-2008, 02:49 PM
 
5 posts, read 20,817 times
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I would agree with everyone who's suggested the more metro areas of FL: Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. They definitely have the best job markets, especially right now. If you are willing to commute a bit, you can still live in a quiet area & get a great job. Personally I'd leave Jax off the list; I'm living there now & I'd say job opportunities in general are pretty bad. If you've never looked at craigslist.com, its a great way to get an idea of the economics of a city: you can check job postings, apartment rentals or homes for sale, etc. And in FL, it definitely seems that to land a nice job that requires a college education, your best bet (again, excepting Jacksonville) is a college town. Service jobs are plentiful because tourism is a driving force here. I have a B.A. in English & have spent the years since college working retail w/many other college grads ... Also, I'd agree that if you haven't been to FL you need to visit, and check out the different areas on your list as best you can. Orlando would be a good central location for your trip, as Tampa and Jacksonville are an easy 2 hr drive away, and Daytona only about 45 min. Jacksonville has been nothing like I expected, especially considering it's a college town, but I absolutely LOVED living in Orlando.
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Old 07-21-2008, 03:40 PM
 
5,500 posts, read 10,524,468 times
Reputation: 2303
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jammie View Post
Your reply kind of perplexes me. Florida seems to have a lot of employment for people without degrees because it is a service-oriented state. It'd be strange for those people to complain that they aren't finding employment.

Holly, there is a thread about this on the "Tampa" subforum that you may be interested in. Some of the posts explain the employment situation in that part of the state.
There are many low paying service oriented jobs. I didn't say you couldn't find them, I meant the pay might not be great.
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Old 07-21-2008, 03:41 PM
 
5,500 posts, read 10,524,468 times
Reputation: 2303
Quote:
Originally Posted by NativeCutie View Post
I would agree with everyone who's suggested the more metro areas of FL: Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. They definitely have the best job markets, especially right now. If you are willing to commute a bit, you can still live in a quiet area & get a great job. Personally I'd leave Jax off the list; I'm living there now & I'd say job opportunities in general are pretty bad. If you've never looked at craigslist.com, its a great way to get an idea of the economics of a city: you can check job postings, apartment rentals or homes for sale, etc. And in FL, it definitely seems that to land a nice job that requires a college education, your best bet (again, excepting Jacksonville) is a college town. Service jobs are plentiful because tourism is a driving force here. I have a B.A. in English & have spent the years since college working retail w/many other college grads ... Also, I'd agree that if you haven't been to FL you need to visit, and check out the different areas on your list as best you can. Orlando would be a good central location for your trip, as Tampa and Jacksonville are an easy 2 hr drive away, and Daytona only about 45 min. Jacksonville has been nothing like I expected, especially considering it's a college town, but I absolutely LOVED living in Orlando.
I don't know anyone who thinks JAX is a college town. There are very few towns in FL where the college is the focal point.
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Old 07-21-2008, 04:29 PM
 
5 posts, read 20,817 times
Reputation: 10
I don't mean the traditional "college town", because I agree you don't really find this anywhere in FL. I just meant the literal, cities where more than one college or university is located, such as Tampa, Orlando, Jax. Being a town with colleges, if you prefer, obviously changes the area's demographics. I don't think it matters much if the college is a focal point.
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