[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by HockeyMom72

I was talking about NY. Sorry, I did not mention that. I have seen jobs posted for Paralegals in Manhattan where, yes, they pay a lot, but they advertise they want a MASTERS Degree. Why would you want to do that? You would be better off going to Law School instead and becoming an Attorney.

Yes, I have seen those ads in Florida for "Spanish bilingual preferred". That does worry me. But in the NYC ads, I have seen many ads which say "Cantonese, Korean (etc.) speakers preferred". Is THAT better? I took Spanish in school and could always brush up on it. But Korean??????

have a better chance in NY. The pay scale and environment/turnover in Florida is the reason. I had the same experience. When you get to Florida you will experience a whole new form of alienation- the "dime a dozen" syndrome.

Yes there are new law graduates being paid the same as paralegals. Most attys are PI or insurance defense so could care less about your education. You can brush up on your Spanish, but dont expect that to keep you at a decent firm.

Lastly, even "decent" placement agencies care only about their commissions because it is so hard for them to place someone who stays longer than 6 months at a firm. Auslin Legal staffing was a decent agency in Ft Lauderdale, my friend as attorney handled placement there- ended up moving back to Colorado because the market was so unprofessional.

[HockeyMom72]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

Soon to be retiring as a teacher from Pennsylvania, I truly appreciate the opportunities that I have been afforded the past 30 years. I have made a living wage with excellent benefits, a superb retirement plan, and opportunities to progress through the profession. There will be 1000's nationwide hoping for the chance to take my place. Who wouldn't? I was very fortunate not to have made the "boneheaded" move to relocate to the sunshine state years ago... sometimes sunshine and beaches can get in the way of common sense. Had I moved to Florida, I could not begin to think of retiring at age 55.

Teachers in Florida (as well as any individual in the public service), are markedly underpaid for the cost of Florida living. What is the incentive for being the best teacher, firefighter, policeman, paramedic, etc. when you cannot afford a decent home in a decent area? Many of the recommendations on this board seem to suggest opening one's own small business (and make a killing). The Walmarts and Home Depots of the world crush those opportunities when they recognize the profitability of your niche and become your neighbor.

Sad to say, but opportunities for middle class Florida may never grow until a system is devised to equitably spread the wealth or through unions. If not, your underpaid police will be deployed (in areas like Palm Beach, for example) to help protect the fortresses of your gated communities from the large masses of poor and desperate.

My daughter is graduating in May with a Childhood Education (1-6 grade) and a Minor in History degree. She did her student teaching in NYC and has sent out resumes to teach there. The starting salary for a new teacher in NYC is $51,000 with full benefits from day one. My husband lives in Naples and from what I have seen the cost of living there is about the same as NY. What is the salary for a starting teacher in Florida? No way, is it $51,000. Yet, they wonder why they cannot get or keep teachers, nurses, law enforcement, etc.? They advertise "Teach by the Beach" in our NY papers all the time. Maybe they will have to LIVE on the beach if they teach there. No, my daughter is making the right decision. I wish I had that kind of choice myself.

Well, hopefully it is only for a few years for me. From my lips to God's ears.

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by HockeyMom72

My daughter is graduating in May with a Childhood Education (1-6 grade) and a Minor in History degree. She did her student teaching in NYC and has sent out resumes to teach there. The starting salary for a new teacher in NYC is $51,000 with full benefits from day one. My husband lives in Naples and from what I have seen the cost of living there is about the same as NY. What is the salary for a starting teacher in Florida? No way, is it $51,000. Yet, they wonder why they cannot get or keep teachers, nurses, law enforcement, etc.? They advertise "Teach by the Beach" in our NY papers all the time. Maybe they will have to LIVE on the beach if they teach there. No, my daughter is making the right decision. I wish I had that kind of choice myself.

Well, hopefully it is only for a few years for me. From my lips to God's ears.

You are so right!. I worked with Fl state mediators (attorneys in Broward) they had (you will NOT believe this). A probation period of ONE year before you could get ANY benefits. They also paid MONTHLY, instead of bi-weekly. I also believe that JA's in NYC probably make 60k (at least); Not so in lovely Florida.

Of course NY has its problems, but at least your daughter has a secure position. If you are living there for a short period, just try and enjoy it. People just need to be aware of how poor the job market is in Florida before they come down. I know I wished I had a friend who told me!

sincerely,
sunny


sunny

[HockeyMom72]

Originally Posted by sunnyhelena

have a better chance in NY. The pay scale and environment/turnover in Florida is the reason. I had the same experience. When you get to Florida you will experience a whole new form of alienation- the "dime a dozen" syndrome.

Yes there are new law graduates being paid the same as paralegals. Most attys are PI or insurance defense so could care less about your education. You can brush up on your Spanish, but dont expect that to keep you at a decent firm.

Lastly, even "decent" placement agencies care only about their commissions because it is so hard for them to place someone who stays longer than 6 months at a firm. Auslin Legal staffing was a decent agency in Ft Lauderdale, my friend as attorney handled placement there- ended up moving back to Colorado because the market was so unprofessional.

As I stated, I never went into the legal field and don't intend to now.

[dreamofmonterey]

Hope it works out for you. You are going with your eyes open. That is a big plus!.

[Retiredcoach]

Originally Posted by HockeyMom72

My daughter is graduating in May with a Childhood Education (1-6 grade) and a Minor in History degree. She did her student teaching in NYC and has sent out resumes to teach there. The starting salary for a new teacher in NYC is $51,000 with full benefits from day one. My husband lives in Naples and from what I have seen the cost of living there is about the same as NY. What is the salary for a starting teacher in Florida? No way, is it $51,000. Yet, they wonder why they cannot get or keep teachers, nurses, law enforcement, etc.? They advertise "Teach by the Beach" in our NY papers all the time. Maybe they will have to LIVE on the beach if they teach there. No, my daughter is making the right decision. I wish I had that kind of choice myself.

Well, hopefully it is only for a few years for me. From my lips to God's ears.

My daughter will be graduating with her teaching degree in May 2008. It will take her close to twenty years to earn $51,000 in most areas of Florida. I hope that she finds a job in the cold...

[kort677]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

My daughter will be graduating with her teaching degree in May 2008. It will take her close to twenty years to earn $51,000 in most areas of Florida. I hope that she finds a job in the cold...

what all of you are missing is that these days people don't migrate to FLA to make a decent living, they come here after a career of making a good living elsewhere.
So if you think you're going to move here and make big bucks, it more than likely isn't going to happen unless you're extremely specialized. Jobs like cops teachers, service workers just don't garner high salaries here

[riveree]

Florida is so big, the job market can differ from city to city.

In Jax, we have a lot of jobs in the insurance, banking and legal industries. So if you have a degree in one of those fields, or job experience, you might find a well-paying position. In Orlando or Tampa or Miami, I imagine the face of the industries might be different, but it's probably the same story (decent pay can be found).

Remember too, in Florida, we have no state income tax, and at least in Jax no city income tax (not sure about the other cities), so that can make a big difference in net pay. Depending on the city in Florida you choose to live in, your housing costs may be more in line with your income as well.

It's also a quality of life issue. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love New York, but I think for myself, my quality of life is better in Florida, so I was willing to give up some pay for that.

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by riveree

Florida is so big, the job market can differ from city to city.

In Jax, we have a lot of jobs in the insurance, banking and legal industries. So if you have a degree in one of those fields, or job experience, you might find a well-paying position. In Orlando or Tampa or Miami, I imagine the face of the industries might be different, but it's probably the same story (decent pay can be found).

Remember too, in Florida, we have no state income tax, and at least in Jax no city income tax (not sure about the other cities), so that can make a big difference in net pay. Depending on the city in Florida you choose to live in, your housing costs may be more in line with your income as well.

It's also a quality of life issue. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love New York, but I think for myself, my quality of life is better in Florida, so I was willing to give up some pay for that.

Jax or Tampa may have a real job market. I cant speak for Jacksonville- if anyone knows I hope they will post too.

Decent pay and job stability cannot be found in S Florida. It simply doesnt exist.


s.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by sunnyhelena

Jax or Tampa may have a real job market. I cant speak for Jacksonville- if anyone knows I hope they will post too.

Decent pay and job stability cannot be found in S Florida. It simply doesnt exist.


s.

Jax is in pretty good shape and I haven't heard any complaints from friends in Tampa.

Job stability is another thing entirely...I think that is a problem nationwide. We really have to rely on ourselves these days, we have little to no value to our employers - we are expendable to them.