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I am a 21 year old college student and I will be graduating with my MBA in accounting a year from now. A friend of mine and I am from a small town near Grand Rapids, MI and would really like to move south to a bigger city for a while after school. It seems like a lot of fun and a good way to start my career. I haven't done a ton of research, so I am just looking for some ideas about where to start. The ideal place would be warm, have a good job outlook for accounting/finance, and have a very good nightlife scene. I have spent my whole life in a smaller city and would like to go out and live a little (and find some warmer weather than Michigan), any suggestions?
What do you mean when you say "down south"? Are you referring to the actual southern U.S. or just anywhere south of Michigan that may be warmer?
Actually in the south, like florida, georgia, texas, arizona, new mexico, or california maybe. I am young and just looking to move to a city and have some fun for a year or two. I plan on starting my career in public accounting for a year or two, so for that time frame I would like to just get away for a while. It would be great if I could find some place that is warm year round (or at least not feet of snow like michigan) and has a fun nightlife.
Just looking for some input from people who have lived in these areas.
Actually in the south, like florida, georgia, texas, arizona, new mexico, or california maybe. I am young and just looking to move to a city and have some fun for a year or two. I plan on starting my career in public accounting for a year or two, so for that time frame I would like to just get away for a while. It would be great if I could find some place that is warm year round (or at least not feet of snow like michigan) and has a fun nightlife.
Just looking for some input from people who have lived in these areas.
Thanks
I would recommend the Atlanta area. The jobs here are some of the highest paying in the country and we are projected to rebound fast from the recession. Housing is cheap, weather is decent, many outdoor as well as indoor activities year round. We are 4 hours from the beach and 1.5 hours from the mountains. Just make sure you secure a position with a company before moving.
I've had positive experiences spending time in the Orlando, Atlanta, and Houston metro areas, but you'll definately have to research the job outlook wherever you may consider going.
I usually recommend New Orleans to anyone who asks where they can go to completely get away from their northern life (I'm here originally from the Chicago metro area). The people and culture are significantly different (I perceive it as an incredibly friendly and fun-loving place compared to the north), but the job market is probably only average, and the quality of life is tougher to judge. There's not really fancy high-rises or sleek public transportation, but there is good weather (relative to MI) and mid-range cost of living.
Thanks for all of the help! Houston, Tampa, and Atlanta were the three cities I had in mind when I first posted this so it is interesting to see two of the three come up. Houston seems like a lot of fun, warm weather, cheap cost of living, and decent for jobs. I will secure a job before I go anywhere, I don't dare to spend that much time and money moving somewhere without already having a job in place. I am still open to all ideas for cities. I would like to hear more about Atlanta, Houston, Tampa, and maybe Phoenix or Albuquerque? Again, I am really interested in a place with decent living expenses, job market, nightlife and warm weather!
Well, Atlanta certainly fits everything you are asking for. All of the large accounting firms have regional headquarters (for the SE) here, along with a few large local accounting firms.
If you have particular questions, there are a lot of helpful members in the Atlanta sub-forum.
As an aside, there are a LOT of ex-Michiganders here, including my other half (Kalamazoo). I have friends from Grand Rapids, K'zoo, Niles, Benton Harbor, Portage, Flint, etc. You won't get too homesick around here, that's for sure!
I'll throw in my own city as well. Charlotte will be in much better shape a year from now than it is right now and is a popular option for college graduates.
I am also from Michigan and relocating to Georia (ATL). I'm tired of Michigan and need a new start. I'm leaving early January 2011 if anyone wants to move with me. (it's more cost efficient).
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