Looking to relocate to Mississippi-Where are the jobs? (Jackson, Gulfport: sales, real estate)

[Alim741930]

I am from Milwaukee, WI ( a suburb of Chicago)..my fiance' and I are looking to relocate South for better weather and want to build a home? Could someone tell me what is the employment environment for Business Finance and Marketing professionals with a few yrs of experience

[jacksonian]

I would say that now is a great time to buy/build a house, but at the same time the job market is just like the rest of country, yet we seem to be less affected than the most of the country. It will be more difficult than usual to find a job, but not impossible by any means. There are businesses hiring - you just may need to take a less desirable position for now and keep an eye out for something more along what you really want to do. As for the strongest markets, I would say that the Jackson area and the Gulf Coast area are probably the best areas to look; also possibly areas in the north like Tupelo and Oxford and maybe Hattiesburg in the south.

[poptones]

Where I live (Winona) things are a bit less affected by the national economy. House haven't really plummeted and still sell they just may take a bit longer and businesses still need employees. I can't say I've seen too many businesses expanding lately, but I've not seen them shuttered like elsewhere. If you plan to live in a small town you may find surprises - materials are relatively cheap right now, but don't expect property prices to be bottoming out as they are in other markets.

[mswoodsrat]

For your kind of jobs: Jackson, Hattiesburg, Tupelo, Olive Branch. The gulf coast might work, however, the cost of living is high. Also, insurance in the lower six counties is very high since Katrina. I own homes south of Hwy 90 and north of Hattiesburg. The insurance rates don't compare. If you move to the gulf coast area, build north of I-10, the rates are better than south.

[jaxnbulldog]

It will be 100 degrees here today, with a "real feel" index of 105. There's no such thing as a "dry heat" in Mississippi, it's a "muggy heat". That's going to be somewhat of a shock to the system coming from "up Nawth". You might want to think about that.

[lookin4you777]

You may want to consider relocating to a larger city for the type jobs you are seeking. Cities such as New Orleans, Jackson, Baton Rouge......and the heat may be a really big factor for you as well. It's been 97 degree the past few days and with humidity factor that amounts to about 107 degree real feel. If you are not from the south you may not ever adjust to the climate here? I would suggest you try the federal government, state and city for job opportunities. There are several large federal operations along the coast with contractor hiring support as well. For federal jobs go to http://opm.gov/job_seekers/But (broken link) before you invest a lot of energy into applying for a federal make sure you understand the "area of consideration" and that you meet the education/experience qualifications. Filling our these applications can be time consuming. Some locations you might consider for jobs are Stennis Space Center -- Keesler Air Force Base, Pascagoula Ship Yard, Naval Construction Battalion Center (CBC), all on the Mississippi coast. Go to the Mississippi State Employment Center or go directly to the web sites for these locations. It is not always easy getting in but once you get in, you're in.

[2HHI]

The best area for you, I believe, would be DeSoto County or the Gulf Coast. DeSoto County is the first county south of Memphis as you enter the State of Mississippi. (DeSoto County is like a big Memphis suburb). You will be able to draw from a large city, which may mean better job opportunities, however, I am not that familiar with that part of the state other than knowing DeSoto county is the fastest, or was the fastest growning county in the state and one of the faster growning ones in the nation. I too am relocating to MS from Milwaukee and have a degree in marketing, mainly working in Real Estate sales and development. I have lived on the coast before, and will be returning there. I would suspect Finance, depending on what area of that, would be good on the Coast for mortgages, seeing the growth in building is due in part to Katrina. There are probably more opportunities for people like you there than other parts of the state. Most of MS, as I am sure you know, is rural, and other than the Coast, Jackson and DeSoto county, there is not alot of population that affords vast job opportunities. IMO, the weather, anywhere in the state is great! The beauty, variety of all things available, opportunity and uniqueness of MS is simply the best! Good luck, and it will be nice to see another cheesehead in the state!

[cia191630]

Originally Posted by lookin4you777

If you are not from the south you may not ever adjust to the climate here?

Wow...I'd like to shoot that theory down...I'm from MI and I can deal with the heat of the south, I actually love it, I love the deep south and won't move back home unless I absolutely have to...Just because you aren't from the south doesn't mean you won't adjust to the weather, you live somewhere long enough and you will adjust.

[blueman_fan1]

Run...run as fast as you can away from Mississippi! Down here near the coast=DEAD. Jobs are scarce. I was a Master Plumber in Virginia making a lot of money....I move here from temporary insanity and can't find a decent job in Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Hattiesburg, or even Mobile Alabama! I am currently delivering pizzas just to keep my power and water on! And it is freaking HOT here. Being from the north you will have a terrible time adjusting.

[jacksonian]

My wife's entire family is from Ohio and they live here in Jackson and love it. They tell me that a hot day in Mississippi is better than a cold day spent shoveling snow in Ohio. As for jobs, they actually made the move down here specifically for jobs. My wife is a teacher, her mother worked at a hospital (now has the luxury of not working), and her father works at the Nissan plant in Canton.

Just because you had/have a bad experience here in Mississippi doesn't mean everyone who moves here does. Maybe you should have moved to a more progressive city rather than a small town like Lucedale - nothing against Lucedale, but it sounds like it's not the place for you.