Relocating after getting associates degree (Portland, Eugene: renting, find a job, schools)

[Merrie-2013]

It was suggested in the past to go west, I am from Vermont and looking forward to getting away from the cold! I will be moving by myself and renting a room until I know where I want to settle down. I will be coming with an associates degree in accounting and am looking to furthering my education when I become a resident. I am looking for a place that is fairly safe and where I can start a family, I will be almost 40 when I move. I should also mention that I am interested in nearby coastal cities. I am worried about safety and cost of living. If anyone can give me some advice I would really appreciate it!

Thank you
Merrie

[hamellr]

Hi Merrie,

You're going to get some snarky comments because you're looking for things that don't exist in Oregon - just like a million other people who've come into this forum asking for the exact same thing. You can't have all of your wants and continue in school in Oregon. Coastal Oregon is sparsely populated and depends heavily on tourists. Due to it's distance from the I-5 corridor, prices are higher then you'd think they'd be, coupled with the demand tourists place on coast properties.

There are only a few community colleges on the coast, all are small and none offer anything past an Associates degree. Safety is pretty much everywhere in Oregon by most people's measure so you can drop that off the list. But COL is going to kill you, especially since you'll need to pay out of state tuition until you establish residency.

Your last big problem is going to be finding a job. It's not impossible, and it's certainly easier now then it was 3-4 years ago... but it's still not a slam dunk. Even with a degree. Getting jobs in Oregon is (usually) all about who you know. At least you've got an useful degree, although you really should have a few years of experience to back it up.

If continuing education is your dream, then you're pretty much going to be limited to Portland area and maybe Eugene. There are other schools but they're going to be comparatively expensive and I don't think they all offer accounting degrees.

If living on the coast is your dream, be prepared for long winters, and scrambling to find a job and making ends meet most of the year.

[Merrie-2013]

Thank you for your helpful response, I am doing lots of research right now and will continue to do so before making my decision.

[Nell Plotts]

Both U of O (Eugene) and Portland State U offer accounting programs. Phil Knight graduated from U of O's and taught at PSU. If either place is suitable for the poster I recommend Portland because there are more employment opportunities and when attaining a bachelor's degree there are auditing jobs in Portland (necessary to attain the hours required for a CPA).

[Steve Pickering]

Western is not that expensive. There are two colleges in Salem that let you take an Associates and turn it into a Bachelors in Business .

[Nell Plotts]

But if she wants to be an accountant (CPA) she needs a degree in accounting, not business.

I know, my DD is a CPA & CFO. Her degree was in finance from a selective program, she had to scramble to fill in the holes for the CPA exam.

The choice of schools should be driven by where the accounting firms recruit. There are few JR audit jobs in Salem or Eugene.