Considering moving to Phoenix after I graduate, currently a IT major, have some questions? (Scottsdale: hotel)

[K_turner92]

I graduate from my university next summer with a degree in Management Information Systems, I would like to know how is IT or IS in Phoenix?

What's the dating scene like for a young professional African American male?

I'm thinking of visiting in December, what are some things I should do and where should I go out at night (bars, clubs, strip clubs?)

[locolife]

There's a a lot of technology jobs here, the loop 101 corridor has companies with great IT companies from North Scottsdale all the way down to Chandler. I don't work in IT but the job prospects seem to vary based on what area you specialize in, I'd checkout LinkedIn and the companies websites to see if they line up with what you're going into.

Loop 101 Quickly Growing into Phoenix’s High Tech Highway | Arizona Builders Exchange

The singles scene seems alive and well to me any Friday or Saturday night in old town, Mill Ave or some parts of downtown Phoenix seems to be a lot of action. I don't spend a ton of time in bars other than sports bars anymore but in my 20's we never ran out of things to do. I'm sure others can chime in better than me on these things.

Good luck figuring it all out.

[dvxhd]

I can't speak for that industry because I don't work in it, thus haven't looked. However, you could do a mock job search, find jobs you would apply for and start mapping where these companies are. First, that will give you an idea of the overall market (just know that the holidays may not paint an accurate picture of available jobs), but second it will give you an idea of where they are. This would give you an idea of where you should look to live, and in terms of what you should do while here, exploring a potential neighborhood should be at the top of your list. For example, if my job were in North Scottsdale, I wouldn't live where I do now because that commute would take up far too much of my time. If you find a large concentration in one part of town, you can stay in a hotel in that area and get a feel for the neighborhood.

To address other questions, I've found dating to be a little harder here than other places, but it's also my mindset. I'm not into casual dating and won't consider someone unless our long-term goals are aligned. My biggest difficulty up until this past spring was that people either intended to relocate to another state, or wanted a more suburban or small town lifestyle than I want. It was more the former though, and you need to understand this town is inherently transient. Visiting in December is fine, but don't assume that weather is year-round like many others do. Bars depend on what your scene is. Dives? Upscale? Neighborhood? Themed? LGBT? Cigars? Nightclubs? Latin? Hip Hop? You need to share more about what your specific interests are. Someone recommended a bar to me, which I checked out and absolutely hated because it was beer only and uncomfortably small.

[Java Jolt]

A large percentage of the IT jobs are in the southeast valley, namely Chandler but there is expansion in other areas of the MSA too.

The Phoenix area is growing in this field but there is a lot of competition with California and even cities like Austin and Denver.

If you want to see how Phoenix ranks in the category of tech startups compared to other cities this is a good article to read. The Top 20 US Cities for Tech Startup Funding | Inc.com

[K_turner92]

Originally Posted by dvxhd

I can't speak for that industry because I don't work in it, thus haven't looked. However, you could do a mock job search, find jobs you would apply for and start mapping where these companies are. First, that will give you an idea of the overall market (just know that the holidays may not paint an accurate picture of available jobs), but second it will give you an idea of where they are. This would give you an idea of where you should look to live, and in terms of what you should do while here, exploring a potential neighborhood should be at the top of your list. For example, if my job were in North Scottsdale, I wouldn't live where I do now because that commute would take up far too much of my time. If you find a large concentration in one part of town, you can stay in a hotel in that area and get a feel for the neighborhood.

To address other questions, I've found dating to be a little harder here than other places, but it's also my mindset. I'm not into casual dating and won't consider someone unless our long-term goals are aligned. My biggest difficulty up until this past spring was that people either intended to relocate to another state, or wanted a more suburban or small town lifestyle than I want. It was more the former though, and you need to understand this town is inherently transient. Visiting in December is fine, but don't assume that weather is year-round like many others do. Bars depend on what your scene is. Dives? Upscale? Neighborhood? Themed? LGBT? Cigars? Nightclubs? Latin? Hip Hop? You need to share more about what your specific interests are. Someone recommended a bar to me, which I checked out and absolutely hated because it was beer only and uncomfortably small.

Place that has a large number of latin women to be honest lol, i'm not gay, nightclubs are ok, looking at upscale, hip hop or more mature, dress up themed places