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I am hesitant about Raleigh because so much of the population is so well educated. I went to a state University in NJ that is a slightly above average academically, but does not have national recognition (2nd biggest college in NJ, but no D1 sports, minimal name recognition). It is definitely lower on the totem pole then schools like Duke and NC State. I have a Bachelors degree in Economics. Dont really see anything setting me apart from others (especially since my strong point is my work history, and that all happened in NJ).
Comparing the 2 areas, Raleigh area has around 50% college educated, compared to 22% in the Tampa area.
Do you think I would have difficulties starting a career in the Raleigh area? I will impress once hired, its just a matter of getting something started initially.
As you know, jobs are in short supply here. I wouldn't think where you went to school would be an issue - if you have a good career history of achievement as you have stated. As to whether or not it matters where your experience was gained, I don't expect it matters to the majority of employers. We are used to most folks being from somewhere else.
And yes, there are good schools here. But remember, many folks who graduate from them spread out across the country. It's not like they are here and are your main competition. Your competition is the many unemployed with more and less experience than you.
Don't sweat it. People who live here come from all over and have attended a wide spectrum of colleges. That doesn't really matter anyway. Work history will be a bigger factor no matter where you go.
I'm from NJ. I have a relative who went to Widener University in PA. Ever heard of it? Not many in NJ have. She has a six figure job in Jersey working for a fortune 500 company. College ranking is overemphasized in society IMO.
Last edited by North_Raleigh_Guy; 05-10-2010 at 10:07 PM..
Don't sweat it. People who live here come from all over and have attended a wide sectrum of colleges. That doesn't really matter anyway. Work history will be a bigger factor no matter where you go.
I'm from NJ. I have a relative who went to Widener University in PA. Ever heard of it? Not many in NJ have. She has a six figure job in Jersey working for a fortune 500 company. College ranking is overemphasized in society IMO.
Good to hear. I went to Montclair State. I worked as a CSR in a bank for a year and a half, but more recently i have run a warehouse for a small business in the area.
Would you really want to live somewhere where only 22% of the people are college educated? Plus the unemployment rate in Tampa is even worse than here.
Go with the city that suits you best and take it from there. For me, Tampa is too hot, for too long.
I have to agree about picking the Triangle ... While RTP attracts some top notch highly educated research folks, the three major Universities here have quite a few PhDs that you're not likely to be competing with for jobs. So the Triangle sometimes "appears" more educated than it is ...
I've also had a few 6-9 month assignments in Tampa over the years and the climate is not really to my taste. While July and August are pretty close in both places the Triangle does offer more in the way of all four seasons with a relatively mild winter ..
NRG also makes a good point about your degree. I've seen some folks that hire based on diplomas but I've personally not found that a consistent indicator of future performance.
Would you really want to live somewhere where only 22% of the people are college educated? Plus the unemployment rate in Tampa is even worse than here.
Go with the city that suits you best and take it from there. For me, Tampa is too hot, for too long.
I dont mind whether people went to college or not. Good company is good company regardless of their education or what they do for work.
Unemployment rate is an area of concern for sure, in both cities
I dont mind whether people went to college or not. Good company is good company regardless of their education or what they do for work.
Unemployment rate is an area of concern for sure, in both cities
While this is true, there are other considerations to think about if you've never lived in an area that suffers from brain drain like much of FL does, mostly due to the fact that it relies so heavily on the tourism industry and an unskilled, service oriented, underpaid workforce.
I lived most of my life in Miami which isn't known for its intelligent populace, and I can say that if you are an intelligent person who enjoys meaningful relationships and interactions with others, it does matter whether there are other intelligent people around you! I am not necessarily talking about education level or job title alone, and some people might think I sound snobbish, but if the majority of people are less intelligent than you, place more value on insignificant things than you do, and/or are not interested in the things you are, you're going to notice.
I noticed a big difference when I moved to Raleigh from Miami. It was much easier to find real friends with common interests and who can have intelligent conversations instead of obsessing about what celebrity did what with whom on South Beach last weekend, which club will let them in, or figuring out how to finance that Gucci purse. It also translated over to everything else, from driving, to littering, local politics and activism, sense of community and general attitude. I know I'm generalizing, but that has been my real world experience.
The only time in my life I encountered college bias was when I was interviewed by a local reporter for a feature story about something I'd done. I attended a small private college in the city I lived; the college was highly respected by locals, and that's where everyone went if they wanted to study my particular major. It is not a well-known college by any means.
The reporter, who had asked where I attended college, and who was originally from the NY/NJ area, snickered at my response and made some rude comment about how people in some areas "just don't know" good schools. Apparently, in his opinion, the only schools worth attending were the top-rated, well-known schools in other states.
I'd never encountered that kind of bias before or since.
So maybe worrying about the ranking of one's college is a NY/NJ thing.
But not here. So don't worry.
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Plus the unemployment rate in Tampa is even worse than here.
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