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I am someone considering relocating and I am fresh out of college.
I am mulling over a few places, but look at this for example:
Tampa Florida, 26% rate of bachelors degree or higher among adults. Raleigh NC, 46% rate of bachelors degree or higher.
And these are stats for the metro area, not just the city.
People say there are better, well paying jobs when you have a higher concentration of the college educated workers. But on the other hand, arent you just one of many college grads looking for work/promotions?
I am thinking an area with a lower amount of college educated people might make you more of a "big fish in a little pond".
Or does it just not matter at all if your in a major city like these two?
In the less educated cities. They will not value your degree. They appreciate work experience and who you know as #1.
The cities with more degrees is a double edged problem. You will be regarded as successful contingent on your GPA. However, you will be up against everyone else that has a degree. Another important factor is who you know. If you have a lot of friends that work at "fill in the blank store"...then you are more likely to get a job there.
HI met someone last year who relocated to Tampa-St. Pete. She like living in St. Pete, esp. Considering her Master's degree is uncommon down there, so her salary is good in an otherwise low-paying metro. Not sure if an advanced degree in her field is so uncommon, or a Master's degree in general.
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At the risk of being considered rude, as you probably know, it's "if YOU'RE a college graduate/"...if YOU'RE in a major city..." Probably a simple oversight on your part (I catch myself with the same oversights at times but not at other times?). Grammar is a pet peeve for me. I sure hope I didn't misspell anything after correcting you! Your vs. you're is often overlooked, that's for sure!
HI met someone last year who relocated to Tampa-St. Pete. She like living in St. Pete, esp. Considering her Master's degree is uncommon down there, so her salary is good in an otherwise low-paying metro. Not sure if an advanced degree in her field is so uncommon, or a Master's degree in general.
.........
At the risk of being considered rude, as you probably know, it's "if YOU'RE a college graduate/"...if YOU'RE in a major city..." Probably a simple oversight on your part (I catch myself with the same oversights at times but not at other times?). Grammar is a pet peeve for me. I sure hope I didn't misspell anything after correcting you! Your vs. you're is often overlooked, that's for sure!
Well I am glad that your friend is doing well for herself.
As for the grammar lesson, yes, I am aware. I do not proofread informal message like these very well. There/their/they're is another common error I post. A pet peeve of mine is when people give me grammar lessons on the internet
I think you have to look at more than just that one stat, of how many graduates live in the area.
You also need to look at what the primary industries are in that city. Do they require a college degrees?
Raleigh is part of the Research Triangle and so obviously is an area that will not only have more college graduates but also more jobs that require a college degree. In fact, most of the jobs that require a degree will require an advanced degree. A mere bachelor's degree in the Triangle is almost akin to no degree at all. So that statistic is not really depicting the likelihood that you would be able to get a job with just an undergraduate degree.
Marine manufacturing meanwhile is a big part of Tampa's economy. Those jobs may not require a college degree but they will require highly technical skills--for which a college degree will never be a substitute. You could consider yourself a 'big fish in a small pond' intellectually, but that doesn't necessarily mean you are more likely to get a job because of your degree.
Also, Raleigh's metro area unemployment rate is about 9%, by the most recent numbers. Tampa's meanwhile is over 13%. A much higher unemployment rate will likely mean it is harder to get any kind of job in that city, although of course the overall rate needs to be studied for industry variables. Raleigh's low unemployment rate may be reflective of hiring in the academic sector only, unemployment may be much higher for anyone outside of academia. You'll have to do that research yourself.
Degree-holding population alone is not enough to accurately assess your ability to get a job in an particular location.
I am someone considering relocating and I am fresh out of college.
I am mulling over a few places, but look at this for example:
Tampa Florida, 26% rate of bachelors degree or higher among adults. Raleigh NC, 46% rate of bachelors degree or higher.
And these are stats for the metro area, not just the city.
People say there are better, well paying jobs when you have a higher concentration of the college educated workers. But on the other hand, arent you just one of many college grads looking for work/promotions?
I am thinking an area with a lower amount of college educated people might make you more of a "big fish in a little pond".
Or does it just not matter at all if your in a major city like these two?
No, if you try a city or place with fewer college graduates they will not want yours either. Do you want to be the only college graduate competing with a bunch of high school dropout redneck hillbillies for the same job because there won't BE any that really require a college degree?! I thought of New Mexico for the same reason: Las Cruces school district is hiring substitute teachers. BUT: New Mexico in general doesn't value education. I get treated as if I look like high school dropout ghetto trash **** everywhere I go. Especially around other minorities.
I'm not saying that being around 45% other college graduates like yourself, is any better for your chances of getting a job; but you'll feel better being around other people like yourself going through the same thing you're going through. In areas with few college graduates and no regard for higher education, you will generally get treated like you think too highly of yourself just because you went to college and no one else around you did. Trust me, you didn't go to college to be treated like THAT.
Tampa Florida, 26% rate of bachelors degree or higher among adults. Raleigh NC, 46% rate of bachelors degree or higher.
Hmmm... so when you're laid off you'll have a higher likelihood of finding a good chess game or book club to keep you occupied in Raleigh rather than Tampa?
A higher rate of college graduates will hopefully mean a higher rate of jobs that require a college degree and employers that value educated workers.
I live in an area with a lower average of educational attainment and it's basically a situation where more education lowers the job opportunities because people don't want to hire someone "overqualified."
The few jobs where education is required are senior level jobs that require several years of experience. If I were a new grad I would try areas that have higher levels of education attainment, and of course would also see what type of jobs were available in the area.
In areas with few college graduates and no regard for higher education, you will generally get treated like you think too highly of yourself just because you went to college and no one else around you did. Trust me, you didn't go to college to be treated like THAT.
Depends on the company you work for in a city. I am in San Antonio, Texas, a low educational attainment city but many of my co workers have degrees because of our industry (non profit) but in other industries, I would probably be made to feel not so great about my education. At least according to my other college degree friends who work in other industries in S.A.
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