Job Offer - Does Anyone Know About These Cities

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http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/09/ci...-forbeslife-cx_mw_0709youngprofessionals.html

Based on that guide, St. Paul would be a good location to go to. As would Arlington (near D.C.), which are ranked 5th and 6th respectively. Atlanta was 17th and Denver 20th. Portland was 21. Phoenix is at 31. Salt Lake is 36.

There are some places I wouldn't mind living (Pittsburgh) that I know the company won't expand to, and others (Austin, Honolulu, Columbus) that I wouldn't mind and think they would like to expand to (again, state capitals are where they end up).

Of course these types of guides are probably crap, but it's interesting to look around and see what's out there.
 
you've mentioned hawaii a few times....while honolulu sounds ideal, you might get "island fever". one of my buddies lived there for his medical residency and was considering staying there....while I was out there I just kept on asking if he really wanted to get stuck on the island...where he'd make ok money but never really get ahead.....the thing is, you're so confined on the island after a while you crave a real city. you can only be a beach bum for so long. the pace of everythign is kind of slow...makes you not really want to be a go-getter type.

I'd love to live in hawaii...as a second residence...that's about it though.

and living in the midwest, at least to me, would suck...those midwest, hick cities.

I'd actually love to go back and live in PDX one day though. LA isn't all that to live in...but its work right now. I don't like going out here all that much any more..i'm actually really really sick of nightlife here...usually try to go out of town (usually vegas in the summer) to party up. that's the thing, if you have some $$$, you can always travel to overcome the boredom of the weekdays. Plus, with the internet, its easy to keep up with shit you normally wouldn't be able to now.
 
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AgentDrazenPetrovic said:
Baton Rouge seemed depressing. only passed though while driving to Mardi Gras but it seemed kind of small time to be honest. You might be tired of the "scene" and "cliques" in the types of nightlifes in AZ...much of the same shit is in vegas...very money-centric..very superficial. the agressiveness of people in general may not click with you really.

you should accept it...good to make as much cash as you possibly can right away out of college, the other shit like quality of life...deal with in a few years.

its not like you're going to spend your whole life there anyways.
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Yeah, I joined a fraternity in college and tried to "fit in", when it really wasn't me. I was always the more introverted nerd than the cocky jock, and I regret trying to change who I am to some extent. I can get tired of the superficial stuff, cliques, pretty quickly like you mentioned. But I understand those type of people, as I have been around some guys who, if you didn't know better, were from that sort of area or scene. Very pretentious. The kind that will lease a really nice car that they can barely afford (or using parent's money) to demonstrate their wealth.

Baton Rouge has nearly a half-million people, but I've never been there so I don't know how "small-time" it is. I actually think it would be a pretty interesting place to live and work for a few years. I'd prefer to not be in the south, but it is one of a few places down there (another is Austin) that I would be open to.

To be honest I didn't even realize Scottsdale was a location until I posted this and someone pointed it out. Before I was looking at Madison, St. Paul, and Denver. Arlington and Baton Rouge are also good in my opinion. So when I talk with them I'll have to mention those places and see if they can try to get me there as opposed to a Charleston or Salt Lake.
 
AgentDrazenPetrovic said:
you've mentioned hawaii a few times....while honolulu sounds ideal, you might get "island fever". one of my buddies lived there for his medical residency and was considering staying there....while I was out there I just kept on asking if he really wanted to get stuck on the island...where he'd make ok money but never really get ahead.....the thing is, you're so confined on the island after a while you crave a real city. you can only be a beach bum for so long. the pace of everythign is kind of slow...makes you not really want to be a go-getter type.

I'd love to live in hawaii...as a second residence...that's about it though.
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My mom and her fiance are thinking about getting a place there, but they're in retirement mode and would be there in the winter, and back in Oregon in the summer. Hawaii would be good for a few years I would think though. If not now, maybe at a different point in life too. It's all speculative anyways, as they aren't a location (although there are a few clients in the Caribbean). Short term I think I'll have to go with my previously mentioned preferences.
 
AgentDrazenPetrovic said:
and living in the midwest, at least to me, would suck...those midwest, hick cities.
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Bismarck is an example of a place I wouldn't be thrilled about going to. I never thought about moving to Minnesota or Wisconsin before, but that may be where I end up. Or Louisiana. Weird how things work out.

Most of those Midwest cities are really small also, too small for my tastes. I'd like at least 150k people where I'm going I think. That's a far minimum too.
 
Well I'm going to be accepting the job and roll the dice, hopefully I'll end up some place nice. I had a phone interview with another good company in Portland today, but they couldn't match the salary and benefits of this other company. It feels good to set a high precedent on my salary history with $65,000 right out of college. Now I hope I end up in a large enough location that I can watch the Blazers play a couple of times a year.
 
BalancedMan said:
Bismarck is an example of a place I wouldn't be thrilled about going to. I never thought about moving to Minnesota or Wisconsin before, but that may be where I end up. Or Louisiana. Weird how things work out.

Most of those Midwest cities are really small also, too small for my tastes. I'd like at least 150k people where I'm going I think. That's a far minimum too.
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Is the salary dependent on where you end up, like cost-of-living adjusted? Because if not, that $70K salary could set you up like a king in some of those cities, whereas it wouldn't go nearly as far in big cities.
 
Minstrel said:
Is the salary dependent on where you end up, like cost-of-living adjusted? Because if not, that $70K salary could set you up like a king in some of those cities, whereas it wouldn't go nearly as far in big cities.
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On paper, it's actually $64k but with good benefits (for example, they pay the full insurance premiums, etc.) and overtime pay for anything more than 40 hr/wk which I'm sure will happen at some point. It's not location adjusted, so the one benefit to going to a smaller location would certainly be that the money goes further.

I'm going to try and purchase a house to get in on the $15k tax credit this year.
 
BalancedMan said:
On paper, it's actually $64k but with good benefits (for example, they pay the full insurance premiums, etc.) and overtime pay for anything more than 40 hr/wk which I'm sure will happen at some point. It's not location adjusted, so the one benefit to going to a smaller location would certainly be that the money goes further.

I'm going to try and purchase a house to get in on the $15k tax credit this year.
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Cool. Great time to buy a house, I'd imagine. Even if you don't plan on settling down there, chances are pretty good that the value will appreciate from current levels by the time you want to pull up stakes and move.
 
BalancedMan said:
On paper, it's actually $64k but with good benefits (for example, they pay the full insurance premiums, etc.) and overtime pay for anything more than 40 hr/wk which I'm sure will happen at some point. It's not location adjusted, so the one benefit to going to a smaller location would certainly be that the money goes further.

I'm going to try and purchase a house to get in on the $15k tax credit this year.
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Do you have 20% down, and are you willing to spend that now? If I were you, I would rent and horde money right now until you can find an awesome deal. At about 65k, you could probably afford a 250k-300k house or so and "keep afloat" (probably more doable on the 200k-250k houses though), but you'd need 40-60k in cash as a down payment right off the bat. factor in property taxes, interest, maintenance, HOAs, etc and home ownership is less attractive than simply writing a check every month and not worrying about it...esp. if you're unsure about the area. Last thing you'd want is having a house in an area you don't like. I would only advocate buying a house if you truly want to live in the house for a minimum of 5-6 years.

Just rent for a few years, enjoy having disposible income and have a year+ worth of money in the bank for emergency.
 
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AgentDrazenPetrovic said:
Do you have 20% down, and are you willing to spend that now? If I were you, I would rent and horde money right now until you can find an awesome deal. At about 65k, you could probably afford a 250k-300k house or so and "keep afloat" (probably more doable on the 200k-250k houses though), but you'd need 40-60k in cash as a down payment right off the bat. factor in property taxes, interest, maintenance, HOAs, etc and home ownership is less attractive than simply writing a check every month and not worrying about it...esp. if you're unsure about the area. Last thing you'd want is having a house in an area you don't like. I would only advocate buying a house if you truly want to live in the house for a minimum of 5-6 years.

Just rent for a few years, enjoy having disposible income and have a year+ worth of money in the bank for emergency.
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True, and that could be a plan depending on the situation. But I'd like to take advantage of the $15,000 dollar tax credit available this year. For me it's essentially like I would be saving all the money I'd be paying in taxes, and turning it into part of the equity in a house. If my parents can move some property they are selling, they will be able to loan me whatever money I need for a down payment. Otherwise, I'll have to get creative. Buy a foreclosed home (or apartment/condo in a city!) so that way I buy an undervalued home and take advantage of the tax credit.

I wouldn't mind renting...in fact I would prefer to have roommates for the social aspect of having "built in friends" and also being able to split the cost of a nicer location. A while back I was browsing Craigslist and there was a posting from three professional men in their mid-twenties who wanted a roommate to share a top-floor penthouse on Nob Hill. With my income I wouldn't mind living it up a little like that, especially if I can find a good location. But I also need to consider how I can financially help myself long term, and I plan to throw a lot of my money and investments into real-estate. It's usually a pretty stable investment that will go up in price (they aren't making more land) and pays a great "dividend" in the form of monthly rent checks.
 
well, ideally. right now..not so much. but I'm usually contrarian in nature...do the opposite of whatever's the trend.
 
I live in the twin cities and fargo.

Bismarck - Forget it man. Boring ass place. horrible. Forget it

St. Paul - A lot of people bash the twin cities, me included, but then when people come here they end up loving it. I'ts a cool place, as long as you can deal with cold weather and snow. Thats my two cents
 
dpc said:
I live in the twin cities and fargo.

Bismarck - Forget it man. Boring ass place. horrible. Forget it

St. Paul - A lot of people bash the twin cities, me included, but then when people come here they end up loving it. I'ts a cool place, as long as you can deal with cold weather and snow. Thats my two cents
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Yeah, but a job is a job, and I figure that if I do well, I'll be able to move to a new location in a few years if I don't like where I am first placed. Granted, Bismarck is about as low on the list as you can get. In my mind there are about a half-dozen of the places that I wouldn't mind, so it depends on where they need people. I'm sure I'll make it work regardless.

I've never been to Madison, but I'm actually kind of pulling for that. I think the size of the city and the strong college presence would really fit well with me. We'll just have to see.
 
Minstrel said:
Is the salary dependent on where you end up, like cost-of-living adjusted? Because if not, that $70K salary could set you up like a king in some of those cities, whereas it wouldn't go nearly as far in big cities.
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Total :check: The wife and I are a couple of years and a little higher salary older than you, and loved visiting Arlington/DC/Crystal City (if you're single I think you would too) but the CoL was really darn high.

Charleston, WV is a college town, I've visited a couple of times. IIRC you're about an hour from Pittsburgh, but 70k would have you rolling there.
 
BalancedMan said:
Yeah, but a job is a job, and I figure that if I do well, I'll be able to move to a new location in a few years if I don't like where I am first placed. Granted, Bismarck is about as low on the list as you can get. In my mind there are about a half-dozen of the places that I wouldn't mind, so it depends on where they need people. I'm sure I'll make it work regardless.

I've never been to Madison, but I'm actually kind of pulling for that. I think the size of the city and the strong college presence would really fit well with me. We'll just have to see.
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Never been to Madison, but one of my best friends is from there and loves it. Talks about it constantly. I know I guess i gave you no info about the city but just syaing.
 
BrianFromWA said:
Total :check: The wife and I are a couple of years and a little higher salary older than you, and loved visiting Arlington/DC/Crystal City (if you're single I think you would too) but the CoL was really darn high.

Charleston, WV is a college town, I've visited a couple of times. IIRC you're about an hour from Pittsburgh, but 70k would have you rolling there.
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University of Charleston only has like 1000 students, so it isn't a college town (you might be thinking of College of Charleston, in South Carolina). It is the state capital, as all the locations are though.

I was actually born in Washington D.C. and have relatives that live in the area, so it would be nice from that perspective, as well as the fact that there are a lot of other job opportunities if something were to happen. But I'm not a huge fan of the weather there, and the cost of living is high.

I don't think I'll have much of a say in the matter anyways. I totally flamed out on the interview I did today, partially because I didn't really care and I quickly found out they couldn't match my offer (over 8k less tops). It'll be an adventure either way. Just have to work hard, so that when another good location comes open I'll be in a position to move and take a leadership role. No sweat.
 
I'd be all over Santa Fe, but I can understand why you (and most of the other posters here) wouldn't be.

Any of them though, could be great or terrible depending on your attitude. Knowing that it is most likely only a temporary gig should give you the freedom to enjoy the good things and ignore the bad, no matter which city they send you to. It's an adventure, enjoy it.

barfo
 
BalancedMan said:
University of Charleston only has like 1000 students, so it isn't a college town (you might be thinking of College of Charleston, in South Carolina). It is the state capital, as all the locations are though.

I was actually born in Washington D.C. and have relatives that live in the area, so it would be nice from that perspective, as well as the fact that there are a lot of other job opportunities if something were to happen. But I'm not a huge fan of the weather there, and the cost of living is high.

I don't think I'll have much of a say in the matter anyways. I totally flamed out on the interview I did today, partially because I didn't really care and I quickly found out they couldn't match my offer (over 8k less tops). It'll be an adventure either way. Just have to work hard, so that when another good location comes open I'll be in a position to move and take a leadership role. No sweat.
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I was actually thinking of Morgantown rather than Charleston. I've lived in Charleston, SC. It's a bit of an odd place, though the party scene there can be ok, with a good mix of girls from the various colleges (bible colleges, nursing schools, dance, etc)
 
If you're a guy in your 20s and interested in getting laid (by either sex), there's no better place than DC. You're a fool if you don't choose Arlington. Live in Clarendon.

You're welcome.
 
maxiep said:
If you're a guy in your 20s and interested in getting laid (by either sex), there's no better place than DC. You're a fool if you don't choose Arlington. Live in Clarendon.

You're welcome.
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Well I don't get to choose, at least not from the full list. They'll certainly need more help with newer clients, and I don't know who that is yet.

Today I received an Ipod Nano as a gift from the company via FedEx. Ironically I received the gift about an hour after I faxed in my acceptance letter.
 
congrats, let the bling roll in. I've never really picked up and moved (aside for college)...so must be exciting.
 
AgentDrazenPetrovic said:
congrats, let the bling roll in. I've never really picked up and moved (aside for college)...so must be exciting.
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Yup, it is pretty exciting. Although I would certainly be more excited to be in a cool location. I went out today to Macy's in Salem and spent about $275 on new clothes. Gotta love the extra 25% off when made my bill just above $200 for four pairs of pants and four dress shirts. I be looking good.
 
AgentDrazenPetrovic said:
congrats, let the bling roll in. I've never really picked up and moved (aside for college)...so must be exciting.
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Also, I'm currently living in Monmouth, which is not exactly the most happening place in the world. So I'd be moving regardless for a new job. I would have preferred a location on the west coast (Seattle, PDX, San Diego, etc.) but the pay is good, the experience will be good.

And dammit, I like being 23 and being able to set a precedent of making $65,000-$70,000 a year, so that in a few years I'll realistically be someone who can use TheLadders. Definitely is an ego boost. Wherever I go, I hope the girls are ready (and that they exist...err).
 
I think the most important thing is you don't run into the same ones. haha. i couldn't even imagine that shit, in Portland we always see the same people out...and I only go out like 6 times per year there.
 
AgentDrazenPetrovic said:
don't even know where monmouth is. yikes. buying stuff is always good.
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Really? Western Oregon University. In between Salem and Corvallis.

As for running into people, yeah I understand that. I know a ton of people living in PDX from my days at OSU, but to be honest that also includes some people that I'd rather not run into (for various reasons). So I wouldn't mind a fresh start in a "phresh" city. I'll be find no matter where I end up, but there are clearly some differences between my locations. I'm guessing I'll find out in less than a week, two tops, where I'll be headed.
 
Yeah. sometimes I think about moving to another city to get a fresh start...i'm getting bored of LA to be honest, just tired of it all. I want to live in NYC some day but I've got a good setup right now.

I fucking love the weather here though. It was so awesome today.
 
Arlington and Scottsdale would probably be my top 2 choices.

Big Sports towns, or at least nearby (NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, etc.).
 
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