In my last post I used a quote by Marva Collins where she said “success doesn’t come to you, you go to it”. By coincidence I had just posted a story on my Facebook page from FastCompany with the headline “ These Are The Top 25 U.S. Cities For Jobs This Year”. The article actually only named the top ten cities but it did provide a graphic showing a map of the US with the full 25 cities. I’m not really interested in the cities per se but rather the notion of going to where the opportunities are.
While there may be some individual circumstances to the contrary, for most new graduates this is the best time they will ever have to relocate. Most of you will need to at least consider that option. A lot will depend on the field you are in. If you are interested in banking and you want to stay in the more temperate climates then Charlotte or Atlanta may have appeal for you. If you are think hospital administration, Nashville may be attractive. The article mentioned San Jose for those who are drawn to the tech sector because of Facebook, Google and PayPal. When I graduated I headed to Houston without a job, contact or any basic knowledge of the town because that was where the action was for my field of interest. I had my first job offer on my third day in town and started work that same week. I had heard the following quote before but found this version from Quote Investigator:
Someone once asked Slick Willie Sutton, the bank robber, why he robbed banks. The question might have uncovered a tale of injustice and lifelong revenge. Maybe a banker foreclosed on the old homestead, maybe a banker’s daughter spurned Sutton for another.
Sutton looked a little surprised, as if he had been asked “Why does a smoker light a cigarette?”
“I rob banks because that’s where the money is,” he said, obviously meaning “in the most compact form.” That eye for the simple essential may be the secret of a singular success.
The point of the story is that you need to go where the opportunities are. Although you may find opportunities close to home, I suspect many of you will need to relocate for maximum opportunity.
work in the real world 