Ranking Your City: The Job Search Difficult Index, Difficulty Rankings: The Implications for Your Job Search
The city you call home may have a bigger impact on the success of your job search than you realize. But if you fear you may be stagnating on the market because of your location, what can you do about it?
Ranking Your City: The Job Search Difficult Index
First, consider the broad statistics. Juju.com, a popular job search engine, recently published a list of cities ranked in order of job search difficulty. Site researchers used a simple algorithm that measured the number of available positions listed in their own database against the number of unemployed people in each city as stated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Though the study isn't some all-seeing magic formula, it provides a simple estimate of the relative challenges job seekers face in various metropolitan areas.
The top five cities listed in order were Washington DC (with the lowest and easiest job search rating at 1.9 unemployed people per advertised position), San Jose, Baltimore, Salt Lake City and New York. The cities with the highest number of unemployed people per available position were Los Angeles, Riverside, Miami and St. Louis. The city with the overall greatest level of difficulty was Detroit MI, which tipped the scales at 20 unemployed people per advertised job.
Difficulty Rankings: The Implications for Your Job Search
So what does this mean to job seekers who live in these areas? If you're located in one of the toughest job climates in the country, should you pack your bags and move?
Before you buy a one-way plane ticket to DC and say goodbye to your friends and family, slow down. Rough, non-scientific studies like these are very common, since we all like to read news and statistics that provide us with a sense of control over an uncertain situation. But keep in mind that both unemployment levels and numbers of available positions vary widely by industry. While statistics are easy to latch onto, find out how dismal (or encouraging) the news looks when you filter out positions and careers unrelated to your own.
And remember that salaries and opportunity also vary widely based on geographic area. If you're looking for a doorway into publishing, for example, you may find an employer with an open position in Wyoming faster then you'll find one in Philadelphia. But before you move to chase that Wyoming job, consider the relative salary level and room for advancement that you'll find there.
Should I Stay or Go?
Just like the search for romance, or a home, or an education, the prospects and outcome of any job search will depend on a wide range of highly personal factors. The better you understand your own preferences and the more control your maintain over your own goals and plans, the more likely you are to find a position that matches your skill sets and personality. Of course, you'll also have to know when it's okay to take a risk and the roll the dice.
The city you call home may have a bigger impact on the success of your job search than you realize. But if you fear you may be stagnating on the market because of your location, what can you do about it?
Ranking Your City: The Job Search Difficult Index
First, consider the broad statistics. Juju.com, a popular job search engine, recently published a list of cities ranked in order of job search difficulty. Site researchers used a simple algorithm that measured the number of available positions listed in their own database against the number of unemployed people in each city as stated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Though the study isn't some all-seeing magic formula, it provides a simple estimate of the relative challenges job seekers face in various metropolitan areas.
The top five cities listed in order were Washington DC (with the lowest and easiest job search rating at 1.9 unemployed people per advertised position), San Jose, Baltimore, Salt Lake City and New York. The cities with the highest number of unemployed people per available position were Los Angeles, Riverside, Miami and St. Louis. The city with the overall greatest level of difficulty was Detroit MI, which tipped the scales at 20 unemployed people per advertised job.
Difficulty Rankings: The Implications for Your Job Search
So what does this mean to job seekers who live in these areas? If you're located in one of the toughest job climates in the country, should you pack your bags and move?
Before you buy a one-way plane ticket to DC and say goodbye to your friends and family, slow down. Rough, non-scientific studies like these are very common, since we all like to read news and statistics that provide us with a sense of control over an uncertain situation. But keep in mind that both unemployment levels and numbers of available positions vary widely by industry. While statistics are easy to latch onto, find out how dismal (or encouraging) the news looks when you filter out positions and careers unrelated to your own.
And remember that salaries and opportunity also vary widely based on geographic area. If you're looking for a doorway into publishing, for example, you may find an employer with an open position in Wyoming faster then you'll find one in Philadelphia. But before you move to chase that Wyoming job, consider the relative salary level and room for advancement that you'll find there.
Should I Stay or Go?
Just like the search for romance, or a home, or an education, the prospects and outcome of any job search will depend on a wide range of highly personal factors. The better you understand your own preferences and the more control your maintain over your own goals and plans, the more likely you are to find a position that matches your skill sets and personality. Of course, you'll also have to know when it's okay to take a risk and the roll the dice.
No comments:
Post a Comment