Washington—East and West—Appeals to Young Professionals
Imagine this: you've earned your business degree and a career future looms large. You're young, single, educated and will relocate anywhere in the country for the right job. You are lucky enough to have some offers—from Silicon Valley to St. Louis—but despite the wealth of opportunities, you're feeling a little skittish about commitment.
After all, a career move in a slow economy feels a little risky. You want to make sure once you've agreed to pack up and dislocate from your friends and family that your new situation will be stable and fulfilling.
What you are looking for is a recession-proof urban fortress of the future where you can use your business degree in a career that holds promise—plus offers you the lifestyle you want and a peer group that is as well-educated as you are.
In September, 2009, The Wall Street Journal published a story titled "The Next Youth-Magnet Cities," and it provides the answers to all of these dilemmas.
Six experts, including economists, demographers, geographers and urban experts were polled about their choices for the top cities that will appeal to the "highly mobile, educated workers in their 20s."
Surprisingly, bustling metropolises prevailed over the smaller, trendier, more industry-specific cities that previously made the cut. Two cities, one west coast, one east—both with ties to "Washington"—topped their research findings.
Where Can You Find a Bright Future?
Seattle and Washington D.C. Share the Top Spot
Washington, D.C., and Seattle, Washington scored highest, for surprisingly similar reasons. These west- and-east-coast-based cities both share an abundance of high-tech jobs, universities and cultural attractions. They differ mostly in where the jobs are set:
- Washington, D.C. caters to the business of government, aerospace, defense contracting, and, of course, lobbying—along with tighter regulation of financial markets, "much of Wall Street is now moving to K Street," says Barbara Lang, president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.
- Seattle, with its natural beauty, strong university presence, culture and arts scene and diverse high-tech sector, is home to corporate giants such as Amazon.com, Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks. The panel also noted that Seattle leads the way for jobs in biotech—which they predict will see rapid growth—as well as the music business and interactive media.
Seattle also enjoys a reputation as America's smartest city, according to CNN, who reporting on a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, went on to add that besides being smartest, it's also the nation's most literate city—a perfect match for a graduate with a top-ranked business degree, career goals and big personal ambitions.
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