Each year, Glassdoor.com ranks the best cities to find a job. Bottom line: Glassdoor has ranked multiple mid-sized cities higher than larger cities.
This list is compiled by ranking U.S. metros with the highest Glassdoor City Score, determined by weighing three factors equally: how easy it is to get a job (hiring opportunity), how affordable it is to live there (cost of living) and how satisfied employees are working there (job satisfaction)2. As part of this report, we include each metro’s median pay for employees, median home value, job satisfaction rating, number of current job openings and a few local in-demand jobs.
The top cities selected for the Glassdoor Best Cities list.
Pittsburgh, PA
Indianapolis, IN
Kansas City, MO
Raleigh-Durham, NC
St. Louis, MO
Memphis, TN
Columbus, OH
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH
Louisville, KY
“Big, metropolitan cities may be more famous than others, including being home to some amazing companies to work for, but this recognition is also what contributes to them being among the most expensive places to live,” says Glassdoor Chief Economist Dr. Andrew Chamberlain. “People may be overlooking midsize cities like Pittsburgh or St. Louis if they are looking to relocate or find new opportunities. What this jobs report shows is that many midsize cities stand out for offering a great mix of a thriving job market with plenty of opportunity, paired with home affordability and being regions where employees are more satisfied in their jobs too.”
I spoke to Marybeth Conley and Alex Coleman about this issue, and why mid-sized markets are great for your job search. Check out my WREG News Channel 3 interview on Live at 9 below.
Episode 166 is live! This week, we talk with Elizabeth Gross in Boston, Massachusetts.
Elizabeth is the Founder of Job Search Divas, where she helps job seekers through their job search journey. Elizabeth has extensive experience at a number of companies, including Monster, Bank of America, and Constant Contact.
On today’s episode, Elizabeth shares:
The first thing you should do when you’ve been laid off
The biggest challenge you may face if you’ve been laid off
What you can do to be a better job candidate online
Which emotional support you should (and shouldn’t) seek out after you’ve been laid off
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
Episode 162 is live! This week, we talk with Audrey Boring in Austin, TX.
Audrey is an independent marketing and advertising professional. She began her creative career as a copywriter, setting up her own freelance business in 2010. She has worked with clients such as Blinds.com, International Paper, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She also recently spoke at SXSW about “Building the creative career you’re meant to have.”
On today’s episode, Audrey shares:
What it’s like to be a freelancer
The pros and cons of freelance versus a corporate job
How to break into the social media space as a professional
How companies are using social media today
Tips on switching from a non-creative field to a creative field
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
Applying for a job seems like a fair process. You apply online, and if you’re a good fit for the job, the company will give you a call. You’ll go in person for an interview and show your expertise. Then, the company will carefully decide who the most qualified person is.
When you don’t land the job, despite being extremely qualified, it can leave you wondering what you’re doing wrong. “Why didn’t the company hire me? What could I have done differently?”
The issue is, not everything is really as it seems in the world of hiring. There are a number of things the recruiter won’t (and often can’t) reveal to you when you’re interviewing for a job.
The hiring manager has a preselected candidate. Sometimes this person is internal, and sometimes they come from the outside. It’s not uncommon for the hiring manager to have someone picked out before you get there. But, the company continues with your interview. This is often because they need to meet their internal process requirements around hiring.
The position has been put on hold. I have seen this more times than I care to count. A company is midway through the hiring process. They have already started interviewing candidates. Then, something happens to put the brakes on the entire thing. Perhaps, they have run out of funding, and a hiring freeze has gone into effect. Or, it’s possible that the hiring manager has moved to another department, or has left the company completely. The big boss doesn’t want to move forward until a new hiring manager is in place, so they can make the final call.
The company is reworking the role. If a role is new, it’s possible that after the hiring manager conducted a few interviews, they realized that their expectations were a little off. Perhaps they want to find someone with a slightly different skillset. Or, they may have realized that the talent they’ve interviewed is a bit outside of their price range. Whatever the reason, they’ve pulled the job posting down and are going through the process to come up with a new, refined role.
The organization moves slowly. This one is always a big surprise. Perhaps you had a great interview and were told you would hear something within a week. Then, nothing happened. You assumed the job was completely lost until a few months later, someone from the company calls for a follow up interview.
Your best chance of landing a job is to practice and prepare. But, if you don’t receive a job offer, don’t assume it is 100% your fault. The company has a number of things going on behind the scenes that will impact whether or not you’re hired. Unfortunately, they will rarely disclose these issues to you.
Rather than focusing on failures, use them as practice to prepare for the next big interview!
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
Excuses are dream killers. Lets be honest. I have heard so many over the years from job seekers who are looking for a new job.
“My resume isn’t good enough yet. I can’t possibly apply.”
“I don’t have the right education. I should go back to school.”
“I need to completed my certification. They won’t take me seriously.”
“They think I’m old. It’s pointless.”
“They think I’m unattractive. There’s no hope.”
“I don’t believe in LinkedIn. I don’t want to try it.”
“I don’t want to bother other people. I don’t want to email the decision maker.”
“I don’t think they like me. Why try?”
“That’s not the way I was taught to job search. I don’t want to try something new.”
“I’m not sure if I will like the job, so I shouldn’t apply.”
“Interviewing would take up too much time. I have other things to do.”
“I can’t network. I don’t have time for it.”
“Networking makes me uncomfortable. I’d like to get a job without doing it.”
“I don’t fit all of the requirements on the job description. I shouldn’t apply. They may judge me.”
“I applied there before and wasn’t selected. They will never pick me again.”
“My family member doesn’t think I would do well at that job. It’s hopeless to try.”
“I’m sure I don’t have the right experience. They will never want to talk to me.”
The list could go on. But, you get the idea. There are lots and lots of reasons we can all come up with about why we didn’t get a job, or shouldn’t apply for a job.
Some of those reasons could even be valid. Ageism, for example, is a very real thing. But, your age (like many of the other factors listed) is just a fact of life.
You can do things to reduce the impact of your age (or other factors) on your search. But, you have to keep searching! You can’t give excuses and then give up — and still expect to find a new job.
I meet smart, qualified people every day. Those same smart, awesome people explain to me all the reasons they can’t possibly find a new job.
Then, I meet other people who are equally smart and qualified. This second group of people isn’t any more or less qualified than the first group. But, you know what? They are having an easier time finding a job.
WHY is that?
To put it simply, they aren’t making excuses. They are pushing forward with their existing resume and qualifications and they are looking for a new job anyway. They are networking and having informational interviews — even when they are uncomfortable. They are trying new ways of searching. They are signing up for LinkedIn. They are continuing to apply for jobs — even after being rejected.
Seriously, their qualifications aren’t better. Heck, they suffer from the same self-conscience issues that we all do. But, the big difference is — they aren’t making up excuses and they’re still trying. They don’t give up.
That’s it. There’s no secret. They are pushing ahead despite everything else. They realize that they just need one good job offer, and they’re looking for the one. They aren’t focusing on the sixty job applications that didn’t turn out to be a fit.
They are focused on their success. They’re focused on the future. And, they make no excuses!
The best way to find out if you’re a good fit for a job is to apply. Apply, and interview for the job. Learn more about the company. Just move forward, and make no more excuses.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.
When you’re in the middle of a job search, it often seems like things will never end. You’ve been looking for months and months. The rejection has been painful. You have wondered if you’ll ever find a job. You’ve gotten enough automated emails to last a lifetime. You’ve had enough of family members and friends asking how your search is going – when you know it’s going nowhere.
This pain is especially true if you are in between jobs right now. If you’re not working, you may wonder how in the world you will pay the bills. The search has been going on for months and months. You’re not sure what to do.
Then, very often, the most unexpected thing happens. Out of the blue (and after searching for months), you get a job offer. Then, a day goes by and you get a second job offer. And, if you’re really lucky, a third offer begins to roll in.
When you’re in the middle of searching, this scenario seems virtually impossible.
But, strangely… I see it happen over and over. A job seeker will be at their wit’s end. They’ve been looking and looking for a long period of time when suddenly, a number of offers come in all at the same time.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this happens. I suspect it is related to a few key factors. After a certain amount of searching, the ball has started to roll. Employers know about you. Your resume is being circulated. Perhaps you’ve had a few interviews. Maybe you’ve even gotten better at searching as you’ve gone along.
Whatever the reason, multiple offers (all at the same time) can be hard to sort through – especially when you weren’t expecting them at all. So, where should you begin?
First, create a spreadsheet in Excel. Outline all the details of the job offers side-by-side. Include information such as annual base salary, annual projected performance bonus, vacation time, and healthcare benefits. This will allow you to compare the two (or more) offers – by comparing just the facts.
Compare the job descriptions and the job titles. Is one job in the perfect industry for you? Does one job have a more impressive title? Does one allow you to do work you really love? This is important to consider. Many job seekers are more interested to do a job they love than one that pays the most money.
Think about the differences in the company culture. Do you get along with the boss at one organization better than the other? Does one company feel more comfortable to you? Very often, your relationship with your boss and your coworkers will determine your future success at the organization.
Consider details such as location. Is one job located within driving distance, while the other will require you to uproot your family? If you do have to move, is the increased cost of living worth it?
There are so many factors that influence which job offer we should take. The one that’s the most important is your gut feeling. Do you love one of the jobs, and have real hesitations about the other? Listen to yourself! I can’t tell you the number of job seekers who told me that they knew they were going to fail BEFORE they ever started working at their future employer. They always had a feeling that they couldn’t place.
At the end of the day, getting multiple offers is unexpected – and typically very positive. Before this happens to you, take the time to write down what you would ideally like in your next job offer. When multiple offers begin to come in, you will be able to compare your goals to the reality – without the anxiety that comes along with being hit with offers.
If you’re still struggling to find a job, keep moving. The best way to find a new job is to continue to look. If you look hard enough, you may find that an offer (or three) will come along when you’re least expecting it.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher.
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