Ann Arbor to Denver??? Pros v. Cons??? Please Help!!!

[ExploretheWorld]

As someone that has recently graduated(2 years ago) in a Mechanical Engineering field I have to say that a $50k/year is generally an accepted standard for recent grads in Engineering. Most of my friends who grad. within a Liberal Arts background, make on the the average 37k/yr with the max being around 45k/yr. Some are in sales,finance, and marketing in major cities along the East Coast (Philly, DC) That's the average salary you SHOULD expect to see, you maybe able to be find higher salaries in Poly Sci., but generally Engineers SHOULD expect to see at least 50k/yr. Just like you should expect somewhere in the above range.

Aside from the lecturing I'm giving and the same with the above poster, I would have to say you'd like Denver. It has a large enough population to keep you interested, and yet it's small enough for you to escape the city. I've come here within the past year from DC and it's a night and day difference, but I think coming from Ann Arbor you'll be happy. Just start saving now, in order to fund the house hunting trip to see if you'd like it out here :-)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by mcb1025

I'm going to start applying in the coming weeks online when I have a break from school. I may also visit for a weekend during the break, so that I can become more acquainted with the city. During that time I may get a chance to visit some potential employers.

You can apply online, but you will have to be here in person to interview. It is not terribly common to pay interview expenses for general entry-level jobs here. There is a LOT of competition.

[mcb1025]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

mcb1025, don't want to burst your bubble, but as someone who will soon be graduating myself, I think it's unrealistic to expect to make 48-55k the day out of college. As Charles said, if you were an engineer, that would be very doable-- I've heard that graduates of the Colorado School of Mines in certain engineering specialties, for example, can make upwards of 90K straight out of college. With a liberal arts, I doubt it. Have you ever taken economics? Basic law of economics: what you will earn is based off of what your skills and experience are valued in the job market-- not off what you would like to earn to support the lifestyle you want. In your calculations, you've made quite a number of assumptions. "Cheap new car"? What makes you think you have to have a new car? I drive a car that's over 15 years old, cost $5,500 when I bought it, but because it's a well maintained Japanese car, it still runs great, and I plan on driving it as long as it runs way into the future.

Second, you're falling into the same trap I was in until very recently. You need to zero on on what it is you want to do. You don't need to have your whole life plan figured out, just a 5 year plan. To say you want to do some kind of "white collar" work is too vague. A lot of the fields you mentioned, like accounting, finance, etc, are going to require additional business education. Not that poly sci is a bad degree, not at all, but for anything above bare bones entry level jobs; just a Political Science degree isn't going to cut it. One thing you can get into straight out of college is a sales position-- some kind of business to business sales. That may be an option you might want to consider-- but don't expect 50k right off the bat either.

Good luck with your job search! Priority one: zoom in on exactly what field it is you want to do.

I appreciate the above responses, but most of what you have told me I am well aware of. I realize there is a conception of college grads being quite naive upon entering the "real" work force for the first time in their lives. Let me clear a few things up. I realize I don't have 10 or 15 years of experience in any particular field and that is to be expected. I did, on the other hand, attend a technical school prior to college where I acquired several certifications in business and computer related categories. I was even sent to Kansas City for a national competition to represent the entire state of Michigan in my selected field of business, management, and technology. Secondly, I have more business/administrative work experience (meaning not in retail and/or fast food jobs) than a good majority of students who are graduating with me. Prior to attending UM, I attended a university where on top of going to school full time, I worked 35+ hours a week in white collar administrative jobs for about 5 years. I did everything from making presentations to procuring goods and services to building websites to handling customer service to reconciling sales tax returns for 30+ states that we did business in to running shipping and receiving to programming/IT work. I have also worked as an intern on a local politician's campaign. And, not that this is applicable, but for the last two years, I have been a bus driver for my university. As you can see, my experience is diverse and well rounded, unlike a majority of your run of the mill college grads. I realize that I am probably putting a little too much emphasis in proving my capabilities to you, but I just want you to have a very good idea of the type of candidate I am before the judgments come reigning in as to what I should not expect when I graduate. In my opinion, 48k is not asking too much considering my experience and education, though I recognize it is indeed on the high end of the spectrum for my degree. I would not shun $40k/year, though that is about as low as I am willing to go.

Now, I realize my estimates may have been high and I can cut corners if that need be the case. On the other hand, I want to be happy. I could live anywhere and be miserable. I'm not some rich spoiled brat that had things handed to me my whole like. Quite the contrary. I have paid/and am still paying my way through school. I have paid for every expense that I have had during the last 6 years, including a car payment (leased unfortunately) and insurance. I don't think it's too much to expect a cheap new car or some cash for entertainment expenses. And to answer the comment about whether I've taken economics, it is my minor, so I know a thing or two (though I am far from an expert in the field). I digress...

I'm sorry if that seemed like a hostile rant, but I'm not at all angry. And I hope that none of you took offense to my response. I do appreciate the help that can be offered on these forums. But I perceive a misconception of naivete about me from some of the responses I have read. I am far from naive, and I realize that the road ahead will be bumpy. That being said, this post started out asking for advice about places to live around downtown Denver. So does anybody think that it is absurd to expect to find an apartment between the ranges of $600-$1000 near or in downtown Denver? And if it is not absurd, are there any more leads as to which neighborhoods a 20 something would most likely find a nice urban vibe in an affordable and safe place?

Thanks for the help.

[Snickery]

Denver and surrounding is a great place to live, milder winters temp wise, not snow wise. Downtown is awesome and changing all the time. I am a transplant from MN and can honestly say the jobs are here, the growth is here and the base for the city is pretty stable. If you enjoy the outdoors, your choices are excellent. As far as safety , it's not that bad.. just know your surroundings , get to know the folkes and the rest, well just enjoy it!! I have friends down in Capitol Hill and they LOVE it!! You can get out and do almost anything... Good-Luck

[tfox]

Originally Posted by mcb1025

So does anybody think that it is absurd to expect to find an apartment between the ranges of $600-$1000 near or in downtown Denver? And if it is not absurd, are there any more leads as to which neighborhoods a 20 something would most likely find a nice urban vibe in an affordable and safe place?

$600-$1000 is not in any way absurd. Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Congress Park... do a search on Craigslist. I will say that your rent budget may not get you the swankiest pad around, but I think you'll be very surprised at what you can get here.

[mcb1025]

Originally Posted by tfox

$600-$1000 is not in any way absurd. Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Congress Park... do a search on Craigslist. I will say that your rent budget may not get you the swankiest pad around, but I think you'll be very surprised at what you can get here.

Now according to Wikipedia (and I know this is sin according to most academics, but...), crime such as prostitution and drug dealing is becoming a problem in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill. The only reason I bring this up is because this seems like an ideal location for me, especially if I can get a job with the city. I actually found one apartment/studio on Craigslist that seemed to be affordable and nicely located (literally a few buildings from Capitol Hill). It was located on Sherman Street, I think the complex was called The Narcourt Arms. Can anyone attest to the Wikipedia report of increasing crime in this area? Cheesman Park and Congress Park seem pretty ideal too, but they're further down my list because they are further away from downtown (though not by much) than I would like to be. If I can't find anything reasonably priced closer to downtown, then I'll put more consideration into those neighborhoods.

Thanks so much.

[kristenfromdenver]

I rented the top floor of a house in West Wash Park for 625 about 3 years ago so that's the best I can tell you regarding renting. I was about 2 blocks from Broadway which has great shops, restaurants, a few bars. It was a 2 bed, 1 bath and was very close to bars, shops, restaurants along Broadway, which was fun. I went to Michigan too and I can tell you that I have TONS of friends out here who went there too. For some reason this is a great place for people form IL, MI, IN for some reason. I think it's a good fit for UM Alum because it's liberal, very outdoorsy, great activities. I think you'll find it's a great next step.