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I don't really have any concrete information yet as we've just started our job searches, but we desperately want out of Atlanta. Before anything else let me say, I know Minnesota is cold, and though I'm a lifelong southerner I don't really mind it. We just want to get out of Atlanta pretty badly. My husband is a graphic designer who specializes in large format printing. He has 20 years experience and built a digital lab from the ground up. I have both a social service and publishing background and I'm trying to get a feel for the job market and companies that might be hiring. We have two young children; a one year old and and eight year old, so schools are very important. We're a mixed race couple, my husband is white and I'm black. I've heard that Minnesota is fairly progressive, but we haven't experienced any racial problems here and don't expect it there, but I thought I'd put it out there.
For right now we just have questions about employment and cost of living. Do salaries match the cost of living there? That's been a real problem here in Atlanta and one of the main reasons we want out. I know the cost of living there is higher and that's okay as long as the salaries are comparable. Also I see a lot of ads for two of your major companies; 3M and Target. Are they really hiring that much? What is nepotism like in that area? It's a real problem here where companies advertise for jobs that they've pretty much already hired someone for. What is the employment atmosphere like? It's very competitive here with hundreds of people applying for every job, so it's definitely a employer's market. I know there's a recession so the job market is tight.
Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area is great for finding jobs, despite the weak economy, as we have tons of big companies (UnitedHealth Group, Target, 3M, Cargill, General Mills, Best Buy, Ameriprise, and the list goes on and on) and the unemployment is relatively low. the cost of living is very reasonable, housing prices are cheap (compared to most large cities). the Summer and Fall are phenomenal here. there are tons of things to do in Twin Cities, lots of good restaurants, museums, sports, the lakes, lots of things to do with family, etc.
HOWEVER:
a) long cold winters will be impossible for you to get used to as a Southerner - never underestimate the MN weather, it absolutely sucks!
b) Minneapolis is essentially in rural Midwest. people tend to be very traditional, boring and culturally unsophisticated. if you think Minneapolis is anywhere as fun and vibrant as say Boston, Seattle, San Franciso, Chicago, New York, DC, etc -- you are clearly mistaken. and no, a few trendy places downtown and in uptown will not cure the overal provincial feel of the area.
Last edited by pzrOrange; 07-23-2012 at 03:40 PM..
The winters are not THAT bad. I know plenty of people that have moved from the deep south and do just fine. pzrOrange is exaggerating that. Yes, they are cold, yes, they take some getting used to but, like your summers, there are a few days/year that it is miserable to go outside but you just add another layer of clothing and off you go. It's WAY better than this awful heat and humidity.
Salaries for the most part match the cost of living--or more to the point, most places around the metro are affordable on a reasonable salary and you don't have to live in one of 3 places to feel safe like you do in Atlanta.
There are 27 fortune 500 companies in Minnesota as well as many other large, medium and small companies for jobs. MN has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, however, I do know several people in your field and jobs are hardish to come by, but they are there if you are patient. Several companies are experiencing a lot of growth right now and those might be your best options, Prime Therapeutics is one of them. Channel 5 here did a news story on them and they are adding 500 employees over the next year or so. They ran a series on companies in MN growing so you can see if you can find the other ones too.
As for vibrancy, no, Minneapolis itself isn't all that vibrant but when you look at the entire metro area, there is always something going on, things to do, etc, minus the traffic headaches you get in Boston, DC, etc. Minneapolis has the second most live theater seats in the nation (second to NYC). With the major sports teams, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the various colleges, etc. you could fill your social schedule quite easily.
If you don't need to be in a major metro area, there may be better job opportunities with higher wages as compared to the cost of living in the outstate areas so don't rule out towns like Rochester, Mankato, Marshall, Willmar, Alexandria, St. Cloud, etc.
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
11,334 posts, read 26,076,879 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by golfgal
Salaries for the most part match the cost of living--or more to the point, most places around the metro are affordable on a reasonable salary and you don't have to live in one of 3 places to feel safe like you do in Atlanta.
I agree that salaries are pretty good up there. Housing down here in Atlanta is less expensive than it is the Twin Cities, in general, and that was also true before the real estate crash, but I think a lot of the construction in the Atlanta area is flimsier, also. Georgia has fewer regulations and fewer construction requirements (roofs don't have to support a certain weight of snow, for example).
Three places? Heh. Not really. Most of the Atlanta metro is safe, though I do admit that crime down here exists at a level you don't see very much in the Twin Cities. Most of the bad areas are fairly well known, though, as they are up there. There are just more of them.
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
11,334 posts, read 26,076,879 times
Reputation: 3995
Quote:
Originally Posted by RoslynHolcomb
I don't really have any concrete information yet as we've just started our job searches, but we desperately want out of Atlanta. Before anything else let me say, I know Minnesota is cold, and though I'm a lifelong southerner I don't really mind it. We just want to get out of Atlanta pretty badly. My husband is a graphic designer who specializes in large format printing. He has 20 years experience and built a digital lab from the ground up. I have both a social service and publishing background and I'm trying to get a feel for the job market and companies that might be hiring. We have two young children; a one year old and and eight year old, so schools are very important. We're a mixed race couple, my husband is white and I'm black. I've heard that Minnesota is fairly progressive, but we haven't experienced any racial problems here and don't expect it there, but I thought I'd put it out there.
For right now we just have questions about employment and cost of living. Do salaries match the cost of living there? That's been a real problem here in Atlanta and one of the main reasons we want out. I know the cost of living there is higher and that's okay as long as the salaries are comparable. Also I see a lot of ads for two of your major companies; 3M and Target. Are they really hiring that much? What is nepotism like in that area? It's a real problem here where companies advertise for jobs that they've pretty much already hired someone for. What is the employment atmosphere like? It's very competitive here with hundreds of people applying for every job, so it's definitely a employer's market. I know there's a recession so the job market is tight.
Hey, Roslyn. I really don't see the fact that you guys are a mixed race couple being an issue.
The cost of living isn't that dissimilar from Atlanta in many respects, although housing was maybe 30% more expensive up there before the real estate crash and remains somewhat higher than Atlanta today. Part of that may be the increased requirements for construction (roofs must hold a certain weight of snow, you need more insulation, most homes have double- or triple-pane windows, etc.), and the Twin Cities strikes be as being somewhat more regulated anyway. That whole progressive thing.
Nepotism. The level that exists in the Atlanta metro ... and in Georgia ... shocked me when I moved down here. I'm sure you'll see some, maybe in smaller or family-owned companies, but not to the same extent. Obviously, though, specific circumstances will trump generalities.
I'm quite curious what your research digs up in terms of jobs, and what you end up thinking about the Twin Cities once you visit and/or move there, but that's probably well down the road yet. I know I'd rather be up there still, but circumstances won't let that happen for a while yet.
Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area is great for finding jobs, despite the weak economy, as we have tons of big companies (UnitedHealth Group, Target, 3M, Cargill, General Mills, Best Buy, Ameriprise, and the list goes on and on) and the unemployment is relatively low. the cost of living is very reasonable, housing prices are cheap (compared to most large cities). the Summer and Fall are phenomenal here. there are tons of things to do in Twin Cities, lots of good restaurants, museums, sports, the lakes, lots of things to do with family, etc.
HOWEVER:
a) long cold winters will be impossible for you to get used to as a Southerner - never underestimate the MN weather, it absolutely sucks!
b) Minneapolis is essentially in rural Midwest. people tend to be very traditional, boring and culturally unsophisticated. if you think Minneapolis is anywhere as fun and vibrant as say Boston, Seattle, San Franciso, Chicago, New York, DC, etc -- you are clearly mistaken. and no, a few trendy places downtown and in uptown will not cure the overal provincial feel of the area.
Someone who has a negative view of something will give you a negative opinion, but that's all it is-- opinion. In fact, many people from other places do become accustomed to the winters. Winter can, in many ways, be the most glorious time of year and, like much of life, is what you make of it. People with generally negative attitudes do not fare as well here as those who have a more positive outlook on life. And, no, this is not a rural area. Is it boring? Most people don't think so. Again, you get out of it what you put into it.
I work in the graphics field and I've worked with publishers. Minnesota has a lot of graphics firms and publishing companies. I don't know if this is still true but at one point Minnesota was in the tops in the nation as far as printers. There are a lot of graphics people around here, it wasn't unusual for me to interview at jobs that had 100-200 resumes submitted. Of course there's also a fair amount of graphics jobs. There's also freelancing opportunities up here if that's his thing. It's what I do now. It's hard for me to compare the amount of publishers to other areas in the US but there seems to be plenty. One that I love that comes to mind is Free Spirit Press, because of your background in social services and publishing it may be a good fit for you.
As far as winter, the meaning of not that bad depends on you. When I was in my 20s I didn't mind it, it was an inconvenience. Now in my 40s I hate it and will probably leave the state someday because of it. I love Minnesota but it's tough for me as I get older, I've had other people say the same. Of course some just love it.
The biracial marriage shouldn't be an issue, there's so many mixed race families up here people don't think twice.
I have an eight year old and this is a great place to raise kids, I love his school. He has a disability and he has received some amazing support, a lot of kindness and acceptance. I won't leave the area until he's grown. Lots of family activities, excellent community ed programs and lessons and daycamps up the kazoo. Daycare is known to cost more up here, I pay $35 a day for summer care. Daycare for your one year old will be pricey. I think the cost of living is middle of the road. There's a lot of ways to save a few bucks if you need to and there's also a lot of nice places to shop.
As far as winter, the meaning of not that bad depends on you. When I was in my 20s I didn't mind it, it was an inconvenience. Now in my 40s I hate it and will probably leave the state someday because of it. I love Minnesota but it's tough for me as I get older, I've had other people say the same. Of course some just love it.
for me it was a lot more accelerated.
when I was 21-ish, MN winters were just fine and I didn't mind them, when I didnt have to shovel the side walks after snow storms and didn't have a car when I was in college, etc. now I am 29 and I absolutely dread the thought of late fall / winter months that are still ahead...
I recommend folks to come here in January to check things out, dig out their cars and attempt to start them in -15 wind chill. this is not me being "negative", this is real MN winter. oh and get an AWD vehicle please.
I am originally from Georgia and have lived in MN for a year. I do understand that this past winter was not a "true" MN winter so I can't honestly give you an effective experience on the cold here. I DID live in NY for three years prior to moving here and in the winter of 2010, we rec'd more snow there than MN rec'd that year. I had no problem with it, but then again I don't mind cold weather and snow. I hate the hot, humid weather in the south worse. (I am 48 yoa by the way, since some people have mentioned hating cold weather as they age).
I have a front wheel drive car and commuted an hour to work everyday in NY and my car was sufficient to handle the snow/ice. I have met several Minnesotans that do not own AWD cars and they seem to be fine. Our other vehicle is a rear wheel drive truck and THAT is a problem. We weighted the back down with salt bags and it solved the problem.
As far as employment goes, we moved here due to hubby's relocation. I could not find a job in my field close enough to our home, so I ended up starting my own business here and it is going well.
For what its worth, we are very, very happy here.
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