By Laura Carlson ’12

While many Bucknellians scope out jobs in typical places from NYC to DC, there are plenty of other fascinating cities out there with endless opportunities, dynamic cultures, and the same constant buzz you’d find in any booming city. We encourage you to check out some of these other wonderful cities for recent college grads, deemed as the most promising cities for recent graduates by BusinessWeek, Forbes, and many others. With a hefty blend of job openings, pay, affordability, young culture, and entertainment, these cities stand out as promising starting points for recent grads to consider when starting their job search. Better yet, we’ve spoken to some Bucknell Alumni about opportunities they discovered in these hidden gems and they were more than happy to rep their city and share their experiences.

Times are tough in the job market. According to Forbes, only 13 of 397 metropolitan areas experienced any growth between 2009-2010. With that being said, why not check out some of these other promising cities that have all of the features a recent college grad could ask for.

Some Background Stats:

Population: 5,542,048
Population Growth Since 2000: 14.9%
Cost-of-Living Index: 88.1 (100 national average)

Major Industries: energy, finance, aero technology, info technology
Median Household Income: $50,250
Income Growth Since 2000: 13.1%

Sports Teams: Houston Astros, Houston Texans, Houston Rockets, Houston Dynamo

Climate Averages: 85° in Summer, 53° in Winter

Closing Time: 2am

Best known for: NASA Space Center

Best Dish: Tex-Mex and BBQ

Why We Chose it:

They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and for entry-level job opportunities this wisdom seems to hold true. Houston has led the nation in job openings for entry level employees and has been noted by Forbes, Kiplinger, and BusinessWeek as one of the most promising cities to find entry-level employment.

Houston has more Fortune 500 companies than almost any city in the country and that kind of corporate presence means, well you guessed it, jobs. Forbes ranked it 3^rd overall in both 2010 and 2011 for best potential cities to work due to its continuous surge in job opportunities. Houston generated more than 100,000 jobs in 2007, and is known as the energy capital of the U.S.

Not only does the Houston metro area lead the nation in job growth, but also its cost of living stands well below the national average. Housing prices run half those of other metro areas its size and the cost of living is well below the national average, one of the causes of the city’s success. (Kiplinger). Per capita productivity in Dallas and Houston is about 20 percent higher than the American metropolitan average, and unemployment rates remained low even in a recession.

Why You’ll Love  it:

Houston is the 4^th largest city in the U.S. and features one of the most dynamic and diverse populations of any large city due to its portside location, impressive schools, and booming industry. With great food, entertainment, amenities, and opportunities there’s plenty for a recent graduate to indulge in. The city has invested immensely in its downtown district and made several upgrades from a 12-acre park in central Houston, an expanded convention center, a new stadium, a spiffed-up Main Street and a light-rail system. For such a low cost of living, the city is beautiful and features all of the amenities any city-dweller could wish for.

In the heart of Houston’s Downtown Theater District lies a 130,000 square foot entertainment megaplex comprised of theaters, bars, lounges, and restaurants. Texas’s largest mall, the Galleria Houston is centrally located and houses several upscale retailers from Norstrom to Dior. If shopping and dining isn’t your thing, you can check out the Houston Museum district, a collection of museums, galleries and cultural centers within just 1.5 milies of Hermann Park. The Museum of Fine Arts holds over 56,000 pieces and is within walking distance of the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston Center for Photography, the Lawndale Art Center, and the Menil Collection.

Take a stroll outside in one of Houston’s 337 parks, including Hermann Park, Terry Hershey Park, Lake Houston Park, Memorial Park, Tranquility Park, Sesquicentennial Park and Discovery Green. Discovery Green, a new 12-acre park in central Houston features a limestone walking promenade surrounded by 100-year old Oak Trees. Other amenities of the park include a gateway fountain, lakes, and two dog-running areas with crushed-gravel paths. Since its opening, the park has brought over 400 performances and events annually so there’s always something to check out.

If you’d rather indulge in sports, check out Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.  Houston also houses the NFL’s first retractable-roof stadium, Reliant Stadium (home of the Texans), as well as Reliant Astrodome, the first domed stadium in the world. A soccer-specific stadium for the Dynamo—to be located just east of Downtown—is expected to be finished by 2012. Houston hosts annual Shell Houston Open golf tournament, the annual NCAA College Baseball Minute Maid Classic every February and NCAA football’s Texas Bowl in December.

Lastly, I know you can take the kid out of college but sometimes the college life just can’t quite be shaken out of the kid.  Not to worry, Houston is home to Spec’s, the world’s largest liquor store. One of the most unique attractions of the city is The Beer Can House, a private home of a furniture upholster who covered his home in 50,000 cut-up beer cans. The house attracts crowds year-round and puts any procrastination effort you may have done at Bucknell to shame.

Some other Houston-specific annual events include the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest annual Livestock Show and Rodeo in the world that lasts for 20 days starting in late February. The city holds the Houston Pride Parade every June in the eclectic Montrose, and is also home to the Bayou City Art Festival, considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States. You can even check out the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, home of the NASA astronaut corps. The center is a huge tourist attraction, with over 100 facilities and spanning 1,620 acres. With so much to offer, why not start a Houston state of mind?

Not ready to leave Bucknell? We didn’t think so.

Check out the Houston Bucknell Club:

161 alumni are in the area. Check out B-Link if you want to talk to people willing to speak about career advice and job opportunities at such places as:
PricewaterhouseCoopers ‘78

KPRC Television ‘96

Gannett Fleming ‘95

Or jobs in the fields of:

Physical Therapy ‘93

Law ‘91

Engineering ‘04

Insurance ‘76

This post was written and researched by Bucknell Senior Laura Carlson.