By Katharine Boshkoff, Vice President, Global Career Development and Alumni Relations, Hult International Business School
There’s a mantra I have been saying to business students for years, and it bears repeating from time to time. Here goes: when you are looking to create a new career change there are three categories to consider, job function, industry, and location. You can choose two to change, but three is often a very big stretch.
There is one area where the windows of opportunity tend to be in greater abundance if you are willing to be flexible and open-minded, and that is location.
As I’ve written before, students who are open to where they land after graduation will secure jobs more quickly than those who aren’t. The sooner you kick-start your career after graduation, the faster you build professional momentum. As you gain experience, learn new skills, and hone your expertise, the more eligible you become for greater responsibility and advancement.
And, as you grow in your career, and are recognized as an esteemed team member and potential leader, the windows of opportunities around you become a lot wider, and even more plentiful. This is when you begin to develop some say about where you work.
When I’m asked where the high growth job and industries are today, it’s clear the US has become the stalwart economy. Particularly when compared to sluggish growth in Europe, the economic collapse in energy-based economies like Russia and Venezuela, and the slowing of the growth juggernaut in China, the US is looking relatively strong. Masters students with the ability to work in the US should look to Tech, Consulting and the tail end of the Energy boom for growth opportunities. For faster growth careers, I’m bullish on target cities that favor all three. Notable high growth hot spots are Fort Worth, Texas and Omaha, Nebraska (Energy); Seattle, Washington (Tech and Boeing’s resurgence); and Silicon Valley tech meccas in California, most notably San Jose and Fremont (Tech). For those who want career growth, go to where the jobs are. The rest has a way of working out; I’ve seen this happen countless times with Hult graduates. Nothing lasts forever, not even a hot job market.
Today’s business graduates will change jobs an estimated 20 times during their careers, which is why there’s a good chance that where you end up after graduation is not where you will be forever. Here’s one more statistic: employees spend approximately 70% of their time at work. That’s not a small amount, and this is why it matters more that you like what you are doing when you launch your career, rather than where you live.
Related Content:
Job Interviews, Feedback, and the Power of Practice by Katharine Boshkoff
The Two Most Important Words in Your Career by Katharine Boshkoff
Read more about Hult’s Career Development and graduate career statistics