January 4, 2011

Best Cities for Jobs in 2011

Unemployment rates are still high across the nation, but in some cities in the United States are better for job hunters than others. According to a recent report by employment service company Manpower, the top place to find a job in 2011 is Baton Rouge.

The complete top five list includes:

  1. Baton Rouge
  2. Seattle
  3. Milwaukee
  4. Phoenix
  5. Tulsa

The worst cities included on this list were Akron, Ohio; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Columbia, South Carolina; and Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pennsylvania.

The cities named among the best to find jobs all had certain industries in common, including construction, biofuels and wood products, and healthcare jobs. Other industries expected to grow in 2011 are transportation, information, public utilities, retail, and hospitality.

Are you job hunting in 2011? Here are some job hunting tips to keep in mind:

  • Pair education with experience. There are a lot of people out there out of work who have years of experience in their respective industries. There are also a lot of new graduates in the job force. The best candidates have both education and experience, so consider going back to school and volunteering or participating in internships to gain experience.
  • Work with a professional resume writing service to spruce up your resume. Every open job gets several applicants vying for the position. Even if you have the experience and education they want, you could be passed up for the job if your resume has spelling errors, is hard to read, or has other problems.
  • Find better references. If you know someone in your desired industry, they might be a better reference for name recognition purposes alone, even if your college professor might know you better. Don’t be afriad to make use of your network when you’re job hunting.

And definitely don’t be afraid to relocate for a job! The cities above are just a start – do some research regarding the industry that interest you to find out where jobs are most readily available.

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