As the weeks roll by each quarter, graduation becomes a reality for thousands of Ohio State seniors. For many this means one thing – time to get a job.
A major issue graduating seniors face is where to settle down and start their career. Many OSU graduates seek employment in the city where they have spent the past few years earning their degree.
But is Columbus a good city for young professionals to get their start?
Nathan Heerdt has been watching the job markets climb and fall in big cities throughout the U.S. during the past seven years, and he said he likes what he sees in Columbus, the 15th largest city in the U.S.
“If you look at job growth over the last seven years, (Columbus) has done better than other cities because it is a service sector,” he said. “Columbus has a lot of banking and a lot of insurance.”
Heerdt is the vice president and general manager of CareerBoard.com. CareerBoard is a Web site devoted to employers and job seekers that features job postings, employment branding, prescreening, talent management and more.
Some other large cities have not been as lucky because the nature of the work they have relied on in the past, Heerdt said.
“When you compare Columbus to other cities in the Midwest we are right on pace,” he said. “When compared to cities like Detroit and Cleveland that depended on manufacturing, such as motor vehicles, (Columbus) is in a lot better shape.”
Heerdt also complimented Columbus on its ability to absorb the blow the U.S. economy suffered after the barrage of dot-com companies went under during the late ’90s. Heerdt said many other cities were not as fortunate and did not bounce back the way Columbus did.
Biotechnology is becoming a huge industry in Columbus, he said.
“Ohio has made a big push for biotech and new startups in that area,” he said.
In 2002 Ohio Gov. Bob Taft unveiled the Ohio Third Frontier Project, which was created to give the biotechnology field a boost in Columbus and the state of Ohio. The project is the largest commitment the state has ever made to expanding Ohio’s high-tech research capabilities and promoting innovation and company formation to create high-paying jobs for generations to come, according to the Ohio Third Frontier Project’s Web site.
The 10-year, $1.1 billion initiative was designed to build world-class research facilities, support early-stage capital formation as well as the development of new products and finance-advanced manufacturing technologies to help existing industries become more productive.
Because of the geographic location of Columbus, the logistics industry – shipping and receiving – is another business that is booming in Columbus, Heerdt said.
Chicago and New York City were among a number of cities that Maureen Feeney, a 22-year-old OSU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, searched for employment after graduating in June 2005. After weighing her options, Feeney accepted a position as an account executive at North American Broadcasting located in Columbus.
Though she was successful in landing a job, Feeney said finding a job in Columbus is not an effortless task.
“I think there is a decent supply of job opportunities in Columbus,” she said. “Columbus’ economy is still on the upswing right now so more companies are hiring again, but it is still a competitive job market.”
Feeney said OSU students have an advantage when it comes to getting jobs in Columbus, as well as in other big cities.
“Columbus is obviously a good place for OSU grads because everyone here knows that OSU is a great school,” she said. “But OSU is also known worldwide as a great educational institution, so that’s an advantage in any job market.”
A career working for the state is a viable option in Ohio’s capital city. Ohio currently has 179 open positions in 39 different agencies based in Franklin County.
The state employs a variety of positions in a number of different fields, including administrative assistant, nurse, attorney, accountant and many more. Salaries range from $28,500 to $92,100 per year.
Eric Wandersleben, a 31-year-old Ohio University graduate, has worked for the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services since March 2000.
“State employment is ripe with opportunities to succeed in terms of personal fulfillment and professional development,” he said. “Serving Ohio’s 11 million residents is a tremendous responsibility. However, I can think of no better career path than working to ensure that vital government services are available to all Ohioans in need. I have held several jobs since earning my college degree. Hands down, this has been the most rewarding of all.”
Wandersleben said many other tangible and intangible benefits come with working for the state.
“Competitive salaries, solid health benefits and fantastic retirement options, while important, are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The networking opportunities are endless and the experience one gleans from working alongside some of the best and brightest minds in public service are priceless. Having the satisfaction of knowing that what you do matters to so many is a reward in and of itself.”
Robert Feeney, 24, graduated from OSU in March 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering. Shortly after graduation, he was able to find a job as a manufacturing engineer at Liebert Corporation, but said he believes Columbus is not the easiest city for a recent college graduate to get a job.
“There are plenty of jobs in Columbus, but not entry level jobs, especially if you are looking in a specific field like industrial engineering,” he said.
However, Feeney said there are some real advantages to working in Columbus.
“I think being employed in Columbus is great because of the relatively low cost of living as compared to bigger cities,” he said. “If a recent grad is lucky enough to get a job here they are doing well for themselves.”
Heerdt said Columbus is a great city for a recent graduate or anyone to start a career because of the abundance of large companies that call Columbus home. Some of these companies include the Limited Inc., Nationwide and Huntington National Bank.
“Overall I like Columbus’ growth pattern and where (Columbus) is going to be in 10 years,” he said.
