Geography of Financial Consulting

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  • #191124
    McGeeAndMe
    Participant

    I’m still in school, and have just about wrapped up my first two years. I’m going to transfer out of state, because I don’t want to live here for my early career.

    I know early on, both before I get my CPA and soon after, I won’t be in consulting. I’m planning to work in audit, initially.

    But since I need to be picking schools(all state schools, nothing Ivy or competitive), I wonder how some of the smaller states look on the consulting front? I know it’s much easier to find work in a region where you went to school and that the opportunities tend to strongly be near where you are. I don’t want to start out in a bad place and try to move later.

    I’m pretty much planning on going to school in either Utah or Missouri. Missouri is pretty close to Chicago, so I think I can probably make contacts to get over there if need be. I generally like the Midwest, West(except CA, NM, NV) and some of the Northeast(not NY,NJ or PA). I would probably rather live in Canada than the South.

    But before I totally decide where to go, I’m interested in finding out how accommodating these areas are for my eventual plans. I figure the bulk of financial consulting is in NYC. But I’m hoping there is a good presence elsewhere(I suspect Salt Lake and Chicago may be fine, but I have no idea).

    I don’t intend to work for huge companies or make big money. I’m thinking more middle of the road on both fronts.

    How would you say it is, regionally?

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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  • #637019
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I would advise picking a long-term location based on other factors. You can find a job in consulting in ‘most any region, but being in a region that you like is more important. It sounds like basically you're OK with anywhere except the South and a couple other select states. Can I ask why? That seems like too broad a region to actually have a preference for those places, so it makes me wonder if it's a situation like “Was raised in the south, can't stand it, so anywhere else is perfect”; if so, then I'd be a bit more selective than that in picking a final destination. I've lived in the West, Midwest, and South, and my family now lives in the East. To some extent, everything is the same anywhere you go – everyone gets up, goes to work, comes home, has dinner, and goes to bed. But in other ways, everywhere is different. If you're trying to pick somewhere to live for the rest of your life, I'd advise you think about it a bit more carefully before deciding. Maybe think about what your hobbies are and where you can best participate in those (for example, someone who loves the ocean shouldn't settle down in Kansas 😛 ).

    #637020
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I am from Missouri, but left for college and never moved back. I still have family there and go back the St. Louis area 2-3 times per year. There are only two business schools in Missouri that I would recommend an out of state student consider attending. Wash U is great, but let's knock that one out since you just don't transfer in on a whim. St. Louis University is a fine school, but it is a regional Catholic university of which a similar caliber school exists in most states. That leaves the University of Missouri-Columbia and Truman State University. Mizzou is in the center of the state and is recruited by accounting firms in St. Louis and Kansas City. Truman is one of the best buys in education, but it is in the northeast corner of the state in the middle of nowhere. Truman is also recruited by accounting firms in St. Louis and Kansas City.

    Chicago really has no use for candidates from Missouri, so I wouldn't go to college in Missouri in order to be close to Chicago. They really don't want anyone from downstate Illinois either, they really like Chicagoans. Plus the entire state of Illinois is suffering fiscally.

    My sister-in-law used to teach at the University of Utah, and again lives in Salt Lake City, but the community there is pretty insular. Salaries are low and they really don't need outsiders since the LDS population is highly educated.

    #637021
    McGeeAndMe
    Participant

    I grew up everywhere. I've lived in 11 states for at least a month(8 for at least a year). I've never lived anywhere for more than 3 years(outside of my home state). I get sort of restless when I'm somewhere for very long, these days(one major reason I want to do Audit and Consulting).

    The only region I'm pretty unfamiliar with, is most of the Northeast. I've basically only driven through places like Mass, Con, NH, etc.

    I've lived in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and my family is from Illinois. I like the midwest and am most familiar with it. I've lived in Arizona and generally like what I've been exposed to in Colorado and Utah.

    I would be converting to LDS if I moved to Utah.

    I don't like small towns(<10,000) population. Drives me nuts.

    On the flip side, I don't like BIG cities for the most part. Chicago, Indianapolis and Salt Lake are the only big ones I feel that I could live in(though I've heard good things about Seattle).

    I've enjoyed visiting, but don't feel I fit: NY, Las Vegas, LA, San Diego, Dallas, Austin, Saint Louis, Memphis, Miami.

    I hated Detroit, Newark and San Antonio.

    I spent about a month in NYC. It was too hectic for me. I had problems sleeping. I got sick twice. The place made me feel bipolar. Some days were awesome. Some days I wanted to stop at 2pm. I'm not made of tough enough stuff to handle it. Especially not with a demanding job on top of it.

    I'm just not good looking enough to want to deal with California. I lived there for about six months. Dating there was a nightmare. I've generally been considered nice looking(nothing special) everywhere else I've lived. Pretty much regarded as an ugly, skinny nerd out there. I'm not a fit.

    The South? I've lived in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.

    A big part of it, is the weather. I don't like the humidity in summer. Any time I step foot outside of an air conditioned, climate controlled building from May through September, I immediately feel bad. There are a few places outside of the South with this kind of weather(a lot of Texas), but not much.

    There's also a passivity everywhere I've been in the South. Everywhere else I've lived, I can go out regularly with friends and DO things(or at least chill with a few friends and get drunk). Every Southern state I've lived in, everyone just sits around their house(but small house parties are out). The only reason to leave, is to go visit family or shoot something.

    If I text someone up North(the term used to describe every non-Confederate state), and suggest doing something, I'd usually get either A) Yes! or B) I'm already doing something. In the South? C)Eh. I think I'm just gonna stay home and watch tv/Facebook.

    Every Southern state I've lived in, is just full of the most boring people I've ever met. They have few hobbies or interests, and literally no desire to expand their activities or knowledge. This is at least 4/5 of the people I've met, if not more. And to some extent, it's almost universal(IE, I qualify as an extrovert in the South, but not anywhere else).

    The only place I've been to in the South that I really liked, was Savannah Georgia. But how can you not love drunken street parties, a town filled with ghosts and a beach with dolphins?

    Pennsylvania reminds me a lot of the South(less the weather), which is why I have it on my “Not gonna happen” list.

    And it's not like many Southern cities are making up for it with great job growth. Maybe Atlanta and some of North Carolina.

    #637022
    jbisdamon
    Member

    Lol being from the South, I would have to say you were probably pretty bad at making friends If your friends just wanted to watch tv or play on Facebook lol. Where I'm from, everyone likes to hang out and have a good ole time.

    BEC - 76 7/22/14
    AUD - 84 8/30/14
    REG - 75 10/16/14
    FAR - 87 11/24/14

    #637023
    ruggercpa2b
    Participant

    I moved from the Northeast to Nashville. By far the best decision I ever made. Like you, I hated the humid summers but after a while I got used to it and when you work you hardly spend much time in the heat. There is so much to do here.I have made a lot of friends and there is always something going on on the weekends. There are a lot of transplants here and has been voted one of the growing cities. There are a ton of jobs here whether its accounting firms or you want to get into healthcare. I do not regret moving here at all!

    AUD - 73, 72 retake 7/2/2016
    BEC - 8/20/2016
    REG - TBD
    FAR - TBD

    I am so ready for this nightmare to be over. Been at this way too long.

    #637024
    McGeeAndMe
    Participant

    Lol being from the South, I would have to say you were probably pretty bad at making friends If your friends just wanted to watch tv or play on Facebook lol. Where I'm from, everyone likes to hang out and have a good ole time.

    Yeah, it's probably just because of how much I suck 😉

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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