Buying a home in a new city before securing a job there is a common mistake among relocating Americans. A city's reputation for having jobs is not the same thing as you actually being in possession of the funds to make your mortgage payments. Though there are places that will give you a mortgage with a small down payment and no income guarantee, many people who do so end up in need of Riverside bankruptcy lawyers. Therefore, if you're thinking of moving to Bakersfield, California, conduct a job search in conjunction with your home search. Below are some likely places to start looking.
The Internet and Newspapers
The internet is one of your most valuable job search tools. There are numerous websites, such as Workopolis or Monster that allow job seekers to search for available jobs in their area. Additionally city and state government websites will also post open positions. Online collaboration tools like these are a good start, but don't neglect print. Newspapers used to be the primary means of getting the word out about jobs and to this day remain the go-to resource for many businesses that aren't computer-savvy. If you're not in Bakersfield yet, your local library will have periodicals from other cities you can browse.
Major Industries
The first lesson in Job Searching 101 is to do your research on the area you plan on moving to. Your skills and career field should match up with the major supporting sectors of the new city's economy if you want to have the best chance of finding a job. In Bakersfield, the top industries include manufacturing, technology, agriculture, and oil production. If, for example, you're an electronic design consultant, this would be a good city for you because you might be called upon to update a factory or work in the development department for an electronics or engineering firm. Whereas is if you were a fisherman, Bakersfield probably wouldn't be a good fit.
Top Employers
The biggest businesses in a given city are the ones in need of the most people to stay in operation. Home Health Care BC has thousands of people on the payroll from receptionists to licensed practical nurses, and Bakersfield's top companies follow suit. Nestle and Frito-Lay occupy the top spots here, meaning there may be opportunities for food-plant factory workers or farm hands who provide the milk for the chocolate and the potatoes for the chips. State Farm is next on the list. It's an insurance provider, so this company may have need of office workers, adjusters, actuaries, and accountants. The next three are oil companies: Aera Energy, Chevron, and Occidental Oil & Gas, so while they may need a few people to run the offices their open job slots are more likely to be refinery workers.
Bakersfield Employment Stats
Bakersfield is listed among the top ten midsized cities for doing business and its unemployment rate is 10%, which is less than the 11.2% average for California, so if you're looking for a job it's a likely place whether you're a real estate agent or a videographer. Toronto's rate is only slightly lower.
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