Top 10 Best and Worst Cities to Start a Career

Bankrate reports on a survey of the best cities and worst cities in which to start a career. The general rule is that bigger cities appear to be better based on the criteria Bankrate used to evaluate the prospects for someone who begins a career with all of the promise and potential that goes along with stepping into the job market for the first time.

Out of the 25 largest cities in the United States, 10 of them made Bankrate's list of the best cities to start a career. Bankrate examined 100 cities with more than 250,000 people in a metropolitan area, each with per capita gross domestic products above $40,000. Each area was then ranked on 18 variables in five groups, including job prospects, quality of life, social opportunities, pay potential and career advancement.

Not surprisingly, New York is number one due to social opportunities and career advancement. Pay potential and quality of life also pushed New York to the top spot. The number two city on the list, Los Angeles, did well in social, advancement and quality of life metrics in terms of where to start a career.

Top Cities

1. New York

2. Los Angeles

3. San Francisco

4. Washington D.C.

5. San Jose, California

6. Boston

7. Chicago

8. Seattle

9. Dallas

10. Philadelphia

Many of the top cities to start a career have a vibe of "making it big" thanks to plenty of opportunities for lateral moves, climbing the corporate ladder and large companies that call these cities home.

The worst cities on the top 100 list aren't necessarily bad. These bottom 10 metro areas simply do not have as many resources as the top 10. Fayetteville, North Carolina, scored high for quality of life, but it has a huge lack in terms of opportunities for pay potential, career advancement and job prospects to start a career. Many of these cities are in southern parts of the United States.

Worst Cities

1. Fayetteville, North Carolina

2. Mobile, Alabama

3. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas

4. Jackson, Mississippi

5. Montgomery, Alabama

6. Knoxville, Tennessee

7. Fort Walton Beach, Florida

8. Shreveport, Louisiana

9. Greensboro, North Carolina

10. Roanoke, Virginia

The worst cities do not mean new professionals should avoid them altogether. These smaller metropolitan areas still have great attributes, and young people should take into consideration many factors before deciding where to start their career journey.

Does This Mean Relocation?

Relocating comes into play when workers seek better employment opportunities. Employees can scout areas ahead of time by going on vacation in a city to see what it's like. People can also examine similar cultural niches in a particular area, lifestyle opportunities outside of work and any possible drawbacks to moving. In the end, social mobility might be an easier thing to accomplish in contemporary society thanks to technology, communication and ease of movement for young professionals.

Newly minted college grads have plenty of ways to start a career. The top 10 cities for such an adventure have the potential for plenty of career development so long as an employee is willing to work hard.

Photo courtesy of Marco Verch at Flickr.com.