As you’re shivering in your down jacket in this frigid December cold, you may be thinking something along the lines of, “Why do I live in Minnesota?” Yes, the winters are cold and long, but it’s at times like these when it’s important to remind yourself of the good things about working here — especially as an IT pro.
Hot Opportunities
Minneapolis was ranked as the 7th best city for young entrepreneurs by NerdWallet, based on loan data, cost of living, business activity, education, and income (New York and San Francisco didn’t even make the cut!). Furthermore, 2 of Forbes’ ‘Top 5 Industries for Entrepreneurs’ are in IT — specifically, ‘Internet and Data Services’ and ‘Computer Systems and Software Services.’
This comes as no surprise as Minnesota was also named the 8th ‘Best State for Business’ on Forbes’ 2013 list, based on business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects, and quality of life. This marks a 12-spot jump from last year’s list — highlighting a much improved economic climate for the state.
Hot Outlook
This kind of thriving business environment has made Minneapolis one of PayScale’s top 10 U.S. metro cities with the biggest wage growth, with its workers experiencing a 2% growth in pay in the past year. And of the jobs experiencing the biggest pay growth, information technology jobs are #8 with a 2.3% growth.
The job outlook for software engineers is especially great. Not only did software quality assurance engineers and testers make Forbes’ list of ‘Top 10 Occupations Hiring the Most Right Now,’ but software developer was also named one of the ‘Top 10 Jobs for Work and Family Balance’ (based on flexible scheduling, work-from-home and part-time options, and high earnings).
Hoping to break into IT? You also have something to smile about — the Land of 10,000 Lakes is in the top 10 states with the lowest unemployment rate.
So when you think the Minnesota cold is too much for you to bear, give yourself this reminder: you’re working in a great place for this hot industry!