Recent College Grad? 10 Best Cities to Start Your Career

In January of this year, the International Business Times reported that the average job search was taking roughly eight months. For those of you that graduated in May, it could mean that you don’t necessarily land your first “official” job until January.

But if you want to speed up the job search, you may want to look in one of the top 10 best cities for recent college graduates. These cities were determined by Apartments.com and CareerRookie.com “based on the ranking of the U.S. cities with the highest concentration of people ages 20-24, an inventory of jobs requiring less than one year of experience, and the average cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment,” according to msnbc.com.

So brush up your resume, fill up the tank and pack a suitcase or two. You’ve got some interviews on the road coming up!

10. St. Louis

Unemployment rate: 8.8% — slightly lower than national average of 9.1%

Average entry-level salary: $40,000

Rent: Average 1-bedroom costs $535

Major employers: BJC HealthCare, Wells Fargo Advisors, Edward Jones and Express Scripts, Inc, all of which are headquartered in St. Louis

9. Atlanta

Unemployment rate: 10.3%

Average entry-level salary: $43,000

Rent: Average 1-bedroom costs $780

Major employers: The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Delta Air Lines, Home Depot and IBM.

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