bay area employers hiring?
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008Lucinda has a question about the Tampa Bay area job market, so she contacted us through the old Ask-a-Tampan gimmick.
Hi everyone,
My fiancee and I are moving to Tampa in Early May of this year. He currently works at John Hancock in Boston, and I am a paralegal. We make roughly 35-40k a year individually. Based on prior posts I understand that the pay in Tampa is pretty low. When I look at job-postings on websites like craigslist.com and other sites though, the pay seems comparable to what we are making here, so I’m unsure what ti expect. I was also wondering if the job market has picked up at all? I know that here, a lot of places have a ” hiring freeze” in effect due to the economy. I was wondering if that was the case there also. We are planning to apply to jobs from here and possibly fly down for some interviews but I’m afraid employers will be reluctant to call us back since we are still living in Mass. Since so many people move down to Florida from up here though, I was wondering if employers are more open to hiring out of state people who are relocating. Any thoughts? Comments? I just want to get an idea of what to expect.
First of all, congratulations on your engagement! And second of all, congratulations on making the decision to head to Tampa Bay for this next part of your life.
At this time, governments have a hiring freeze in effect, but that is not necessarily the case with business. Forty percent of businesses expect to hire more people this year (down from 56% last year). Locals feel as if things are just sorta ok.
As far as the 351 area code on your resume, I would assume that many Florida businesses are used to getting job applicants from out-of-state. After all, everyone wants to live here sooner or later! But for others with real live experience in this matter, we’ll have to rely on the incomparable sticks readers - they often leave helpful anecdotal evidence in the comments.
One caution to you though - compared to the Northeast, Florida is laid back and (some would say) s.l.o.w. I beg you not to come down here just to complain that they do things so much better up North. We really don’t care much for that sort of attitude.
Also, I see your husband is at John Hancock. We’re not particularly endeared to insurance companies here lately. Although they are a necessary evil.
I hope this is somewhat helpful, and I encourage you to check back for more comments - folks ’round here are pretty good at helping out…

nights a week all over the Bay area, so I encourage you to check them out. Dunedin’s Martini Club is across the street from Knology Park, on the currently-under-construction Douglas Ave. Douglas Avenue has been a wreck for months, and I’m told they won’t be able to pave it until a full day comes along without rain, which in August is unlikely, and it was probably not the best idea to execute a street repaving in the summer, but that’s Pinellas County for you.
manner, seriously. Martini Club is more of a “roadhouse” feel, dirty and smoky and filled with trucker-capped mulleted locals, drinking $1.50 PBRs. BRO was up to their usual rockingness, and during their first break I struck up a few conversations, as I usually do in places where I don’t know anyone.
Miami for the past 30 years, who also foresees a recession. “”The problems we have now are unprecedented and a lot of people will get burnt.”




