According to smartasset.com, these are the top 10 cities in 2018 and why they may make a great place for young professionals.

1. Sioux Falls, SD:
   1. Second year in a row at #1
   2. Boasts a 1.49% unemployment rate (even by today’s standards is unheard of)
   3. Estimates that 90% of young adults are participating in the job market
   4. It is estimated that potential workers would only have to contribute 23% of their total monthly income towards rent in this city
2. Raleigh, NC:
   1. 89.8% of young adults are either working or looking for work
   2. The median worker earns an average of $49,000 (top 30 rate) with an expectation of this continuing to rise
   3. Average rental will only account for 25% of total earnings each month
3. San Francisco, CA:
   1. 3rd highest proportion of young adults and 4th highest median earnings
   2. Cost of living is higher here, with the average rent sitting at $1,800 per month, equaling 27% of monthly earnings
4. Pittsburgh, PA:
   1. Almost 21% of total residents in this city are between the ages of 25 and 34
   2. Cost of living is low with an average monthly rental of $874, equating to 23% of earnings
5. Seattle, WA:
   1. Estimated that 23% of residents are between the ages of 25-34.
   2. 91% of young adults are participating in the work force
   3. Higher earnings but also higher rent – Average rental is $1,450 per month and average salary is $66,000 per year
6. Austin, TX:
   1. Lands in the top 15 for 4 different metrics (% of young adults who are residents, unemployment rate for young adults, % of young adults participating in the labor force and an increase in median full-time earnings
   2. Downside, rent is expensive, averaging $1,200 per month or about 30% of monthly income
7. Minneapolis, MN:
   1. Ranks 4th highest in labor force participation and the median full-time worker makes more than 70% of other cities
   2. High density of entertainment choices (city ranks 32nd)
   3. Higher than average unemployment rate, 5.7% for young adults
8. Omaha, NE:
   1. Saving money is the name of the game in Omaha. Average rent is 23% of worker’s income
   2. Seeing a continual increase in overall wages, 15% increase between 2012-2016 (ranking in the top 10 in this regard)
9. Arlington, VA:
   1. The highest proportion of young adults within this study and the 3rd highest labor force participation rate
   2. Highest median earnings for full-time workers, going up 20% between 2012-2016
   3. Downside is the lack of diversity with available jobs and the cost of living. Average rental cost $1,900 per month.
10. Anchorage, AK:
    1. A very diverse job market, ranking 28th in the metric overall
    2. Unemployment rate of 3.8% and median earnings of over $55,000 per year
    3. Downside, rent is a concern costing workers 28% of total monthly earnings

If you take anything away from this information, just remember that opportunity is out there in a wide array of locations across the country. If you are seeking something new or different in your career or maybe just in your surroundings, now may be the time to go for it! For more information and a breakdown of the top 25 cities in the US for young professionals, please visit smartasset.com.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, and Trillium Techs. With approximately 90 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2015 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

While most candidates who are employed at an executive level are far less likely to engage in an active career search, there are ways to attract this level of professional. Chances are you are not going to come across a senior executive’s resume on a job board or through your standard application system. Most executives have built their career using a diverse network and lean on that network and recruiters to help them find their next career. So how do you land a passive executive candidate? The majority of passive executive candidates can be recruited through three channels; your employment brand, networking, and hiring a professional level recruiter.

Maintaining and marketing an employment brand that speaks genuinely to your organization’s goals, priorities, and the reasons that set you apart from other employers can quickly attract talent that aligns themselves with your goals. Google was ranked by Forbes in 2013 as the “Best Company To Work For”. How do they do it? They deploy a number of strategies to publicize why someone would want to work for Google, which includes a wide variety of reasons ranging from working with the latest technology to continuing education and non-profit involvement. Their employment brand has grown so tremendously it has motivated candidates to take extreme measures such as creating websites and video interviews to get the attention of Google’s hiring team as well as become the basis for the new movie, The Internship featuring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. Looking for some great ways to promote your brand? Visit their careers page that includes videos, testimonials, and a multitude of recruitment tools that identifies their employment brand.

Building an employment brand takes time, research, and innovation. If you are looking to hire someone today and you currently haven’t spent much time investing in an employment brand, your immediate search is best tailored towards networking or partnering with a professional recruiter. Are you ready to get your network working to assist you in your search? Start by letting them know you are interested in hiring someone for an executive role. Share with them the benefits of working for your organization, your strategic goals, and what types of skills would make someone a great fit for the position. Next, motivate them to begin thinking, reaching out, and referring their professional network to you. Some great ways to encourage others to help you are offering referral bonuses, gift cards, or other forms of recognition for the person who is able to refer the right candidate to you. Most often times your professional network will be happy to help you and their peers, especially if they are armed with the information that sets a career opportunity with your organization apart from other opportunities.

Even the most heavily networked executives are often hesitant to share with their peers that they may be looking for a career change. The potential repercussions of word getting back to their employer may be reason enough for them to not offer up their interest or resume to even their most trusted colleagues. So how do you reach them? Because most executives are very familiar with delegating duties and have worked with executive recruiters to help them fill positions within their organization, they often times have a high level of respect and confidence in a recruiter representing them in a confidential career search. Executive recruiters are known for their ability to locate careers that are often times not marketed through traditional means, work interviews around the executive’s current employment schedule, and are able to provide candidates with inside information as to what career opportunities may be best for them. Most experienced professional recruiters or executive recruiters represent more passive candidates than they do candidates who are engaged in an active career search and who are posting their resumes online.

Are you a stand out professional, executive, or technical professional seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities?  Visit our job seekers section for more information!  Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide.