Columbus is a Terrific Place to be a Young Professional

By Robbie Banks, Young Professionals Manager, Columbus Chamber

Earlier this week, Portfolio.com/Bizjournals announced the results of a study in which they analyzed the nation’s 67 metros with populations above 750,000, searching for qualities that would appeal to workers in their 20s and early 30s. Minneapolis-St. Paul and Columbus were tops in the Midwest. This is one of many accolades our region has received recently. Just in the last few months, Marysville was named one of the most affordable suburbs in America by Bloomberg Business Week. Columbus ranked as one of America’s top wired cities and as a top housing market by Forbes. Delaware County was Forbes magazine’s #2 place to get ahead, Dublin was named one of the top seven international intelligent communities, and Monster said Columbus was among top cities for finding an entry-level job. On the other end of the spectrum, U.S. News and World Report said Columbus is one of America’s best affordable places to retire.

I could go on and on! I’m a life-long Columbus resident, and I think these reports confirm what we’ve known all along. The Columbus region offers the best of everything!

As the young professionals manager for the Columbus Chamber, I’m responsible for connecting and engaging young talent in the Columbus region. And I’m eager to share why I think central Ohio is tops for young professionals (YPs). Here are my top five reasons (in no particular order):

• Diversity. There’s a noticeable respect for diversity whether it’s religious, racial, sexual orientation, age, art, personal tastes, or other opinions and ways of life. Columbus embraces cultural diversity in its community leaders, businesses, arts and entertainment scene. The city is accepting of new people and new ideas as it’s comprised mostly of  individuals who grew up outside of Columbus (fondly dubbed as “transplants”).

• Easy to get connected. You have the ability to get engaged at any level. If you so desire, your professional and social calendar could be filled with a variety of events each week, be it events hosted by YP, professional and networking organizations, civic and cultural activities, festivals, or sporting events. If you are looking to get connected to network, socialize, volunteer and keep a pulse on the community, check out the directory of young professional and professional organizations. In addition, I recommend that you sign up to receive Activities and Events for Young Professionals, a weekly email with information that may be of interest to YPs.

• Living is easy. I appreciate how easy it is to make a life here. The cost of living is reasonable, travel time between locations is minimal, and the central location allows easy access to other cities inside and outside of Ohio. Whether you want to live in an urban, suburban or rural area; commute via car, public transportation or bicycle; or be close to shopping, green spaces or schools, Columbus has you covered.

• Opportunity. Job opportunities. Educational opportunities. Entrepreneurial opportunities. Opportunities to make a difference. You can achieve what you want here. For job opportunities, be sure to explore Ohio Means Jobs. The Ohio Board of Regents is a tremendous resource for information on the state’s educational opportunities. The Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides entrepreneurial development assistance and high-end business consulting to start-up and emerging business owners free of charge. TechColumbus helps start-ups grow, too. Volunteer opportunities of all kinds are abundant in our area. To learn more about them, please refer to number two above.

• Infinite number of places to see and things to do. Yes, even for non-Buckeye fans. There seems to always be a new restaurant or business to check out. I especially love the free festivals, concerts and performances such as the Columbus Arts Festival, Downtown LIVE! Summer Concert Series and Shakespeare in the Park. To see what’s going on weekly in Columbus, pick up a free copy of Columbus alive! at newsstands or check out the listings on the Experience Columbus web site.

What does everyone else have to say? To hear why other YPs love to live, work and play in Columbus, check out the videos on the Chamber’s YouTube channel. Better yet, join in the discussion and post your own video or add a comment on our blog.