Post graduation plans

[MikeM]

I've lived in Portland my whole life and love it, but I'm thinking now would be the time to go away and explore new places. I graduate in May and am currently exploring all possibilities. I am an exercise science major and heavily involved in athletics (I played soccer through college & love basketball). I have interests in the relationship between athletics and education or public health.

Currently I am entertaining the idea of working for the convenient companies Nike or Adidas because they have the world HQ and north american HQ in Portland, respectively...possibly in biomechanics research, or anything other than being a sales associate. I also think it would be awesome to work for Nike abroad in the Netherlands, or Adidas in Germany. Other ideas include Mercy Corps (I know the CEO), or Grassroots soccer in South Africa (I also have a contact).

What other cities would r3v recommend for somebody my age? (I would like to stay in a CITY if its in the states)...I've looked at Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland a little.

[Bokes]

Portland > Seattle

[roguetoaster]

Based on the cities you cited you should check out Denver, or even Detroit with all of it's interesting start ups. But the proper choice is to spend at least a few years abroad if you really can. It looks great on a resume and is a brilliant way to alter your way of looking at the world.

[FKNFASTM5]

I hear some parts of texas are very friendly to young 20somethings looking to start a life.... if your into that kind of thing.

[Wschnitz]

Definitely get in touch with Adidas NA, It would be balling to work at HQ in Germany, it is a wonderful experience, i was there for 2 weeks and have wanted to go back, possibly for forever, since.

[Kozworth]

Funny, I am 21 years old. I am going to school for automotive technology, graduating in the spring with an Associates. Between multiple family/personal experiences that have uprose since I started college, I actually feel the same way and feel the need to experience new things. But I was looking to go from NJ to Oregon haha.

My plan originally was to finish my 2.7t sedan build by graduation, and take it cross country to Portland. This is going to be one of my last summers as things are now, since its my senior year in college and everyone I know are moving to med school/transferring out so I would just be stuck in the workfield in a place I am not 100% on. SUCKS!

Due to two of my jobs cutting hours and such, I do not think I could really offord to get my turbo solid enough for a cross country trip, let alone offord the cross country trip. I've been cutting a lot of expenses and such because I know once it is done it'll be well worth the wait.

Anyways I figured id post my situation since it seems me and OP are somewhat going through similar things, bump

[evandael]

Pittsburgh, honestly. Especially around the universities, if you're considering grad school at all.

[ColdAccord]

friend of mine works for Nike SB. Makes it sound like their facility is pretty incredible. whole complex. nice cafeteria, skatepark, workout facility, etc

[freeride53]

I have lived in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego. San Francisco all the way.

[freeride53]

But Oakland is nice too, if you want to save your money for a while.
There are many nice neighborhoods in Oakland, definitely give it a shot.
You could even work in SF and commute, very short distance, and extremely common.

Sina

[MikeM]

Based on the cities you cited you should check out Denver, or even Detroit with all of it's interesting start ups. But the proper choice is to spend at least a few years abroad if you really can. It looks great on a resume and is a brilliant way to alter your way of looking at the world.

I don't think denver is quite for me. If I were more interested in snowboarding/skiing then I might but I'm just not feelin it. And I don't know anything about detroit other than i went to school with Ndamukong Suh. I'll read about it

I hear some parts of texas are very friendly to young 20somethings looking to start a life.... if your into that kind of thing.

haha. I was in San Antonio for the first time this summer for soccer. It was actually a really cool place. I have had this texas stereotype in my head for awhile but it actually wasn't that bad....except for when we had to play at 2pm and it was 104* out

Definitely get in touch with Adidas NA, It would be balling to work at HQ in Germany, it is a wonderful experience, i was there for 2 weeks and have wanted to go back, possibly for forever, since.

I have a meeting with a guy at Adidas in the morning actually. It is working hand in hand with my senior thesis which is sports management driven. I hear you on the Germany experience though. I have only been to Brazil for a short bit. That was cool but they didn't speak english very much. I'm going to ask about abroad experiences and how I line that up.

Funny, I am 21 years old. I am going to school for automotive technology, graduating in the spring with an Associates. Between multiple family/personal experiences that have uprose since I started college, I actually feel the same way and feel the need to experience new things. But I was looking to go from NJ to Oregon haha.

My plan originally was to finish my 2.7t sedan build by graduation, and take it cross country to Portland. This is going to be one of my last summers as things are now, since its my senior year in college and everyone I know are moving to med school/transferring out so I would just be stuck in the workfield in a place I am not 100% on. SUCKS!

Due to two of my jobs cutting hours and such, I do not think I could really offord to get my turbo solid enough for a cross country trip, let alone offord the cross country trip. I've been cutting a lot of expenses and such because I know once it is done it'll be well worth the wait.

Anyways I figured id post my situation since it seems me and OP are somewhat going through similar things, bump

I highly recommend Portland. I love it. It is a city, but not too big. Lots of cool bars, we have the coast, hiking, mountains and the BLAZERS!! I live IN the city though. I couldn't imagine living in a suburb of portland, or any city for that matter. I love the accessibility of cities.

Pittsburgh, honestly. Especially around the universities, if you're considering grad school at all.

Interesting. I don't know much about this area. I am considering grad school but I just haven't settled on any one program. With that said I think it will be a year or two before I attend.

friend of mine works for Nike SB. Makes it sound like their facility is pretty incredible. whole complex. nice cafeteria, skatepark, workout facility, etc

I'll have to check that out. I know nothing about santa barbara or their nike facility in place. I am fairly familiar with the HQ though.

I have lived in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego. San Francisco all the way.

My friend wants to move to Oakland. He was thinking all the same things that you mentioned about being able to get in and out of San Fran and such.

[evandael]

Interesting. I don't know much about this area. I am considering grad school but I just haven't settled on any one program. With that said I think it will be a year or two before I attend.

Let me assure you, it's no Cali city. But there's some neat stuff to do, lots of young people, some cool business startups are happening with CMU and Pitt pumping money into them, it's affordable, and the city is really becoming it's own after a pretty depressing 80's and 90's.

[uofom3]

I would think about what you are trying to accomplish:

Do you want to just be "young" and travel, not get too engrossed in a career? Then I would go to whatever city floats your boat (or you think may float your boat).

If your goal is to start a career and have it last and then bank up $ to get a place of your own, car stuff, etc. then I would think about cost of living in where you are trying to go - find a balance between being somewhere you really like and somewhere that you can afford and live a lifestyle that suits you.

For instance, I also love SFO and I could work down there in a second if I told my company I wanted to. But no way - SFO is fuck you expensive. So I'd rather live in the PDX area and have $ then enjoy SFO and have far less disposable income.

Also - it's my understanding that Nike doesn't pay their employees shit because everyone wants to work there and they are all thrilled about the "perks" and the "cool stuff" that comes along with it (gym/cafeteria/etc.)

Why have you said no to sales? If you are just starting out of college it's not a bad avenue. And if you are good at it, you can make some serious coin for someone just out of school.

[dishwab]

I live in Detroit and as much as I'd like to say move here... don't. It's not that you'll get killed or mugged or any of that shit, but there's just way sweeter and more interesting stuff to do in other places.

Chicago is fun and there are tons of young people there - I have plenty of friends that moved there after college and love it.