I’ve asked my colleague and Next Gen “advisor” Jen Lemanski to comment on the Forbes list of Best Cities for Young Professionals. Houston is number three on the list. Jen is the Practice Growth Specialist for PKF Texas and is a member of several young professional initiatives in Houston and the accounting industry.
Forbes was absolutely right when they put us on their list of best cities for young professionals (YPs). Houston is not an obvious choice for YPs that are outside the oil/energy industry. while we don’t have the shiny, sleek reputation of New York City or the laid back, beachy atmosphere of Los Angeles, Houston is one of the country’s best kept secrets. The ratio of cost of living to salary is much better than our counterparts on the East and West coasts. The Houston economy hasn’t seen the downturn that other major cities have seen, business is booming and it’s an exciting time to be here.
The diverse population and international flavor isn’t something that you can copy. Many of us are transplants (I’ve lived all over the country), we may not be native Houstonians, but we’ve made the conscious decision to call Houston our home.
There are YP initiatives around the city that are growing by leaps and bounds. For those who join, it’s an opportunity to get in on the ground level and steer the ship so to speak. We are able to get involved and shape our city. With the Baby Boomers beginning to retire, the city is ready for us to step up and show what we can do. The Boomers are ready and willing to help us make connections in the marketplace to expand our centers of influence.
All in all, Houston is a great place to be right now and I can’t wait to find out how the YPs (myself included) will shape our city!