What is the Job Market Like in Charleston?

People who are considering moving to the Charleston area ask me this question all the time.  Can I get a job here?  Will I make less money than I am making now?

The answers to those questions are yes, and probably yes.

Six years ago, I took my Great Big Leap and moved here without a job. The move was a huge ordeal until we got a stroke of luck, a removals Bournemouth & Poole truck re-fueled at the same time as us and offer to help.
It took me two months to find the right job (a 9-5 with good benefits), though I was able to earn some part-time income in the meantime. While I applied online to many places, most of my time was spent networking and setting up information interviews in the hopes that they would lead to more substantial interviews.  Obviously, they did.

Now, more than ever, networking is the ONLY way to get a job, but if you do it and do it well,  you shouldn’t have a problem.  No, there are not as many options as in Atlanta or Charlotte, and your pay certainly won’t be as high, but are you really considering Charleston for the job?  Probably not.  You are moving here for the lifestyle.

The good news is…

CNN Money recently outlined the Top 25 U.S. Counties in job growth over the past 10 years and Charleston made the list!

Our unemployment numbers in Charleston are also some of the lowest in S.C. and not that far above the national average (even though these days that’s not much to brag about).

The even better news is…

But the best part about working in Charleston, is not the jobs that exist, but the jobs that people create for themselves.  It is my experience that the entrepreneurial culture in Charleston is thriving and growing.  We have countless resources to support the creation of new companies or endeavors.  And if you have a good business plan, market it well, and are locally connected, your business will probably fly.  We locals are passionate about supporting the next big, cool, beautiful, delicious, innovative thing here in Charleston.  So if you are considering moving to Charleston and have a Dream, maybe rather than look for just-another-9-5-job, it’s time to start thinking about fulfilling it.

Here are some local resources to help you out!

As an aside, helping start-ups and small companies grow used to be MY 9-5 job, so I am happy to answer any questions you might have about it.  I loved what I did, but sometimes it is time to move on.  After all, aren’t Americans supposed to have an average of 5 careers in their lifetimes? 🙂

Flagship Co-Working Space

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One Response to “What is the Job Market Like in Charleston?

  • nancy bayly
    10 years ago

    Love your website! It is honest and very helpful. My husband and I just got back from a short but very nice stay in Charleston. We are seriously considering moving in November. We are in our early fifties, too young to retire.We are both in the healthcare industry and may transfer with our companies. We would like to live in downtown and would like to keep our rent no more than 1000.00. We have two small dogs that are housebroken. We love living small even renting a partial home would work great. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We have excellent credit and would be excellent tenants. Thank you!

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