Daughter looking for work in the D.C. area

GBSoren

GBSoren

Pre-takeoff checklist
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GBSoren
I'm looking for advise and/or possibly referrals from POA members. My daughter is going to be graduating from the U of MN this summer, she'll be done the end of August. She has set her sites on living in the D.C. area, but we (being from MN) no nobody and have no connections there. She wants to eventually attend George Washington U law school.

Her degree is in the health care management field, she's worked for Health Partners in Saint Paul, she really just wants out of MN. We're planning on going out to D.C. in early July, maybe look at apartments and see what we can find for job opportunities. Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated! I know this is a long shot, just hoping for a little help.

Thanks!
 
Why DC ?

Unless you can leech off the federal government, there isn't that much going on around DC. Some tech jobs in northern VA, but most of those are related to the beltway bandits as well. Probably more opportunities in the health arena in the MSP orbit.
 
Mainly because she wants to end up at GWU. I think she'd be open to other areas too, DC is just her plan.
 
GW has a med school and hospital, and activity in health policy. Inova has a newish personalized medicine unit and is active in policy. Evolent is also worth looking at. Medstar is another big group. And of course Hopkins in Baltimore an lots of think tanks in town. MCV in Richmond is not far away.

Stay away from the administration, it's pretty toxic at the moment.

I'm not in the health arena, but am in DC area. Will help or advise as best I can. Let me know when you'll be in area.
 
Also plenty of law/lobby firms involved in policy. The swamp is still full, but watch for the gators.
 
wsuffa said:
GW has a med school and hospital, and activity in health policy. Inova has a newish personalized medicine unit and is active in policy. Evolent is also worth looking at. Medstar is another big group. And of course Hopkins in Baltimore an lots of think tanks in town. MCV in Richmond is not far away.

Stay away from the administration, it's pretty toxic at the moment.

I'm not in the health arena, but am in DC area. Will help or advise as best I can. Let me know when you'll be in area.
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Thanks wsuffa. Plan is to be out there the first week of July, I may fly out. What would be a good GA friendly airport to come in to?
 
GBSoren said:
Thanks wsuffa. Plan is to be out there the first week of July, I may fly out. What would be a good GA friendly airport to come in to?
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Where are you coming from? From the west, HEF and JYO work. From the Northeast, Tipton. From the south, go up to HEF (Stafford is a nice airport, but you have to deal with the hell that is I-95). FDK and GAI from the north.

All of those (except FDK) are within the SFRA so make sure to do the course. You won't have enough time to get the paperwork done for the FRZ airports (W32, Potomac, College Park).
 
There is NIH and a lot of bio-tech in the Bethesda/Rockville corridor.

Also, INOVA is building a giant campus on the old Exxon HQ site in Fairfax (article), they'll likely be hiring a lot of new people.

She'll want to find a job first, then an apartment. Commutes can be brutal if you end up having to cross a bridge.

Agree with wsuffa on the airport choices. No great options, but lots of good ones.
 
Thanks for all the reply's. Will be coming from the NW. I also agree with finding a job first, I tried to explain that to her. Traffic can be brutal!
 
I recommend the NSA. Opportunities in healthcare management seem slim though, but there might be an internship, maybe more when she gets into law.
 
There are plenty of health-oriented companies (lobbyists, tech firms fulfilling various gov't health care programs, etc.) NW of DC along I-270. I wouldn't recommend getting involved with the spook agencies. Their primary mission has nothing to do with health care.
 
I hated living in DC. It was expensive and difficult. When I lived in Southern California it was rather expensive and difficult, but I figured that was my price to live in really good weather. What was I getting out of living in DC? Sure as hell wasn't good weather. Access to government? Bleech.

I think the OP's daughter is making a truly giant mistake. Last I heard you could go to law school in Minnesota. It's beautiful. Yeah, its cold. Put on a coat, buy a good hat. I know, young people have to make their own mistakes. But no m after where you go, there you are.

As far as DC advice, live close to the metro if you have to go downtown, as close as you can get.
 
steingar said:
I hated living in DC. It was expensive and difficult. When I lived in Southern California it was rather expensive and difficult, but I figured that was my price to live in really good weather. What was I getting out of living in DC? Sure as hell wasn't good weather. Access to government? Bleech.
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To each their own. One thing that DC DOES have is a much more "international" flavor population-wise. I've lived in a number of other places (including the state you live in), and not found quite the same flavor. NYC, LA, Miami, and a few others come close - but Washington with the number of embassies and transients stands out in it's own way.

YMMV.
I think the OP's daughter is making a truly giant mistake. Last I heard you could go to law school in Minnesota. It's beautiful. Yeah, its cold. Put on a coat, buy a good hat. I know, young people have to make their own mistakes. But no m after where you go, there you are.
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Full disclosure: I did my B-school at GW. Part of the reason that I did was the number of international students that attend. I wanted the international exposure. GW Law, like their international studies program stand out. And being in DC gives access to more lawyers than many other places (which, of course, is both good and bad). I still mentor students and entrepreneurs at GW, and still find a heavy international presence. From my view, that's good. For others, it may not be. Again, YMMV. Good faculty in Law, too.

BUT, whether that's necessary depends on the long-term career choice. Plenty of good lawyers - including some on this board - that earned their degree from other institutions. It might be the right thing for her, or it might not - we're not in a position to tell that. If her goal is policy work, this is the place to be.

As far as DC advice, live close to the metro if you have to go downtown, as close as you can get.
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I'd amend that. As a young person, she'll find more people her age (and more things to do that are attractive at younger ages) living in DC itself (Foggy Bottom, Adams Morgan, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, DuPont Circle, etc), Arlington, Old Town Alexandria, Falls Church, Bethesda, and the College Park areas. Parts of the City of Fairfax, and places along a couple of the Metro lines also have bars and activities that attract the younger crowd. Ashburn, Gaithersburg, etc. are too far out for socializing and nightlife. And a better chance of finding compatible roomates living close in. The subway can suck (insert your favorite pejorative here), and is still working on rebuilding, but when it works it can be convenient and faster than taking a car (or Uber).

Also note that there are a few areas close-in (NOT ones I mentioned above) that are "challenging" crime-wise.

DCA is a stop on the subway, BWI is a stop on Amtrak and MARC rail, and maybe someday the metro system will go to IAD (latest issue: problems with the concrete that contractors poured).
 
I've avoided saying this, and I apologize in advance, but do you by chance fly rotary wing aircraft?
 
GBSoren said:
Mainly because she wants to end up at GWU. I think she'd be open to other areas too, DC is just her plan.
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Well, plenty of law schools and plenty of lawyers in DC. I understand that if your interest is public policy, GW is one of the schools with the highest placement rates in that arena. GWs head of finance flies a Baron, that's all I know about the university itself ;-) .

Unless you have the option to choose your work hours, life is governed by proximity to metro stations. The good neighborhoods in the district are expensive, the not so expensive places are not where I would want my daughter to live. Same with the burbs. The options range from chi-chi to postapocalyptic wasteland with a corresponding gradient in cost.

Traffic in and around DC can be awful. I live on the undeveloped side of town and unless I have to be in the district at some stupid time like 8am, its really not bad. Otoh, anything that involves northern Virginia and Montgomery county is hopeless for a commute. As a young person, she really would want to live either in the district or somewhere close in like Arlington or Alexandria. Of course, it all depends on where she finds work.
 
weilke said:
GWs head of finance flies a Baron, that's all I know about the university itself ;-) .
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Private school. One of the largest real estate owners in DC. Like many schools, various parts must be profit centers....
 
Come to think of it, at the speed my wifes department at Medstar churns through medical administrators, they must be hiring them at a god clip. Every other year there is another fresh 22 year old face who has 'innovative ideas' on how to skin the cat.
 
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mcdewey said:
There are plenty of health-oriented companies (lobbyists, tech firms fulfilling various gov't health care programs, etc.) NW of DC along I-270. I wouldn't recommend getting involved with the spook agencies. Their primary mission has nothing to do with health care.
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Unless it's psychology. In any case it looks like she is leaning to law. Still that's not the best "spook agency" field either. Computer science is big these days.
 
Rushie said:
Unless it's psychology. In any case it looks like she is leaning to law. Still that's not the best "spook agency" field either. Computer science is big these days.
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Oh, there's still a big need for psyops. Especially tied into social networks. Speak Russian, anyone? :D
 
good luck with the job thingy.....I work in DC and live north in the FDK burbs. I have no idea with the health care industry. This is the swamp....and just about everyone works in that industry in this area.
 
I live in Alexandria, less than a mile from the district, and fly out of Potomac Airfield (VKX). I work in aviation safety for a familiar aviation administration, and my wife is an attorney on K Street. I guess that makes us pretty typical of Washington types.

I agree that if she's right out of college she should be looking at living in the district, or at least the orange line corridor of Arlington, between Rosslyn and Ballston.

As far as jobs, there are tons of opportunities, presuming she knows what industry she wants to work in. She just needs to get out there and start knocking on doors.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
good luck with the job thingy.....I work in DC and live north in the FDK burbs. I have no idea with the health care industry. This is the swamp....and just about everyone works in that industry in this area.
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NIH and Fort D up your way are a big part of the reason that biotech exists on the 270 corridor
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Colorado is now expensive to live, and full of Texans and Californians. Colorado isn't the Colorado it used to be 5 years ago.
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I know what you mean. I moved from Chicago to Charlotte and found the place crawling with freakin yankees. Still beats Chicago though.
 
DC Metro Area:
Maryland: "If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It". . .
Virginia: "Every Commute Averages 19.4 MPH".
DC: "We May Be Inept, But At Least We're Corrupt".

I've lived and worked in this seething cauldron of vileness for decades; the winters are damp and chill, with the occasional blizzard that local gov't can't manage; the summers are hot, humid, and interminable. There are several nice days each Fall and Spring. Sometimes the subway works, sometimes the heating and AC in the subway works. It is slow, unreliable, and expensive. It has been consistent in that between MD, DC, and NoVa, I've never had a commute in which the subway was faster than driving. Or less slow than driving.

Housing is expensive - no San Francisco expensive, but definitely LA expensive. Pay is high, but disposable income is not, as the local leeches tax to the extreme. MD is run by the lefties, and the public service unions, with a Republican Gov'ner trying to instill some sanity. NoVa actually has a two-party system, but nobody can get to meetings because of the traffic. DC is not so much managed as "aimed" - picture the trajectory an an F-15 after the pilot has punched out.

I have heard rumors that people have stayed here when they retired, but I haven't actually met any of them.
 
Sundancer said:
DC Metro Area:
Maryland: "If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It". . .
Virginia: "Every Commute Averages 19.4 MPH".
DC: "We May Be Inept, But At Least We're Corrupt".

I've lived and worked in this seething cauldron of vileness for decades; the winters are damp and chill, with the occasional blizzard that local gov't can't manage; the summers are hot, humid, and interminable. There are several nice days each Fall and Spring. Sometimes the subway works, sometimes the heating and AC in the subway works. It is slow, unreliable, and expensive. It has been consistent in that between MD, DC, and NoVa, I've never had a commute in which the subway was faster than driving. Or less slow than driving.

Housing is expensive - no San Francisco expensive, but definitely LA expensive. Pay is high, but disposable income is not, as the local leeches tax to the extreme. MD is run by the lefties, and the public service unions, with a Republican Gov'ner trying to instill some sanity. NoVa actually has a two-party system, but nobody can get to meetings because of the traffic. DC is not so much managed as "aimed" - picture the trajectory an an F-15 after the pilot has punched out.

I have heard rumors that people have stayed here when they retired, but I haven't actually met any of them.
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So you love the place, huh?;)
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Colorado is now expensive to live, and full of Texans and Californians. Colorado isn't the Colorado it used to be 5 years ago.
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Caveat: Along the Front Range.

“Real” Colorado is still fairly inexpensive.

Front Range median housing topped $400K this month and has been rising 10% annually since the 2008 crash.

But our prices don’t hold a candle to DC prices. Or California prices. Those are pure slavery compared to the median US income level.

Without looking up current numbers, I’d bet a person moving from the MSP area to DC will see about a $20,000 bump in salary, and nearly double the housing price for half the space.

Make sure to explain to the daughter that income and spending are all about ratios. To maintain my lifestyle in California or DC would require way more than anyone is willing to pay there.

But we’re catching up fast. And that’s not a good thing.

For the moment, I can still live within a reasonable commute of the insanity for work, while knowing no Uber or Lyft would ever come to my house unless it was summoned in the rat colony and the driver didn’t mind the long drive back, unpaid.

Only the newbies who haven’t done the math will agree to it. And they get nervous when they drive out of cell coverage. :)

The only time I ever did it I had to fight with Uber to pay the poor driver correctly because their app barfs when it loses cell data coverage. Tipped well too. And offered to have the driver drop me at the gas station where the pavement ends, but she soldiered on two more miles of dirt road to our house and down the 900’ dirt driveway. :)
 
I grew up in the DC area (MD). It was a great place to grow up, especially after the Metro hit my neighborhood when I was a teenager. It made all the museums, monument and other DC area stuff immediately available, as opposed to just going on field trips.

All that being said, there's no way I would go back there to live now. The traffic and high cost of living are the biggest items that turn me off.

YMMV
 
I live just north of Annapolis and fly out of W29 (Bay Bridge). Maryland has the oceans, the western hills, the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis/DC/Baltimore. There's so much to do both indoors (museums, restaurants, concert and theater venues) and outdoors (hiking, bicycling, boating, sailing, etc.) It's a great area. My daughter lives in Fairfax and son in Baltimore. Just like me, they started with apartments, then townhome/rowhouse then plan on getting into single-family housing.

There's many federal agencies and industries in the MD-VA-DC area looking for young folks for a wide variety of jobs. If you're a young professional you can find a decent salary and affordable housing. Unskilled folks (i.e., no degree, no trade) find housing and cost-of-living to be a terrible surprise. Those who are unskilled and with their family groups will share housing (e.g., immigrants from Latin America) and work their way up.

I'm not going to contribute to the negative talk about our government. There are many hard-working, honest people serving in our local, state, and federal government. The best way to raise its moral level is to encourage worthy people that it's a worthy occupation and vote out those who fall short.

But we forget, in this age of negativity and vile tweets by the head gator in the swamp and his hatchlings, that there are wonderful opportunities in the US, in all the major cities. She'll have a great time here. Won't be easy, but it will be a great ride.

Oh, and if she wants to become a pilot, have her head over to one of the many great flight schools in the area, like (ahem) CSP over at W29. :D
 
Sundancer said:
DC Metro Area:
Maryland: "If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It". . .
Virginia: "Every Commute Averages 19.4 MPH".
DC: "We May Be Inept, But At Least We're Corrupt".
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Now, now, a lot of the traffic woes in Virginia stem from Maryland's refusal to consider a new bridge, additional (toll) lanes on the Beltway or an outer beltway. The toll - er 'express' (not allowed to call them 'toll') lanes on the Beltway have made it a breeze to go up the west side, albeit for a price. Still better than the Maryland side, where it's often faster to go up 270 to the Cross-County to I-95.

Yeah, I-95 and I-66 are hell and more. But the stretch of I-95 and 295/BW Parkway in Maryland are no piece of cake either (I used to do the drive to BWI regularly). And US-50 to the Bay Bridge is a parking lot.

Virginia is bad traffic-wise, but Maryland is pretty dern close. Maryland DOES have a better commuter rail system (MARC).

It's all about where you live, specifically, and where you work. If you buy a house by "driving 'till you qualify", you'll be in for a nasty ride. Still expensive all around. PG County Maryland is probably the most cost-effective in the area (but lacks some of the transportation options).

I'd change the Virginia slogan to: "If you want more than wine & beer, buy it from the state... or shine in the hills".
 
You might want to dissuade your daughter from the law profession. What we don't need are more lawyers!
 
mcdewey said:
Yeah, sorry about that. We have a great government. I just worry too much sometimes.
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you worry too much.....
chik-fil-a-cows_wide-eedfa41504fd02b3124fe9db4dad188d0052b076.jpg
 
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