by P. Onh

Created on: May 30, 2009   Last Updated: June 09, 2009

Columbus, Ohio boasts a myriad of large employers thanks to its strategic location and demographic profile. With corporate names the likes of The Limited Brands, Abbott Nutrition, Anheuser-Busch, Kroger, Wendy's, White Castle, Target, and Coca-Cola owning manufacturing plants, distribution facilities, and corporate offices in Columbus, jobs at large companies abound. In the banking and insurance sector, Huntington Bank and Nationwide Insurance call Columbus home. The Columbus area also sees a number of strong school districts, including but not limited to Dublin, Worthington, Pickerington, Upper Arlington, and Granville. And, thanks to the booming and diverse population, the retail and real estate markets continue to see steady business.

Columbus is a product test market, because the population demographic closely mirrors that of the average United States population. As a result, the retail and restaurant sector see a variety of product trials. Trials take research and development, production, distribution, and sales to implement, and all of those functions require experienced people. Employers are willing to pay premiums and premier benefits for that experience. Like any business, these companies also require human resources, training and, information technology support. The manufacturing sector also maintains positions in quality assurance, employee safety, engineering, and maintenance to manage equipment care and product quality. These businesses are commonly twenty-four hour operations, requiring employees to work shift work and weekends.

Columbus is centrally located in the United States, with a large percentage of the U.S. population accessible within an eight hour truck drive. Therefore, warehousing and distribution is strong business in Columbus, offering employees good compensation and benefits packages. Most of these functions are also twenty-four hour operations, requiring non-traditional work schedules.

The school districts in the Columbus area vary vastly from school districts scoring low on state performance indicators, such as Columbus and Whitehall school districts, to those with maximum performance ratings, such as Dublin and Granville. Columbus schools are among the highest-paying districts in the area, because positions are so difficult to fill. Education professionals tend to gravitate toward the higher-ranked school districts due to strong infrastructure, student behavior and performance, and budgetary support.

In the real estate sector, M/I and Dominion Homes dominate the construction industry. Many of their functions are outsourced to third party contractors, which makes the contractor market an ideal but highly competitive place to work. Real estate sales and legal support are also good industries to get into, although the industry is so large that many companies perform these functions, making them also highly competitive. It is not uncommon to see real estate professionals moving from one parent company to another.

Regardless of your experience, interest, and compensation needs, Columbus is a great place to find a job. Whether you are out of work or looking for something better, try some of these companies on for size. Good luck!

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