In the grand tapestry of American cities, Cleveland might seem like a small patch compared to the sprawling designs of New York or Chicago. For recent graduates and young professionals, the age-old narrative pushes them toward the glitz and glamor of bigger cities. 

But what if the true opportunities lie closer to home? To answer this, The Carroll News sat down with Bob Stein (known to students as ‘BPD Bob’), the Executive in Residence; Leadership Development Program, and Dr. Elad Granot, Dean of Boler College of Business, to see why they think Boler students should keep Cleveland on their radar.

Although some might view Cleveland’s relatively small size compared to larger cities as a disadvantage, Granot was sure to highlight the benefits associated with working locally, saying “we have everything that a large urban ecosystem has but we have a lot more access to it because the degrees of separation among people here are much much fewer than they are in larger ecosystems.”

There is also a large network of JCU Alumni present in Cleveland, as highlighted by BPD Bob, many of whom now occupy senior positions in business. For instance, George Sample ’02, ’12G was the Assistant Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Eric Beck ‘04 is the Chief Operating Officer of University Hospitals Health System and Kristin Warzocha ’93 serves as President & CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. This well-established community is complemented by the talent being generated from other local universities such as Cleveland State and Case Western Reserve.

On top of the access to opportunities and network, Cleveland is in a unique position, located centrally to Chicago, New York City, Detroit and Columbus. This allows for ease of access to all of the above cities, while still having the gorgeous scenery, comparatively low cost of living and friendly people that Cleveland has to offer. Granot said “everything’s available here. It’s actually [about] access to what’s available.”

Beyond comparisons to other cities, it is important to highlight the ways in which Cleveland is positioning itself for future success.

First, healthcare and manufacturing are well-known to have a strong presence within Cleveland, with institutions like the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals providing a huge number of opportunities ranging from healthcare itself to more business-oriented tech and management positions.

Efforts also are being made throughout the city to grow and support a burgeoning tech industry, going off of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s idea of “rust belt to tech belt,” on top of bolstering the established financial and banking institutions that exist already. Granot said “we have the combination of industry factors to create a successful hub, especially for business.”

As a last point, TCN asked Granot and BPD Bob for their top five tips to find professional success in Cleveland, discovering the following:

First, be involved – take part in on/off campus activities, volunteer work, etc. Second, learn by doing – take advantage of opportunities to get valuable, hands-on experience in areas of interest. Third, seek out international opportunities–learn and grow as a multicultural professional to foster international relationships. Fourth, prioritize continued learning – stay up to date on the cutting edge of technology, best practices, etc. Lastly, get accreditation – get certified in anything and everything that relates to your field of interest.