City Slicker's Business Career Alert: Small Towns Are Hot!

Serious job seekers may be surprised to learn that their most exciting business career growth options could best be uncovered in small town America.

The Milken Institute, a private think tank, annually ranks the job growth in cities, according to Time Magazine. 11 of the top 20 cities had populations well under 1 million.

The study showed that many smaller regions share characteristics that act as job magnets. These include lower costs, tax breaks for employers, funding for entrepreneurs and a deepening pool of skilled and educated workers.

Many are college towns, seats of government, or home to a big company that nourishes others. Thanks to the internet and to satellite technology, a company in Iowa can be as connected as one in Los Angeles.

So, if you thought all the job opportunities are to be found in large cities exclusively, the evidence shows the contrary is true. And if you're looking around, this may be the right time to consider that small town environment you always dreamed about.

Job seekers who once thought their business career was in major cities and turned their noses up at small town positions . . . well, times have changed and now they're eagerly seeking small town opportunities while pickings in the big cities are suddenly slimmer.

How do these towns come up with desirable jobs? How can they fulfill your business career aspirations?

Companies don't move to these small towns on a whim. It generally takes money in the form of incentives. For example, Arkansas has spent $700 million on roads and airports around Fayetteville over the past decade. Cities like Fort Myers and Santa Fe offer tax abatement packages to big and small business in exchange for creating jobs.

If you're in the job market, maybe small town America may be your business career advancement choice. Of course, acclimating to smaller-town life can take time, especially for former city slickers. But, for a lot of folks, their biggest concern is that small town job opportunities may suddenly get very popular.