Darren Said:

Are there consulting firms that specialize in Urban Planning and Development?

We Answered:

Look to work for the city or county. They employ people with your degrees.

Morris Said:

Is Game Development a Good Career Choice?

We Answered:

almost any career choice is good if you are good at it. Now if you are asking if there is enough work for everyone studying that probably not!

Gordon Said:

How to make a career switch from Real Estate Development to Construction Management?

We Answered:

I love this question. Because I am a construction management major and have been in the business for almost 8 years and have thought about going into real estate development and city planning.

You have a pretty good start. I assume you want to become a project manager. I would try to find a general contractor in the area who has a project engineering opportunity or a field engineering position. Make sure you get exposure to cost, schedule, and budgetary management as well as the details of the flow of work where you have interest (Commercail, Residential, Civil, Industrial). If you have a background in real estate, I would say a combination of residential and commercial would be where you would want to focus.

Be honest with the general contractor. Tell him/her where you have interest and what experience you have and don't have. They just want to know you have interest in the industry and are curious. You definitely have enough experience to get your foot in the door.

You don't need an engineering degree to become a successful project manager. In some cases it is extremely beneficial...if you are interested at working at an oil refinery or industrial setting they prefer people with a mechanical and chemical engineering background. It really depends on the nature of the work you are going to be involved in. But working for a general contractor where it's more construction driven than engineering driven...there is no need for an engineering degree.

After a couple of years in the field you will want to make sure and get your PMP. Right now you need field experience more than formal schooling.

Make sure you are familiar with software programs like Primavera and Project, and extremely proficient in Excel and Access.

Morris Said:

Anybody knows which state in US is best for living in terms of weather (warm), peace, and career development?

We Answered:

For warmth without much humidity, and a nice temperate climate, I'd have you look at California. If you want warmth, and you don't mind deserts, I'd have you look at Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Oklahoma and Texas. If you don't mind humidity, and want warmth, I'd have you look at Florida, and perhaps also at Louisiana, parts of Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.

As for peacefulness and lack of crime - each of these states are quite large, and a place like California is larger than most countries. Thus there is a huge variation in weather and culture and crime rate from one area to another. For example, crime may be high in one specific area of Los Angeles, but the area around Arcadia is extremely peaceful and beautiful.

It may, thus, be easier to identify the states you want, and then find MBA programs that you like, and then find out about the communities around those universities. But do keep in mind your preferences - if you prefer to avoid large cities, then don't bother looking at MBA programs in Los Angeles, for example. But avoiding large cities may also mean that you have to compromise on your desire for career opportunities while you study. Or perhaps not. You need to find the right place, with the right balance of weather, peacefulness, and opportunities.

One good resource for you in evaluating regions of the US are the student tourist guide books, like the Lonely Planet, or the Rough Guide, or the Let's Go series. These books are great because they are written for student tourists, who need to know things like how rough a neighborhood is. Once you identify a school you like, you can try to look that town up in one of the guide books to learn more about it, and the Lonely Planet also has online forums where you can ask people specific questions about particular locations.

In terms of career development, that's also something you must consider. While an MBA program in NYC might be great for that, maybe you don't want to be in NYC. Maybe you compromise, and go to a smaller city, like Gainesville, FL, where U Florida is located, which is experiencing growth, but isn't as huge as NYC.