Jacksonville is the 3rd largest city on the East Coast after New York and Philadelphia with a population of 794,555 (according to the 2006 estimate). The city's business districts offers recent college graduates and students grand opportunities in internships and entry level positions in banking and insurance. The trail to Jacksonville's success dates back to 1562 when the French settled in the land naming it Fort Caroline.

The French settlements continued until 1565 when a Spanish army attacked the French settlers causing them to retreat from the city. Fort Caroline was renamed to Fort San Mateo until the French returned and destroyed all of the Spanish settlers/defenders within the city. These tensions continued until St. Augustine experienced the same raid from Dominique de Gourgues. After these establishments ended in sheer battle, St. Augustine became the most important settlement in Florida. The city remained a Spanish asset until its addition to the United States in 1821. Florida Legislature Council chartered the land into a town on February 9, 1832.

Jacksonville's developments did not explode until after the Civil War during Reconstruction and the Guilded Age. The city's tourism grew phenomenally until it was hit with cases of yellow fever that killed a number of residents. The yellow fever was not the only problem Jacksonville had to deal with - a huge fire demolished the whole business district on May 3, 1901, known as "The Great Fire of 1901". Over 13,000 buildings were constructed during 1901-1912 and tourism arose once more during the 1910s as New York based producers started to flock to Florida for a winter break. This little movement gave Florida the nickname, "The Winter Capital of The World".

Recent college graduates with families or a need for excitement will find Jacksonville the best place to live. The sports teams are outstanding in Jacksonville, but the diversity of it is even more memorable. Golf lovers can attend the annual Players Championship in St. Johns County. Women football fanatics can enjoy Jacksonville's Women's Football League team, the Jacksonville Dixie Blues. Interested in more fun and excitement? Check out the Jacksonville Axeman for tough rugby matches with other professional teams that visit the city. Aside from the fun and jobs, Jacksonville has many college and universities for students interested in pursuing their degrees:

University of North Florida - with over 14,000 students in attendance, UNF's most popular degrees are International Business, Business/Managerial Economics, Mass Communications/Media Studies, Education (General), Athletic Training/Sports Medicine, and Nursing (RN).

Florida Metropolitan University - FMU has 10 college campuses in Florida, offering an array of degrees in Business Management/Marketing, Computer/Information Sciences, Health Professions & Clinical Sciences, Law & Legal Services, and Security & Protective Services.

Jacksonville University - with only 2,600 students in attendance, Jacksonville's most popular degrees are in Health Professions & Clinical Sciences, Business/Marketing, Social Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, Transportation and Materials Moving, and Education.

University of Florida - the largest university in Florida with over 35,000 students, UF offers degrees in Associates through Doctoral and its most popular degrees are in Finance/Banking, Marketing Management, Economics, Political Sciences, Engineering (General) , and Health Professions (General).

Stetson University - most popular degrees are in Business/Marketing and Management, Social Sciences, Visual & Performing Arts, Education, Psychology, Biology, and Parks and Recreations.

Students interested in moving to sunny Jacksonville, Florida can attend of the many college or universities in the area:

Angley College
Bethune-Cookman College
Central Florida Community College
City College: Gainesville
Daytona Beach Community College
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Edward Waters College
Flagler College
Florida Community College at Jacksonville
Florida Metropolitan University: Orange Park
Florida Metropolitan University: Jacksonville
Florida Technical College: Jacksonville
Heritage Institute: Jacksonville
ITT Technical Institute: Jacksonville
Jones College
North Florida Institute: Orange Park
University of South Florida
University of Central Florida
University of West Florida
Remington College: Jacksonville
Sanford-Brown Institute: Jacksonville
Saint Johns River Community College
Sante Fe Community College
Webster College

Recent college graduates and students interested in internships and entry level positions in Jacksonville, Florida can find one at these companies:

The Florida Times-Union - a major newspaper in Florida and oldest that offers internships and entry level positions in communications, journalism, marketing, sales, and human resources.

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. - a national provider in specialty insurance, title insurance, and claims management services. A perfect start and interest for recent graduates and students interested in internships and entry level positions in finance, insurance, sales, and marketing.

Mayo Clinic - ranked as the best hospital in the United States, Mayo Clinic practices highly established principles in its medical empire in Jacksonville. Recent graduates and students interested in internships and entry level positions in health care can find a home within this company. Other opportunities are available in marketing, human resources, nursing, sales, research, computer engineering, and information technology.

Acosta Sales & Marketing Company - the largest food product and service company in North America offers great career opportunities in sales, marketing, and service. Recent college graduates and students interested in human resources, management, computer networking, information technology, and distribution.

MPS Group - a leading staffing provider for the finance, law, and health care industries. Recent college graduates and students interested in human resources, recruiting, and marketing careers may find a home within this organization.

Jacksonville is more than a vacation spot. Residents, recent college graduates, and students interested in its opportunities have an avenue of entry level jobs and internships to choose from. You can enjoy the wonderful weather for family fun and a complete lifestyle change. Jacksonville's current developments will flock even more youthful, ambitious professionals to its scene after all is said and done.

*Source: http://www.coj.net/default.htm
*Statistics courtesy of Census 2006 Population Statistics (estimates) - US Census.