Tampa's Super Bowl Economy

This Sunday the mecca of American sports come into Tampa showing no mercy. Despite the souring economy, Tampa Bay & Company, the area tourism bureau, has reported that they still expect 100,000 fans to travel to the area for the festivities. This is good news for area hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs that will experience a spike in sales and may start to spread some dollars across the area.

Forecasters still expect $150 million is directly related spending for Tampa, much needed funds for an economy that is expected to lose 40,000+ jobs this year.

For job seekers the Super Bowl may not have a direct impact. The sales spike is not long term and jobs for security and extra staff may only be seasonal. So how do job seekers get ahead with all the attention in the world being on the hometown?

The same as it always has. Be prepared for opportunities. Have your resume prepped and updated. Stay on top of new jobs being posted by utilizing RSS Feeds on job boards or picking up news publications the day they are released (typically Monday mornings).

Attend events like the Tampa Employment Guide job fair on February 25th at Lowery Park Zoo and begin networking with peers. Now is a great time to volunteer and make connections with people that can help you out.

Enjoy the Super Bowl and the spotlight it brings on Tampa this week and then be prepared to fight yourself, for the job and career that will help you win your own personal super bowl. I promise the rewards are more enduring than the $3 million commercials.

-Greg Rollett