Grad Student Pursuing Electrical Engineering in LA Metro-Area

[hammertime]

I'm currently a grad student studying Electrical Engineering and I'm kind of interested in working and living in the Los Angeles metro-area.

I'm originally from NorCal (Silicon Valley, to be precise), and proud of it. In fact, I went to UCLA and got into plenty of playful NorCal vs. SoCal arguments. I love NorCal, but I still want to get away from it. I want to go back to Los Angeles because I felt a certain sense of freedom there that I just don't feel in the Bay Area.

So is it possible for me to get a job in computer engineering, VLSI, analog circuitry, digital signal processing, or imaging and image processing in the LA area?

Also, am I wrong for caring about the location of my employment? Some people I've spoken to have said that I shouldn't care about where the job is, as long as I have a well-paying job. But I keep trying to stay motivated by telling myself that, if I do well enough in grad school, I'll essentially be able to choose where I work instead of having to take the first job offered to me. Am I being naive?

 

[Mépris]

If you don't feel like you'll be productive/effective in X environment, who are we to say you will or should be?

Good luck with your job search. By the way, are you doing an MS or a PhD?

 

[CheckMate]

It's harder to get a job when you're looking for a specific region, a limited range of job positions and with no job experience.

 

[hammertime]

But if I were to do some research, write a thesis, get some relevant coursework done and do well enough academically, would I then be able to essentially choose where I work?

Also, when I go to career/internship fairs, should I tell employers that I'd like to work in Southern California, or would that look bad?