Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I really want to move to NYC. I'm 26 and currently live in Washington D.C. I just feel ready for a new city.... particularly NYC. I'm not really interested in going anywhere else. I visit NYC several times a year and I always hate leaving. There's nothing in Washington D.C. that isn't in NYC on a larger and better scale.
The funny thing about this is I was actually born in NYC but my parents decided they wanted to move to Maryland.. bah!!
I know there are 2 ways to move to NYC at my age. The safe way and the bold way:
Safe way: Secure a job and a high in come.
Bold way: Hope on a train or bus with nothing but your life savings and the clothes on your back.
How did YOU do it and what suggestions would you give a young guy trying to get there? I'm only $3,000 in debt right now but plan to pay this off early in 2011.
There is no easy one-size-fits-all answer. What field do you work in? Have you researched your job options in NYC- what companies & positions are here, who do you know that could help you get an "in" with certain companies, etc.
Obviously, the best way to relocate is with a job. You'll need approx $5,000 cash saved up to move IF you have a job- enough to move yourself & your stuff, and rent an apartment (deposits, application fee, possible brokers fee, & 1st months rent).
If your just hell-bent on moving no matter what or if you're currently unemployed, you'll need to prepare for what could be a long and grueling job search upon your arrival. This means moving with the $5,000 mentioned above PLUS another $1,800-2,000 per month to cover rent/basic bills/food (bare bones) for 6 months. That would be approx $17,000 in savings for a successful move with no job set.
You first move should be to pay off your debt. NYC is sooo expensive and you will just be in trouble financially if you move with debt. Then start saving and networking for NYC jobs.
There is no easy one-size-fits-all answer. What field do you work in? Have you researched your job options in NYC- what companies & positions are here, who do you know that could help you get an "in" with certain companies, etc.
Obviously, the best way to relocate is with a job. You'll need approx $5,000 cash saved up to move IF you have a job- enough to move yourself & your stuff, and rent an apartment (deposits, application fee, possible brokers fee, & 1st months rent).
If your just hell-bent on moving no matter what or if you're currently unemployed, you'll need to prepare for what could be a long and grueling job search upon your arrival. This means moving with the $5,000 mentioned above PLUS another $1,800-2,000 per month to cover rent/basic bills/food (bare bones) for 6 months. That would be approx $17,000 in savings for a successful move with no job set.
You first move should be to pay off your debt. NYC is sooo expensive and you will just be in trouble financially if you move with debt. Then start saving and networking for NYC jobs.
Well.. I'm currently working in a Marketing / Communications position. I really haven't researched the NYC job market. It seems like NYC has every field in the world. I can't think of too many professions that are non-existant in NYC. I know 2 people who live in NYC but one I'm not on "great" terms with and the other I only hung out with once and never really build a relationship with unfortunately. So I guess thats as good as no one haha.
How I Did It: I got my Bachelors in Marketing from a school in Ohio with a minor in Fashion Merch. Then I came to a top fashion school and got a 2 year degree (took me a year and a half since I kind of settled somewhere between fast track and regular). Back in May I met with a women recruiting for a well known department store, really kept on her until they where accepting applications for the Executive Training program I wanted to get into. Got an interview and got an offer. Might I add that I am the only one of my friend who have even gotten an interview at this point.
My Advice to You: Since DC isn't that far from NY (as opposed to say, Florida) I would sit tight and job search and pay off your dept. I did intern in PR and I know that a starting salary is around $30,000 a year. A lot of jobs are based on networking. Marketing and Communications are very very competitive. I mean who doesn't want to live in NY and have a fun job?
How I Did It: I got my Bachelors in Marketing from a school in Ohio with a minor in Fashion Merch. Then I came to a top fashion school and got a 2 year degree (took me a year and a half since I kind of settled somewhere between fast track and regular). Back in May I met with a women recruiting for a well known department store, really kept on her until they where accepting applications for the Executive Training program I wanted to get into. Got an interview and got an offer. Might I add that I am the only one of my friend who have even gotten an interview at this point.
My Advice to You: Since DC isn't that far from NY (as opposed to say, Florida) I would sit tight and job search and pay off your dept. I did intern in PR and I know that a starting salary is around $30,000 a year. A lot of jobs are based on networking. Marketing and Communications are very very competitive. I mean who doesn't want to live in NY and have a fun job?
Thanks for your story. I'm surprised a starting salary in NYC is $30,000. Is that entry level? Seems very low for NYC.. thats barely enough to live on in D.C. haha.
Thanks for your story. I'm surprised a starting salary in NYC is $30,000. Is that entry level? Seems very low for NYC.. thats barely enough to live on in D.C. haha.
you have a lot to learn my friend
__________________
"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Thanks for your story. I'm surprised a starting salary in NYC is $30,000. Is that entry level? Seems very low for NYC.. thats barely enough to live on in D.C. haha.
Um, yes. There are A TON of uber-"desirable" jobs in NYC that pay between $15,000 and $40,000 per year. Fashion design assistant, most entry and low level marketing/ advertising/ public relations jobs, most media jobs @ entry level, anything "assistant" in the film/ photography/ arts world, most all entry and lower level jobs in museums & art galleries, most all theatre & acting jobs (except for the super stars on Broadway), most waiters, most bartenders, many hairdressers, most chef wannabes, many nannies.....get the picture yet?
NYC entry and junior level jobs are 100% about getting "NYC" experience on your resume, since most jobs here are more stresful and demanding than similar jobs in other cities. I got two job offers in fashion about 10 years ago. One was for $40k and the other - the job I really wanted- was for $39.5k. I tried to get company #2 to raise my salary by $500 ($10 tiny dollars a week!!!) and their response was "We got 3,500 resumes. We interviewed 600 people. We chose 12 and you are 1 of them. Take the $39.5k or we'll call the next person on the list.". And THAT was not in the middle of today's crappy job market.
I interned at a big name fashion brand and the PR assistant made about $27,000 a year. This was my graduating semester and at the end of my classes the teacher would take questions about job searching and each time someone would ask "How much can we expect to make?" and the teacher would always say "Expect $30,000". The rule of thumb (as I learned it) was the better known the label the lower the pay. Why you might ask? EVERYONE wants to work at Ralph Lauren/Ann Taylor/Banana Republic. Although, Ann Taylor really has vamped up their image....but that's a story for another day.
Conde Nast and Hearst also, are known for not paying a living wage.
Seems very low for NYC.. thats barely enough to live on in D.C. haha.
The others are spot on: nobody should move to NYC in pursuit of higher income levels; for most jobs, the supply-demand relationship does not work in your favor up here.
I moved to the City a year ago and started off making less money than I was making in a small city in the Deep South (!) in exactly the same job, while actually working less down there and with better benefits (people with my specific skills were simply harder to find in the South than in NYC). In addition, the cost of living is much higher here, so I actually took an initial net cut of about 30 to 40 percent.
But like you and many others, I really wanted to move to NYC and I'm glad I did. There's nothing like it. However, I found myself a job first and then moved, and that would also be my recommendation for you.
How did you find a job prior to moving? Did you fly in a lot for interviews? How soon did you start applying before you moved? I'm moving there in Fall of 2011, and I'm gettung so many different answers about when I should start sending out my resume. How did you get people to really notice you even though you weren't a New Yorker? Thanks
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
