Before you decide to settle down and start a family, many people will tell you that it's imperative to expand your horizons and leave your hometown, whether that be for college or after you've graduated. While I do agree with this sentiment, I think a lot of people won't warn you of everything to be expected for this move. If you're impatient like I am, you'll go before you've graduated university- which comes with its own whole set of road blocks. In the fall of 2017 I decided to pack up my whole life and move to New York City without a college degree or any family and friends to accompany me.
Spoiler alert: I lasted 6 months. I hope by reading this, you'll be better prepared than I was.
I think the most important thing to know is that you're not crazy for wanting to move, no matter how many jaws drop when you tell people of your plans. The hardest question to answer is "Why?" when you and I both know that there isn't just one reason for your wanting to move. You certainly don't owe anyone an explanation (except maybe your parents), although it does make these conversations easier if you have something short prepared for this question. If you're reading this, I'm assuming you want to want to move for all of the obvious reasons and to take advantage of all of the amazing things New York has to offer but you're just not sure where to start. I hope that you'll be smarter than me and wait until after you've graduated college if you don't already plan on attending school there. When I was looking for a job, that was my number one setback- no bachelor's degree. If you don't believe me, log onto LinkedIn, search entry level positions in your field, read the qualifications and then return to this article. Can you get a job there without a degree? Yes, you can. I did it. Will you find a job you're passionate about with upward mobility and the ability to negotiate a raise? Probably not, and I wouldn't recommend assuming you will be the exception.
If you are however, a college graduate, you are among the thousands of millennials who decided to do this each year. And here is my advice to you.
1.) Find a Job Through a Staffing Agency
It's literally their job to find you a job and its free. You'll hear from them at least every day and you will be interviewing at least twice a week. Your likelihood of finding a job is so much higher if you aren't already moving here with a job offer.
2.) Please Consider Brooklyn
Will there be less shopping and trendy bars? Yes. Will you have twice the amount of square footage and pay half as much in rent? Absolutely. It's totally worth dealing with the added 15-minute commute in the morning, I promise.
3.) Join the Apartment Hunting Facebook Groups
Gypsy Housing. You're welcome.
4.) Prepare Yourself For the Loneliness
And don't feel like you need to be partying every weekend when you first move there. It's okay to not have friends there for a month or two. Everyone has a friend that already lives there or is interning there or does free-lance there. Networking has its way of working itself out, trust the system.
5.) BUDGET!!!
But don't forget to enjoy yourself at the same time. There's a difference between going buck wild and living in the moment. Don't run out of all of your savings the first month you get there. It was always easy for me to grocery shop and meal prep on the weekdays and give myself the weekends to eat out or buy a couple of new shirts. New York takes their street style very seriously, it's okay to give in a little bit.
6.) Don't Forget to Live
You're moving to one of the most diverse cities in the world, take advantage of it, try new things, eat at the new vegan restaurant they built on your corner, join the yoga studio at your subway stop. Don't be afraid of meeting new people, New Yorkers pride themselves on their networking skills. Don't be afraid to throw yourself into this new lifestyle that is the New York hustle, I think you'll find how much it can pay off for your career and your future in general. But also don't lose sight of who you are and your morals, and never be afraid to protect that.
