Friday Five, Lifestyle, New York Life

Friday Five: 5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Moving To New York

September 23, 2016
thing i was i'd known before moving to new york

Happy Friday… It’s that time of week! Yep… It’s Friday Five time. This week in honour of the 2 year anniversary of my move to New York, I’m sharing 5 things I wish I’d known before I moved here. I’ve already shared some of truths about what it’s really like living in New York in some past posts (here and here), but there are things (some serious, some not so serious) I wish I’d known before I made the move. They definitely would have made the start of my time here a hell of a lot easier (especially 1, 3 and 5)…

1. It’s Damn Hard To Get A Job On A Visa

Without a doubt, the biggest thing I wish I’d known was how hard it is to get a job on a visa. As hard as it is, it’s even harder to get a job on a J1 Graduate Visa? Why? Some companies (especially bigger ones) don’t like to hire and train people who may leave after a few months. They are wary of hiring people who will need sponsorship further down the line.

While it is hard to get a job, it’s not impossible but it will not fall into your lap. You’re going to have to work hard, network and keep plugging away until you get sorted. If you’re one of the lucky ones with a golden ticket (aka an American passport), you really don’t know how blessed you are…

2.Connect With Anyone You Even Remotely Know

For two reasons… Firstly, it’s all about who you know over here and if you’re looking for a job, being referred to a recruiter or HR by someone you know will give you a way better chance of success than apply blindly online. Secondly, it’s hard to meet people over here and it gets damn lonely. Friends become a second family and if you don’t have any, it’ll make your time a lot harder.

3. You Can’t Budget

Seriously… Don’t even bother trying because no matter what your budget is, you will go over it. Even when your disposable income increases and your budget expands, you’ll still go over it because there’s always something to do here and those random expenses have a way of always cropping up and emptying your bank account all day eeeeeryday!

4. Trying To Find An Apartment In Manhattan Is Hell…

I think describing it as hell is a fair comparison. Of course, everything has a way of working out and you will eventually get sorted, but the apartment hunt is stress on a whole other level in New York. You have to think of credit scores, guarantors, brokers fees, basically KA-CHING!!! It’s all about money, money, money… And even if you have all of these, you still mightn’t get the apartment.

5. Drinks Are STRONG

I mean seriously strong, like seriously seriously strong. 2 drinks and you’ll be well on your way…

I definitely finished on a lighter note but it’s a good thing to know. Like I said though, I truly believe everything has a way of working out and it will. It’ll just take a little time…

Have a fab weekend,

Lorna x

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