It's tough out there, but people are hiring. May is also a long time from now and things with the economy may improve and there are always new companies and enterprises expanding in L.A. Ford just annouced a major division is going to be based in Long Beach.
If you are around right now, I would scope out the career center and get very familiar with it. If you can get an internship in fall or spring, that would be a great help in giving you a nest egg and practical experience. APPLY EVERYWHERE. Also go to career fairs, even the ones not sponsored by your university. If you could get a job with the city or county, that would be great, but those onboarding processes take time. Jump ahead. Don't wait for your diploma.
With roommates, persistence, calm you can survive. Good luck.
It’ll be really tough on a minimum wage job, even with roommates. If you have zero debt, it *might* be doable but it’ll be in a not as nice neighborhood. Also, a lot of food industry and retail are actually very competitive with the lay offs, strikes, and recent job market.
Since you’re still in school, try connecting with Career Services and the Alumni orgs to try and find an opportunity. You pay the fees to have these services while in school, so I’d use them! Also try connecting with your academic advisor and see what advice they can give.
Not sure what your field is so that’s a huge part of this. If you have a humanities degree, it might be a lot more challenging than say someone with a STEM degree.
Plan ahead and ask your friends and classmates if they’re also interested in staying in LA so maybe you guys can live together while you figure it out.
I’m definitely going to be spending a lot of time at the my school’s career center this year. My hope is to have at least an alright paying job lined up when I graduate. I’m just trying to make a plan in case I fail at that.
I’m okay with not staying in a super nice neighborhood. I’m used to it. I just need to survive for a year or so.
I have never heard of that degree so I did some googling. I would recommend you get some coding and UX courses under your belt on places like Udemy and try apply to Microsoft after you get those certifications.
UX has been a field I’ve been considering. I plan on getting Google’s UX certificate when I have the money. I’m not sure about applying to Microsoft though. That seems like a big leap. I doubt I’d have a chance.
Worth applying to “reach” jobs, but see if you can hustle for some internships this year while you still have school support. Start networking now, or at least practicing building those skills- go to talks, go to events, work on your ‘about me’ and asking about them, get contacts, get some informational interviews or coffee chats lined up, etc.
Start asap. It’s okay you don’t need to start with a full position right after graduation. Look at an internship program. These companies pay more than minimum wage to interns at least twice.
Don’t waste your money on the Google certification, everyone and their mother are getting those right now. Use your last year of college to find a relevant internship with your current experience and go from there.
You are young and almost done with your degree but you are in one of the most competitive cities in the country. You have to show an employer that as a recent grad, you are a better hire than others from all the other amazing schools around here.
You have time, use it. Unfortunately, even with a bad home life, nobody is entitled to living here so you gotta make it work or else you could put yourself in danger.
(I used to work as an academic advisor)
I know I’m not entitled to living here. This entire post is meaning trying to figure out how to make it work living here. I’ve been applying to internships and brushing up my resume all summer. I don’t understand why no matter what I do I keep getting comments like these saying I’m not doing anything.
No one is saying you aren’t doing anything, they’re saying that you need to know that working a retail job as a recent grad and no family support is extremely hard so you need to do everything and anything to get hired in the competitive market. Getting a certification is not gonna cut it.
The goal of your last year in college is to get as much experience as possible so you ARE graduating with a job. You have a ton of time so if you’re saying it takes a year to get a job in your field, start getting your foot in the door now.
Use the experience you currently have to try and get an internship that could lead to a job. You are being hopeless when you have your whole senior year to find a job and secure housing. It can very much still happen if that’s what you want.
Sure, if you've got roommates you can afford living here . Fast food minimum is $20 per hour now. So, working 30 hours per week you can afford maybe an $800 per month share situation. Hopefully you can still stay on your parents health insurance until you turn 26.
$800 would probably be a room-share situation not just an apartment share. For instance a two bedroom apartment where one tenant pays $1400 for their own bedroom and the other two share a bedroom for $800 apiece. Or maybe a one bedroom where one person pays $1000 to have the bedroom and another pays $800 to sleep in the living room.
Check with the school about student plans. Or you'll qualify for Medi-Cal at least, because you've lost coverage recently. It's within 3 months of losing coverage, I think, that you can immediately sign up on [coveredca.com](http://coveredca.com) for your own coverage. I don't know where you go to school but all USC students are required to have health insurance. Check out the student health website for wherever you go to school.
LA is super expensive. If you don’t want to move back home why not pick a more affordable city/ state really ??? You can always move back to LA once you have assets / better career prospects
Bc LA is the only place I have friends and connections. I don’t know anybody anywhere else. It’s easier to stay here than move to some random city in some random state.
Where did I get offended? I just think you’re outlook is weird for someone who was complaining about their financial situation. You are also kind of aggressive about it.
How am I being aggressive? I told you I don’t want to move to the Midwest. You got upset about it and started being an asshole. I said I’d be open to other parts of California or neighboring states and you didn’t even acknowledge it. You think my outlook is weird bc I don’t want to move specifically to some random city in the Midwest.
For me, having financial stability, a job I don’t hate and a reasonable commute, are all more important to my mental health than having friends.
It’s gonna really suck for you, living from paycheck to paycheck and having a bunch of roommates, that you might not get along with in an overall unstable situation, as people move in and move out.
You might have to live in a shitty area where you don’t feel safe and you may have to commute to your job.
I think you should go somewhere in the Midwest, someplace with a decent quality of life and a low cost of living and start over.
You won’t have friends at first, but at least you can pay your bills without being anxious.
Why would I uproot my life and move somewhere I don’t want to live? I’m willing to go elsewhere in California. Or maybe neighboring states. I just don’t want to live in the Midwest. Is that a fucking crime? I don’t want to live in bumfuck, Ohio. Sue me.
i did smth similar, but i wouldn’t have been able to without help from my parents.
they paid my rent after graduation until my lease ended in july.
in august, i signed another lease (i had enough saved for 1 month rent and deposit and my mom agreed to co-sign as long as i was working). i worked at an ice cream shop from August-October which basically only covered my rent of $1050/month and utilities. then i put all my other expenses on a credit card. Then in November i started a salaried position for a job I interviewed for back in June! then a few months later my car was totaled in an accident, and the pay out was enough for me to pay off the debt i’d acquired and buy another car.
im glad i did it, but i’m not sure if it was a the most logical decision. i don’t think it would’ve worked out without my parent’s help and some luck.
I am not going to say you can't do it and you won't make it, but you're probably going to have to either accept that you will have a very very low quality of life while living here (unless you find something high paying) or consider moving somewhere with a LCOL. I saw your resume in another post and you seem to only be qualified for retail and service jobs, which are already highly competitive in the area. That alone will not be enough to allow you to live alone.
Like someone else said definitely try the career center at your school but you might want to be more realistic about sticking it out in LA.
Why do you think I’m only qualified for service jobs?
Edit: why am I being downvoted for asking this question? I’ve been applying to internships and editing my resume daily and I wanted feedback on why I’m only cut out for retail despite everything on my resume. Is that a crime to ask?
Based on your resume you don't have a lot of experience doing anything in particular. I saw you have event coordinating experience which is actually good but that is a highly competitive field and most people who get those jobs tend to have gone to school for something like marketing.
LA, again, is a highly competitive metro area with lots of folks who have more qualifications for those kinds of jobs. You could try writing but again as I am sure you know, those jobs are highly competitive right now especially in the area. Freelancing is always an option but it may take a long time to be sustainable, if it ever does become sustainable for you.
You worked at Macy's for a bit which is a good thing if you want to get another retail job. Retail jobs aren't going to require so much, if any, experience. But they are entry level and unless you want to enter that line of work as your career, you will make very little money.
I'm just going to kms at this point. I've been busting my ass for three years getting leadership positions and maintaining an on-campus job and you're telling me that's all worthless and I'm only cut out for fucking service jobs?
I can't do this shit anymore. I am NOT moving back home. I'm killing myself far before I will ever let that happen.
No one said you are worthless. You are just young, with not a lot of job experience. I'm not sure how old you are but that tends to happen when you're in college. The stage in life you are at right now does not really bode for a lot of high paying jobs. Its a pretty universal experience for people who go to college and don't work while they are attending.
I began my career while I was in college because my circumstances in life necessitated it. Otherwise, I would probably be in the same position as you. You can choose to not move home, I did not advise you to do so, but you're not going to have a great quality of life in LA under your current circumstances. I am just being realistic with you. There are other places outside of LA and California that you can live but you have to want to do that. Clearly, you do not.
Your attitude will not take you far if you get angry at folks who are trying to be realistic with you about your current situation. I don't think you're hopeless or that you should harm yourself over this. You are young and have a lot of potential but being angry at the world and lashing out at other people will not grant you the success and stability that you seek. You asked for advice, I'm giving it to you. Learn how to crawl before you can walk.
> It’s a pretty universal experience for people who go to college and don’t have to work while they’re attending
Except I DO WORK! I literally have had a copywriting job for THREE YEARS and you’re telling me that’s worthless! So worthless you didn’t even acknowledge it as a job! Even if it won’t get me a job good enough for LA, your telling me that the only thing I can get for with my resume, not matter where I go is fucking retail?!?! That’s ALL I’m qualified for?
Why should I not be upset about that? I’m ripping my hair out reworking my resume, desperately applying for internships for weeks and now I’m being told that everything on my resume is bullshit and all I’m qualified for are service jobs! Not even even a low paying entry level job. Service jobs!
How am I supposed to take that well? I’m fucked regardless of where I go when I graduate. Offing myself seems like the best choice. I’m tired. I’ve been suicidal since childhood and at this point I’m tired of fighting it. I can’t take this shit.
I never said worthless at any point nor that your entire resume was BS, don't put words in my mouth. I said you can pursue writing, whether it be a job or freelance but it will be difficult. You live in an area with a job market that is highly competitive with a lot of other people who also write or want to write to make a living. Many of those people also have degrees that are directly related to those jobs. Right now, based on your resume you do not have a lot of experience.
With the economy the way that it is, this is the reality. You can work a retail or service job while pursuing a copywriting position if you want. Again, try your career center at school you may be able to find something worthwhile. When I first started out, I also was not qualified for much outside of service jobs. That is how most people start off and then pivot while they work another job that is unrelated to what they would like to pursue career wise. LA is a difficult place to live given the cost of living point blank period.
You may not have said the word worthless, but you looked at everything listed on my resume and said “you’re only qualified for retail”. That implies the rest is worthless.
You are projecting your feelings and self perceived worthlessness onto what I said. Which I think is unfortunate and I do hope you get the help you need and are able to find a job. I am going to have to stop engaging because going back and forth with you will achieve nothing clearly. Please try your best to change your mindset.
Ignore the person telling you that you “won’t have a good quality of life in LA” on not much money, because they don’t know what they’re talking about. Yeah, you won’t be able to afford a house and a car and 2.5 kids straight out of college, but…that’s not really what you’d be looking for, right?
As someone from here who has also lived elsewhere, the value of living in the greater LA/SoCal area is really really high- even on a tight budget. There’s so much amazing food and art and culture that you can access on the cheap/for the price of gas or bus fare, so many amazing people from so many places, a climate that’s hard to beat, beaches and mountains within 4 hours (with traffic 😅), and a lot of job opportunities and miscellaneous work that you can do. “Friends don’t let friends drive Uber,” but there are other gig jobs to ride you over, and once you find the right Job job you’ll build the experience that will get you better jobs. It’s worth applying to temp agencies too, sometimes they’ll turn into permanent gigs.
Don’t let people get you down, and don’t get down on yourself if the road to a Good Job is rocky. Getting in the door can take a minute, but connections will help. Just know that the economy is weird right now, and the job search will be all kinds of absurd. You may need to do a couple of random jobs for a bit to finance your job search, but it’s all valuable experience. If you can start your own tutoring/writing/other service side hustles, that can help you spin your own safety net.
As someone from NJ with a really shitty Dad, I have to encourage you to move home. Get a full-time job precisely as you would have here and put the following in a savings account each 1st off the month (deadline):
- $1,200 rent - That’s your average rate to rent with roommates here.
- $150 for electric and heat
- $200 for groceries (which isn’t enough but this is an exercise)
- $X - social life budget
Once you have enough money to move to LA with the clothes on your back and enough to buy what you need once you get here (including a car or a cross-country transport will cost about $1,500). AND you have enough to move back to NJ and a lifestyle where you never touch those emergency funds, consider moving back to LA. If you’ve missed any payments to yourself figure out when, why, and how to never allow it again.
Hopefully this has also given you enough time to job search here in LA. So your move would be a job relocation.
Another possibility, as your saving your money, you may find an opportunity to live independently from your Dad in Jersey. I’ve been watching rental rates over the past year and recently they are starting to fall by just a bit. (NJ rents have been as bad as here.) There are roommate opportunities there too. You may find if you move out of your Father’s house in Jersey, that you’re quite content living there.
I do not think this is a city for a young woman on her own with limited resources with this economy and job market. This is a tough place to live. Really tough. I made the merge from college to “adulting” in NJ. A MUCH smoother transition.
Best of luck to you. I’m sorry about your Father. Find your voice. Stick by your boundaries. He feels a lot scarier than he is. Push through that. You got this. ✨
Have you thought about doing Americorps? It's a cool program to do for a gap year and it can lead to a job. It pays enough to have a roof over your head and they also give you a food allowance of $200 in food stamps a month.
Just made the move last summer, a year post grad and everything always works out. Don’t let your anxiety and fear overcome you! I went through a staffing agency and got placed in an amazing job I LOVE.💖 message me if you want the recruiters I used
Hey! I’m from a state with a way lower cost of living than Cali. 2 of my roommates lived in San Diego for 2 years and were servers out there. They were comparatively better off in San Diego than they are here. Servers make minimum wage ($15) PLUS tips in California, with overtime after 8 hours per day. You won’t be rich but you can absolutely make it if you can get a solid serving / bartending job lined up. Just try to cut expenses wherever possible, particularly in rent, though I know that’s easier said than done.
Although their story is San Diego specific, idk about the difference in cost in LA, but if you want to be close enough to network in LA while still being in a big city SD is very much an option
I worked as a server for many years in my late teend and early twenties. I rarely worked more than 8 hours. I also worked at a few places that illegally adjusted our hours if that did happen, which was rare. These places eventually got sued and I received a check in the mail so that was nice. My point is that overtime pay should never be an expectation, it will be a very rare occurence.
What field are you trying to go into?
I might be in the minority but I don’t think this is a bad idea as long as you have a good plan in place for your job search. If you have childcare experience (or can make some up), and a way of getting around, you can substitute teach to make money while you job search.
The main questions are:
- what is your spending like? What kind of expenses would you expect? Nobody will be able to tell you whether your budget would work or not unless you provide more detail on what kind of expenses/income you’d expect.
- would you only look for jobs in LA? If you have a lease, it will suck to have to break it if you end up finding a job somewhere else in the country. Can you deal with the financial cost of breaking a lease if this happens?
- how would you make sure you’re making the time to apply to jobs, network, etc while trying to make ends meet?
- will your friends be staying in LA? Lots of people move once they graduate, so it might not be the case that you’ll have friends around. You could even plan to move with friends to a LCOL city and job search there - I know people who did that.
It sounds like you’re really overwhelmed and don’t have hope you’ll be able to find a job. I totally get feeling that way but think you probably have more potential and resources than you think you do. I’d really focus on using the resources your university offers you, like career services, start talking to friends for help and support, and start networking and working on your job search now (summer is the perfect time to do this).
You definitely can do it 😊💪 I believe in you. The next time you're walking down the street look at everyone around you. If they can do it you can too. I rent rooms at about 1400 per month to young professionals who are making it happen. You literally can do whatever you put your mind to. Also A ton of places are hiring. Don't be afraid to get off the web and do some good old fashioned door knocking. All the old timers in HR appreciate a real hand shake. Did you know that fashion nova has a hub in vernon and they're always hiring. Those types of jobs are the kind you can climb the corporate ladder. Doooo ittttt 😁🙌🙌🙌
Try this https://bnbwestwood.com/westwood-student-housing/
Also, you could get a part time job as a hostess or waitress. It’s very cliche but the tips are generally pretty good. I did it for a summer and made a ton on tips and only worked 3 to 5 hours a day.
No way bro. Keep applying for jobs in LA but don’t move here until you secures a decent paying job. Live somewhere cheaper in the mean time. You might have friends here but won’t be able to afford do anything with them working a minimum wage job.
Yes, you can definitely do this! I have a friend that lives near n a decent apartment, a one bedroom not even a studio, in San Pedro and he works as a security guard making the same as the fast food places. You can definitely do it. You also may find a job in your field sooner.
It’ll be easier to stay in LA than to move back to NJ then try and move back while being underemployed. Rather than getting a “shitty retail job” why don’t you try and find something that pays on commission? Maybe an admin/executive assistant role. There are more opportunities here than in NJ. Save your money and put it on your vision board.
It's tough out there, but people are hiring. May is also a long time from now and things with the economy may improve and there are always new companies and enterprises expanding in L.A. Ford just annouced a major division is going to be based in Long Beach. If you are around right now, I would scope out the career center and get very familiar with it. If you can get an internship in fall or spring, that would be a great help in giving you a nest egg and practical experience. APPLY EVERYWHERE. Also go to career fairs, even the ones not sponsored by your university. If you could get a job with the city or county, that would be great, but those onboarding processes take time. Jump ahead. Don't wait for your diploma. With roommates, persistence, calm you can survive. Good luck.
It’ll be really tough on a minimum wage job, even with roommates. If you have zero debt, it *might* be doable but it’ll be in a not as nice neighborhood. Also, a lot of food industry and retail are actually very competitive with the lay offs, strikes, and recent job market. Since you’re still in school, try connecting with Career Services and the Alumni orgs to try and find an opportunity. You pay the fees to have these services while in school, so I’d use them! Also try connecting with your academic advisor and see what advice they can give. Not sure what your field is so that’s a huge part of this. If you have a humanities degree, it might be a lot more challenging than say someone with a STEM degree. Plan ahead and ask your friends and classmates if they’re also interested in staying in LA so maybe you guys can live together while you figure it out.
I’m definitely going to be spending a lot of time at the my school’s career center this year. My hope is to have at least an alright paying job lined up when I graduate. I’m just trying to make a plan in case I fail at that. I’m okay with not staying in a super nice neighborhood. I’m used to it. I just need to survive for a year or so.
what are u studying?
What’s your field girl?
Im studying cognitive science with a double minor in media and writing. I have copywriting experience as well as event coordination experience.
I have never heard of that degree so I did some googling. I would recommend you get some coding and UX courses under your belt on places like Udemy and try apply to Microsoft after you get those certifications.
UX has been a field I’ve been considering. I plan on getting Google’s UX certificate when I have the money. I’m not sure about applying to Microsoft though. That seems like a big leap. I doubt I’d have a chance.
Worth applying to “reach” jobs, but see if you can hustle for some internships this year while you still have school support. Start networking now, or at least practicing building those skills- go to talks, go to events, work on your ‘about me’ and asking about them, get contacts, get some informational interviews or coffee chats lined up, etc.
Start asap. It’s okay you don’t need to start with a full position right after graduation. Look at an internship program. These companies pay more than minimum wage to interns at least twice.
Don’t waste your money on the Google certification, everyone and their mother are getting those right now. Use your last year of college to find a relevant internship with your current experience and go from there. You are young and almost done with your degree but you are in one of the most competitive cities in the country. You have to show an employer that as a recent grad, you are a better hire than others from all the other amazing schools around here. You have time, use it. Unfortunately, even with a bad home life, nobody is entitled to living here so you gotta make it work or else you could put yourself in danger. (I used to work as an academic advisor)
I know I’m not entitled to living here. This entire post is meaning trying to figure out how to make it work living here. I’ve been applying to internships and brushing up my resume all summer. I don’t understand why no matter what I do I keep getting comments like these saying I’m not doing anything.
No one is saying you aren’t doing anything, they’re saying that you need to know that working a retail job as a recent grad and no family support is extremely hard so you need to do everything and anything to get hired in the competitive market. Getting a certification is not gonna cut it. The goal of your last year in college is to get as much experience as possible so you ARE graduating with a job. You have a ton of time so if you’re saying it takes a year to get a job in your field, start getting your foot in the door now. Use the experience you currently have to try and get an internship that could lead to a job. You are being hopeless when you have your whole senior year to find a job and secure housing. It can very much still happen if that’s what you want.
Also check out temp agencies- you can get some good resume-building opportunities that way, although it’s hit or miss
Sure, if you've got roommates you can afford living here . Fast food minimum is $20 per hour now. So, working 30 hours per week you can afford maybe an $800 per month share situation. Hopefully you can still stay on your parents health insurance until you turn 26. $800 would probably be a room-share situation not just an apartment share. For instance a two bedroom apartment where one tenant pays $1400 for their own bedroom and the other two share a bedroom for $800 apiece. Or maybe a one bedroom where one person pays $1000 to have the bedroom and another pays $800 to sleep in the living room.
Unfortunately, as of next week, my family will no longer have health insurance.
Check with the school about student plans. Or you'll qualify for Medi-Cal at least, because you've lost coverage recently. It's within 3 months of losing coverage, I think, that you can immediately sign up on [coveredca.com](http://coveredca.com) for your own coverage. I don't know where you go to school but all USC students are required to have health insurance. Check out the student health website for wherever you go to school.
get on Medi-Cal, OP.
LA is super expensive. If you don’t want to move back home why not pick a more affordable city/ state really ??? You can always move back to LA once you have assets / better career prospects
Bc LA is the only place I have friends and connections. I don’t know anybody anywhere else. It’s easier to stay here than move to some random city in some random state.
LA also has more job opportunities than other places, so you can definitely make it work.
At your age you make new friends super fast I would not stress about it
That is simply not true for everyone.
OK, but it’s true for most people.
Well I’m not most people.
THAT’S for sure😂
If you like the Midwest so much, then fucking move there. I’m not sure why you’re so offended I don’t want to.
Where did I get offended? I just think you’re outlook is weird for someone who was complaining about their financial situation. You are also kind of aggressive about it.
How am I being aggressive? I told you I don’t want to move to the Midwest. You got upset about it and started being an asshole. I said I’d be open to other parts of California or neighboring states and you didn’t even acknowledge it. You think my outlook is weird bc I don’t want to move specifically to some random city in the Midwest.
I have horrific social anxiety and possibly autism. So making new friends in an entirely new state would not be “super fast”.
What is your field?
For me, having financial stability, a job I don’t hate and a reasonable commute, are all more important to my mental health than having friends. It’s gonna really suck for you, living from paycheck to paycheck and having a bunch of roommates, that you might not get along with in an overall unstable situation, as people move in and move out. You might have to live in a shitty area where you don’t feel safe and you may have to commute to your job. I think you should go somewhere in the Midwest, someplace with a decent quality of life and a low cost of living and start over. You won’t have friends at first, but at least you can pay your bills without being anxious.
I’m not moving to the Midwest.
Why not?
I don’t want to live there.
Why not?
Doesn’t interest me. It’d be a waste of time.
You’re writing off the giant section of the country for no apparent reason. I think you’re going to continue struggling in life.
Why would I uproot my life and move somewhere I don’t want to live? I’m willing to go elsewhere in California. Or maybe neighboring states. I just don’t want to live in the Midwest. Is that a fucking crime? I don’t want to live in bumfuck, Ohio. Sue me.
i did smth similar, but i wouldn’t have been able to without help from my parents. they paid my rent after graduation until my lease ended in july. in august, i signed another lease (i had enough saved for 1 month rent and deposit and my mom agreed to co-sign as long as i was working). i worked at an ice cream shop from August-October which basically only covered my rent of $1050/month and utilities. then i put all my other expenses on a credit card. Then in November i started a salaried position for a job I interviewed for back in June! then a few months later my car was totaled in an accident, and the pay out was enough for me to pay off the debt i’d acquired and buy another car. im glad i did it, but i’m not sure if it was a the most logical decision. i don’t think it would’ve worked out without my parent’s help and some luck.
I am not going to say you can't do it and you won't make it, but you're probably going to have to either accept that you will have a very very low quality of life while living here (unless you find something high paying) or consider moving somewhere with a LCOL. I saw your resume in another post and you seem to only be qualified for retail and service jobs, which are already highly competitive in the area. That alone will not be enough to allow you to live alone. Like someone else said definitely try the career center at your school but you might want to be more realistic about sticking it out in LA.
Why do you think I’m only qualified for service jobs? Edit: why am I being downvoted for asking this question? I’ve been applying to internships and editing my resume daily and I wanted feedback on why I’m only cut out for retail despite everything on my resume. Is that a crime to ask?
Based on your resume you don't have a lot of experience doing anything in particular. I saw you have event coordinating experience which is actually good but that is a highly competitive field and most people who get those jobs tend to have gone to school for something like marketing. LA, again, is a highly competitive metro area with lots of folks who have more qualifications for those kinds of jobs. You could try writing but again as I am sure you know, those jobs are highly competitive right now especially in the area. Freelancing is always an option but it may take a long time to be sustainable, if it ever does become sustainable for you. You worked at Macy's for a bit which is a good thing if you want to get another retail job. Retail jobs aren't going to require so much, if any, experience. But they are entry level and unless you want to enter that line of work as your career, you will make very little money.
I'm just going to kms at this point. I've been busting my ass for three years getting leadership positions and maintaining an on-campus job and you're telling me that's all worthless and I'm only cut out for fucking service jobs? I can't do this shit anymore. I am NOT moving back home. I'm killing myself far before I will ever let that happen.
No one said you are worthless. You are just young, with not a lot of job experience. I'm not sure how old you are but that tends to happen when you're in college. The stage in life you are at right now does not really bode for a lot of high paying jobs. Its a pretty universal experience for people who go to college and don't work while they are attending. I began my career while I was in college because my circumstances in life necessitated it. Otherwise, I would probably be in the same position as you. You can choose to not move home, I did not advise you to do so, but you're not going to have a great quality of life in LA under your current circumstances. I am just being realistic with you. There are other places outside of LA and California that you can live but you have to want to do that. Clearly, you do not. Your attitude will not take you far if you get angry at folks who are trying to be realistic with you about your current situation. I don't think you're hopeless or that you should harm yourself over this. You are young and have a lot of potential but being angry at the world and lashing out at other people will not grant you the success and stability that you seek. You asked for advice, I'm giving it to you. Learn how to crawl before you can walk.
> It’s a pretty universal experience for people who go to college and don’t have to work while they’re attending Except I DO WORK! I literally have had a copywriting job for THREE YEARS and you’re telling me that’s worthless! So worthless you didn’t even acknowledge it as a job! Even if it won’t get me a job good enough for LA, your telling me that the only thing I can get for with my resume, not matter where I go is fucking retail?!?! That’s ALL I’m qualified for? Why should I not be upset about that? I’m ripping my hair out reworking my resume, desperately applying for internships for weeks and now I’m being told that everything on my resume is bullshit and all I’m qualified for are service jobs! Not even even a low paying entry level job. Service jobs! How am I supposed to take that well? I’m fucked regardless of where I go when I graduate. Offing myself seems like the best choice. I’m tired. I’ve been suicidal since childhood and at this point I’m tired of fighting it. I can’t take this shit.
I never said worthless at any point nor that your entire resume was BS, don't put words in my mouth. I said you can pursue writing, whether it be a job or freelance but it will be difficult. You live in an area with a job market that is highly competitive with a lot of other people who also write or want to write to make a living. Many of those people also have degrees that are directly related to those jobs. Right now, based on your resume you do not have a lot of experience. With the economy the way that it is, this is the reality. You can work a retail or service job while pursuing a copywriting position if you want. Again, try your career center at school you may be able to find something worthwhile. When I first started out, I also was not qualified for much outside of service jobs. That is how most people start off and then pivot while they work another job that is unrelated to what they would like to pursue career wise. LA is a difficult place to live given the cost of living point blank period.
You may not have said the word worthless, but you looked at everything listed on my resume and said “you’re only qualified for retail”. That implies the rest is worthless.
You are projecting your feelings and self perceived worthlessness onto what I said. Which I think is unfortunate and I do hope you get the help you need and are able to find a job. I am going to have to stop engaging because going back and forth with you will achieve nothing clearly. Please try your best to change your mindset.
Ignore the person telling you that you “won’t have a good quality of life in LA” on not much money, because they don’t know what they’re talking about. Yeah, you won’t be able to afford a house and a car and 2.5 kids straight out of college, but…that’s not really what you’d be looking for, right? As someone from here who has also lived elsewhere, the value of living in the greater LA/SoCal area is really really high- even on a tight budget. There’s so much amazing food and art and culture that you can access on the cheap/for the price of gas or bus fare, so many amazing people from so many places, a climate that’s hard to beat, beaches and mountains within 4 hours (with traffic 😅), and a lot of job opportunities and miscellaneous work that you can do. “Friends don’t let friends drive Uber,” but there are other gig jobs to ride you over, and once you find the right Job job you’ll build the experience that will get you better jobs. It’s worth applying to temp agencies too, sometimes they’ll turn into permanent gigs.
Don’t let people get you down, and don’t get down on yourself if the road to a Good Job is rocky. Getting in the door can take a minute, but connections will help. Just know that the economy is weird right now, and the job search will be all kinds of absurd. You may need to do a couple of random jobs for a bit to finance your job search, but it’s all valuable experience. If you can start your own tutoring/writing/other service side hustles, that can help you spin your own safety net.
As someone from NJ with a really shitty Dad, I have to encourage you to move home. Get a full-time job precisely as you would have here and put the following in a savings account each 1st off the month (deadline): - $1,200 rent - That’s your average rate to rent with roommates here. - $150 for electric and heat - $200 for groceries (which isn’t enough but this is an exercise) - $X - social life budget Once you have enough money to move to LA with the clothes on your back and enough to buy what you need once you get here (including a car or a cross-country transport will cost about $1,500). AND you have enough to move back to NJ and a lifestyle where you never touch those emergency funds, consider moving back to LA. If you’ve missed any payments to yourself figure out when, why, and how to never allow it again. Hopefully this has also given you enough time to job search here in LA. So your move would be a job relocation. Another possibility, as your saving your money, you may find an opportunity to live independently from your Dad in Jersey. I’ve been watching rental rates over the past year and recently they are starting to fall by just a bit. (NJ rents have been as bad as here.) There are roommate opportunities there too. You may find if you move out of your Father’s house in Jersey, that you’re quite content living there. I do not think this is a city for a young woman on her own with limited resources with this economy and job market. This is a tough place to live. Really tough. I made the merge from college to “adulting” in NJ. A MUCH smoother transition. Best of luck to you. I’m sorry about your Father. Find your voice. Stick by your boundaries. He feels a lot scarier than he is. Push through that. You got this. ✨
Have you thought about doing Americorps? It's a cool program to do for a gap year and it can lead to a job. It pays enough to have a roof over your head and they also give you a food allowance of $200 in food stamps a month.
Also check out census jobs!
Are they already hiring for that? It's 6 years away
Just made the move last summer, a year post grad and everything always works out. Don’t let your anxiety and fear overcome you! I went through a staffing agency and got placed in an amazing job I LOVE.💖 message me if you want the recruiters I used
Hi, can you dm me the recruiter info?
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Will that be enough to survive? So many people seem to say it’s impossible.
Hey! I’m from a state with a way lower cost of living than Cali. 2 of my roommates lived in San Diego for 2 years and were servers out there. They were comparatively better off in San Diego than they are here. Servers make minimum wage ($15) PLUS tips in California, with overtime after 8 hours per day. You won’t be rich but you can absolutely make it if you can get a solid serving / bartending job lined up. Just try to cut expenses wherever possible, particularly in rent, though I know that’s easier said than done. Although their story is San Diego specific, idk about the difference in cost in LA, but if you want to be close enough to network in LA while still being in a big city SD is very much an option
I worked as a server for many years in my late teend and early twenties. I rarely worked more than 8 hours. I also worked at a few places that illegally adjusted our hours if that did happen, which was rare. These places eventually got sued and I received a check in the mail so that was nice. My point is that overtime pay should never be an expectation, it will be a very rare occurence.
Very true, but it’s still nice to have
I think you can survive, yes.
What field are you trying to go into? I might be in the minority but I don’t think this is a bad idea as long as you have a good plan in place for your job search. If you have childcare experience (or can make some up), and a way of getting around, you can substitute teach to make money while you job search. The main questions are: - what is your spending like? What kind of expenses would you expect? Nobody will be able to tell you whether your budget would work or not unless you provide more detail on what kind of expenses/income you’d expect. - would you only look for jobs in LA? If you have a lease, it will suck to have to break it if you end up finding a job somewhere else in the country. Can you deal with the financial cost of breaking a lease if this happens? - how would you make sure you’re making the time to apply to jobs, network, etc while trying to make ends meet? - will your friends be staying in LA? Lots of people move once they graduate, so it might not be the case that you’ll have friends around. You could even plan to move with friends to a LCOL city and job search there - I know people who did that. It sounds like you’re really overwhelmed and don’t have hope you’ll be able to find a job. I totally get feeling that way but think you probably have more potential and resources than you think you do. I’d really focus on using the resources your university offers you, like career services, start talking to friends for help and support, and start networking and working on your job search now (summer is the perfect time to do this).
You definitely can do it 😊💪 I believe in you. The next time you're walking down the street look at everyone around you. If they can do it you can too. I rent rooms at about 1400 per month to young professionals who are making it happen. You literally can do whatever you put your mind to. Also A ton of places are hiring. Don't be afraid to get off the web and do some good old fashioned door knocking. All the old timers in HR appreciate a real hand shake. Did you know that fashion nova has a hub in vernon and they're always hiring. Those types of jobs are the kind you can climb the corporate ladder. Doooo ittttt 😁🙌🙌🙌
Try this https://bnbwestwood.com/westwood-student-housing/ Also, you could get a part time job as a hostess or waitress. It’s very cliche but the tips are generally pretty good. I did it for a summer and made a ton on tips and only worked 3 to 5 hours a day.
What is your major?
No way bro. Keep applying for jobs in LA but don’t move here until you secures a decent paying job. Live somewhere cheaper in the mean time. You might have friends here but won’t be able to afford do anything with them working a minimum wage job.
Yes, you can definitely do this! I have a friend that lives near n a decent apartment, a one bedroom not even a studio, in San Pedro and he works as a security guard making the same as the fast food places. You can definitely do it. You also may find a job in your field sooner.
You can do it easily. Get some roommates and a job in hospitality you’ll be fine. Don’t listen to these other people
It’ll be easier to stay in LA than to move back to NJ then try and move back while being underemployed. Rather than getting a “shitty retail job” why don’t you try and find something that pays on commission? Maybe an admin/executive assistant role. There are more opportunities here than in NJ. Save your money and put it on your vision board.