Another "possibly moving to..." thread... can I survive? (Chicago: apartment, to rent)

[VeryBeastofDio]

I've gone through the stickied threads and don't think I'm treading ground that TOO well-worn, apologies if I am. I'll try to keep myself from getting too long-winded, which is gonna be tough for me, I'll admit.

Anyway, I'm sorta just trying to figure out if Chicago/the burbs would eat me alive. I've found links for specific issues, but I'm more looking for a general idea of if it seems like I pull it off reasonably smoothly. Here's where I stand:

I'm in my mid-twenties and have lived in Detroit and it's suburbs for most of my life, but I spent the last few years in Marquette (Upper Peninsula) finishing up school and trying to figure out what to do with myself. I've only been to Chicago for a day or so here and there, but always simultaneously enjoyed it and was intimidated by it. My aim is to work in a recording studio or, failing that, radio or television. I'm not sure if I have the experience or resume points to get my foot into anything. Some bullet points:

- I've got my Bachelor's in Media Production and New Technology with honors
- Also have a Michigan Broadcasting Award for a group project in college
- Done some volunteer work at theaters around town, running sound or playing in the pit band, although I still have a lot to learn about both of these things
- I've been working for a radio network for almost two years as a board op, Assistant Production Director, Programming Director, and (High School) Sports Coordinator. I also do basic website work (mild HTML and CSS), camera work, live audio set-up (small scale) and am an occasional on-air personality. Before I leave I will also have some experience with Traffic Coordination. Also have an employee of the quarter award, for what that's worth.
- I have some light experience running audio and cameras for some television stuff around campus
- I have about $12,000 in savings to live off until I find work.
- I know NO ONE in the city. Closest thing I have is some friends of friends.

More details available upon request if you're masochistic.

So... could I find a job? Could I find a place to live without a job? How long til you reckon I'd find work?

Thanks for any direction anyone could offer...

-James

[lisakf1]

My husband and I moved in here in our mid-twenties without jobs and not knowing anyone. We registered with temp agencies, me Gradstaff (work with recent college grads) and him with Seville Staffing (our neighbor gave him the contact) and had jobs within one month in May.

We're still trying to meet people.

I don't know if you could find a place without a job, no experience there. The people in my office who went through Gradstaff were placed really quickly, too. I have a friend from Yelp and Livejournal and she's been looking for a full time position for months :/

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by lisakf1

We're still trying to meet people...

You should come to our next meet-up. We would love to meet you!

[aragx6]

That's a lot of savings. If this is what you want I am sure you can do it. The economy is in the crapper; you might have to do work you would have been too good for in college.

If you rent from a private landlord you probably wont have to show proof of employment. As long as your credit is solid and you have moolah for the deposit you should find a place no problem.

[long101]

No one is going to be able to tell you if your gonna find a job. You could always try to secure one or get some interviews before you make the move. If you make the move without that I would be prepared to work a part time job like waitressing/retail for a bit to compensate.

[Drover]

Finding a job... God knows in this market. Good luck, I wish I had something more useful to offer.

Finding an apartment... you may have to surrender a good chunk of your savings as rent in advance to find someone comfortable enough to rent to you without a job. Or, you might be able to find a month-to-month arrangement. You could also consider short-term/corporate housing -- in other words, a more upscale month-to-month arrangement.

Getting eaten alive... if you can manage Detroit and its suburbs, you should be able to manage Chicago and its suburbs just fine. There are many parts of Chicago proper with a population density well in excess of anything you'd find in Detroit, and then there are plenty others that are no more dense than your average Detroit neighborhood. Well, except that all of the houses are actually occupied. Where the Midwest is concerned, generally speaking, suburbs are suburbs. We have more suburbs than Detroit and ours have more traffic. That's the only substantive difference.

[Lookout Kid]

Chicago will not "eat you alive", though it may require some adjustment. But getting a job in media will be difficult without connections and experience. It's a competetive field, and most Chicago media outlets, record labels, and recording studios aren't doing so well right now. You'll never know unless you try, however. You're young enough where you can take more risks, so I say go for it. Though you may be better off in your field if you went to New York or Los Angeles...

[chet everett]

I was going to suggest Nashville or Atlanta. I think a lot of cable networks have production facilities there. Costs are much lower. Obviously there is some stuff shot in Chicago, but as LK states w/o friends or any connections odds are thin that you'd be selected.