Looking for work is hopeless here (unemployed, living in, move to)

[firetraq]

you guys all sound so hollywood....

LA is a city like any other, you find work, you get paid, you live... its how it works throughout the world, LA is nothing special in fact its the opposite... sorry to be so down on the place, but i wouldn't be moving to LA if it wasn't for the economy and my job being there, on the whole its a big dump.

I'm sure miranda you'll find a ton of jobs, no offense but at your pay grade and experience, there are always jobs, come rain or shine. If you dont find a job within a week or two, then you are doing something wrong.

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by Charles

If the original poster waits for imaginary beings to help him out he's in for a long wait.

Huh???

[miranda104]

Firetraq you sound a lot like my uncle. Out of most of the people in this forum I think you are absolutely right. Most of the responses make it sound like this city is the toughest place to live. How can you tell someone from New York living in a place will be tough. New York is a very tough city and you always have to be trying in order to get something here. The honest truth is that I cannot find a job here but it has to do with all of the economic problems that New York is facing and not having the budget to hire entry level employees. Firetraq you are right these people who respond make LA seem so Hollywood I know LA is not all beautiful streets and palm trees. I have been all over Southern California I seen what the city is like. New York is a dump with tall buildings and expensive neighborhoods. If anything this place is impossible to live in. I will be in support of my family so finding a job will be the only thing I have to worry about no rent no bills no car payments so I can just focus on getting a job and going to school.

[firetraq]

Originally Posted by miranda104

Firetraq you sound a lot like my uncle. Out of most of the people in this forum I think you are absolutely right. Most of the responses make it sound like this city is the toughest place to live. How can you tell someone from New York living in a place will be tough. New York is a very tough city and you always have to be trying in order to get something here. The honest truth is that I cannot find a job here but it has to do with all of the economic problems that New York is facing and not having the budget to hire entry level employees. Firetraq you are right these people who respond make LA seem so Hollywood I know LA is not all beautiful streets and palm trees. I have been all over Southern California I seen what the city is like. New York is a dump with tall buildings and expensive neighborhoods. If anything this place is impossible to live in. I will be in support of my family so finding a job will be the only thing I have to worry about no rent no bills no car payments so I can just focus on getting a job and going to school.

Thanks i speak from driving all over LA, I even think bevely hills is nasty, its like a grotesque version of richness.

I live in London all my life till i came here and it is vastly more expensive there. never mind the exchange rate, but me and the wife lived well enough. Its all about priorities, do you really need to buy a $5 coffees everyday, do you need to spend hundreds on clothes each month, my priority is looking after my family not trying to compete with what others have and make them think i'm something i'm not by buying designer clothes and expensive cars i cannot afford.

And in case you dont think $5 a day is much per year it is more than $1300, for coffee, for ****ing coffee are you crazy....!! i hate coffee anyway.

But that money could be anything, what i'm saying is be wise, the small adds up to a lot when combined and over time.

Also my cost of living in LA will only be $250 more a month, than it was in Sarasota, FL.... and my job is 25miles closer in LA, i am only 4 miles away... i am getting paid another $20k for working LA, so i am way ahead....

I am very interested to see if what i think is what reality will be. i'll keep the forums posted.

oh and the other thing is, i think people always want other to believe that their situation is harder than others, this usually makes them feel better than others as well. i think sandycos daughter could validify this comment.... would be an interesting physcological study.

[miranda104]

Firetaq I agree everyone here makes it seem like a superficial idea of LA. Especially that my threads are about me a New Yorker moving to LA. I have Family to live with and I don't have to worry about rent or a car. People in the posts keep saying that it will be worse or it is not as good as people say it is. I am pretty sure I will make it Hell if I made it here in New York I can do the same in LA in my opinion LA is a way easier town and the surrounding areas are to. Life is so laid back unlike New York theres constant rushing awful weather crazy expenses and much more. I am pretty sure I will do fine like you said Firetraq. And even if I don't do well I can always come back to New York and get help from my mom. So things will work out somehow even if it is a long bumpy ride I think I can pull it off and try my best to do what I need to do. I have the odds on my side all I have to worry about is finding a job.

[SandyCo]

She's graduating from Berkeley, not UCLA, but thanks. San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area is generally considered to be Northern California, but if you look on a map, it's really Central California. For some reason, Southern California encompasses the area south of the Tehachapi Mountains. (There is a thread on this in the general California forum: http://www.city-data.com/forum/calif...outhern-5.html.)

Northern California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by miranda104

Yeah SandyCo your daughters situation reminds me of one I know. Hope she finds work I mean she did graduate from UCLA a fine school. At least she is not here in New York where the cost of living is expensive and tougher even if you are living rent free.

Also how are things in Northern California is it hard to find a job. By the way is San Francisco and Santa Clara part of Northern California? Just a quick question.

[miranda104]

Berkley is great I really hope things go well for her.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by zenkonami

B

I think (and feel free to toss numbers back at me if I'm wrong) that the influx of people to L.A. is greater than the number of those leaving...and I do know a lot of people (my gal included) who work multiple jobs just to make ends meet out here. Either places aren't interested in full timers, or they really are fully staffed (or they all just have a lot of people who want to work part time, I suppose.)

That said, I also think you're absolutely right about the real difficulty being finding a place to live on entry level wages. There is work to be had in L.A., but it is *very* competitive, and not like other cities I've lived in where you can generally get yourself a full time job and there you go. Branching out is almost mandatory out here for many people, as it's just the nature of the work. 9-5 is rare, and hustling for work is the norm, whether you're in entertainment, law, service or sometimes (though more rarely) retail.

If people just maintain the attitude that you have to be looking for work all the time, they can probably make it out here.

Thank you for posting the HONEST TRUTH about what employment is REALLY like in LA.

Yes, you have to be constantly on your game as far as finding work if you don't know anyone. It really is the luck of the draw and how much the interviewer likes you. One thing I do know is that jobs that pay decent liveable wages are far and few between, because the people working them will NEVER leave. The only way a GOOD PAYING job opens up is if someone moves, retires or DIES.

I'm not talking about those entertainment positions that pay less than $35,000 (if that) either. Entertainment wants longevity to be about one to two years or LESS in most cases, because they like seeing FRESH FACES and don't want to give raises.

If you're tenacious and willing to work anything right now (like I'm doing), then you'll be fine. Keep checking Craigslist, Monster.com, etc. and see if anyone calls you back.

Also, just so you know there are HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people out of work in LA (both city and county). We won't even discuss the "working poor" or those that still didn't find work after their unemployment benefits ran out. This city, like many others now is falling by the wayside economically.

I'm very happy for the two part time jobs that I have, especially since one of them cut my hours severely due to this crappy economy.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by miranda104

Firetraq you sound a lot like my uncle. Out of most of the people in this forum I think you are absolutely right. Most of the responses make it sound like this city is the toughest place to live. How can you tell someone from New York living in a place will be tough. New York is a very tough city and you always have to be trying in order to get something here. The honest truth is that I cannot find a job here but it has to do with all of the economic problems that New York is facing and not having the budget to hire entry level employees. Firetraq you are right these people who respond make LA seem so Hollywood I know LA is not all beautiful streets and palm trees. I have been all over Southern California I seen what the city is like. New York is a dump with tall buildings and expensive neighborhoods. If anything this place is impossible to live in. I will be in support of my family so finding a job will be the only thing I have to worry about no rent no bills no car payments so I can just focus on getting a job and going to school.

Miranda, if you want to come then COME.

The only way to know is to see for yourself.

I wish you luck and happiness.

[j760]

Originally Posted by firetraq

If you dont find a job within a week or two, then you are doing something wrong.

I disagree.

Finding a job isn't always so cut and dry. Often the candidate can be doing everything right and have themselves a fantastic resume, but things just don't fall their way for whatever reason. I think the key is just to keep trying and don't lose hope, eventually if you keep knocking someone will open the door.