How to "make it" into Miami (Jacksonville, Boca Raton: 2014, condos) - Florida (FL) -Miami-Dade County - City-Data Forum

Joshua317 · 10-30-2014, 05:18 PM

Hello Miamians! Allow me give a brief description of myself. I am 19, hispanic, I live in Boca Raton but am definitely not a part of the typical millionaires that Boca is composed of. I'm just a regular plebeian trying to make a living and attending College. I am a sophomore at FAU. Ever since I was in middle school me and my skater friends would always hop on the Tri-Rail to go skate in downtown and Brickell. That was around 2008 and I immediately fell in love with the city. There is just something literally magical and alive about it there. The colors, the architecture, the bridges, the people! So I have always know that I love it and want to live there. I usually go at least once a week just to spend time, walk around, and people watch I guess. I never interact with people because I'm pretty young, painfully shy (most of the time) and not a professional with a degree. There is nothing more that I want than to live in Miami but I do not know how to go about it. The degree I am pursuing is not all that... Philosophy (please do not give me **** about it) and truthfully I don't even like attending college even though my academic skills are great, 4.0, Dean's list, scholarships left and right (I just don't think it proves anything). I know that wages in Miami are lower, and that condos are super expensive so without a degree I would have no chance... Everyday I wake up and check for listings in Icon! I guess what I am trying to ask is, if you live an extraordinary miami lifestyle, the condo, the car, the night life, what is it that you do for a living, and where? Like what company? I just want to end up in there and not have to be a celebrity! Which I know is not a requirement but still... What kind of advice would you give to a kid like me? Please help! And thank you!!!

-Joshua

tankhead · 10-30-2014, 06:00 PM

Make your money out of state, where wages are significantly higher, and then, when money is not an issue anymore, move to Miami. Not before!

Joshua317 · 10-30-2014, 07:03 PM

Makes sense! Thanks for the advice!

elias9193 · 10-31-2014, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankhead

Make your money out of state, where wages are significantly higher, and then, when money is not an issue anymore, move to Miami. Not before!

+1 Short and sweet, you my friend have nailed it, I couldn't have said it better myself!

tallrick · 10-31-2014, 08:37 AM

Honestly I am still trying to figure out what is appealing about Miami in 2014. Maybe in 1964 but not since the 1980's. The whole southeast coast is the same, more or less. Even Jacksonville is better looking than Miami in my opinion. Miami is the worst city in the whole state of Florida, overcrowded, overpriced with a third world feel. The colors are drab, the architecture is cookie cutter, the people are below average in personality and the bridges are disintegrating and lacking in character. Miami has nothing in my opinion.

StarfishKey · 10-31-2014, 09:50 AM

I admire what you are doing, and your love for the place you want to live. It is not so hard to make it in Miami, particularly for one who is smart. You DO need a degree - preferably at least a Masters - even though it may seem like a pointless pursuit. Unless you are a genius at business, you'll need the piece of paper to prove to companies that you are a worthwhile risk to take on. Free internships may be necessary at prestigious places, because they also want you to have work experience.

If you have the patience, it's true that the big money of a state like NY or CA makes it a lot easier to move to FL later and afford it. But it's not the only way to make this happen. You need to use your brain to figure out what is in demand, what is on the rise, how to fill a need. Philosophy in and of itself is not going to put you in the in-demand category for jobs, unless you are a star in your field and want to stick it out through a Ph.D. to be a professor - but FL wages for professors are extremely low, even though you may be able to get a job. However, you can use that Philosophy degree as a great background to other things. It can be a springboard to Business if you have an interest, to Law, or to another field where thinking differently and critically can be of value. Lawyers and businesspeople are a dime a dozen in Miami, but if you have the ability to stand out, you can rise to the top. If you like that kind of thing. Otherwise, certainly the medical profession is always in demand. Or you can become an investor, which I think Philosophy can really lend itself to if you also have a head for finance. You can start your own business - but again, something in demand, something that fills a need, something that corners a market. Something unusual and cutting edge - I do NOT mean like a restaurant, or a t-shirt shop. It can be something creaitve or technical, it doesn't really matter, as long as you're good at it, and it's in demand with no one else offering what you've got. Miami is a great place to get started in business because there are lots of wealthy people and lots of trendiness, and there's no income tax in FL. If you are skilled enough to know how to tap into a market, you can really do very well.

Or, you can research the companies with headquarters down here and get a corporate job. On the highly skilled end, the jobs in Miami can sometimes pay quite a bit, because there are not that many in the local labor force to draw from. So for instance, having a high level of skill (and also experience, which you may need to get elsewhere first) in IT can land you a job with 6 figures. I know several people who have them in Miami - and they were recruited from out of state because no one in FL has that level of skill and experience. Certainly being bilingual can also help your career, so be sure to brush up if you can.

The best advice I can give you is to find something you love, not just something that makes money. If you're smart, you'll figure out a way to combine the two - something you're skilled at enough that people will pay you to do it, but that you enjoy enough to do for free in your spare time. Diversify - have more than one skill in your back pocket, because life comes with turns and twists and if you suddenly get dumped out of one field or job you'll still have skills that can get you into another. I guarantee you if you just chase the dollars you will get burned out very quickly, and especially in a place like Miami you'll end up strung out on drugs to cope with the disillusionment and internal pain and frustration, and you'll go broke. So find the passion (or several) first, and then BE FLEXIBLE. Take a job that will really help your career even if it's out of state. Or move to Miami but live in a cheaper boring neighborhood first. You can't just jump from nothing to the top, life doesn't work that way - especially if you're not born a billionaire. If you're dedicated, and you always look for a more efficient way to earn the money you're earning and still have a good life, you'll do well. Cut back on the extras, keep a tight budget, SAVE SAVE SAVE, and if you can invest those savings wisely. Research is your best friend - the more you learn about different areas in life, the more opportunities open to you. And if money is what you want, then research all you can about how to grow your money - don't just expect it to fall into your lap without any knowledge, simply because you want it.

I have been successful at living where I want, and I also know a lot of other people who have been able to do the same. It's not an easy life - it requires a ton of sacrifice, and a good head on your shoulders to stay dedicated and not get side-tracked. You have to be willing to do time at the bottom, and the middle, well before you get to the top. You have to be able to roll with the punches and have several backup plans when life throws you a curveball, like you get sick or seriously injured, you get laid off, the economy tanks, there is a sudden death in your family, etc. The more resilient you are in the world, while also being committed to the direction you're headed, the better you will do, and the further you will go. If you're the kind to let hard work, or one setback, stop you, then you're not going to do very well financially. It is not all smooth sailing, you have to expect that storms will come from time to time, and prepare for how you will survive them in advance.

citylover1 · 10-31-2014, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tallrick

Honestly I am still trying to figure out what is appealing about Miami in 2014. Maybe in 1964 but not since the 1980's. The whole southeast coast is the same, more or less. Even Jacksonville is better looking than Miami in my opinion. Miami is the worst city in the whole state of Florida, overcrowded, overpriced with a third world feel. The colors are drab, the architecture is cookie cutter, the people are below average in personality and the bridges are disintegrating and lacking in character. Miami has nothing in my opinion.

All incorrect. You should be banned. Literally everything you post is negative for the purpose of being negative. You're the HotandHumid of the Dade forums.

citylover1 · 10-31-2014, 10:59 AM

If you want that lifestyle you just need money. Do whatever it takes (legally) to get it. Honestly, I find it very easy here. Don't do it working for someone else though unless you're going to do it as a bridge to something bigger and better. It's common knowledge now and also good billionaires have shared this with everyone, working for someone else is not the way to go, having your own business / way of income is the way to go and the way to being rich and sooner.

OptimusPrime69 · 10-31-2014, 11:13 AM

OP, I know you're only 19....... and you;re currently a sophomore at FAU?
But please, just finish the degree. I know it doesn't seem important now, however it's worth having. And you'll have the rest of ur life.... It sounds like you're doing pretty well there and ur prob approaching the half way point....just stick it out. Trust me, it'll be beneficial for you to have it vs. not having it.

U want the lifestyle of Miami now at 19.... I get it. Miami is a city of flash and dash....wealth everywhere. U look at it as if "why dont I have it yet? What am i NOT doing? It seems like everyone has that life"....well, lemme just tell u, for most ppl here in Miami it's rented or it's a facade. Or there money was made elsewhere and spent in Miami.

Finissh the degree first.
Boca is not that far from Miami, so it's not like ur some Kansas boy looking to move to a big city, you're in boca..... like a 45 min drive, so you're still technically in metro Miami.

straight shooter · 10-31-2014, 06:46 PM

I see Miami improving in some areas but Miami really hasn't much to offer for the average working American. There are many other places even in Florida that offer a lot more opportunities. Tallrick might sometimes be too negative or too extreme but much of what he says is true. Miami for many is not the paradise it is made up to be.