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Wow, thanks for the comments but I guess I'm feeling pretty down-hearted at the advice here, not to mention from what I'm reading elsewhere. So do you think even if I got up proper early and spent all-day, every day trying as many places as possible, I would still find myself struggling? I need people to be brutally honest cos at the moment I'm pretty close to altering my plans altogether. Thanks again!
Even if you find a coffee job, how will you support yourself? It doesn't sound like you've saved enough money. A minimum wage job will not support you.
I have enough savings to be able to support myself with a minimum wage job for 3 months. I don't have enough savings to be able to support myself for 3 months without a job....
Just go for a month and enjoy it without worry about having to find a job. The previous posters were right, it's going to take you more than 3 months to find any kind of job here, why spend any of that time worrying when you can just go for less time and enjoy every day?
Honestly 3 months isn't going to give you much of an idea of how it's like to live and work in NYC. I'd rather just visit for 3 weeks, go home, then when you start missing it, just come back for another 3 weeks.
Wow, thanks for the comments but I guess I'm feeling pretty down-hearted at the advice here, not to mention from what I'm reading elsewhere. So do you think even if I got up proper early and spent all-day, every day trying as many places as possible, I would still find myself struggling? I need people to be brutally honest cos at the moment I'm pretty close to altering my plans altogether. Thanks again!
Yes consider yourself lucky that you did not encounter some hipster here telling you "YES FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS AND YOU WILL DO IT!" which would lead you in the wrong path.
I don't really want to make you down hearted but I don't feel it is right to give you a false impression about the reality here. The thing is right now the economy is very bad and even if you are out every day, there may not be many help wanted signs visible at all, especially for somebody in your position. If I was you I would just save up money and come here for a vacation so you could enjoy yourself rather than going through the stress an uncertainty of finding a job here at a time when many Americans are out of work and live here permanently.
All I can tell you is that my cousin has been looking for a job for 3 months now. He has been applying everywhere- restaurants, retail, coffee shops, part-time, full-time, minimum wage, etc. He's applied online, emailed resumes, walked around neighborhoods dressed up with his resume, gone to open houses, etc and still no one will hire him. So I would take the advice given to you above. Do not assume you will get a job- it's not that easy.
I'm not sure I understand. I would have thought the point was to fix you up with a substantial summer job in a particular field where you would learn something. Scrounging for work at a coffee shop seems odd. Realistically, why would a coffee shop want to bother hiring a foreign student who doesn't kwon his way around, especially in a country where there is already a huge pool of unemployed people?
Wouldn't it be more sensible to save up money beforehand and instead write and apply for internships that might relate to your field of study? Of course, many internships are volunteer, and paid ones don't pay much.
Maybe you should think this through a little better. This program doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Sorry.
Okay, thanks for all your comments. I've pretty much decided that perhaps my original plan of turning up and going round trying to work was probably unrealistic. THe Bunac organisation has a job directory (albeit frustratingly limited) with a couple of golf clubs listed, both of which are only an hour or so from Manhatten, so I think I'll enquire there and keep fingers crossed!
I have been looking at internships on craigslist and elsewhere (I'm hoping to pursue a career in publishing after graduating), so if were to manage to land an internship at a NY publishing house that would be absolutely amazing, however, I think this is probably an even more unrealistic prospect. Thanks again.
Definately apply at the the restaurant called "The Modern". It's located in the Museum of Modern Art or MOMA for short. NYC is a great place!
Just to clarify, it is difficult to get a job in high end dining here in New York City. Even if you have a culinary degree, you still need to go through a trail and/or stage to even be considered for the kitchen and for front of the house, you need front of the house experience. Some bars and diners will train you but as for as high end dining like The Modern, it's wishful thinking.
Okay, thanks for all your comments. I've pretty much decided that perhaps my original plan of turning up and going round trying to work was probably unrealistic. THe Bunac organisation has a job directory (albeit frustratingly limited) with a couple of golf clubs listed, both of which are only an hour or so from Manhatten, so I think I'll enquire there and keep fingers crossed!
I have been looking at internships on craigslist and elsewhere (I'm hoping to pursue a career in publishing after graduating), so if were to manage to land an internship at a NY publishing house that would be absolutely amazing, however, I think this is probably an even more unrealistic prospect. Thanks again.
Definitely look through Craigslist! In this city, networking is great especially if you strike up a conversation with someone random at a bar or restaurant.
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