True or False: I can find a part time job in the city (San Francisco: apartment, lease)

[movingoutwest]

Hey everyone, I've been on this forum before and I appreciate your help. I'm at the booking my flight stage but am a little worried about income once I'm out there since I won't have a job. I have probably 2.5 - 3 months saved up if expenses are running my 1k a month.

My question is: do you think I could find part time work to cover my expenses? How long would that take?

Thanks for the help.

[Ceece]

Is there a reason you don't want full time work? It all depends on what you do. Obviously there are jobs, you just have to give people a reason they would hire YOU over anyone else

[movingoutwest]

Originally Posted by Ceece

Is there a reason you don't want full time work? It all depends on what you do. Obviously there are jobs, you just have to give people a reason they would hire YOU over anyone else

I am/will be looking for full time first an foremost. But in case it takes 3 months to land something I would like to cover my expenses (rent, food, transporation) before I run out of savings.

[OakAve2OakLand]

Originally Posted by movingoutwest

Hey everyone, I've been on this forum before and I appreciate your help. I'm at the booking my flight stage but am a little worried about income once I'm out there since I won't have a job. I have probably 2.5 - 3 months saved up if expenses are running my 1k a month.

My question is: do you think I could find part time work to cover my expenses? How long would that take?

Thanks for the help.

Just an observation...only $1k / month in expenses?

That sounds WAY low, unless you have a place lined up to stay for free?

If not, I would plan on at least $1,500 / mo in expenses (bare minimum) and $2k / mo would be more like it. Even with that, you're looking at a studio, very modest 1br, or a shared living situation. You'll want to be realistic about your expenses (add up all the different categories), and not run through your savings in 5 weeks what you thought would last you 3 months.

Also, if you sign a lease, of course, they are going to want first, last, and a security deposit. That probably blows most of your savings right there.

Might be better to hold off on the move until you have more savings. What you're trying to do is quite risky (no job lined up, relatively small savings) especially in an expensive locale like the Bay Area. Just saying...the time to think about these things realistically is NOW...before you move.

[gone down south]

Unemployment is really high here, even the bartending/bike messenger/busboy jobs are are in short supply.

[Joy74]

You should at least have some intervews lined up if your coming without a job. It is really unwise to move to the Bay Area in this economy without a job, and especially without some leads.

[bmw335xi]

What qualifications do you have? San Francisco has a better job market than the average city in the US, but you still need to have good experience, be a student, or have a college degree to find a decent job.

I hope $1k/month isn't including rent because even sharing a apartment with room mates in the city, you're looking around $500-$1,000, plus utilities.

[movingoutwest]

Originally Posted by OakAve2OakLand

Just an observation...only $1k / month in expenses?

That sounds WAY low, unless you have a place lined up to stay for free?

If not, I would plan on at least $1,500 / mo in expenses (bare minimum) and $2k / mo would be more like it. Even with that, you're looking at a studio, very modest 1br, or a shared living situation. You'll want to be realistic about your expenses (add up all the different categories), and not run through your savings in 5 weeks what you thought would last you 3 months.

Thanks for the advice. I know I can't afford a lease with that little saved, but I do have a place to stay for at least a few weeks for free, and the 1k, I was thinking would be for a room share (500-600$) utilities, food (200$ max) transportation.

My thinking was if I could get a part time job, doing anything, even if it only netting 400/week, I could survive out there. Maybe not?

[movingoutwest]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

but you still need to have good experience, be a student, or have a college degree to find a decent job.

I hope $1k/month isn't including rent because even sharing a apartment with room mates in the city, you're looking around $500-$1,000, plus utilities.

I do have a bachelor's degree from a NE liberal arts college, and a year of some experience (though not all full time). You don't think I could get a room share for 500 or a little over?

[mayorhaggar]

In SF renting with roommates would be around $600 at the very least, but probably more like $700 and up, it can get competitive finding roommates or an apartment. Somewhere like Oakland or Berkeley would be a bit cheaper. I think bringing home $400 a week in take-home pay would be just about doable if you were spending around $400-600 on rent.

And if you have a bachelor's degree you should look for entry-level office jobs, you could find something like at a law firm making $15-17 an hour, bombard every temp agency in the city with your resume and you might end up getting a permanent position through them.