Moving from Phoenix to Seattle in 2 weeks! (apartment, city hall)

[mikez333]

another moving to seattle thread...

I will be driving to 1500 miles to seattle with $4500, some clothes, and a ton of audio/video production equipment and guitars.

I will be getting there around 9/20/10ish

i plan on finding the cheapest possible place to rent a room via craigslist (<$400) looking for work in the mean time.

i have no college eduction i plan on getting some after about a year of steady work.

in phoenix i have just been making $10/hour fulltime i have worked at a restaurant and done soft collections at a call center.

if i can find steady work i will most likely sell my car and take the buss and bike around to save money.

my biggest is having trouble getting a decent job for MINIMUM $10/hour fulltime again.

i am skilled in audio/video post production but i am unable to prove it on paper.

i have looked for work in seattle and it feels like the job market is a bit stronger than here in phoenix.

does this seem possible? at this point if not i have to make it possible. any ideas on where to look for work?

[Letterhead]

Well you sound more determined than hesitant so you'll probably do well regardless of where you move to.

[Casportsfan]

Good god dude. I guess if you know how to live on $10 an hour it's not really going to matter, is it? I mean, you can make more than that waiting tables at Dennys. It's actually kind of inspiring to me . . . . A little, if not a lot crazy, but then again, sitting in a cube all day is beginning to feel crazy to me too.

[mikez333]

well im moving out of the parents house at 19 and paying rent will be new to me.
so i have only provided myself with my car, food and everything other than rent on $10 an hour which goes a little bit further in phoenix. $10 an hour would be just to start, because im not sure what I could really do with no eduction for more than that. I know with call center experience i could make around $15 but I am done sitting at a desk answering phones all day in cubicle.

yeah letterman i am very determined. i have been wanting to move for about 2 years and i finally summoned the courage to just quit wasting time and do it.

[HuskyDawg]

One tip, don't leave your audio/video equipment and guitars in your car for long. Seattle is great for low violent crime, but lots of smash and grab, and car theft.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

One tip, don't leave your audio/video equipment and guitars in your car for long. Seattle is great for low violent crime, but lots of smash and grab, and car theft.

Great advice. I lost some techincs turntables this way even though they were locked in the bed of the truck with a contractor's cap on the back. Get a storage locker until you find a stable place to live.

You sound very determined. I think you'll do well. Spend your free time hanging out in the music scene of your choice and you'll make good contacts for recording. As for jobs, kitchen works pays more in Seattle than Phoenix I think. You can also try to get a union retail job at a place like Fred Meyer.

[sekhmet1974]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

One tip, don't leave your audio/video equipment and guitars in your car for long. Seattle is great for low violent crime, but lots of smash and grab, and car theft.

GREAT advice. I have had 2 cars broken into here. I think it's the car theft and break ins are the highest in the country here.


I said this to another poster with little work experience, try restaurant work. It pays very well here. At 19 you could do bussing (you get minimum wage, which is over $8/hr right now I believe, plus tips--which will equal way more than $10/hr). Then when you are 21 you can move up to waiting tables or even bartending, make some really serious money and have the flexibility you need to go to school. Also, try freelancing with your audio/video skills on the side (as in start your own business).

If you live in Capital Hill or Lower Queen Anne you can easily sell your car immediately if you get into restaurant work and bus, walk, or bike it everywhere. Then get a zip car membership for when you really need it.

Just thought of, you could also get a job as a cook, best if you can get one where they tip out the cooks (Hurricane Cafe downtown/Belltown, Beth's on Aurora) since hourly cooks don't get paid that much. You would make more bussing tables, but just giving you some more immediate options. Good for you, you can do it. I moved out at 18 with very little work experience and education and did just fine.

[sekhmet1974]

Oh also try Metropolitan Market and Trader Joes stores. I don't know what they make, but everyone who works there always seems so happy and I am pretty sure they have great benefits (plus discount groceries is a plus). btw, many restaurants here also have health insurance and health benefits, so if you are not still on your parents' plan, that could be great for you.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by sekhmet1974

Oh also try Metropolitan Market and Trader Joes stores. I don't know what they make, but everyone who works there always seems so happy and I am pretty sure they have great benefits (plus discount groceries is a plus). btw, many restaurants here also have health insurance and health benefits, so if you are not still on your parents' plan, that could be great for you.

Good advice too. Trader Joe's is great to work for.

[vandygirl]

Originally Posted by mikez333

another moving to seattle thread...

I will be driving to 1500 miles to seattle with $4500, some clothes, and a ton of audio/video production equipment and guitars.

I will be getting there around 9/20/10ish

i plan on finding the cheapest possible place to rent a room via craigslist (<$400) looking for work in the mean time.

i have no college eduction i plan on getting some after about a year of steady work.

in phoenix i have just been making $10/hour fulltime i have worked at a restaurant and done soft collections at a call center.

if i can find steady work i will most likely sell my car and take the buss and bike around to save money.

my biggest is having trouble getting a decent job for MINIMUM $10/hour fulltime again.

i am skilled in audio/video post production but i am unable to prove it on paper.

i have looked for work in seattle and it feels like the job market is a bit stronger than here in phoenix.

does this seem possible? at this point if not i have to make it possible. any ideas on where to look for work?

Make sure you load up on Vitamin C. The big temperature change might throw your immune system for a loop after a few days.

Skip craigslist. It's full of bait and switch ads. Instead, walk around in the neighborhood you want to live in and call the apartment managers on your cell phone. With your budget I would say look in West Seattle near Alki Beach. Avoid Pioneer Square!

Audio visual you say? Well, practically all the TV stations are near the space needle. Have a reel put together showing your work and start walking into the stations dressed nicely. Consider local access channels as well. Show up at local board meetings and city hall meetings and meet the production crew members. Get their advice.