21 year old aspiring writer and college student interested in Seattle

[morcellement]

No, the experience I do have is a couple of months at McDonald's, 3 months of working at a library before being let go, and various temporary convention and event staffing jobs. My inexperience is such a major hurdle here. I can't overcome it no matter what I do. I was hoping that perhaps employers up in Seattle may be more understanding and willing to hire and train someone with little job experience than they are down in my city.

[Flightoficarus87]

I'm not sure how the economy is down in Vegas, but since the economy as a whole still isn't exactly booming, inexperience could be an obstacle no matter where you go. Remember that it's still a mess out there, and people with either lots of experience, or a degree are going after lower pay gigs when they can't find work in their main fields. Things are better job-wise in Seattle than many other cities, but they're still not exactly optimal.

The good news though, is that you at least have some work experience. It never hurts to try applying for work from out of state. Perhaps you could also try to find a Starbucks gig or something down there, and try to transfer up here? Either way, definitely start job hunting now if you're trying to be here in 6 months. Housing up here is too expensive to get by for very long without a job, unless you have substantial savings.

[morcellement]

The economy in Vegas is HORRIBLE. Not only is there a lack of jobs, but many of the employers here have deluded themselves into thinking their jobs are a privilege that should only be afforded to people fitting certain demographics (see: "hot" white or asian women, men who are total douchebags, etc...). It's maddening and I've had enough of trying to work around that. It's bad enough I don't have very much experience without having to worry about whether or not I fit into a certain image. Even local grocery stores and fast food places seem to have this logic.

[Blondebaerde]

Figured Vegas was in trouble when even Ladies of the Evening were in a price war. So says the local "Stranger" -type paper on the street, anyway, when I visited Nov '12. Hmm. Things are tough all over, it would seem.

The Seattle metro "job market": covered elsewhere, extensively. Totally depends on your skills and marketability: tech seems fine. Other disciplines, not so much. I've got tunnel vision about that (tech manager).

Seattle Central Community College, hmm: that's a new one. A stepping stone to something else, I would guess, rather than an end unto itself. Depends what you're trying to accomplish.

Would do a quick cost-of-living comparison between Vegas, Chicago, NYC, Seattle, and your other candidates. Seattle is the opposite of "inexpensive" and chews up the naive just a bit slower (but not much) than LA and NYC. Always thought Vegas was like LA, with half the people on the lamb from elsewhere. Guess that's tougher than ever these days, though.

Seems to me there are fewer black folks (going only by Wikipedia percentages) than many other larger cities. In fact Seattle is one of the "whiter" cities, per various online resources. If that is a problem, I dunno: haven't heard of any particular ruckus about that one way or the other, though Seattle PD has taken a lot of heat past few years for excessive force and other problems. Hope that's being addressed, if-true.

Capital Hill fits most of your criteria, with interesting cats prowling the streets (one of my favorite long urban hikes goes through the most-interesting part of CH). Lot of people love it there. Georgetown is another possibility, though a bit far south and buzzed by aircraft on final approach into Boeing Field all day long. Not to mention the rail yard. Never heard of too many shootings or muggings in either place, but check crime blotters on areas of-interest.

Columbia City, yeah. South Rainier and MLK Blvd, hmm. Adjacent to a sketchy part of town where bad things happen, but they're working hard to renovate and some cool things to see and do nearby (couple fabulous restaurants that I know of, Seward Park, e.g.).

[Bimmerfanboy]

I think you are making a big mistake by moving here without any experience or education. My recommendation is to complete you education in Nevada then start searching for a new place to live. Seattle has an excellent job market when it comes to IT/Tech jobs, Medicine, Health-related Research, and Engineering (Boeing). I'm going to be honest with you in saying that pursuing a writing degree is pointless unless you opt to go to Law school after and obtain a J.D. You will not be able to find a job anywhere with a degree like that. I understand that writing is a passion of yours and maybe you could pursue a minor in English or Creative Writing, but do not make it your primary degree. Tuition rates are skyrocketing and the job market for non-STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) majors is shrinking.

If you are looking to be a barista while in school you should not have a problem in Las Vegas. With low-wage jobs, people tend to come and leave frequently. Work, complete a degree in a field with demand, then move out to Seattle. Like I said, there are plenty of jobs here waiting for you, as long as you major in a STEM field.

I know that my response is not politically correct but as a 21 year old myself, I care about the future of our generation and do not want to see you waste yours. I am not saying that if your pursue a Writing degree you have no chance of living a decent lifestyle, but the chances are much lower. Chances are you will end up continuing your work as a barista after graduation if you choose a writing degree; trust me, I have friends who who graduated with English degrees and are doing this right now. Education is not cheap, make the best of it and major in a field that's in demand. That doesn't mean you cannot pursue Writing in your free time.

[morcellement]

If there were actually any decent schools here, then trust me, I totally would finish my education here. I was also planning on going to university after finishing community college and major in Communications/Journalism, in order to expand my range of job opportunities. Do you even have any idea how terrible the state of things are in this city right now? If it was that easy, then why do you think I'd be so eager to leave the place?