I graduate this year with a degree in Entertainment and Media Studies and am aiming to work in television as a writer and producer (@Mindy Kaling). Anyways, I recently traveled to Los Angeles for the first time so that I could see if it’s a place I could see myself living. Like I said, I want to work in television and that’s almost entirely in LA and NYC. From previous travels, I know NYC isn’t for me in the long run. After visiting LA for a few days combining some informational interviews with touristy adventures, I realized why visiting the City You’re Going to Move to After Graduation Before Actually Moving There is a great thing to do if you can afford to.
Establish connections early on
- Connections, Connections, Connections. They are everything. Having some people in your future city/home is a great way to get your foot in the door at companies you’re interested in working for. Maybe they work there or someone they know does.
- If not for business reasons, connections are great to have in your future city because you have someone to call if you need help or have a question about how something works in this new town.
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Get a sense of what the vibe is like
- Does the energy match yours? Some people like NYC because of how fast-paced it is, for others (like me) it’s all too overwhelming for longer than vacation.
- It’s good to know if you connect with the city in this way so you know if it’s a place you can grow comfortable with and really feel at home in.
- Know the good and not so good parts of town. Good to know what areas you might want to live in, or perhaps more importantly, what areas you don’t want to live.
Food
- The kind (and variety) of food available in a place is of the utmost importance. Ideally, you’d want a mix of the familiar and the new. You want to be sure you step out of your food comfort zone every now and again but knowing that you’ll always be able to find something to eat that you like is a key part of being able to feel at home in a new place.
Pablo Merchán Montes | Unsplash
Activities
- The place doesn’t have to be a running Six Flags 24/7, but it’s nice to know that there are plenty of recreational things to do like going to the movies, bowling, and other fun things to do with your new friends.
Felicity Warner / HCM
You may be excited to move to a new city full of opportunities that are right up your alley, but I found that travelling to those places are crucial to me being able to step into the next chapter of my life and be the most effective I can be because if I hadn’t been to NYC before, I might’ve thought that was a great place for me to go. Then I would’ve gotten there, had a panic attack and moved back home, unsure of what to do with my life and not-yet started career. Thankfully, I have been able to travel to both of the cities that house television development and production and as a result feel more confident in my plans and decisions I enter the next phase of my life after graduation.