How to Get a Job in NYC

This article is for those who want to live there.

Living and working in the city that never sleeps is the dream for many Americans, especially young professionals.

It is no wonder that every year, millions of young professionals move to the biggest city in America to live the American dream.

New York City has a population of over 8 million people, and a landmass of 302.6 square miles, making NYC the most densely populated city in the US.

NYC owes its dense population to the fact that it is the economic capital of the US and one of the world’s largest international financial centers (IFC).

Due to the high population in the city, there is stiff competition in the workforce, and companies are always looking to hire the best talents to join their teams.

Therefore, before you move to NYC in search of a job, it would help to be very qualified because job hunting in the big city is not a walk in the park.

But on the bright side, NYC workers are generally well compensated, compared to many other cities.

If you are looking to find a job in New York City, you have come to the right place, we will tell you all you need to know to enable you to secure your dream job in apple city.

MAIN JOB SECTORS IN NYC

Finance

Healthcare

Tech

Retail

Legal

New York is the media and finance capital of the US and a major manufacturing center.

Therefore, there are a lot of well-paying opportunities if you belong to any of those sectors.

However, there are still a lot of attractive employment opportunities in NYC, cutting across almost every sector.

Without further ado, let’s get to the ways you can get a job in NYC

Make use of job sites: Job sites like Glassdoor, Google Jobs, and Monster allows you to search for jobs from anywhere in the US.

After making your research on which jobs and which companies you want to work for, all you have to do is search for your preferred job role and your desired company. 

Choose “New York City” to filter your job search, and the website shows you all the job opportunities available that match your search.

Attend Job Fairs: Job fairs are an ideal place for job seekers to find a job. Especially entry-level job seekers. 

To find job fairs happening in New York City, visit the New York State Department of Labor website.

Contact a local career center: Due to the pandemic, career centers are closed for walk-in services. 

But you can still benefit from their virtual services by logging on to their website. 

A career center will help you build, plan, and develop your career. 

They provide information on available job roles and help you understand which job roles are relevant to your interests, skills, and personality. 

You can find career centers in New York City, through the New York State Department of Labor website.

Leverage on your personal and professional networks: Reach out to your connections in New York City, especially those in similar careers as you. 

Some job openings that never make it to job sites are filled through referrals from insiders. 

Position yourself properly to have access to these opportunities. If you do not have a strong network In NYC, you can develop that on LinkedIn.

Volunteer Work: The network you create through volunteering can be very useful in your job search. 

You can find out about popular volunteering organizations in NYC or attend volunteer opportunities and fundraisers organized by an organization you will like to work with.

Go out and meet people: Online networking is a good idea, but in a big city like New York, you have an edge when you establish connections offline. 

In coffee shops, for example, you are likely to find professionals conducting meetings and holding business strategy sessions in a coffee shop in New York. 

You may also find freelancers, lawyers, programmers, business executives, etc. 

You may be lucky to find people open to a conversation, or you may overhear someone talking about a job opportunity you are interested in.

Do not believe the myth that New Yorkers are unfriendly people, wear a warm smile, and connect with real people.

Pros and Cons of working in New York

Pros

Lots of opportunities: NYC employs over a 9.5million people. 

Every day, people commute from neighboring cities where they enjoy cheaper rent to work in the NYC center. 

There are a lot of options to choose from if you are considering working in New York. 

Fun Fact: More than one million businesses are situated in NYC.

Higher Salaries: New Yorkers indeed receive significantly higher salaries than the national average.

Great social scene: New York can get lonely when you do not have a network, but creating a network in NYC is very easy due to the dense population. 

Bars, restaurants, museums, coffee shops – You name it. There are a lot of places you can meet people that will help advance your personal and professional life in NYC.

Cons

The high cost of living: Living in NYC is quite expensive. 

Rent is ridiculously high and NYC apartments are notorious for their small size. 

You can live further away from the commercial area and lengthen your commute time if you are determined to save on rent.

Burnout: The city that never sleeps lives up to its name with the daily hustle and bustle. 

The emotional stress that comes from living and working in a fast-paced city like New York can become too much for some people.