Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

Over the past several months, I have been on the hunt for a job that would be a good fit for me after I recently graduated from college. I am from the Boston area and had a plan in my mind that I would find a job in Boston, live at home for the first year, and move into the city next spring or summer. When I realised the number of entry-level jobs in Boston in positions I would be qualified for and interested in was much less than I expected, I started to panic and feel depressed thinking that I would never get a job. Every time I checked a website like Monster.com or Indeed.com, I would see thousands of available positions in Boston, but it seemed that all of the marketing or sales jobs I would come across either required 5+ years of experience, a master's degree, or were too far to commute to from home. I had never really considered moving to a new city, but when I randomly decided to broaden my search to include cities other than just Boston, I was amazed at how many great opportunities I was finding! I still felt hesitant, because surely I couldn't afford to rent an apartment at this point in my life. But after browsing the rental markets in some different cities, I was actually surprised to see that, once I have a job, I probably could afford an apartment! Ever since discovering that the possibility of moving to a new city could actually work out for me, I have been excited looking into more opportunities and researching cities that I think would be a good fit for me.

While I'll always love my hometown Boston, I feel like I'm ready for a change and to experience something new.

A bunch of the jobs I saw were in states that don't necessarily interest me, such as Texas and Missouri. But I have found opportunities in more exciting cities like New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami. I've been researching all of these cities and could see myself being happy in any one of them. I have decided that the cities I can most see myself in (and which are most practical without having a car) are San Francisco, Seattle, New York, or Chicago. I already know I love New York, and after interning in Seattle last summer, I could definitely see myself living there. I think I would really love Chicago as well, but the city that is intriguing me the most at the moment is San Francisco. I had never really thought of San Francisco as a city I would want to move to, but after researching it a little bit, I think my personality would fit right into the laid-back, adventurous, and open-minded atmosphere of the city. Not to mention, there are so many start-up companies there that are looking to recruit twenty-somethings like myself. Ever since learning about some of the opportunities in San Francisco and the other cities I mentioned, the thought of moving out and experiencing a new city is so exciting to me, and I can't stop researching job opportunities, possible business connections, and the cultures of the different cities. If things continue along this path, I could be living in a different part of the country within the next few months! And as scary as it seems to move to another part of the country where I may not know many people yet, I keep thinking of a quote I read once that I try to live my life by: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." I am going to keep that in mind as I continue on the search to find a job and possibly a new city to call home!

I already know I love New York and would have a great experience living there.

Even though I've never been to Chicago, I can see myself really liking it there.

After interning in Seattle, I grew to love the city and think it could be a good option for me.

San Francisco is currently at the top of my list in the search for a new city to call home.