How to live and work in New York

TACKLING the Big Apple on your own can be daunting - especially for the unemployed - so prepare yourself for battle with these top tips.

The Big Apple translates to big opportunities for many young Aussies. Picture: AAP

TACKLING the Big Apple on your own is certainly a daunting experience - especially for the unemployed.

Upon telling everyone I came across that I was transplanting myself to New York for a year to live and work without a job lined up, I was flooded with the same four questions:

1. How did you score a green card?
2. You do know they're in the middle of the GFC?
3. Why on earth would you want to live in America?
4.The fourth question was rather more implied from the "Are you insane?" look.

Firstly, no green card was needed. I was able to get one of the new J-1 visas that opened up for Aussie and Kiwi tertiary students enrolled full-time or who have graduated in the past 12 months. And correct, I'm not entirely compos mentis.

Going over without a job is tough stuff. But unless you want to go down an unpaid internship path or work on a ski field, it's near impossible to secure a job from abroad. Since I fell into the recent graduate category, the window of opportunity to get the visa options was only open for a year. GFC or not, I had to go for it and hope for the best.

Flexibility costs
US working visas are otherwise near impossible to get and restrictive if you do. You'll need a company to sponsor you who'll have to prove to immigration you are the Andres Iniesta of your field.

The J-1 visa is one of the most flexible working visas on offer. Although only limited to a year, you can work as much or as little as you like for any number of employers and no pre-arranged job is needed.

Obtaining the J-1 visa is a surprisingly simple but pricey process. Be prepared to pay at least $1000 in visa fees and administration costs, depending on which sponsoring agent you use. They ask a few questions, check this, stamp that, charge a small fortune and off you go.

YOUR SAY: Tell us your top tips for living and working in New York

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There are a number of approved organisations that can act as your designated sponsor and, thankfully for me, you don't need to prove that you are exceptionally talented in your field. While the sponsoring organisations don't offer much support in terms of helping you find a job, they're there to provide the means by which you can legally be employed if anyone will actually hire you.

Americans are known for being an insular bunch. It is understandable that most Aussies would rather flock to the UK. But, if you can stop your eyes from rolling as you explain that Australia is nowhere near Germany, the experience can offer so much. Americans are a curious bunch and, if you give them a chance, they'll open up to you and opportunities will flood in.

Pick your target
Picking the US city you want to live in will also have a big influence on how your experience will pan out. Smaller cities mean less opportunity. Bigger cities mean more competition.

My decision on where to go was easy. I'd always wanted to live in New York and wanted to see if I could "make it there".

Like everywhere, you take the good with the bad. But everything that's great about New York can also be its downfall. The extensive subway allows you to roam all across its five boroughs and never need a car, but boarding or alighting a New York subway train gives you a good idea of what it might be like in a world-class rugby scrum. Rents don't seem to get lower the further you get from town, which makes living close to Manhattan a logical decision.

Tough act to follow
I thought finding a job would be hard, not impossible. I start experiencing my own GFC: Gonna Freakin' Cry.

Things are far from easy and New York is certainly kicking me in the butt. I feel smacked in the face with how culturally different our countries really are. It takes two months to get settled, sorted and score the lowest paying job of my life. Despite feeling sad and sorry for myself, I can't really complain about my situation, given the number of people who have lost their jobs.

Eventually I am able to add some pretty amazing jobs and skills to the resume. I find myself working with fashion labels and freakishly tall models at New York Fashion Week. I learn how to gawk over celebrities while acting like I don't really care.

I represent New York in ice skating, travel around a few states competing, and win some gold hardware for the mantelpiece.

I work on an event and my name appears in a booklet under a thank you list on the same page as Donald Trump.

My NY experience has been far from easy but, in my mind, I made it in New York.

YOUR SAY: Tell us your top tips for living and working in New York

Top websites to visit:
- www.iep.org.au
- www.studentplacement.com.au
- www.ciee.org
- www.americanaustralian.org/j1-student-work-travel

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