# Does anyone know what the job market in LA is like?



## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

I moving to LA since I live in the middle of nowhere, and this city is nothing but welfare checks and it has a higher unemployment then most of the state. I was going move to LA, is the market there any better?


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## strawberryLola (Sep 19, 2010)

It's pretty tough, not easy, but you can find jobs if you have connections. Just don't get into the drug scene (excluding MJ). I hear a lot of small town folks try to fit in with Californians. Some resort to doing hard stuff like cocaine, and California can corrupt you if you're used to a slower paced lifestyle.

That's not to generalize all people from California. The lifestyle's very fast paced, and it's very competitive.

Be prepared for traffic. Know your shortcuts. Waze is an amazing app. And, if you're looking to travel in and out of L.A., beat the traffic time around 7ish? Avoid the 5 as much as possible.


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## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

strawberryLola said:


> It's pretty tough, not easy, but you can find jobs if you have connections. Just don't get into the drug scene (excluding MJ). I hear a lot of small town folks try to fit in with Californians. Some resort to doing hard stuff like cocaine, and California can corrupt you if you're used to a slower paced lifestyle.
> 
> That's not to generalize all people from California. The lifestyle's very fast paced, and it's very competitive.
> 
> Be prepared for traffic. Know your shortcuts. Waze is an amazing app. And, if you're looking to travel in and out of L.A., beat the traffic time around 7ish? Avoid the 5 as much as possible.


I dont have connections.


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## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

strawberryLola said:


> It's pretty tough, not easy, but you can find jobs if you have connections. Just don't get into the drug scene (excluding MJ). I hear a lot of small town folks try to fit in with Californians. Some resort to doing hard stuff like cocaine, and California can corrupt you if you're used to a slower paced lifestyle.
> 
> That's not to generalize all people from California. The lifestyle's very fast paced, and it's very competitive.
> 
> Be prepared for traffic. Know your shortcuts. Waze is an amazing app. And, if you're looking to travel in and out of L.A., beat the traffic time around 7ish? Avoid the 5 as much as possible.


I dont have connections.


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## strawberryLola (Sep 19, 2010)

Shoot out some resumes to prospective employers on Craigslist and Indeed.com.

Interview first. Then see.

Having connections helps, but you can try for applying anyway. Doesn't hurt, and you never know. If you want to obtain a tech liscence in whatever field first, then try landing a career and base your resume on skill sets, that helps. Customer Service experience is great too, if you want to add that in, because CA has so many retail/business niches.

Or you can try for schooling here that hooks you up with internships; however out-of-state tuition can be very costly, and there's an x amount of time you need to reside here for 'legal residence' status.


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## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

strawberryLola said:


> Shoot out some resumes to prospective employers on Craigslist and Indeed.com.
> 
> Interview first. Then see.
> 
> ...


If I had the time and money for that it wouldnt really be that much of a problem. I not going to school till I get a job. I have warehouse experience and there is no warehouses out here. Im from California so clearly I am legal.


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

try to go to the employment websites 
craig's list will give you a fair idea of the market


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## gyogul (Jan 26, 2014)

May I ask: why LA of all places if you're looking for a change?


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## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

gyogul said:


> May I ask: why LA of all places if you're looking for a change?


I have family in LA.


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

Have a car. You will have a much lower chance of being hired if you don't have a reliable means of transportation.

It depends on the industry. LA is good for some fields, worse for others. You have to research it.

If you are trying for a white collar gig, put on your resume your relative's address. Out of area addresses are an easy way to not get considered (nobody will pay relocation fees and they expect you will ask for it).

Be available to travel for interviews. If it comes up you are out of area, explain you are moving by [insert date], have a place, and do not expect or want relocation assistance.

You need to give them confidence that you have mapped this out and aren't clueless about what it takes to get by in LA.

Also, connect with recruiter companies. You may be able to get temp jobs, which can lead to permanent jobs.


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## Cleodore (Dec 8, 2016)

L.A. is not a very good place to just up & move, especially from a small town & on your own (without any help).

I'm just going to talk about the negatives. 

My partner's sister, she is 22, extremely attractive & fashionable, educated & with years of work experience.
We have been living in Temecula, CA for a few months now because it's pretty nice here, and a liiiitle less pricey. 
She has been trying to find work in LA daily almost since early November & still is having a hard time finding anything.
And when she does, they usually find someone else last minute. 

The job field is VERY big, but VERY competitive, even the mundane stuff can be hard to get quickly. 
Also, finding a job in the winter seasons can be pretty tough. & without a car or a way around, it will be virtually impossible to make your way. There are buses, but not very many & they are not reliable like they would be, let's say, in the Pacific Northwest.. The roads are crazy, the traffic is scary sometimes. Even within LA, it could take quite a long time to get somewhere else in town if you don't time it perfectly, even during work hours on weekdays. It's just really fluctuating & hectic.

It's not impossible at all, but unless you have a particular REASON to live in L.A., it will be hard. Most people move to L.A. because the specific type of work they do takes them there for whatever reason, or job offers. 
Depending on where you're from, it's going to be hard on your wallet especially, if you have no help or no plans on having help. 
Are you planning on living with your family? That would be a great big help. That would make it way more realistic of a goal if you have somewhere to go, at least for a little while when you first get there. Or have help with $$ if you don't already plan on saving up quite a lot. 

Your best bet, if you are dead set on L.A. as your destination, is looking for work in surrounding towns/cities that might be a little cheaper & a little less dingy. L.A. will always be a short drive away & it's much better to come here in a smaller surrounding town/city & WORK YOUR WAY into L.A. over time through connections, familiarity & savings.


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## Coburn (Sep 3, 2010)

@Cleodore

Is she living with you in Temecula? If so, that's probably a major reason why she isn't getting hired. She'd have better odds looking in SD or Riverside.


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## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

Cleodore said:


> L.A. is not a very good place to just up & move, especially from a small town & on your own (without any help).
> 
> I'm just going to talk about the negatives.
> 
> ...


I have family in LA. My current city you cant get work unless you have farming experience or a family owned business and I wasnt lucky enough to have either of those. Everytime I sign up for a job agency they send me to the citys like LA, Riverside, Sanberdino, Redlends, long beach, Rancho and so I have to commute 45 minutes to an hour.


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