Is it easy to find work in the US ?

[oldtobor]

I would like to live for a few months in the US. Is it easy to find even a small job like at a mall or whatever where I can make about 800 dollars a month, pay rent for 400 dollars a month and live with the reamining 400 dollars? Could I pull it off ?

 

I also know some IT, could I easily find a small job as consulting IT, programming always for a minimal, but enough to get by amount of money ? Any state would do, just to have an idea. Thanks for any information.

[atinymonkey]

Do you have a work permit? How old are you? Where do you come from? What jobs have you had previously?

[oldtobor]

I have US citizenship. 50 years old. Some IT work like programming. I think the suburbs far from big cities should be better because housing is alot cheaper. A job like in a mall. Do you think I could pull it off?

[atinymonkey]

Lol, I was thinking you might have been a 16 year old Lithuanian with $60, a pocket English dictionary and a headfull of dreams.

 

If there is one thing my travelling friends have taught me, it's this: -

 

Wherever you go in the western world, there are always temp agencies who'll employ you. From waiter work, through bar staffing and clerical office work, and it all pays about the same. Every city has temp agencies, and they are simpler to get work through than approaching the local employment markets directly. Some of the bigger ones (like Manpower) are multinational, so you can sign on before you travel and have your details transferred when you arrive at your destination.

[oldtobor]

US is big. I prefer far from big cities, because housing costs too much. Maybe some american who knows some subrubs can tell me if I could pull it off. I just want to make enough to live. 1000 dollars pay, 400 dollar rent , the rest to live. Is this possible in the US ?

[Mokele]

Not $1000, or at least I doubt it. If you get work, it'll either be full-time minimum wage (a bit more than $5 an hour for 40 hours / week) or Temping (7-12 per hour, depending on where you live, but very spotty employment).

[atinymonkey]

Wow. Your minimum wage is only $5? That's only £446 a month in the UK. The same hours would net you £808 in the UK (or $1,446). In October 2006 that increases to £856 ($1,532) when the wage increases to £5.35 ($9.58).

[Hellbender]

I would like to live for a few months in the US. Is it easy to find even a small job like at a mall or whatever where I can make about 800 dollars a month, pay rent for 400 dollars a month and live with the reamining 400 dollars? Could I pull it off ?

Its pretty easy to find a job here, as long as you don't mind working hard at crap jobs for a pittance. (Like I do to pay fro schoolbooks ) I think you could pull it off, but you would be very close and you actually have to work out whether or not you will turn any sort of profit. You can live off 200 a month (since you will want to use 400 for rent, save 200 or so and use the remainder for living expenses), but if you do so, try to get a job in a restaurant where you can get some meals for free. As you said you have some experience with IT so that may mean you might be able to make more than $800 a month and not have to live so close to the brink.

[oldtobor]

I really think of going to suburban areas like suburb NJ or even non-flashy states like oklahoma or tennesse because the housing costs are lower. Any kind of job in a mall would do. I imagine finding a better job in better companies or offices is probably very hard given all the competition, am I right ? Anyways I have the impression that NY or CA have the same "european" problems, always low pay but sky high housing so you can't really pull it off. Thanks for any information.

[atinymonkey]

Anyways I have the impression that NY or CA have the same "european" problems, always low pay but sky high housing so you can't really pull it off.

Er, the minimum wage in Europe is almost twice that of the US.

[oldtobor]

Minimum in UK is double, but rest of europe is like US, 800 Euros...

And what is really important is NOT wage but "system", wage compared to how much rent and all else costs, and in this case you cannot pull it off anywhere in europe.

[atinymonkey]

I don't know. Rent for a month in the UK is considerably less than £800, so long as your not too fussy you can rent at £250 a month. I've employed 40 or 50 temporary staff at just above minimum wage, and they mostly rent.

[iglak]

minumum wage in the US is about $7.25. full-time job is 40 hours/week. at that rate, that's a bit more than $1000 a month.

 

it's definitely pretty easy to find full-time or part-time minumum wage jobs, especially in suburbs.

suburbs generally have lots of kids going into and getting out of school. these kids are always looking for jobs, and often only work for a few months.

the parents generally work in a nearby city, at a job that pays more, or has a salary, so the kids are the only ones able to fill all of the job requests of the nearby shops.

 

 

finding a place to rent in a suburb is another story though... and i don't know how it goes.

[Mokele]

minumum wage in the US is about $7.25

 

Incorrect. I did a bit of checking, and the official minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. Now, individual states, counties, or whatever, can probably raise that if they want to, but the national limit is $5.15/hour.

 

Mokele

[iglak]

Incorrect. I did a bit of checking, and the official minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. Now, individual states, counties, or whatever, can probably raise that if they want to, but the national limit is $5.15/hour.

oh, my mistake. i guess it's just California then.

[radiohead]

Especially if you have some experience with computers like you say. There are a lot of very stupid people out there who end up screwing computers up or getting virii, or even need a program made to keep up with the times. I am 16 and I fix computers, do web development, and develop programs for people. It was very easy for me to get these jobs because so little people can do the things that I can (around where I live anyway). I would aim a little higher than a mall job. But, if you can find a good job at the mall, go for it. And good luck. :-D

[Mokele]

It was very easy for me to get these jobs because so little people can do the things that I can (around where I live anyway)

 

Skills like that definitely help, but it's very area-dependent. Move to somewhere far from anything, you'll be the only one with those skills. Move to a city that has a high-level technology university and you're boned.

 

Mokele