Things I wish I knew before starting work in New York City

As I asked you earlier about topics you would want me to cover in my blog, most of you were really curious about the NYC subject, and I decided to clear all misconceptions, because at one point, I wish I knew these things myself before moving there. You may have read many articles and watched many videos about the city. Everyone’s experience is different, but I am here to tell about my own as an Arab girl, trying to figure everything out by myself.

First misconception that I want to talk about is: finding a job you like is really easy. Believe me, it is not. As a fresh graduate with a good GPA, I thought that I would not have any difficulty finding a job or an internship, and that all it would take me is to apply, I was overconfident as I knew I had the right skills, but it takes more than that to really make it.An international diploma is still a foreign one, and getting noticed is really difficult, but not impossible.

One thing that I really admire about New Yorkers is their work ethic. Growing up in Morocco, I never really noticed how lazy we are until I was put in the situation of keeping up with the fast pace of work, which took me a while to get used to. Working as a luxury event planner has taught me a lot of things, but most importantly, it taught me that it takes more than skill to be successful, it takes discipline. I am still trying to incorporate that in anything I set my mind into, for example concerning my blog, sometimes I just feel like quitting, I get really overwhelmed by the feeling of failure, a feeling that what I do is irrelevant, then I remind myself that it really takes discipline and perseverance to achieve success, and I try to dive my thoughts in a positive direction.

It is primordial for you to know that the fast pace in New York is not made for everyone, it can be really overwhelming, especially if you come from a really different country like me, you will struggle to figure out the small things, even getting used to paying with a credit card can be really different, and people around you simply won’t understand, you will be the outcast, but it is also really essential to keep in mind that this transition phase is temporary, tell yourself that you will overcome it all and become a master at what you do, it all takes discipline. If you really want something, do not get discouraged. If you are like me and you do not tolerate failure, it can get really overwhelming sometimes, just keep pushing through.

Working in New York will help you both professionally and personally, it will make you grow as a person as you will learn about the importance of networking, putting yourself out there and going out of your bubble, talk to people and try to understand their needs so you can work towards their satisfaction as customers, which is all about emotional intelligence. If you can master emotional intelligence, then do not worry about anything else, because you will find your way no matter what. And please remember, you may not always start with what you really desire, just stay focused and you will slowly get there. Also remember to always take care of yourself, and do not put anything above your mental health and well-being, because in the end, everything is temporary, except you, and you are stuck with yourself.