Hey Y'all
I'm moving to vegas soon for my first big girl job, and I'm wondering if any of you have recommendations for me? for reference, I'm 25, single, two degrees, and from the northern midwest. I think I have a few major concerns where advice is appreciated:
How do I build a lifestyle in a new city outside of acdemics? I don't really have a ton of group hobbies, and vegas itself is quite...different from my current lifestyle (to be fair, I don't really do anything right now because of my living situation, I am extremely isolated, and I don't want to fall into being a hermit again)
What are some big girl purchaces you reccommend to elevate your style from college girl to educated professional? I'm struggling to bridge the gap with not looking like a teenager (both with my face, and my style. On that note, is anyone willing to reccommend preventative botox????)
Any financial advice is appreciated, as i'm making the leap from minimum wage to close to 100k now that I am out of school-what would you do if you were me?
How do I prepare in the case if I hate this job/boss/living situation?
Any experience with the city is welcome as well. I'm looking for apartments on the west side (summerlin?) but if you have any other suggestions, please give them!!! Thank you!
Um, what... what are you trying to prevent? You're 25 years old. Best advice I can give you for your skin is to stay out of the sun, or wear light cover-ups and a hat. I know a lot of women there and, sadly, most of them look like they've been grilled over a fire (and they consider it a sign of beauty, which seems odd to me). Watch out for the sun and that dry desert air.
As far as "stuff to do," it depends on whether you like "typical Vegas stuff" or if you're a bit different (like I am). There are tons of things to do there, but almost none of the typical things appeal to me. There is music, but it's mostly covers and "tribute bands" -- not much originality that I could find -- but maybe a permanent resident can find things that an occasional visitor like me could not.
There's a lot of good financial advice out there, and some bad. Save as much as you can and buy as little as possible, until you get accustomed to having a good salary. Don't buy a timeshare or any other cockeyed "investments." Start a retirement account if you haven't already. Houses are high right now (esp. in Summerlin AFAIK) but real estate can be a good investment -- however, I'm not sure the Southwest is a place I'd want to sink money in these days. I think the weather is just going to get more severe out there. But there are experts who can advise you much better than I can. Just make sure they're unbiased and don't have their own product they're trying to sell to you.
The best way to prepare for "what if I hate it" is to have a good pile of escape-money in your bank so you can change course. However, at that salary, I'd try to give it a good try first, and save a lot of your money until you have a good feel for the place. Don't be in too much of a hurry to "job-hop" unless it is CLEARLY to your benefit. You didn't mention dating, but the cautions are pretty much the same there as they would be anywhere else. If you're interested in dating, make sure you know your standards and boundaries before getting entangled with someone.
Congratulations on your first step on your career! That's a great accomplishment.
#2 (purchases): Get a high end black suit THAT FITS, or a cheaper one and take it to a GOOD taylor. Also invest in blazers that could go either feminine professional or feminine rockstar.