4 Editors on Making the Move to NYC

By T.K. Brady

Every year, young hopefuls move halfway (or all the way) across the country to fulfill their goal of landing their dream job at a national magazine in the Big Apple. Barring some hiccups along the way, those who break in say their hustle was totally worth it. Here are four eds who risked it all and made it happen—and they promise you can, too.

Allison Berry, assistant to the editor-in-chief, Redbook

Her advice: “Everyone creates their own path to success.”

Berry’s seemingly simple travel arrangements from Milwaukee, WI to New York City did not go according to plan. “My flight was boarding in 15 minutes, so I was trying to rush the TSA agent through checking my bag, when she got such an excited look on her face as she pulled out a metal cat-shaped item that’s meant to be used as sharp knuckles—a gag gift from my sister,” she says. The present put Berry in the middle of three deputies who explained to her that the item was considered a marshaled weapon (like a knife) and she would be fined $10,000. “That was the same amount of money I’d saved up to move to NYC!” she says. After some serious explaining (and a few tears) the officers let her off with a warning and she continued her trek. After two weeks of sleeping on another friend’s couch, she found an apartment, and although Berry had accepted a fashion and beauty internship before the move, her plans changed when she got a call from Ed’s founder Chandra Turner offering her a freelance editorial assistant job at Parents. A few months later, she landed her full-time role at Redbook. “I knew it was going to be hard, but once I accepted that everyone creates their own path to success, I was able to look at opportunities differently and wound up accepting the awesome position I have now.”

Alana Peden, assistant beauty editor, More

Her advice: “Don’t let anyone rob you of your positive attitude.”

The day of her graduation in Austin, Peden got a job offer for a freelance assistant position at InStyle. “I already had a boyfriend, an apartment and a job lined up in Austin, but I ditched it all to follow my dreams,” she says. After spending three days packing up her life, she hopped a plane from Texas to NYC to start her adventure. Upon landing, she secured a temporary sublet in Fort Lee, NJ with two random roommates. “My commute was broken down into three steps: First, I would walk to the George Washington Bridge. On the side of a six-lane highway, I’d wait until a random car pulled over to pick me up and take me across the bridge, which they did to receive a carpool credit. Once across, they’d drop me off at the 125th St subway station, where I’d take the train to the Time & Life building,” she says. After three weeks of this commute and hunting for a new apartment, she secured a two-bedroom in Brooklyn with a roommate. And eight months later, she landed a full-time gig as the fashion and beauty assistant at More. “I can’t believe what I did to get here, but working in this industry is worth it. Don’t let anyone rob you of your positive attitude.”

 

Natalie Maneval, online editor, Questex (a B2B publication)

Her advice: “Be flexible.”

After completing a nine-month internship in Dallas, Maneval packed up her car and a moving truck to drive to NYC. “I actually interviewed for a job as I was driving,” she says. After making it to the city, it took her two weeks to land a full-time role as an editorial assistant for Elite Traveler. “Because I was moving with no job, I decided to live in Jersey City with a friend to save money. We ended up with plenty of space in a building that’s a 10-minute walk to public transportation. I highly recommend this!” Keeping her expectations realistic, and waiting until she was ready to make the move were the keys to Maneval’s success. “You don’t need the perfect job and ideal apartment when you’re fresh out of college. I did countless interviews and interned for a year outside of NYC before I made the big move. You need to be flexible.”

 

Hannah Doyle, editorial assistant, Shape

Her advice: “Just go for it.”

Doyle made the move from Corvallis, Oregon during a freezing New York winter. With a paid internship lined up, she was dropped at her Craigslist-found doorstep, which was under three feet of snow. She had never met her roommates. “I mailed them a rent check and one of them mailed me a set of keys to the apartment. It was definitely a risk,” she says. Unfortunately, the keys to the front door didn’t work and no one was home when Doyle arrived. Luckily, another tenant buzzed her in—and the apartment turned out not to be a scam. To make rent, she took an evening and weekend job as a nail salon receptionist in addition to her internship. There, she met the woman who would pass her resume along to the editors at Shape. “Sometimes your side hustle gets you your main hustle,” Doyle says. After six months of hustling, she finally landed a full-time job. “Just move here. Once you get to NYC, the opportunities increase ten-fold. And when you get here, work hard, so when luck comes your way you can make the most of it,” she recommends.