Extra Space in Your Community

According to Wednesday’s Denver Business Journal, Denver is the third-best city for a newly-graduated college senior to relocate to (or to stay in if you happen to already live here). In Denver, you can find a one-bedroom apartment for an average of $779 per month, the DBJ says.

What the DBJ doesn’t mention, though, is that a self storage unit here will cost you much, much less — in fact, the first month here is free. You can put your stuff into storage, and then crash on the couch of a friend until you find work.

Apparently this is the third year in a row that Denver has been ranked as among the top ten cities for college graduates — and not all the rankings were based on rents. In 2008, Forbes ranked Denver as no. 4, based on starting salaries for jobs and on job growth.

It’s not that easy to relocate and find a job, of course. My advice is to relocate, and find a temporary job or freelance work — something you can do to earn a living until you find the job that is exactly right for you. If possible, find temporary work that takes place at odd hours — so that during normal business hours, you can spend your time job hunting, handing out resumes, going to job fairs, and networking. Alternatively, choose a temporary job that you can live with for a while, and then start to do volunteer work or an unpaid internship in your chosen field, giving people in that line a work a chance to see what  you can do — and a chance to see that you have the initiative to see what needs to be done and do it. If you see a gap in  your resume, now is the time to fill that gap, even if you have to volunteer to do it.

Meanwhile, we’ll be glad to store your belongings until you get on your feet. And — congratulations on that new degree!