Get creative to finance ‘amazing opportunity’ in NYC

Dear J.T. & Dale: I have an amazing opportunity to move to New York City and share an apartment with friends from college. However, my parents flat-out said no. I realize that I am 23 years old and can do what I want, however I don’t have any money saved and could not get set up in New York City without their support. What do you think I can do to convince them to pay the bills for six months while I get started? — Megan

J.T.: I honestly don’t think there’s anything I can tell you that will change your parents’ minds. The reality is, if you really want to do this, you’ll find a way on your own. It’s time to get creative. Do you have some things that you can sell? Can you line up a job in New York so that you know you’ll have an income? Being reliant on your parents is like having a set of golden handcuffs. The sooner you unlock them, the better.

DALE: But it’s worth taking another shot at getting your parents’ support. You can, of course, cut the “ask” to, say, three months, but the more important negotiating sway would come from getting your parents to see the dream, to understand just what you’re hoping to accomplish for your future. If this is just a lark, well, that’s one parental decision. However, if you believe this is a careerboosting maneuver, then you’ve got to sell them the way you’d sell them on something like grad school. If they remain unmoved, then convince your pals headed for NYC that you’ll come for an extended visit/job search and you’ll be saving up to become the backup roommate if one of them has to drop out.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I was recently contacted by a temporary agency about a job at a company where I’d love to work. I agreed to let them pitch me. They got back to me and said I wasn’t selected to move forward. Then, out of the blue, I got called for an interview from a different division of the same company. In that interview, I disclosed that I had been pitched for a different job through a temporary agency. At that point, they ended the interview because they couldn’t hire somebody who was from a temporary agency. I explained that the temporary agency wasn’t involved in this job, but they said I still wasn’t eligible. What do they mean? — Chris

J.T.: This is a tricky situation and one that isn’t uncommon. You have to be careful when you decide to work with a temporary agency because once you are pitched, you are tagged in the system as being an agency’s candidate. Then, if you get a job at any point over the next year, the temporary agency usually gets a commission, even if it’s not a job they specifically pitched you for. So, the hiring manager didn’t want to move you forward, because they don’t want to pay the agency’s fee. Even though the other division found you on their own, the reality is you were already in their system. The lesson learned is to be careful with temporary agencies. Always ask before they pitch you what will happen if you later find a job on your own at the company. You can even get something worked into your contract that says that if you find a job on your own, they don’t get a commission.

And, don’t ever let an agency pitch you for a job without your express approval. Why? Because, if they may pitch you to a lot of different companies — you might not even know it — and then you would be on those lists, too.

DALE: Well said. All I’d add is the suggestion that you make clear to the agency what transpired, hoping they have a connection at the company that could allow your candidacy to go forward. If not, I’d hope they’d make a special effort to work with you to land something new.

Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a career coach and the founder of the leading career site www. workitdaily.com. Dale Dauten is founder of The Innovators’ Lab and author of a novel about H.R., “The Weary Optimist.” Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via email, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2021 by King Features Syndicate Inc.