To be fair, I’m biased—I chose to start my career in a big city. But honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Allow me to lay out a few quick points (and note that I’m talking fairly specifically toward those looking for jobs in creative agencies, so this won’t apply to everyone).
POTENTIAL PROS
- Networking: Large cities offer literally thousands of opportunities for networking. You could be at a different event every night, if you felt so inclined.
- Inspiring Peers: Not that smaller cities lack amazing professionals (quite the contrary), but larger cities offer the company of a number of inspiring, diverse, motivated and accomplished individuals. It takes a certain type of person to take the leap and move to a big city, and in my experience this has made for interesting peers.
- Visible Clients/Projects: Big cities are home to a number of larger agencies. These agencies often work with well-known clients. This means you could potentially be taking part in recognizable programs early in your career (and although your role may be smaller at first, I would argue that working on large programs provides an invaluable learning experience).
- Creative Outlets: In Chicago, I’ve been able to find inspiration and balance through creative outlets such as community photography classes, dance classes and various other meet-ups and events (not that these don’t exist in other cities, but the possibilities are absolutely incredible in a large city).
POTENTIAL CONS
- “Barriers to Entry”: Unless you’re already living in a big city, you’ll likely have to adjust to living in a completely new environment (culture shock is entirely possible). You may have to live with strangers in order to make rent early on. If you’re interested in working for a large agency, you’ll likely have to start out as a post grad intern. Then you must prove yourself and work your way up.
