New to the forums and have been browsing around. Thought Id throw out some of the actor jobs Ive seen.

This post is designed for people who have yet to figure out how to pay the bills while pursuing their career.

Alright... A lot of us start here:

~Extra Work:
Pros are that its your schedule, you can pick when you dont want to work (and can therefore audition and do acting when you do get a job.) Its one of the ways to get into SAG. You get to observe how the pros work.
Cons: Treated bad, Does not work well for aspiring theatre actors, you're treated poorly, its soul crushing, it pays poorly, (unless you're union, or doing extra work for a commercial)

~Waiting:
Pros: Surprisingly a lot... Can make just about every auditions (Casting directors typically work on a 9-5 schedule for serious projects) Can get shifts covered for shoots,
Cons: If you start missing too much work from acting jobs you'll likely get fired. You're also feeding the stereotype. Can not make your own schedule. Irregular pay.

~Work at home jobs:
Some of my friends are artists, do animations for various things and get to do their work at home.
Pros: Getting paid to work at home, VERY flexible schedule, can make every audition, can make any shoot.
Cons: None (Except its hard to get a job like this)

~Substitute teaching:
Pros: Flexible
Cons: irregular schedule, irregular pay

~Clinical Trials
Pros: no boss, very good pay(can typically pay your bills and have a good amount of free money. Friends have bought their cameras this way.) relatively low amount of days to commit.
Cons: your body is being experimented on, needles, have to have about 30 days before doing another study.

~Temp Agencies
Pros: Kind steady work....kinda.
Cons: Too inflexible for my tastes.

Those are the ones that first come to mind, if anyone wants to add to the list, by all means.

Temp agencies only give to those they have experience working with. If you are new to the agency, then you are out of luck getting work.

I have thought of those clinical trials. LOL! I can't bring myself to do it. Work at home jobs are great. It's just hard to find as you say.

Serving is my job of choice and I have about 7 years at it now. Qualified and competent people will be able to find jobs, but when I was looking last (three months back) the open calls were taking 300-500+ resumes.

I got lucky and was hired by a very hot spot, now frequented by celebs, big five agents and heads, etc etc.

One funny (or not so funny) anecdote is that late one night I mistakenly ate a dish that was left out that was supposed to go to a certain very well known actors table. I am currently on suspension for that and my future is uncertain. Figured I'd take the time to do my theatrical submissions.

Cheers all and good luck.

Oh, if you're a fast typer, keep an eye out for transcription jobs on CL. I do that, it's supplemental income only, but helped me through a spot when I couldn't work for 4-5 months.

you do not give specifics . Can you provide more details info like how to apply and where?

One funny (or not so funny) anecdote is that late one night, I mistakenly ate a dish that was left out that was supposed to go to a certain very well known actors table. I am currently on suspension for that and my future is uncertain. Figured I'd take the time to do my theatrical submissions.

Cheers all and good luck.

Oh, if you're a fast typer, keep an eye out for transcription jobs on CL. I do that, it's supplemental income only, but helped me through a spot when I couldn't work for 4-5 months.[/QUOTE]

nightrider

That's pretty funny! I wonder if you would have been disciplined if the dish were reserved for Joe Blow. This is wacky-town!

So ...

Was it good?

Jim

Available jobs are posted on Craigslist. I can't help you much more than that.

The dish was good but trust me, it has cost me dearly.

quote:

Originally posted by nightrider:
Available jobs are posted on Craigslist. I can't help you much more than that.

The dish was good but trust me, it has cost me dearly.

nightrider

Sucks that it happened, but a great story to tell, as a guest on the Tonight Show.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by nightrider:
Serving is my job of choice and I have about 7 years at it now. Qualified and competent people will be able to find jobs, but when I was looking last (three months back) the open calls were taking 300-500+ resumes.

The one and only time I ever applied for a restaurant position was something like that---open call for the opening of the cheesecake factory at the Grove. I got rejected and it actually felt worse than if I didnt get cast from an audition, haha!

quote:

Originally posted by fischy500:
The one and only time I ever applied for a restaurant position was something like that---open call for the opening of the cheesecake factory at the Grove. I got rejected and it actually felt worse than if I didnt get cast from an audition, haha!

Hee. I applied for a hostess job at a restaurant a few years ago - it may have been the Cheesecake Factory, or it may have been a similarly popular chain restaurant. Anyway, the manager who interviewed me saw that I had all this administrative assistant experience on my resume, and asked why I was leaving that field. I told him that the office temp jobs were slow right then (which was true). He asked me what I had been making - my hourly rate at the office jobs was a lot higher than what the restaurant would pay. He said something like, "Well when the office jobs get busy again, how do we know you won't pack up and leave here?"

I didn't really have a convincing enough answer for him. Oh well!

quote:

Originally posted by Justine:

quote:

Originally posted by fischy500:
The one and only time I ever applied for a restaurant position was something like that---open call for the opening of the cheesecake factory at the Grove. I got rejected and it actually felt worse than if I didnt get cast from an audition, haha!

Hee. I applied for a hostess job at a restaurant a few years ago - it may have been the Cheesecake Factory, or it may have been a similarly popular chain restaurant. Anyway, the manager who interviewed me saw that I had all this administrative assistant experience on my resume, and asked why I was leaving that field. I told him that the office temp jobs were slow right then (which was true). He asked me what I had been making - my hourly rate at the office jobs was a lot higher than what the restaurant would pay. He said something like, "Well when the office jobs get busy again, how do we know you won't pack up and leave here?"

I didn't really have a convincing enough answer for him. Oh well!

Idiot manager. At the rate those places turnover staff and for a BS easy job like thatm what does he care? They advertise EVERY WEEK. It's a freaking HOSTESS gig. Not as if they have to train you on splitting the atom to work there. That just touches a chord with me, that story. Too many douches in charge of hiring over here. OVER it. I have so many stories like that. I have been out of my last line of work for YEARS. It paid really well and I quit for acting. To this DAY I get, "Well, that pays really well! Why did you quit" and you can just tell they think I am gonna rush back any day. It's been THREE YEARS!!!! I don't THINK so fools!

It's beyond the limited mental capacity of most people to even try to conceive that MAYBE just MAYBE someome wasn't happy earning a great income and wanted something MORE.

End rant. Just touched a nerve, like I said.

I'd love to have a work at home job. Any other ideas on how to make that happen?

FISCHY500: lmfao... I got "rejected" by the Cheesy Cheesecake Factory at The Grove too! Don't worry, I think they did us both a huge favor by not hiring us.

And the food there is truly awful.

quote:

Originally posted by M.K.:
I'd love to have a work at home job. Any other ideas on how to make that happen?

Im on the same boat! same here

I have one of those elusive "work at home jobs," and have for several years now. As far as I've seen, these types of jobs typically require a degree and/or experience (ie. I majored in writing in college, and now am a freelance copywriter.) You've usually got to have some sort of skill set (web designing, writing/editing, etc) and a lot of luck to land one. Oh, BTW, there IS one con when working as an independent contractor--the taxes are really high.