You’ve just moved to a big city and you want to audition, take acting classes, get new headshots, take voice lessons, look professional, move into an apartment etc. Well, sometimes acting/singing/dancing gigs don’t pay all of your bills, and we all have times where we’re just not working in the industry because of XY or Z.
City life is expensive and so are all the aforementioned. Don’t be afraid to pick up work! It isn’t “beneath” any of us. It’s what this business is all about. Staying afloat.
Think outside the box. Do you want a free gym membership? Become a personal trainer or Zumba instructor. You’ll get paid to work out AND work out at that gym for free. Want free/discounted acting classes? Ask to work the front desk or do office work with your spare time. Maybe someone will need an assistant. Want cheap headshots? NETWORK! Use Facebook. Put it out there that you’re looking for someone inexpensive and can help expand their portfolios. Use Groupon. Search for acting/singing/dancing lessons. You can get GREAT deals with Groupon! I’m slightly obsessed with it. Temp agencies can be great. Again, network and find out which ones are better than others, or which tend to have more jobs in the fields you’re best at. Use your talent. Are you a singer? Teach voice. Have you acted for years? Ask to assist in a class. You’re in a creative industry, be creative!
Work at a restaurant. I have worked as a waitress/bartender for almost 15 years. I have hated it, said I’d never go back to it, loved it, and always gone back to it. Why? It’s immediate cash in your pocket and the most flexible schedule out there. No experience? Youtube how to bartend. Seriously! It really, truly isn’t difficult, I promise. Never waited before? My first piece of advice is stay away from corporate restaurants. #sorryimnotsorry. They are such a headache. Uniforms and crazy rules just make your life so much more stressful. Go to the boutique restaurants that look like hole’s in the wall but everyone loves! You’ll make a killing!! ‘Mom and pop’ restaurants are much more comfy/cozy. **Be prepared for the miserable people that you will inevitably wait on. Some will come in with a mission to ruin your day. Don’t let them. Make it YOUR mission to make their day better, or to smile through it. If there is one thing I’ve learned in all my years of doing this it’s to take nothing personally. Let people deal with their own karma.
As for getting a job in your industry: BE PREPARED! Walk into each audition/callback/interview with confidence. Something I learned and have always carried with me is to be present. What color are the walls? Most people will walk out of an audition and they couldn’t even tell you what the room looked like or the name of the person auditioning them. Take a minute to really place yourself in the room and absorb your surroundings. Breathe it all in. Trust me, we all have our bad days. I recently auditioned and did horribly simply because I went with a song I had never sung before. We all make silly mistakes. Learn from it and don’t do it the next time 😉 Make the comeback with full force and confidence!!
As always, if I can help in any way, let me know! XO