Actor & friend Christy recently asked if I'd talk a bit about side jobs. Here's some of what she said:
"… there is such a stigma attached to waiting tables, but there aren't many options that will cut it with flexibility for auditions and commitment to the work. A well known actor (I recognized him immediately) waited on us yesterday and it really made me realize how so many of us who appear successful, really have to pay bills and it's not easy… at times, it can be degrading and deflating to your ego and also depressing. I am not sure if you have a side job now or have ever, but I was thinking you could share your wisdom and advice regarding what kind of work to keep us afloat while in between gigs."
Heck yes I have had side jobs. Several. Many. Off the top of my head, I've been an executive/office/administrative assistant (in a few places), telemarketer, SAT tutor, post-production PA, online moderator, customer service manager, and social media manager. (I tried waiting tables. It didn't go well.) I liked some of those jobs better than others, but I would have quit any of them in a heartbeat to make a living as an actor.
I wish I could give you the secret to finding the perfect side job… But I can't, because "perfect" depends on who you are and what you need at this moment in your life and career. But I can tell you one thing; You are not alone.
I don't just mean that there are lots of actors looking for side jobs. That's true, but I'm talking about something bigger. Over the last several years, the employment landscape for civilians (aka non-actors) has come to look more and more like what we've been dealing with forever. It's increasingly hard to find steady, well-paid, full-time jobs with benefits, if you manage to find one, data says you're likely to keep it for just three years. (I used to do those kinds of jobs, but I got tired of getting laid off.) More and more employers are using part-time, contract, and freelance workers to do what would have previously been a full-time job, and the competition for those jobs is stiffer than ever.
I know it sounds depressing, but stay with me. The good news is that actors are qualified for this new job landscape in a way few others are. How? We're used to uncertainty. We know how to hustle for our next gig. We're fine with non-traditional hours. We don't expect to be chased or coddled by employers. And we're not interested in staying with the same company for 20 years. We were built for the world we're living in today, at a time when a whole lot of people are struggling to learn how to do all that stuff. So step one is to remind yourself of what you have going for you, which is a LOT.
There are also plenty of employers out there who love actors. After all, we have a ton of skills that are hard to find in the general population. We're charming, great communicators, problem-solvers, team players, we're trustworthy, we show up on time… The list goes on and on. Often, we just need to learn to think in a new way about how to get the flexibility we need, plus enough money and fulfillment to be happy, healthy people while we're pursuing our dreams.
If you're not yet familiar with The Actors Fund Work Program, I strongly encourage you to check it out. They run all kinds of free workshops and programs to help you find actor-friendly side jobs, they'll help you expand your vision of what kind of work you're qualified to do, they're experts at helping industry types write killer non-industry resumes, they'll send you a list of actor-friendly jobs every week… I've worked with them myself, and can't say enough good things about them.
Now let's go back to Christy's question about the depression and ego-deflation that we associate with side jobs. I'd like to propose that it doesn't have to be that way, and that you have the power to change those feelings from right where you are. Most actors believe on some level that if they were 'good enough', if they were 'successful', if they were 'working actors', they wouldn't need a side job. We look at actors with careers we admire and assume they're supporting themselves on acting alone, without knowing anything about their situation. So the pain and suffering isn't really about the side job itself, but what we think it means about us as actors.
But what if we're wrong? What if the very definition of a successful actor is one who seeks side jobs that allow her/him to pursue her/his craft? What if the side job struggle is an important, even necessary step on the path to making a living as an actor? Because that's the truth. (Want proof? Amy Adams worked at Hooters. Johnny Depp sold pens over the phone. Sandra Bullock was a bartender. Andrew Garfield was a Starbucks barista. ) Much like in last week's safari story, the 'working' part of 'working actor' sometimes means doing other kinds of work to get us through to the next acting job.
So I invite you to spend some time exploring what you've made your side job mean about your acting career, and rewrite that script. Consider going to an Actors' Fund workshop or two to see if there's a side job you hadn't thought of that could not only give you flexibility and money, but actually add some fulfillment to your life. And congratulate yourself on walking in the footsteps of the actors you love who have slogged through the side job struggle and come out the other side.