What is the best survival job you've had in the city?

• CATERING!!!! I work for Restaurant Associates which has the most jobs available but there are many catering jobs in the city that are flexible and pay well!!

• Being an actor for medical schools and hospitals impersonating patients!

• I personally have a great gig right now.  I am a part time office manager in a job share with a friend of mine.  We both have benefits and can cover for each other.  I think being a web-designer or something I could do at home would be the best.  I once sewed rugs together at home on my own time and made good extra money for it.

• Craigslist.  Finding random jobs that won't suck you in and distract you from why you really moved to NY.

• I work in Real Estate. It's very lucrative, but very stressful and takes a specific personality that can deal with people but also be aggressive. But also totally flexible- I can leave for months at a time and schedule my life around auditions, rehearsals, etc.

• I work in a box office of an Off-Broadway Theatre and I also work at Ballet Tech as an assistant, working with kids. They are certainly not the highest paying jobs in the city, but they pay fairly well...enough to pay my rent. I enjoy them because if I'm not working on a show it still keeps me involved in the industry, (one with theatre and one with dance) and I can meet a lot of great people.

• Temping and office work.  Get in with a company that understands your needs as an actor. An open door policy is wonderful.

• Modeling and commercial work. It's hard to get, but it's rock star pay for not a lot of time.

• For me personally, the best job I’ve had is always waiting tables.  I think it’s better than temping because you make more—wherever there’s alcohol, there’s money.  Plus, the scheduling is more flexible and restaurants are always used to actors.  It’s the only thing I’ve found that truly pays the bills and gives me the income I need.  And I’ve done everything (baby-sit, temp, retail, cater, clean apartments)

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