7 Jobs To Pay The Bills While Waiting For Your Big Break

The TV upfronts are over and the fall schedules are set for the major television networks. The shows won't start filming until July or August and that is when episodic season starts for actors. Until then, bills need to be paid so many actors have part time jobs that allow them the flexibility to still attend auditions while earning a living. While there are many ways to make money, here are seven of the most popular occupations for actors looking to make it in Hollywood:

1. Waiter or Bartender - There is a reason this is the first job almost everyone thinks of when it comes to struggling actors. The hours are somewhat flexible when it comes to scheduling shifts. Plus, you can always trade shifts with someone if you have an audition so you can still make money while trying to book a job.
2. Temp Work - There is a large demand for temp workers in Los Angeles. Many companies find it easier to pay temporary workers an hourly wage with no benefits so they are always looking for workers to fill positions that open up after people find better paying jobs. While you might not get rich working a temp job, the income helps to finance acting classes and headshots.
3. Telemarketing - A job that is definitely not for everyone. A quick look at Craigslist reveals a large list of companies looking for telemarketers to work 4 or 5 hour shifts. The hours are not long but it's definitely not a job for someone who can't handle rejection or angry people on the other end of the phone. You might consider testing your acting skills by playing a character while calling prospects on the phone.
4. Provide A Service That Others Need - From babysitting to dog walking to personal stylist, there are a variety of services that others need on a regular basis. You can often set your own hours in order to leave yourself plenty of time for auditions. Marketing yourself as a professional is a big key to your success. Approach potential clients as a business person and not as an actor looking to make extra cash. 
5. Personal Trainer - Physically fit actors can make extra money as a personal trainer. You don't need to have your own studio since you can conduct the lessons at the homes of your clients. The hours are very flexible and it's up to you to decide how many clients you want each month.
6. Promo Work - Think of the people you see handing out flyers at events or in Costco demonstrating how to use a new kitchen utensil. These gigs are easy to find on Craigslist. They often happen at night after normal audition times or during the weekend so you can make the hours work with your acting schedule.
7. Graphic Design - Are you handy with Photoshop and other graphics programs? There are always companies looking for people skilled with graphic design programs as they update their websites and try to create online content that grabs the attention of consumers. The best part about this job is that you often get paid by the project (instead of by the hour) and you can work from home as well as on-set or in a coffee shop.

Episodic season will be here before you know it. Until the casting calls start coming in, make some extra money so you can have the perfect headshots ready to go when you enter the audition room. The money you make today is an investment in your acting career as well as a big help when it comes to paying the bills.

This actor has done a variety of gigs to make spending money between acting jobs.

Using Social Media To Promote Your Career

There are a variety of social media outlets available to actors today to help them promote their careers. From Facebook to Instagram to YouTube, social media is a vital part of the daily lives of people around the world. Are you choosing the right social media platforms to promote your career?

I do social media for a variety of clients ranging from cosmetic surgery to spices to crowdfunding to insurance quotes. All of these industries need specialized content for each social media outlet. Actors are some of the most creative people on the planet yet they feel using the same content across the board is perfectly acceptable.

It's not.

The social media sites listed below are ones I use on a daily basis. How can you use them to help your career?

• Facebook - The obvious choice for any actor when it comes to promoting their work and career. Used by billions of people, Facebook is an excellent way to build a community of fans you can interact with on a daily basis on a fan page.  It's also an excellent way to control your image without anyone seeing your personal posts that would be bested saved for a private FB account.
• YouTube - Are you a singer, stand-up comedian, actor or acting coach? If so, do you have a YouTube channel? If the answer is "no" then my question to you is "why not???" You can talk about your skills and talents all you want on your other social media pages but a YouTube channel is one of the best ways to share your skills with the public and reach a mass audience. It's also a great showcase of your talents that you can direct agents and managers and casting people to check out online.
• Twitter - I love Twitter because it teaches you how to get your message across in 140 characters or less. Creating compelling copy while still making a complete statement in a limited amount of space is not an easy skill to master. Learning to get your message across on Twitter can also help you be more focused and in the moment during auditions and meetings.
• Quora - Even though Quora is basically a giant online Q&A session, it can still help you further your career. Search for the people you admire and/or want to work with in the future and follow them on Quora. Engaging with them on a regular basis can put you on their radar but you do need to exercise caution and not be a part of every discussion they are involved with on Quora. There's a difference between being helpful and friendly and coming across as a stalker. I use Quora a lot for a hair restoration specialist I work with in Beverly Hills. Anyone that looks at my interactions on Quora will get the impression that I am completely obsessed with my hairline as well as hair restoration techniques and news.
• Google Plus - It seems like even Google doesn't care about Google Plus anymore but it is still there for you to share some links to your work or IMDb page. It will take some effort on your part to find the best G+ communities to place your links and videos in so don't expect to just make a post and see instant interaction I mainly use G+ as exposure for this blog. 
• Instagram - Even with their new (and awful) logo, Instagram is a great tool when it comes to marketing your carer. Since IG is a visual platform, it's vital to post a photo or video that is visually appealing to others. Post a photo from the set of your latest project or the costume from a play you're working on or even the script you're currently writing. Reaching eyeballs beyond your followers is pretty easy on Instagram by following a few simple tips:

1. You get one link on IG (in your profile) so make sure it points to the site you want others to view
2. Use hashtags to help others find you. Just remember that too many hashtags makes you look desperate to connect. Simply using your name as a hashtag might not gain you much attention. Using general hashtags such as #acting or #actorslife will connect you to others since they are phrases that are searched for on a regular basis.
3. When you gain new followers, share their photos when appropriate. Casting directors and other industry people appreciate having their content shared. However, don't share everything they post or you'll come off as desperate to be noticed.
4. Respond to all comments on your photos. The 30-seconds you take to respond helps build relationships.
5. Be creative with your photos and videos while sharing some of them exclusively on IG There's no reason for people to follow you on multiple sites if they can simply find the same content on FB and Twitter as they do on IG.

• Reddit - Exercise caution if you want to promote yourself on Reddit. Many people that post pitches about their work or links to their own videos get ripped apart in the comments section or simply have their link booted from a subreddit as being inappropriate or not fitting the rules of the subreddit. Make sure that your post is unique and out of the ordinary in order to make it through the crowd on Reddit.
• Vine - This social media platform used to be one of the main outlets to find new talent on the Internet. The looping video platform showcases creativity and the ability to show your talent to the world in easy to digest six-second bites. However, a good number of ad buyers have turned away from the app which has caused many "Viners" to follow the ad money and marketing sponsorship dollars to Snapchat, FB and IG. This has also led to a decreased amount of content that is "Vine exclusive" as more Vine users are now sharing their content on other platforms. Many platforms realized the viability of updating their video content and were able to catch up to Vine when it failed to make any changes and stayed with its 6-second format. I rarely use Vine for business just because of the decreased amount of eyeballs that see the content.  New talent can certainly be found on Vine but there is less marketing money and individual deals being pumped into the app so there are less breakout Vine stars than in the recent past.
• Snapchat - The platform that I am finding great success with when it comes to posting videos. Even though the maximum length of a Snapchat video is only 10-seconds, a series of 10-second videos can run one after the other to create a story. You can have people follow your story on Snapchat to create a narrative that connects the 10-second videos. Share your music, make a short film or do stand-up comedy as your story. I normally keep my client video stories to 3-minutes or less in order to keep fatigue from setting in from too many 10-second videos in a row.
• Periscope - The good news is that the live streaming video aspect of Periscope allows you to show your talents in a live broadcast setting. However, Periscope  requires people to add you on the app so it takes a performer with good worth of mouth or an amazingly dedicated fanbase to make a dent in terms of getting attention from others in the industry.

Now that you know the tools you have at your disposal, make use of them and promote yourself and your career in creative ways. Nobody is more invested in your career than you so be your own biggest fan and make social media work for you.

This actor is getting ready to start his own YouTube channel.

"He's So Funny!!!"

From the time Zach was a little boy, people would tell us that he was a funny kid. They were correct because Zach has always been a very verbal child. I always figured his chatty nature came from having two parents who both spent 20+ years on the radio.  He has always been quick with a joke and skilled at holding the attention of a crowd. In fact, he always enjoys entertaining the crews on the sets of the various movies and television shows he works on in Hollywood.

About two years ago, he decided to give stand-up comedy a try. This decision was easier said than done because he was only 15 at the time. There are not too many comedy clubs that allow anyone under 18 (or 21 depending on the venue) to get on stage. Zach had to get his start playing restaurants, coffee shops and other places that would allow performers of all ages to work on their act.

After a few months of performing at random venues, Zach was on the same bill with some other comedians in their 20s. They were all very encouraging after the show and spoke to him as a fellow performer and not like a kid. He started running into them on a regular basis on the open mic circuit and this led to a few comedians inviting Zach to be part of their shows around town.

It was always amusing to watch Zach on the same bill with these guys because they were a talented crew of hip hop comedians. Their sets would consist of a multitude of curse words and sexual jokes that were always funny. However, you could feel the surprise in the room when the nerdy 16-year-old would launch into routines about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and high school. Zach would win over the crowd a good 90% of the time but it took them a bit to realize the young kid was a comedian on the same level as the others on the bill. In fact, he was better than half of the comedians since his act wasn't solely based on curse words.

From Sal's Comedy Hole to Busby's East to the Blu Elefant Cafe and beyond, Zach worked on his set in any venue that would allow him to perform. Venues such as The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory were beyond his age limit and it seemed like his comedy career was mostly limited to open mics.

All of that changed in the last few months.

Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank has an open mic and Zach discovered that he was allowed to try his material in the club.  The first night he went to Flappers, he was armed with some of his best material as well as a few new bits. Once he got home that night, I asked him if he received any feedback from the folks running the open mic. He proceeded to show me a coupon for a free pizza that is awarded to the best comic of the night.  While this might not seem like a big deal to you, it was his first time at the venue and a free pizza is always a big deal to a teenage kid!

Zach attended more open mics at the club and was eventually invited to perform on the Saturday night before Easter in The YooHoo Room at Flappers. He was booked with a group of comedians opening for the headliner that night. I had no idea where he was scheduled on the bill that night so it was a matter of waiting for him to get called to the stage. He was the last act before the headliner took the stage!  Pretty good for his first booked gig at the club. Plus, he was the youngest comic on stage that night. He killed that night doing new material as well as a few bits that have always done well with crowds of all ages. He has been invited back to open for another nationally touring comic as well as be a guest on their podcast.

He is still too young to play many of the comedy clubs around town but he is making a name for himself in the Los Angeles comedy scene. Zach's goal is to be a cast member on "Saturday Night Live". Between his stand-up comedy, writing his own material and improv training, he might be on the show sooner rather than later.

Actor. Stand-Up Comic. Second City Cast Member. He's a busy teen performer.