Asking a favor of those of you in the LA area

Double_Faces

So as some of you may know (stalkers..) I've recently moved to the LA area to pursue an acting career. Before you scream at me to get a real job, I want to say that I am not some country boy with stars in his eyes, but a well trained "classical" actor.

That last part was to reassure myself.

But I need a survival job. This is where you guys come in. I have a studio apartment, and to be honest my mom would probably support me, but that's not how I like to play ball. I want a waiting job to keep me going (with at least 1000/month) to pay for everything while I get settled and get my connections.

If anyone has any advice, or even a hookup I can use, it'd be much appreciated.

Here are the skillz:

4 years server experience at Macaroni Grill, plus two years retail at gamestop. I was a trainer for the last six months at Mac Grill, so I'm looking to hopefully stay in that bracket of payment.

Beggars can't be choosers though.

So.... anyone wanna help me with my life?

meatflower

What part of LA? It's a great big place.

I would have recommended the Macaroni Grill in Burbank but they just closed it down for some reason. Are you opposed to going back there or Gamestop because those are probably your best bets. If you already worked for the company, and left on good terms, that's pretty much an automatic in if they have any openings.

Mishra

meatflower wrote: »

What part of LA? It's a great big place.

I would have recommended the Macaroni Grill in Burbank but they just closed it down for some reason. Are you opposed to going back there or Gamestop because those are probably your best bets. If you already worked for the company, and left on good terms, that's pretty much an automatic in if they have any openings.

Yeah you need to narrow it down. The pier here in Hermosa ought to have a bunch of openings, and Sharkies is finally being rebuilt so they'll need new people.

Double_Faces

I'm in the Toluca Lake area, so anywhere reasonable from here would be ideal.

zilo

There's a whole bunch of restaurants at an outdoor ped mall in north Burbank (a bit north of Victory and Burbank), you may want to head up there and just run the circuit, dropping off applications. There's also a Best Buy up there that might be worth a look.

Horus

I know this is outside your work history but if you tweak your resume to customer service. When I started college in LA, I landed a job at the County Los Angeles Library. They pay more than enough, its hard to get fired unless you kill someone, and helps you with resources (books for your career and movies for those acting courses). I am just mention it as a possibility as a job, right now part time 20hrs in County LA will offer health insurance.

Hope this is helpful.

ps ( I am biased to library just because I am getting my masters in this field)

meatflower

zilo wrote: »

There's a whole bunch of restaurants at an outdoor ped mall in north Burbank (a bit north of Victory and Burbank), you may want to head up there and just run the circuit, dropping off applications. There's also a Best Buy up there that might be worth a look.

Yeah, that's the Empire Center. I'm sure a job could be found there since there's at least 30 businesses in that complex.

Also try Universal Citywalk, you're less than 5 minutes away and it's a similar giant outdoor mall with many restaurants. They have a Gamestop.

Xeo

A lot of aspiring actors sign up with the Wolfgang Puck catering service. You choose when you are available to work via an online schedule, and I hear the pay starts at around 20 bucks an hour. The only catch is that I hear you can only get in by reference, so you'll have to know someone already (which isn't hard to do, really).

As for a studio apartment, expect to pay at the very bare minimum, 750 a month (for a tiny hole in the wall). Housing out here is insanely expensive.

firewaterword

Double_Faces wrote: »

...Before you scream at me to get a real job... (snip) But I need a survival job.

With all due respect, classically trained actor or not, you're out there competing for work just as much as everyone else. That being said, there's a lot to go around. Also, where are looking to work? Helps to narrow it down a bit.

In terms of food-service jobs, I can suggest Mistral in Stuido City, and Far Niente in Glendale.

But really, if it comes to the point where you're looking for a "survival job" I'd say you'll need to be ready to head back to retail, at least until you're able to find the food-service job you're looking for. Best of luck!

Double_Faces

firewaterword wrote: »

Double_Faces wrote: »

...Before you scream at me to get a real job... (snip) But I need a survival job.

With all due respect, classically trained actor or not, you're out there competing for work just as much as everyone else. That being said, there's a lot to go around. Also, where are looking to work? Helps to narrow it down a bit.

In terms of food-service jobs, I can suggest Mistral in Stuido City, and Far Niente in Glendale.

But really, if it comes to the point where you're looking for a "survival job" I'd say you'll need to be ready to head back to retail, at least until you're able to find the food-service job you're looking for. Best of luck!

Part of the curriculum I had to go through at my college was understanding that this business is being in the right place at the right time. "Luck" in other words. I just mention the classical training to put my mind at peace that I have a better skill level than Joe Average who just walked off the bus from Nebraska.

I've been blitzing the world with applications, but I can try this library thing as well.. seems like nice calm work. I have a few other restaurants in mind, but please keep the ideas coming!

zilo

Hey, I drove here from Nebraska thankyouverymuch.

meatflower

The sad thing is that you're actually in the majority with an educated background. I work at a place where all the counter people are actors, and almost every single one of them (About 20 folks), either majored or minored in drama.

I also overheard some guy I assume was a producer or casting director talking loudly at a table near the one I was bussing, "And they don't even know that the minute they walk through that door we've already made our decision. They can give a great read but they're just not right, or they can give a terrible read and we already made up our mind in the first five seconds". Probably some truth to that.

Double_Faces

meatflower wrote: »

The sad thing is that you're actually in the majority with an educated background. I work at a place where all the counter people are actors, and almost every single one of them (About 20 folks), either majored or minored in drama.

I also overheard some guy I assume was a producer or casting director talking loudly at a table near the one I was bussing, "And they don't even know that the minute they walk through that door we've already made our decision. They can give a great read but they're just not right, or they can give a terrible read and we already made up our mind in the first five seconds". Probably some truth to that.

In regards to theatre schools, Conservatory BFAs are in the minority, they have to be just because of the specificity of the degree.

They mean squat though, this I know. THe only thing they symbolize is how I'll work once I land the job, not that I deserve anything.

I know that they make the decision in the first five seconds, I can't tell you how many times I've heard that sentence. Verbatim.

Doesn't make me any happier about it though

meatflower

Yeah I was a little disgusted while I heard it, since I work with so many aspiring actors.

Anyway, have you looked on Craigslist? I saw a lot of serving jobs there when I was looking around a while ago. They always say they require experience and it sounds like you have that in spades. You probably know this already, but to make a living you're probably going to need to find something where you get tips. As has been stated the cost of living is stupidly high in LA, especially the housing end.

Double_Faces

funny that they said the housing situation is about 750 for a studio...



......as I pay 775 for my studio...

funny.

not funny haha. funny sweet jesus kill me.