Working in creative fields you’re well acquainted with the term survival job. Using transferable skills to provide supplementary income is often the wisest choice in building a sustainable life in the arts. That doesn’t mean it has to be a bore! Here’s a quick overview of the jobs I’ve had and how they’ve contributed to a more full life.

Campus Jobs

While a student, I was fortunate enough to get campus jobs that related to my field of study.

In undergrad, I managed the main stage box office. This job entailed booking groups, assisting with online orders, discussing the content of the show with prospective patrons, and troubleshooting the ticket printer (usually solved by turning it off and turning it on again… always to the amazement of the desk worker who assured me it was broken for good this time). I loved it!

My supervisor, the department Technical Director/Production Manager allowed me to work on my own schedule, making phone calls between classes and returning emails during any boring lectures (okay, he didn’t explicitly know about the last part). By senior year, I got sentimental making my last round of calls to regular patrons… but I can’t say I miss the ticket printer.

In grad school, I worked in the scene shop. I had some carpentry and scenic painting knowledge from my B.A. stagecraft requirements, but working in the shop I learned enough to feel proficient… and no longer scared of power-tools (just a healthy respect).

As a grad student, I had the extra joy of acting as a teaching assistant for stagecraft and practicum students. As soon as I learned something new, I got to turn around and teach it to someone else.
Most often, the people make a job. Every day we listened to great music and accomplished cool stuff as a team. We celebrated every time someone learned something new.

When I returned to Virginia Beach, I was offered the opportunity to go back and work as a lead carpenter, but I felt confident my time building sets had come and gone. The calluses go away pretty quickly and I appreciate no longer dealing with saw dust in my laundry.
Grateful for my time in the shop, full of great memories and expanding my appreciation for tech-theatre-magic.

Barista

Coffee shops, restaurants, bartending – these are typically great jobs for actors. They offer tips and flexibility, and require personality.

My main experience of working in the service industry was at the Starbucks Reserve Bar in Toronto. I knew nothing about making coffee when I started, but the hiring manager said I had “good vibes.” I think that is the only prerequisite for this type of work.

The job gave me flexible hours, neat opportunities, and consistent benefits. The free coffee and new friends were also a bonus. The Reserve Bar offered two coffee options. On one end of the bar, you had a typical Starbucks with mastrenas and blenders, etc.; the other offered an artisanal coffee bar with a Black Eagle espresso machine, Chemex & pour-overs, and a siphon brewer. As a barista, I learned speed on the Starbuck-core end and customer connections on the Reserve end.

Because of my ease with public speaking, talking about coffee became a main assignment for me. I got to host “coffee experiences” which were one to three hours of tasting coffee and talking about brew methods. After leading my second coffee experience at the Eastern Canadian HQ office (how cool!) I hit my one year anniversary and got my official Coffee Master apron.

In my second year, I became a shift supervisor and enjoyed that even more. The store was picking up pace after the pandemic and I got to spend my shifts encouraging new baristas and learning how to implement strategy. I cannot say it was relaxing, but trial-by-fire jobs bond you with your coworkers and dull you to reacting to pressure.

I learned major life lessons working this job: how to manage my time and preserve my health, protect my mental capacity (and watch my caffeine intake), take care of others, and make in-the-moment leadership decisions. Perhaps one day I’ll return to the barista life, but recent attempts with the at-home Breville remind me I’d have to seriously level up my latte-art.

Tutoring and Coaching

I used to be a math tutor. It’s okay, I laugh about it too.

In high school, I tutored math and writing. Now I offer acting coaching… and it doesn’t feel all that different. The opportunity to work in one-on-one capacity can be very rewarding. Over the course of time you get to see growth, not just in their proficiency in the subject but also their confidence.

Tutoring and coaching are typically flexible and pay you well for your time and expertise. Do a little research before you set your prices. Depending on how you source students, you can take on as many or as few as you want. Word of mouth and web-listings have worked the best for me, however signing up with a tutoring school or acting studio can be a great way to ensure consistent work.

Taking the self-managed route will give more freedom but also come with scheduling admin work. Using a digital aid, such as Calendly can help streamline communication. Using a third-party platform such as Superprof or offering six-lesson packages (with payment upfront) has worked well to manage my time and ensure commitment from students.

If you want to coach acting, niche yourself to a particular skill set. I market towards young or new-adult actors with an emphasis on audition prep.

If you want to tutor, consider what topics you’d be best suited for; if it’s unique, it can be all the better. Perhaps you can teach an instrument or know how to code, sign-up to teach English online (7pm EST is 8am in China) or host a playwriting group, film lessons and sell them on-demand (again, find a niche). Good communication skills have many applications and the internet is a great tool; just stay mindful of your return on investment as it’s easy to get lost in the possibilities.

Child Care

Baby-sitting, nannying, living as an au pair – great gigs for artists. I’ve only been a baby-sitter, but have known many young women who used child-care jobs to live a more colourful life.

Based on reviews, I would avoid day-care jobs. Because of the hours of operation they offer less flexibility (perhaps the choice between an earlier and a later shift) and too much noise stimulation for my preference.

Baby-sitting can be consistent or on an as-needed basis. Picking up from school, covering for date night, etc.

Nannying usually has longer and more consistent hours; however, the flexibility will depend on the family. Likewise, living as an au pair is a great way to move somewhere new, especially if you want to live abroad. Typically au pairs live with the family and work for less pay in exchange for room and board. Au pairs in the U.S. and Canada are usually selected for their bi- or multilingual skills to introduce English-speaking children to additional languages; those abroad are often chosen to enhance the English-skills of children whose family already have some knowledge of the language. Be sure to vet any situation before you’re locked in. Depending on the family, these can be incredibly generous opportunities that offer unique memories.

When applying to child care jobs, brush up on your CPR and First Aid certifications and (if it applies in your area) keep a police record check on file (even if agencies run their own, it looks good to have one when interviewing with parents who likely won’t run a check on every candidate).

Office and Administration

Computer jobs! Despite their reputation, “office” work can be a great gig for artists.
In our age of remote possibilities, there are endless options… if you can sort through the spam job listings.
I’ve had the most success finding remote office work through word of mouth, but there are more trusted job boards to check over endless scrolling on LinkedIn (check out Working Nomads and Remote.co). You can find freelance, part time, or full time work depending on what suits you.

For part time or freelance, try searching for Virtual Assistant listings. Often you’ll be paid hourly and can manage multiple clients throughout the day.

Full time remote or hybrid jobs can offer more stability and less self-management-stress. As I write this, I’m enjoying the consistency and freedom of a full time hybrid job while directing in the evenings.

Whatever survival job you’ve landed on, I wish you well.

In this economy, there’s all sorts of creativity when it comes to making money. Find the right balance of hustle/flexibility and peace/consistency for this season. If you’re feeling burnt out, there is no shame in taking “time off” from your creative field in favour of a job that provides a break from the plate-spinning act. If you’re feeling discouraged, there is no shame in working humble jobs to support your dream.

If the Apostle Paul can make tents while writing the New Testament, you can clean a few toilets while writing your play. If God is with you in it, your efforts won’t go to waste.

In your job hunt, beware of scams. Never give out financial information or home address, keep your common sense engaged. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Also prepare yourself to get to the third round of interviews to find out the job is not the right fit for you (thanks for wasting my time with false claims of “flexible schedule” and “fully remote”) or be ghosted entirely.

Keep on your auditioning-thick-skin. Remember there is a season for everything and this too shall pass. :)

Survival Jobs