Hard work, hard work!

After finally pulling myself out of my post summer slump, I'm pleased to announce that things at moving upwards for me. It would seem that auditions are just like London buses- you wait months for one and then several turn up at once! I am beyond thrilled about this even though the likelihood is that none of these auditions will translate to actual work, because I love performing so much, even if it's just in an audition room! 

People have asked me before how I find auditions, so I'm going to share with you my secrets. There are several resources I use:

1)the stage jobs- not thestagecastings but their actual jobs board. You need to be logged into an account to view the auditions on this board in full, but it's completely free to do so. I've found out about a handful of open auditions from this site, just be warned that if you go to one advertised there it's likely to be very busy so be prepared to queue!

2) ideastap- this site is mostly aimed at the under 25s and is a brilliant site for young actors. Not only does it advertised paid performing opportunities but it also advertises "briefs" that members can apply for which offer fantastic, career enhancing workshops and learning opportunities. Again, this is completely free to join so I would definitely recommend signing up and having a look to see if anything takes your fancy!

3)arts jobs- the job listings on here are fairly similar to those on ideas tap; there are jobs across the arts, from museums and galleries to jobs as dancers and musicians. I haven't found many performing opportunities on here, but as it's free to sign up there isn't too much to lose. 
 

4) social media- I know this is a rather general term but social media is fast becoming a brilliant way to discover performing opportunities. If you aren't using it to its full potential already, I strongly advise you to sign up on twitter and Facebook and make sure you're up to date on who's casting what and what workshop opportunities are out there. 

So, what are you waiting for? If you haven't already, get yourself signed up for these sites and start trying to find more opportunities for yourselves! Seize the day! 

Yours faithfully,

The postgrad app

N.B. I know I haven't mentioned several other casting sites, but I'm not the biggest fan of either StarNow or CCP so I feel it would be somewhat disingenuous for me to promote them. However if they work for you, then by all means carry on with them! 

I've also assumed that if this particular post is helpful to you then you most likely lack the requirements to join spotlight, hence its omission from this post as well.

An actor's problem as old as time....the resting job!

I am currently facing the age old problem that actors have- namely trying to find a job in order to survive that I can fit around my acting, and not the other way!

I've had quite a few jobs in the past year, some better than others, and have done most of the stereotypical "actor" jobs. Listed below is my analysis of each job I've worked in the past year

After graduating, I worked as a waitress for an agency. I still have fond memories of this job as I had some brilliant experiences, meeting fantastic people and working with some of my best friends. However I also realise that I romanticise several elements of the job when wistfully thinking about it and overlook a lot of the bad elements e.g. the time I couldn't use my arms after a solid working week of drinks service or how badly my feet bled in the shoes I had to wear...

Pros: highly flexible, easy job to get, around lots of similar minded young people so the working environment is quite fun

Cons: pay isn't fantastic and as it's temp work you don't often get tips, management are often incompetent and treat you like morons, strict dress code, quite a physically demanding role, work dries up at certain times of the year

Then I briefly worked in telesales  (never again!). This is not really something I would recommend, but nonetheless I have a few positives to remark on.

Pros: no dress code, around lots of similar minded people 

Cons: highly pressured environment, poor pay unless you're making a lot of commission, soul destroying work
N.B. This is not a terribly extensive list of pros and cons as I got fired after 2 weeks for not hitting my sales targets! Consequently, I was not really there long enough to gain a proper feel of the place.


I also worked as a freelance tutor. This was organised through a family friend, but there are also plenty of opportunities out there to work as a tutor for agencies if you're interested in becoming one.
Pros: great pay, nice work environment, not physically demanding and depending on the age of the child not terribly intellectually taxing either (whether this is a pro or con is down to you really!)
Cons: need a CRB, for agencies you'll need a degree, not many hours available, need to be good with children, need to have a lot of patience!


Currently I'm working, part-time, in a hospital.
Pros: well paid, good job security (when compared with the above jobs which are all zero hour contracts), fairly interesting job, not very physically demanding
Cons: inflexible, need a CRB
It's an okay job that I wouldn't mind doing if it was just a tad more flexible...so I'm currently still hunting for that elusive perfect resting job!


I'm still working out what suits me, and I've surprised myself with the skills I've managed to develop over the past year. Fingers crossed I can keep building on them, so that I can continue to afford to be an (aspiring) actor in London! Other suggestions from other actors for making money have included; running murder mystery nights, teacher drama/dance classes, producing and running your own theatre company, selling on eBay, working in care homes, working as a photographer and many others, so my list is by no means extensive! My advice to those of you out there in a similar predicament is to keep searching until you find something you are good at and like. Your resting job is not for you to endure, otherwise you will lose your mind. Keep looking for something that suits you, hold your head up high and keep fighting the good fight!


Until next time!

Yours faithfully,
the postgrad-app 

I've returned!

It's been an incredibly busy summer (sadly not full of acting jobs!) for me, so please excuse my absence from the internet. What exactly has happened? Well in all honesty, it's been a multitude of things....

Firstly, my resting job has been extremely busy and overwhelming the past few months. I've been working 48 hour weeks then coming home exhausted, eating, sleeping then repeating the cycle. At the weekend, all I want to do is sleep some more and the more I've seen my self imposed writing deadlines pile up, the harder it's been to start up again.

Secondly, it's been a tough month emotionally. I've been very distracted from my acting goals for a number of reasons. Somewhere during the summer, I lost my focus and I'm only just regaining my mojo. 

I'm starting to turn over a new leaf, and am trying to tackle my problems, which boils down to me trying to get the right balance in my life by having enough money to survive and having the flexibility I need to perform. This is by no means a unique problem, and I'll talk more about the various jobs I've had during my life in another post. Right now, I'm actively looking for other work and also trying to increase my performance experience. This past weekend I've spent at a musical theatre workshop which has refocused my energy and made me realise what's really important in life.
Life's too short to be miserable, so from now on I'm going to focus on making good choices for my future and staying positive(ish).  Fingers crossed I succeed!

Yours faithfully,
the postgrad-app