6 Jobs Not Enough? (or How Can It Be That I’m Still Underemployed?)

I mentioned a week or so ago about an interview that I had coming up to do some survey coding work for the movie screening company I tried working with earlier this year. The interview went great for that job and I was hired on the spot. I think perhaps my history with the company worked in my favor. It’s going to be between 10-30 hours of work a week once things get going, but the issue will be when that will be. I first have to train, which will involve 2 or so months of working graveyard shifts.

The sooner I can work those graveyard shifts (and the more I can do each week), the faster I’ll be trained and able to work the daytime hours. I just got my first request for my availability, so hopefully I’ll have my first training session soon.

In the meantime, I’m unsure how stable my future will be with my assistant headhunter job. My boss has always had issues with getting people on the phone (as in they aren’t answering) so that’s one reason he brought me on. But I’m running into the exact same problem that he has had. He’s talked about whether or not this job is working out and yesterday he emailed me to say that he’s considering stopping the phone calls for a while. Pretty much while you are reading this (assuming you are reading this the morning it gets posted) I will be on the phone with my boss to discuss the future.

I don’t want to lose this job, but I understand the frustration. I’m frustrated too. I want to always improve on my work and do the best that I can do, but the problems are things that are out of my control. I can’t force potential people to answer their phone. I’ve tried calling at various times of the day and tried blocking my number to see if that would help, but it doesn’t. I’m lucky if I talk to 5 people over the course of my shift, which is 4 hours long.

So I’m back in the place where I’m looking for another job to add to my job collection. I currently have 6 day jobs (assistant headhunter, substitute teacher, box office staff, babysitting, dog sitting, and survey coder) and that’s not counting my acting career or blogging (which I know I should really try to monetize to help with bills).

I never thought I’d miss my 6 days a week telesales job, but I do. That was steady work that I could count on and it was flexible enough for me to do what I needed to do. I really need to find something else like it, but that’s so difficult.

There are a lot of jobs in Los Angeles that in the job ad will say “NO ACTORS”. And yes, they tend to put that in all capital letters. They assume that actors are flaky, and I agree that many are. But I’m not that way. Yes I might have to take a long lunch or work a weird shift so I can go to my audition, but I always finish my work. If only I could convince an employer of that.

So even though I just got hired for another new part-time job, I’m looking for work again. I can’t trust that my headhunter job will be long-term (even though I want it to be) and I have no idea how many or few hours I will get for the survey coder job.

So I’m asking for help again on here. If anyone knows of any flexible work, I’m looking. I’m happy to send anyone my resume, but to summarize it I have assistant, data entry, sales, coordinating, and writing skills. Plus I’d be interested in any babysitting and dog sitting work. If any of you could help me out, I’d be so incredibly grateful.

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Underemployment Is Frustrating (or Trying To Find The Balance Of Flexibility And Work Hours) The New Gig (or Going From Vacation Mode To Work Mode) Working Girl (or The Secrets of Day Jobs) 2 Jobs 1 Day (or What My New Normal Might Look Like) Being The New Employee (or Starting Yet Another Day Job) Back To School (or Getting Prepared For Another Of My Day Jobs)