The fall semester is winding down and in between studying for exams, packing up your stuff and saying arrivederci to all your homies, something truly terrible happens. You realize that it's time to start searching for a winter break job.
So go make yourself a cup of java, knock those textbooks off your bed, unplug the phone and prepare to be enlightened. Finding the money to buy those "Christmas / Chanukah / Kwanzaa / cuz I wanna" gifts shouldn't be half as hard as you think.
Retail stores need extra help. First, start thinking seasonal. It's wintertime so people are buying stuff. They'll also be returning lots of gifts after the holidays. Therefore, other (and more) people are needed in the selling, stocking, wrapping, exchanging and transporting areas of community commerce. To put it more simply: Got a mall nearby? Call them.
Get into show biz. Become a movie or TV show extra! Garner some fame and acclaim from family and friends, lounge around in the background and get paid to do it. If you live in the LA-area, try www.ep-services.com/extras.htm. Or, if you're East coast or otherwise based, check out FilmFaces.com or www.caryn.com/biz for free listings.
On a smaller scale, many towns put on religious or holiday-themed plays and musicals. Even if you don't see yourself leaping like a Sugar Plum Fairy, Scrooging it up, resting in the Nativity, or helping Charlie Brown decorate the world's tiniest tree, there's plenty to do behind the scenes. Especially if your town has a community theater or a local school is putting on a holiday show.
Put your skills to work by filming and then selling copies of the production, organizing ticket sales, making costumes, building sets, or even casting and directing. Don't expect to earn a bundle but a small fixed or hourly salary shouldn't be out of the question.
Jump start your career. Another option is to give yourself the ultimate holiday present: a career. Start an internship in the winter months that you can continue in the spring semester by checking out MonsterTRAK.com or Internships.com. These websites have freely accessible listings of short-term, part-time and starter gigs that can, at the very least, beef up your résumé. For a swankier gig (pouring coffee for celebs), try EntertainmentCareers.net, or specialize your job search through the career guidance center at your university.
Use your family to network. Are you at your wits end for a job that satisfies the cool quotient without paying you in breadcrumbs? Practice a little nepotism. Yeah sure, everyone says they don't, but they do. 'Cept for the rest of us it's called "networking." Call that friend of the family who works for NBC or Rolling Stone or whatever, and offer your services. Lots of companies need a little extra help around the holidays when employees take their vacations.
Contact a previous employer. Have you thought about returning to your old summer job? Swallow your pride if you have to and go back. There's nothing like doing what you know. Or, consider a stint in the food service industry, such as waitressing or serving at a local hot spot. Want to be outdoors? Try working on a tree farm.
If your goal is just to get out of the house and keep yourself occupied, consider working a volunteer job. Soup kitchens and homeless shelters always need extra hands to make the holidays special. For other volunteering ideas, try ServeNet.org or Americorps.org. The rewards are endless, even if the pay isn't.
No matter what you choose to do with your time off from school, remember this: There are many opportunities out there, so don't waste time on one that's going to make you miserable. The holidays should be enjoyed.
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