There you go, everyone who is considering grad school at an expensive school because of its name recognition and figuring the financials will just take care of themselves: Joe is looking for a second job after only being out of school for a few months!

Joe, it WILL get better, really. The first 3-5 years out of school are just incredibly difficult in every way, financial being a huge aspect.

This isn't what you want to hear, but to fund my wedding a few years out of school I worked as a hostess at a restaurant/bar on Friday/Saturday nights. Cash under the table, didn't conflict with office job, prevented me from blowing money going out myself those nights. Frankly, restaurant/bar work is nasty work but can be lucrative in the short term. (Also, night shift at a Fed Ex loading facility is quite lucrative and it is possible to get shifts that are only 4 hours.)

Are your bosses reasonable enough that if you approached them with your brokeness they might be willing to help you find some weekend work? Doing renderings, perhaps, or model building, for other firms, etc? You don't need to pose it to them that you need a raise, but just that you are exploring other ways to bring in income that won't conflict with your daily job. It can't hurt to let them know that you are struggling but also are willing to work harder if necessary. (My first freelance job was one that my boss handed me as it was too small for our firm.)

With caution: try Craigslist for local freelance drafting jobs. But do be careful.

Good luck.

I was thinking about being a bar tender, but just didnt think it was an option since I have zero experience with it. I know afew people who do do it, and I think I'm going to talk to them about it.

and I realize its going to be hard the first few years... right now I'm just trying to keep my head above water.


As far as my firm paying extra for renderings and what you mentioned I dont think thats an option. I dont think there is enough work load to justify them paying extra... and we dont get overtime.... oh I see, I re-read what you said and if I talked to other firms that may be an option. I'll talk it over with them.


My area is dry as hell on craigslist. I've looked there,and actually it was the first place I looked.
thanks for the advice liberty!

But I'll say. I didnt go to a school just for the name recognition, I went to a school most people wouldnt even know, and I also didnt figure that the financials would handle themselves.

are there any graphic design or marketing business around town? if you are graphically inclined and interested, ask them if they would be interested in some part-time work.

I like to try and do renderings on the side for cash, as that is something I am quick and good at, but I have spent the last few months working on my portfolio and competition entries, so I got out of the swing of things. But I think that the tone of this thread should change. Maybe those looking for freelance work should post in this thread, their location and type of work that they are looking for.

I am looking for freelance architectural illustration work in the Ohio area, if anyone is in need of my services please contact me for link to digital portfolio.

I think the thing that allows people to be successful in and outside of the workplace in getting work is their ability to constantly promote and sell theirselves and their services. Sometimes I feel like a walking talking advertisement, but you have to do that to keep work comming. It only takes a sentence to get a job, having lots of friends help too!

find a millwork shop and do shop drawings if you think you are up to it.......

joe, that initial comment wasn't meant as a reproach to you, but as a warning to others considering the grad school issues. Good luck keeping your head above water - we've pretty much all been there (and in some ways still are there, sadly).

i have a friend in bean-town that pulls beers in his evenings. he matches his architecture salary working only a few evenings a week.
lucky prick. he didn't have any experience, just worked his way up from bar back.

huh, thanks guys... some decent ideas.

I thought about doing shop drawings for a millwork shop as well. Hell at some point or another I have thought about doing a lot of things.

all this wouldnt be an issue if I just put off the loans for a while, but the point I'm at it would add up quick if I didnt at least pay the minimums. ahh the joy

dont put off the loans................ i had my last b.a. loan snow ball on me in a year...... went up 50% ...wtf.......

get out and hustle for work...... work wont come to you


b

SELL YOUR BOD

nice strawbeary....what are you buying?
lol

though finding work in a related field is nice, it's also good in my opinion to build life experience in something else. nothing prepares you for the sh1tstorm of life better than working as a busser in a nice restaurant.

it's true that you can make some good money and quite possibly work up in the process. and you can usually get hired with little or no restaurant experience. just be prepared to learn spanish if you can.

also, you will find it unlikely, nee, impossible to get a bartending job without first having worked for some while as a barback. everyone wants to be the barman. but i used to pull down $150 cash per night as a barback at a nightclub.

or as the weather starts getting warmer, hit up landscapers and lawn-mowing crews in your area. probably worth about $15-20/hr.

shop drawings are great, but you'll go blind if you work all week behind a computer and then draw shops on the weekend.

do something analog.

you've got the right idea though...good luck.

squirrely, ha ha, I'm just being a terd, it happens. My "hit submit button finger" is pretty liberal today. Watch out!

thanks guys, keep em coming... landscaping wouldnt be too terribly bad. could work off some of the "excess" i carry around with me too, haha.

i baby sit for my rich friends, they cook for me, buy me beer, then give me $50 for a few hours. it's really easy because they have a good kid.

If you search, this topic has come up before.

cool, I'll dig deeper then.

Another idea, find an older architect who runs his own show - often those guys need someone to do their CAD for them.

sell your blood, plasma, or sperm/eggs... my neighbor in college called that his second job... he at least made enough for beer out of it....