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[H1072]How To Find A Part Time Job

by Alfonso, Alf

You think you have the ability to convey emotions in an interesting way and make them believable? Well, acting is a medium that allows you to do just that. You can make a fortune working part time as an actor, and all you need to begin is:

a) The desire to do it.
b) A picture of yourself.
c) An acting resume.

Once you have these three things, is a matter of time before an agent comes ringing to present you with a job offer.

Before I started acting years ago, I thought it was going to take me years to break into the business, let alone to make any money doing it. I was wrong. In a couple of days after I got my PR (picture and resume), I was already on a set shooting a commercial for a bank as the principal actor. Since that day, I have worked in more than 50 productions on lead roles and have enjoyed an experience like no other where the next opportunity could bring a new adventure, knowledge and experience, and lots of money.

Before we begin let me say that the success of an actor doesn't have anything to do with the financial aspect of the business, even thought that's a very important factor, the true success of an actor is to be able to act consistently and transmit feeling and emotions to an audience. Once you attain that balance in an effective manner, money will follow.

It is true that living in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Buenos Aires, or Madrid could increase your chances of getting jobs (you may have more opportunities and auditions), the strategies bellow will help you get started.
An acting career no matter where you are is a very achievable goal.

So, let's get right to the point and allow me to present to you a guideline of the steps you need to take to become a part-time movie start by next week.
Keep in mind that to work as an actor it doesn't matter how you look physically or how old you are. The only thing that matters is your desire to succeed. Read on.

1. Get a picture of yourself. Commonly known as a head shoot, this picture could be in black and white or in color. The ideal picture will be in color and taken by a professional photographer.
Contact a local photographer by looking in the classified section of your home town newspaper. You want a photographer that will take a minimum of two roles of pictures. Between that group of negatives, select the one you like best. With that negative in hand you get the picture printed on a 8 by 10 print with your name on it. This whole process should cost you no more than 400.00 dollars (210.00 for the pictures and 190.00 for 250 color prints with the design of your choice and your artistic name on it.
PS. Pick the picture that represent better the way you actually look. Choose one where you look comfortable and relax. Do not use too much makeup or flashy clothing.

2. Print yourself an acting resume. I know what you're thinking. You don't have any credits to show in a resume. Well, neither did I. Start by writing your measurements and specifications. Put your name in the top of a page (use Microsoft Word) and centered. Right under the name write the following replacing it with your own numbers:

Height: 6? ? Weight: 175 lbs ? Hair: Light Brown ? Eyes: Light Brown - Suit: 40R ? Waist: 32-33 ? Shirt: 15 ? 33-34 sleeves ? Inseam: 32 ? Hat: Large ? Shoes: 11 ?.

If you took some drama classes in school, write it down. At the bottom of the resume write your special skills (swimming, dancing, any sports you play, language you speak, nationality, if you can speak with accents, etc.) Do not lie on your resume.

3. Find an agent. Look in the yellow pages, business directories, newspaper, and library. Call them up, follow up on the calls.
Explain to them that you are a beginner actor looking for representation. Say that you are interested in working in commercials and that you are serious about it. Tell the agents that you are always available for auditioning, and that you are very reliable.
Follow up, follow up, follow up, and never give up. You will get an agent to represent you in a matter of days. It is a good idea to get yourself familiar with the rules of your particular state. In some cities you can only be represented by one agent while in others you can have several agents. Never jump into a exclusivity contract unless you are very sure of what you are doing. Remember you are hiring the agent and no the other way around.

That's it. When you have a full time job, sometimes it is difficult to find time to audition for parts, but there is always a chance to schedule an audition during your lunch hour or after work. Many of the projects I work on are shot during weekends. Pick and choose your opportunities by asking your agent ahead of time when the shoot is going to be.

As a final note, working as an actor is not an easy task. Competition in the business could be very tough. If you are really serious about making it as an actor I would recommend that you begin by taking classes as soon as possible. Classes are usually a lot of fun and not that expensive. Acting is like going to the gym, if you stop going, even for a little while, your muscles will become stiff. Classes will keep you busy and will help you gain the confidence you need to become a movie star of your own.

Perhaps this article will help you see this tedious task in a new light. Follow along with me and I can turn your bookkeeping nightmare into the best paying part-time job you ever had.

First, a question:

How much money do you make right now -- per hour -- at your "regular" daytime job or in your business?

Is it $15 per hour? $25 per hour? $50 per hour? Make a mental note of that amount, ok?

Now, let's say by "keeping the books" this month, you record $1,000 worth of deductible expenses.

Let's also assume you are in the 35% tax bracket (15% federal income tax plus 15% self-employment tax plus 5% state tax).

So, for every $1,000 of deductions, you save yourself about $350 in taxes ($1,000 x 35% tax rate).

One more assumption: it takes you about 2 hours to properly record and document that $1,000 of deductions.

Hmmm. You spend 2 hours and save $350 bucks.

How much money did you just make for yourself -- per hour?

$175 per hour! Whoa -- now, compare that to how much you make per hour working in your business or at an employee job. Which "job" paid you more?

Even if it takes you 4 hours -- it's like having a job that pays you $87.50 per hour. Still a pretty good hourly wage, don't you think?

How does that make you feel about bookkeeping? Not such a bad deal after all, is it?

So here's a simple six-step bookkeeping system that will put thousands of dollars of tax savings in your pocket and keep the IRS out of your life.

1. Maintain a separate bank account for your business or self-employment activity.

Never use your personal bank account for business expenses. Having a separate bank account automatically creates the "shell" for the perfect documentation system.

If you don't have a separate business bank account, now is the time to get one.

2. Maintain a separate credit card account for your business. Same deal as the bank account -- pick one credit card that you use exclusively for business expenses.

3. These 2 accounts (one bank account and one credit card account) should only be used for business! Never "co-mingle" business and personal financial information.

The only income that goes into your business bank account is business income. The only expenses that are paid from the business bank account and business credit card account are business expenses.

4. For each major income and expense category, create a simple filing system each calendar year -- one file folder for each major category. Every time you write a check or use the credit card for a business expense, you assign that expense to the appropriate expense category and file the supporting documentation (receipt, invoice, cancelled check, or whatever) into the corresponding file folder.

5. Keep a separate file folder for all monthly bank account statements and credit card statements.

6. Use a simple bookkeeping software program to record all deposits, checks, and credit card charges. Once a week or once a month, input all transactions and assign each transaction to the appropriate income or expense category.

The importance of this "categorization" process cannot be stressed enough -- it's the key to the whole system!

There are any number of software programs out there for this purpose. I've used them all: Quicken, Quickbooks, Money, etc. Spreadsheet programs like Excel can also be used to automate business record-keeping.

But my favorite bookkeeping program for the Small Business Owner or Self-Employed Person is InternetTaxHelper -- it is by far the easiest to learn and simplest to use. If your business grows, you can always invest in a more sophisticated program later. For any small business owner, especially if you're just starting out, this is the best program I've ever seen.

Using a software program is a tremendous time-saver. Once you've input all your individual income and expense transactions, and assuming you've assigned each transaction to the appropriate category and filed the paperwork, you've already completed all the work necessary to audit-proof your income tax return!

For more information on InternetTaxHelper, go to: http://www.YouSaveOnTaxes.com/software

One final comment: If you aren't "computer-savvy", that's OK. You can still use good ole pencil and paper to categorize your business expenses.

I have clients who use nothing more sophisticated than a spiral notebook. Each year they buy a new notebook and label each page with a particular income or expense category.

Every transaction gets written down in the notebook on the appropriate page. At the end of the year, they add up the totals for each page, and presto, they give me an annual recap of all major income and expense categories. Get the picture? It doesn't have to be fancy. It just has to be in writing, accurate, and supported by actual paper documents.

Whether you use your computer or not, the end result is the same: Every single transaction has been assigned to the appropriate category, and every transaction has the corresponding "paper trail" -- every receipt, invoice, cancelled check and credit card charge has been filed into the appropriate file folder. Should the IRS question any income or expense amount on your return, you'll be ready!

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Both Alfonso & Wayne M. Davies are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Alfonso has sinced written about articles on various topics from Accounting Bookkeeping General Svc. . Alfonso's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.

Wayne M. Davies has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, Advertising Guide and Finances. Wayne M. Davies is author of 3 tax-slashing eBooks for small business owners and the self-employed. For a free copy of Wayne's 25-page report, "How To Instantly Double Your Deductions" visit http://www.YouSaveOnTaxes.com. Wayne M. Davies's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.