New job for your vintage lifestyle?

[Lauren]

Ha! Thanks! I work half the year for the San Diego Opera now and the other half I'm self employed. Every job is a challenge sometimes, but I like it.

 

[La Julia]

I've been having several jobs over the years, but being an artist is my full-time job.
I am not selling everyday, but I sure enjoy it !

 

[Lovely Leah]

Museum Volunteer Coordinator

One of my best friends has just been appointed as the director of a community art museum. She asked me to be the part time volunteer coordinator. This could be a "vintage friendly" position. I am not sure about taking the job, there is a lot of walking invovled. I am not sure I can handle it, nor, do I want to let down a dear friend. I am really undecided.

 

[Aurora]

Lovely Leah - Could you not try out the job for say a month and see how you like it?

This thread is so inspiring

 

[Lily Powers]

I took a night tour of Hearst Castle (San Simeon, CA) and the museum docents dressed in period clothing of the 1920's/1930's and would move about the pool, sitting rooms, dining room, etc. interacting with each other (not the tour group) as if they were guests "back in the day." I found it grand - it was like glimpsing the past. I'd love to be able to volunteer time to do something like that. Maybe organizing something like a walking tour of the SF locales in noir movies, and then ending up in one of the speakeasys that have been recently reopened. Might not pay the mortgage, but sure would be satisfying.

 

[Inky]

fftopic: Lily Powers - welcome to the lounge! I would PM you but you don't have enough posts just yet - I am on the Central Coast too! once you get to 15 posts I think it is, you can PM me and lets find out where we live and stuff - so nice to see a Lounger from around these parts!

 

[kyda]

job satisfaction

I am a SAHM of two children - there combined age is 5, so my job while it being mundane and often fraught with tears ( not only by the children!!!!!) it does let me dress how I wish and I dress like I would if I was going to work.
I love my job and work very hard at it and some days well, lets just say a glass of wine after the kids are in bed is well deserved. I would not change what I am doing for quid's and I could not imagine doing anything else. I hope that you do find something that you like doing

 

[Lovely Leah]

Trying out the job

Lovely Leah - Could you not try out the job for say a month and see how you like it?

This thread is so inspiring

Aurora,

I took your advice and discussed the possibility of a "trial period" with the director, she was fine with it and said that I was the best judge of what I can do. I started today and used my wheelchair for most of my four hour shift. I hope it works out!!!

 

[Aurora]

Aurora,

I took your advice and discussed the possibility of a "trial period" with the director, she was fine with it and said that I was the best judge of what I can do. I started today and used my wheelchair for most of my four hour shift. I hope it works out!!!

That's fantastic, I hope it works out for you

 

[BombshellBella]

Career changes are so exciting but careful planning and thought needs to go into especially if your income is important to your household!!

I am feeling JUST like you!! I work in the education field and I WISH I can do something beauty/fashion orientated. Maybe I'll start a website or soemthing...

Maybe you can work on getting into an organization that might help you make some connections, like:

AICI (image consultants): http://www.aici.org/about/basics.htm

or get your hair/cosmetics license....

And see if something like this would work in your area....

OR Start a Web Business

Just some ideas.

 

[Miss 1940's]

I wish

I had a vintage job....like working for sam spade, or perhaps a Girl Fiday..But in the real world, I count little colorful dolls(pills) all day....Not the swelllest,but it keeps me in vintage clothes.
I do ;however, dress vintage at work.

 

[Aurora]

Counting pills sounds much more exciting than some of my jobs!

I've finally decided on something HUGE! Being temporarily unemployed, I'm trying not to get into a rut, so have made a big step forward by contacting my local business advice centre - I'm planning to set up my own little business, which will include some hand-crafted vintage jewellery AND hopefully repro shoes!

It might work, it might not - but I won't until I try, will I?!

 

[Tallulah]

I'm a graphic designer by training, artsy by nature. I ran my own business for a bit, a companion animal company. I sold coats, sweaters, beds, jewelry, etc. for companion animals. I also did some party planning, birthday parties, weddings and even a bar mitzvah all for dogs. I was pretty successful for a while, some of my products were on Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm but after a while, things got REALLLLLLY slow and I had to go back to teaching. I am SERIOUSLY thinking of starting a bakery or small catering company which is sort of creative. I'm trying to "perfect" some of my recipes to take around to restaurants and hopefully that will be the start of soemthing bigger.

A friend of mine had nice success with wholesaling her baked goods to a couple of local restaurants. She made tarts (two or three kinds) and took them around. I really wish you best of luck, she was very satisfied and eventually opened her own tea house and small bake shop.

 

[Tallulah]

Funny, I started out as a stylist back in the '80's and enjoyed it for quite sometime. I also did makeup with some fantasy/prosthetic work as well. I am quite devoted to taking the scenic route in life as much as is possible (possibilities become more limited when you are a mom, but worth it IMO) and so I have had multiple odd/fun jobs for the life experience. After September 11th I decided to follow one of my greatest dreams and go to nursing school. I am now a hospice nurse/case manager and have been for about 2 1/2 years (BTW, healthcare has been my first real experience with corporate culture and wow... has it been eye-opening). I have dearly loved hospice and hope to publish a book related to my experiences. My other dream is to be a midwife someday and spend my very eldest years catching babies.

As far as a job that suits a vintage lifestyle, my mind is constantly overlapping visions from the past with dreams of the future. I have an active vintage lifestyle job; thinking. Unfortunately though, the pay is abysmal dahling .

 

[Gigi]

On the rare occassion I have toyed with the idea of making a living out of something related to my love of anything vintage. It wouldn't have to be strictly limited to fashion or beauty. But alas, I found I'm not too passionate about many of the careers that would allow me to incorporate vintage things.

I've actually never had a real job. I've done volunteer work at several places, but finding a job where I live is quite difficult (especially being without any qualifications as I'm only college-aged). It seems that even to get a waitress jobs these days you need prior experience. Anyway, I'm majoring in education currently so that I can run educational programs in a public place, such as a museum. That will enable me to incorporate some vintage or other. However, I'm leaning more towards becoming a school teacher for early primary grades. I figure it's a rather "vintage" job, academics are what I'm best at, and I can dress vintage everyday. I'm not too concerned with making a lot of money & I get holidays and summers off (despite training sessions, etc.), so it seems like the perfect job for me. Plus, I figure it's never too early to start influencing young minds about the past.

I'm currently pondering making vintage repro clothing to sell online. I know there are already so many wonderful shops, but they are SO expensive for poor little gals like me on a tight budget, so I already make my own already. I have some connections with fabric suppliers, so I could probably cut supply costs and sell the items for less.

 

[sweatyspaghetti]

hmm,it seems like i got more modern with a job when i got a little more vintage.
i was an accountant but i got fired because im not the brightest with numbers. now i manage a tattoo shop,thanks to my darling boyfriend who is the owner of the place....although i got a sweet tattoo of Betty Boop on my ankle,it doesn't make the place vintage because i got a 1920's cartoon flapper on myself.

eek.

 

[MisterGrey]

I plan on entering into academia, so depending on where I end up teaching, I dare say that I'd probably fit right in.

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

I'm a lame temp in property management. I can't find any perm work because leasing is down and evictions are up. Rent is skyrocketing and despite this, it hasn't told these property management companies a darn thing, but I digress.
My dream was to do something artistic in life, but I hit walls, I can only dream of hurdles...I can do a little of this and that, but not perfect at much of anything. I have a knack for makeup, clothing and hair...My ultimate dream would be to a celebrity stylist for rock stars, in music videos...clothing makeup and the like...I would even love to direct videos...I can dream.

 

[Miss 1929]

Yes and no

I did work in vintage stores for years, until becoming a full time vintage musician. But poverty broke my spirit, and although I still of course get paid to play the music and dress up for it, I also must have a day job. The current day job wouldn't care if I did dress up, but it would be a waste as no one but me sees me, so I am in casual attire most of the time. Saves money on stockings!

As long as you have a job that pays the rent and puts food on the table, not much else matters. In the current economic environment, how you dress at work will soon be the least of all our worries.

 

[hotrodmama0201]

I hope nobody judges me for this, but I started stripping so we could have the freedom to travel when we want, buy parts for our 54 Chevy, afford actual vintage clothing/housewares/etc, and go to all the events/bands that we want. My husband works full time but can get time off whenever, he works for a great company and gets like 3 weeks paid vacation a year.

I was bogged down by crappy restaurant job after another, no freedom, no social life as I had to work every Friday, Saturday and Sunday all day and night. Getting time off was impossible too. Not to mention the money was anything but spectacular. I never saw my husband, it was miserable.
When you are a dancer in AZ you are an independent contractor, so you come and go as you please. If we want to go do something I never have to worry about getting time off. I make much, much more than waiting tables so that allows us to have things we couldn't afford before.

Definitely not a career choice, I am attending school in the spring, but it's very enjoyable (has been for the past year) and I (we) are gonna enjoy it while I can.