There comes a time in every person's life in which they realize that they need money. In most cases, the best way to go about this is to apply for a job. A lot of great jobs are sometimes located in different cities from where you reside, especially if you go to college in a different state.
Summer and winter break are usually one or two months of prime time for making money, but holding a steady job during the fall or spring can be a little bit more of a tedious process. As summer is winding down, most people are going back to school and money can get tight, especially within the first month or two of returning.
The first thing to do is to know your area:
1. Know your area.
Knowing your area is critical because it can dictate how much you earn. My hometown is in New York but I go to school in Philadelphia. I got a part-time job in New York to help me out a little but in the fall it's useless because I'm two and a half hours away (excluding possible traffic).
The next step is look at what stores or possible money making opportunities that are around. In Philadelphia, by town hall is the shopping district. There is Macy's, Loft, Ulta, Apple store, Gap and other popular stores. These stores always need more people during the fall and winter because it is the holiday time. If you don't want to work at retail there is always restaurants, grocery stores or even boutiques and so forth.
2. Applications.
Apply to as many as you can.
Applications can be a pain and long but its well worth it. Gap, Athleta, Banana Republic are all under the same application because it's all under one big company. So once you filled it out, you can apply to many stores at the same time. Athleta's application took a little time figuring out the system but once you know what you're doing and looking for, it's straightforward and super easy.
One part of my "application process" was actually calling up stores or walking into them to see if they are hiring or to fill out an application. Which brings us to the next part...
How can I get to a store that I am two and a half hours away from?
3. Traveling.
From NY to PA, there's a lot of options. My favorite method of getting there is to take the bus. depending on which company you take dictates the amount of money you'll be spending. the most popular bus' are Megabus and Bolt Bus. From NY to PA I recommend taking the Bolt Bus because it's the most cost-effective option. Most of the time I'll pay $5-15 dollars, averaging about $9 a day or two before the actual departure time of the bus. PA to MD (Washington DC) you would have to take the Megabus because the Bolt Bus doesn't travel that way.
Either way, take they are both cost effective and you can do what your heart desires.
If you want to take the train, make sure you book it in advance. Train tickets are expensive, they can be over a hundred dollars easily depending on when you get it (time of year as well). The earlier you book it the cheaper it is. I find that trains are comfier because it's less bumpy. Especially if you need to work, trains are the better option because it's steadier. Motion sickness is real people. If neither of these modes of transport appeal to you, take a car.
If you don't have a car, ask a friend because almost always there is someone you know traveling to a big city, back home or where ever. However when you do travel by car make sure to pay them a little something; tolls for bridges, for crossing state lines are pricey and gas depending on the area can be costly as well. (The lowest gas price I found was somewhere on the way down to DC and it was $1.53!!) Repaying them in food is also a great option if you don't have cash or Venmo. Car snacks are great snacks.
Lastly is the airplane. Domestic airlines are easy to figure out and they are also super easy to travel with. The only thing is getting there before the boarding time. If you can book it in advance for an obvious reason: it's way cheaper than last minute. Especially around the holiday times.
Don't ever travel on the day you need to be somewhere unless you know there are no complications. The reason why I say this is because I am currently stuck on a bus that is having engine problems. (This is the first time ever from traveling all year)
One more important thing to keep in mind is how to pack.
4. Pack light.
I am a female so people think that naturally I overpack.
You don't need as much as you think you need. Especially if its one or two days. My parents have trained me to pack light so I travel with- at most two bags. One bag for clothes and the other is for important things. Lately, I've just been traveling with a book bag. Currently, in my book bag I have my laptop, reading glasses, chargers, toiletry bag (toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, perfume and deodorant, mascara and lipstick) pen and pencil, two little notebooks, underwear and a light jacket. For interviews I wear a nice dress and comfortable flats and that's my outfit for the next day or two.
It might seem really gross wearing dirty clothes but who actually wears something one and throws it in the laundry bin? (If you're a really sweaty person maybe that's different) I stay at my friends' place and they have an extra bath towel, shampoo conditioner, clothes for pj's etc. Don't be afraid to ask because were all in some way broke college students. If you're staying at a hotel, bring one pair of extra clothing. If you can pack right then you can do a lot.
Also makeup is a biggy. I love makeup but I can for sure over pack makeup products. So definitely bring what you know you're using. For me, I usually bring mascara, eyelash curler, eye shadow stick in rose gold, foundation, gloss, bronzer and highlighter and a liquid liner. All that takes up a small cosmetic pouch- travel cosmetic products are especially handy in traveling light.
The bottom line is to travel light because you can always go out shopping for whatever you need and get something nice and have the room in your bag to bring it home.
5. Organization.
One big thing about traveling for interviews is you need to be organized. One big thing that I find very helpful is having my little notebooks to help me keep track. When there is an interview lined up, phone or not, I write it down so I don't have to call them back up and ask them again. I also in the notebook is my schedule for school so I know my availability and important notes that I need to know.
On my phone is a to-do list app. It's called Do! It's free and really helpful if you have a busy week. I use it for places to go, like Barnes and Nobles for a planner. Having a physical planner is also really helpful because you can see the dates and holidays and plan things out for longterm. Planning and organizing your schedule in advance will help you out in the long term when you might forget small but important deadlines, meetings and projects.
6. Interviews itself.
Scoring the job takes a lot. If you bomb the interview then you probably won't get the job. However, some things to remember during the interview is to be personable. Make a connection with the person that's interviewing you.
if you have no ideas of how to make a connection with the person, say that you like their tie and how it compliments their eyes. One interview I had was with Talbots and the infamous question that all retailers ask is "Why do you like ___?" My answer was super honest, I didn't say how they were a great company and how the company treats their workers really nicely. I said, "I grew up with Talbots. My grandmother shopped here, my mom shops here and as a kid I went into the dressing rooms with clothing sizes two times the size as me."
Relating yourself to the company as a whole will help you. Remind the person who is interviewing you that everyone is human and we all have feelings. Showing the empathetic side of you is always a plus and will help you get leverage in landing the job.
Regardless, apply for a lot of jobs and hope that someone gets back to you!
Good Luck!
