1.     Reconnect with your references
Use your time off from school to reconnect with past employers so you’ll still have a strong connection when you need a reference. Call, write a short email, or stop by the place you used to work and say hello to your old boss. If you need a conversation starter, thank them for something they taught you while working for them and mention how it’s helping you now. If you know you’re going to be applying to jobs soon and need to use them as a reference, give them a heads up that they may be contacted by other employers to talk about you. Let them know what you’re applying for and tell them if there are specific things about you that you’d like them to highlight in their conversation with the new employer.
 
2.     Do research
Use the Internet to find out who’s hiring and what they’re looking for. Find employers with online applications or local employers you can go visit or talk to face to face. Use your resources to find people in charge of hiring and their contact information to inquire about job openings. Research the industry you’re entering and the companies you’re interested in so you can show off your knowledge in any future interviews.
 
3.     Manage your online presence
It’s no secret that employers sometimes use online content to make hiring decisions. Do some “spring cleaning” of any negative or controversial content on your online profiles. Delete any questionable photos, videos, tweets on Twitter, or wall posts on Facebook, including inappropriate posts and comments from friends. Update your privacy settings. Create a LinkedIn profile if you don’t already have one, and if you already have one, update it!
 
4.     Network
Never have time during the normal school week to attend networking events? Use the break to take advantage of any networking opportunity that comes to you. Look for events that will be attended by representatives of the industry you’re interested in. Reach out to any contacts who have had interesting jobs that might be able to give you a referral. If you’re seeing relatives or family friends over break, find out what their connections are and ask if they know anyone looking for employees.
 
5.     Teach yourself a useful new skill/ Become and expert at something
Teach yourself a skill that employers find valuable in employees. For example, master a web or software program that’s frequently used in the industry you’re interested in. Develop solid skills that you can brag about on your resume and at your next interview. Make sure you pick something not only relevant to the kind of jobs you want, but that you’ll also find interesting. Buy a book on the subject or use online tutorials. Look on YouTube for free helpful video tutorials. 

I worked as a freelance writer for Miami’s premier newspaper’s online website for culture, entertainment, and nightlife. Although, I never truly pursued it, I always had a knack and passion for writing. The freelance position gave me an option to put that writing to use in an environment that, due to 20 years of experience, I was already well versed in: the Miami social scene.

I started on a Monday. As I entered the pressroom, I was completely overwhelmed by all of the action and commotion that went on: people were yelling across cubicles, papers were flying, ideas were being shared at incredible speeds. I was given a quick introduction to my temporary team as we were ushered into a huge conference room with one giant, oval table. They went down the line as everyone blurted out possible ideas for story coverage. “Lisa, my friends just stayed in this amazing chalet in Swizterland last week, you should use it for this week’s ‘Get Away From the Kids’ segment”. As they approached me, I flustered to scribbled down some measly ideas. But just as I was next in line, they skipped me entirely and went on to the sports writer next to me. Huh???

I realized I hadn’t earned my keep yet to speak at the morning meetings. By the end of the day, I had pitched my idea for an article on local jazz bars to my new boss. She welcomed the idea, but was not moved. It was not until I brought her my piece the following Monday that she was finally impressed. At the next meeting, they allowed me to speak and pitch my record store guide idea. The feedback was positive. Even more so when I brought the story back the following week for edits.

This trend continued for my entire freelance stint. It’s hard to remember, but when you’re the new guy there is always a process to becoming comfortable in your new environment. That is all the more true when you work freelance.

So the best advice I can give after having overcome my obstacle is to work hard and demonstrate your worth, because even though you are not on the yearly payroll, you are a valued asset to their company. Prove it! Make yourself indespensible.

Whether you’re working on a gig or you’re a full-timer, being a team player is very important. Remember in kindergarten when your parents would come home gloating from parent teacher conferences (or not…) because you, their precious child, are a team player, you get along with others, clean up your cubby, cooperate during nap time, and make fabulous macaroni necklaces? Imagine if those remained the only criteria to be a highly successful human being. I was notorious for being disruptive during naptime, but I fared quite well in the other categories. Unless there were lots of little Jeffrey Dahmers in your class, you most likely got along with most of your classmates. After all, how complicated can relationships amongst kindergarteners really be?

At some point, we all turn into adults and develop strong opinions and egos, for better or for worse. If you have a great gig opportunity, chances are that there are some more difficult aspects to working outside of the office. The only difference between trolls and difficult people is that difficult people do not only hang out underneath bridges. Sometimes, no matter how amazing your work is, difficult people will resent you for showing up to the office every once in a while and impressing the boss. Since they do not know you, they may be inclined to dislike you. Since we’re huge proponents of successful gigs, we strongly recommend that you do try to get to know some of the people in your office environment, even if it’s a short-term opportunity. Here are some ways to ensure that you’re well-liked in the office when you aren’t able to wow employers with your winning personality on a full-time basis:

1.      People love to talk about themselves. If you find yourself in the office with a few minutes to spare around a full-timer, don’t let an awkward silence happen to you. Ask what he/she studied in school, drop a compliment, etc.

2.        People love to feel valued, just as you do. If it’s appropriate, ask co-workers what they thought of your recent piece and if they think you should add anything to it.

3.          If your gig is totally remote and you communicate with co-workers via phone, always smile when you’re talking. It is a physical challenge to sound disinterested or unhappy with a smile on your face.

4.           If you communicate via e-mail, remember that the medium of e-mail minimizes most sentiments tenfold. Especially if you’re new, make sure you sound excited.

5.            Stopping by the office? Call ahead and see if anyone would like a coffee. They’ll love you forever.

Remember that it’s easy to feel alienated from the team aspect when you aren’t there everyday seeing the results of your hard work make a difference in the workplace. With these simple tips, you should see your working relationships improve and multiply. 

            This is the story of the greatest gig I’ve ever had. At the height of hectic New York fashion week, a certain frazzled stylist had landed in New York without her two faithful assistants- the sponsor of the event she flew to New York for would not cover her assistants’ airfare. She made a fortuitous phone call for help, to her friend who happened to have a bevy of interns at her disposal. Her friend was my boss, the public relations director for a high-fashion brand. The stylist had to organize and host an event at Bloomingdales’ flagship store that was sponsored by W Magazine. Without her assistants, she couldn’t possibly manage the two clients she had to see on the same night and host the party. She called my boss, who asked me, and an intern friend of mine, if we would be available to help the stylist at the event for the night. Fast forward to the night of the event: my fellow intern and I are compensated $500.00 each for four hours of our time. What transpired in those four hours? We both got to select a dress from the showroom floor to wear and keep. We walked around the sales floor, greeting attendees, and used our fashion industry know-how to provide styling tips, while answering all fashion questions from invitees. Oh, and we did plenty of smiling as we enjoyed the champagne and hors d’oeuvres. Fast-forward to when Aleks and I founded Jatched: We thought there should be a seamless way to connect students with similar awesome opportunities.

1. People sincerely need and appreciate high-quality, last minute help. 
2. It IS possible to make money between unpaid internships and coursework.
3. Employers are willing to pay for the right skill sets when they need them.
4. Friends were insanely jealous; there should be more gigs like this available.

“Thank you for calling Iberia Tiles. This is Aleks speaking. How may I help you?”  I learned on my first day of my first gig that I would handle every single incoming phone call and that would be my introductory speech. I was sick of unpaid summer internships; I was ready to make some of my own money.  I asked my friend to see if her mom could get me a summer gig working for her tile company. Luckily, the receptionist’s maternity leave coincided perfectly with my summer plans. Thank youuu, baby! I spent the summer answering phones, organizing the showroom, and being the first point of contact for incoming customers. Although my work was not the most mentally taxing, by the end of my stint, I realized I had actually developed useful skills that would help me in my professional life. When the summer ended, they offered me a promotion with a more permanent position. Alas, as the baby had to enter the day care world, I had to go back to the world of classes and unpaid internships. Jatched was born out of an idea to give students an outlet for their skills which actually earns them monetary recognition.

Here are some key takeaways from my experience:

1. Having your own paycheck is really.friggin.sweet.

2. Sometimes starting off answering phones with a premeditated script gets you a chance at the lead role.

3. Organizing the look of a showroom to attract customers requires more skills than I had expected.

4. Thank god for maternity leave or some of our talents would have no outlet.

Post written by Natan Edelsburg, Jatched’s Director of Student Outreach

I thought the only option was internships. I chose my school and my major based on the internship opportunities that would be made available to me. I’ve loved the internships I’ve had and the skills I’ve learned. I heard Greg Galant, the CEO of Sawhorse Media (makers of MuckRack.com, Listorious.com and the Shorty Awards). Before anyone in college new what Twitter was he showed my Producing class in Tisch how powerful the new medium was. I grabbed his business card and grabbed coffee with him a few months later, thinking I would ask him for an internship. He had a different idea in mind. Instead of coming to their office, not sure what my tasks would be as an intern, he asked me if I’d like to work on a project, on my own time. I would develop a Twitter aggregate site, conceive it, build the content and then manage and market it on my own. I would even get paid! I took him up on the offer, ended up designing GlobalQuad.com and even helped secure coverage for the launch in The New York Times. Here are five key takeaways I took from the experience.

1. Always communicate frequently when working remotely.

2. Make sure you have all the tools to complete a project and that you understand how to use them.

3. Make to-do lists of the action-items you need to complete.

4. Know how to use Google Docs really well. Google Apps, combined with Dropbox are the best, free, collaboration tools.

5. Be excited about the project you are working on. It will pay off. 

In the deep sewers of the recession-shaken job economy in 2009, the term “Gig Economy” was highlighted by The Daily Beast and a few others. Almost two-years later, no one is sure what the job market will be like each month, especially us college kids. BUT - we’ve built expertise, we want to be compensated for the hours we work and interning is not always the best use of our time.

We’ve learned from employers and recruiters: they want to same thing too. They want to compensate students for their expertise on a project-oriented basis. They value university students’ work-ethic and dedication but need a place to find these reliable student workers with the right skills.

Jatched has created a space for NYU STUDENTS to gain career experience as we millennials help define “The Gig Economy” and build career experience through project-based job opportunities. We have created a place for employers to find you, based on your skillz.

HOW TO GET A GIG:

1. Go to Jatched.com, create an account, upload your resume and fill out your profile.

2. When employers post jobs, they are instantly matched with the twenty top matched profiles. Based on your skills, you could be a match! Even if you’re not #1, you can wait-list yourself for the opportunity in case #1 turns out to not be so #1. 

3. Follow our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter and join our LinkedIn group to learn more about branding yourself, defining your expertises and how gigs get you cash and foster your career.

4. Come to our events on-campus. We will be hosting events with student clubs where we will help you understand and learn about The Gig Economy.

ANY questions? Let us know: info (at) jatched (dot) com

“Two roads diverged in a wood… And I, I chose Jatched! And that has made all the difference.”

…Ok, so maybe it doesn’t make all the difference in the world that you chose Jatched, but it’s a start. A great start.

We’re here not because we want to change your life, but because we’re students too. We know what it’s like to live in a fast-paced, exciting city where you get FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) if you have to stay in one night because your wallets empty. Again. We also know that having a student schedule is amazing (and NOT to be taken for granted!). The student schedule lends itself to many exciting things: sleeping in late, big-time internships, playing sports, and according to my friend with a real adult job “everything”.

Often times, however, there are still holes in your schedule that could be used for making a little extra cash on the side or even a gig that might eventually lead to something more serious. That’s what Jatched is for. If you think about it, it’s actually pretty badass that all you have to do is create a profile once (updating it as you register for new classes and change majors 4 times) and the jobs will come to you. And these jobs are either 1) not rocket science or 2) involve something you are already good at or comfortable doing. Cool!

As far as the Jatched team, we’re two girls who took an Entrepreneurship class through Stern, and when 1 of us graduated into 1929esque job market, we decided to run with the idea we used for our class’ final project. Mary Casey is our resident NYU student, who was a blossoming fashionista in Gallatin, but changed her major to Entrepreneurship once our site started kicking ass. I am Aleksandra Bookman, a history major who is enjoying my persisting student schedule even though I got my diploma in May. And yes, I do get hired for part-time jobs through Jatched.

So just like we created Jatched for YOU, we now created a blog for you. I promise they will not all be as boring as this introductory one. They will be more informative, whether it’s about the job market or cheap thrills in New York City. That way we can curb the FOMO and bulk up that wallet.

Thanks for reading!

The ladies of Jatched