So I'll spare you the long story about the wild world of the academic job market. Short version: there's one period every year where everyone lists open jobs and everyone who needs a job submits applications (the "season" is from Sept-Oct each year in my field). This means I'll be applying (and have a reasonable expectation of getting) a job in a month or two. But that job is for the following academic year. August 2009.

My teaching gig at my current institution got axed at the last minute (thanks, Indiana State Legislature!). Translation: I need some way to support myself between today and the day I officially become a professor (i.e., 13 months from today).

Here's the rub. I have to devote the majority of my time to my dissertation, so getting a 40-hour won't fly. I live cheap, I have no lavish habits, and I've been getting by on peanuts all through grad school. But now the peanuts are gone, so......

Any tips on ways to make a poverty-level income without having to devote a ton of time, effort, or attention to it? Come on. You're all in bands. I know some of you are good at this. If not, I'm going to become one of those dipshits who sells his entire life on eBay.

ginandtacos.com wrote:So I'll spare you the long story about the wild world of the academic job market. Short version: there's one period every year where everyone lists open jobs and everyone who needs a job submits applications (the "season" is from Sept-Oct each year in my field). This means I'll be applying (and have a reasonable expectation of getting) a job in a month or two. But that job is for the following academic year. August 2009.

My teaching gig at my current institution got axed at the last minute (thanks, Indiana State Legislature!). Translation: I need some way to support myself between today and the day I officially become a professor (i.e., 13 months from today).

Here's the rub. I have to devote the majority of my time to my dissertation, so getting a 40-hour won't fly. I live cheap, I have no lavish habits, and I've been getting by on peanuts all through grad school. But now the peanuts are gone, so......

Any tips on ways to make a poverty-level income without having to devote a ton of time, effort, or attention to it? Come on. You're all in bands. I know some of you are good at this. If not, I'm going to become one of those dipshits who sells his entire life on eBay.

become an exceptional waiter. work in a very nice restaraurant 3 or 4 days a week. you can make good money.

Cleaning jobs, delivery driving, and prostitution all make good money in only a few hours a week of unpleasant work.

sell drugs

You're a drummer, you play in a band called Tremendous Fucking.

You're going to be a professor.


That's funny. and cool.

Corn De Tassleing.

couldn't you just temp? esp if you live on the cheep it should be easy to get some temp job you can just blow off in a year...

My answer:

Find a Tutoring job. I work ~30 hrs per week right now, teaching Korean kids how to write, read and speak English.

The only requirements were that you have a Bachelor's degree & that you take the SAT Verbal section and get at least a 730 on it.

It's chill, it pays $17 an hour, and it's not a 40-hr week. Like you, I hardly spend money on anything, so it's a pretty decent situation.

And Korean kids are cute as fuck.

Do that shit. Or become some other type of tutor. It pays well.

Move to Milwaukee and become a bartender, apparently.

I had a mental wager on how long it would take someone to say "sucking dick/hookering" or "selling crack." I was off by just a few posts.

Being a tutor (or teaching Kaplan courses) seems incredibly appealing. I could practically teach that shit in my sleep, and it's only a few hours a week. Nice idea.

Also, yes, I instruct undergraduates in the fine science of politics, then I play the drums and write a blog that is 52% penis jokes. It's a good life, although I get the feeling that the band/blog won't help at tenure time.