Part Time Work

kirsten_08

I'm heading to Mumbai at the end of this year to do some film production work experience. In saying that getting paid for the first few films I've been told is highly unlikely. So till i get paid work i need to find other avenues to support myself. Does any body have any ideas on the chances of getting a part time/casual jobs working evenings and weekends. I was thinking maybe in the larger international hotels or at a restauant/bar. Also what are the average monthly wages for those people working in hospitality?

Anybody got any advice on this?

Kirsten

machadinha

Hm (and welcome to IndiaMike, btw). My first thought is your work permit is gonna be an issue. How do you envisage this? Do you have Indian roots (I'm asking because this would make all the difference)? Foreigners can't legally work there just like that, although I suppose there might be informal opportunities. I imagine going down that avenue, a problem you'll run into is the informal circuit doesn't normally sit well with the higher-end one. I also imagine this might be more strictly controlled in say Mumbai than some more off-beat place.

Maybe language capacities would help, but (Australian) English isn't exactly unique there, I'm afraid. Or if it is, it will be because people find it hard to understand Australian (and I'm not making fun of you either. Indian English is rather unique in itself.)

Finally, I don't think being a bartender or waiter there will earn you very much no. Well, let's hope others have something more cheery to say to you. I may well be completely off the mark. But I really don't think it's gonna be like living in some western city and doing a bit of waiting on the side no (would be hard enough on you in non-Commonwealth countries btw, I think, although it should be doable, or at least for a while. Most people in this position I know in Europe pack it up after a while. It's just difficult.)

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kirsten_08

Hmmmm. You've definitely confirmed what I already thought. I don't expect to do it long term, just for a few months, hopefully. I have contacts within the film industry over there so getting a working Visa in regards to that should be no problem. Not sure if i need a second one for other work I'll have to check that out.

I can speak Hindi ( at the moment it's at an intermediate level but I am improving) don't know if that will help me any more. Also considering getting work in one of the larger hotels like the JW Marriott /Hilton etc here in Australia and then trying to transfer to Mumbai. May be an easier option.

I'm planning on living in Mumbai for at least a minimum of two years so maybe best option is just to tough it out for a couple of months till I get paid employment.

machadinha

Just out of interest: Do your prospects there merit doing it for free at first?

What I mean to say I guess is be careful not to get taken for a ride with vague promises of something better in a future that never comes. I've worked (never very seriously -- What, me and work? ) in a number of artistic fields, and this happens a lot. I never liked it, people should be taken seriously for what they do. Where's the benefit in doing it for "the sake of art," when that's not how the director and producers and financers may see it.

ps Getting a link through some hotel etc. chain at home might make sense of course for that line of work. And pps knowing some Hindi is great of course, good for you. Although in the hotel industry maybe something more geared to the tourist market would be called for (French, German, Japanese, Korean, blah).

btw I'm not so sure about the work visa situation; my first thought was once you have one you should be allowed to do other things as well. My immediate one after it is that no, from all I read in India it's strictly bound to a definite period with that one employer.

You'll find some relevant governmental sites in the "links" link in my signature in post #2 above, suggest you check them out.

bombaynight

indian entertainment is booming .. n lots of opening but 4 the qualified ppl ... now the bollywood goin corporate, its tough to get in without any proper skill in any aspect of production.

billisutra

Funnily enough kirsten your situation is similar to mine. I came to mumbai with some connections, a CV and a dream. And a lot of what we in New York refer to as "chutzpah". I worked for 5 months with one of the top Bollywood production designers, and it was in turns hellishly boring and tantalizingly almost-a-big-break. Now I'm in the process of getting my work visa sorted out and making plans to move to Mumbai permanently.
Now to address your specifics: Knowing hindi is good, but it's only a start--especially in Mumbai, where marathi, gujarati, and any number of other dialects are heard every 10 meters. All your book learning only scratches the surface, and to function you need to know mumbaiah (street) as proficiently as pura hindi. Unfortunately, unless your diction is crystal clear, you're unlikely to be able to pick up work teaching ESL.

As far as picking up part-time work, forget about bar/restaurant work unless you know someone with an in at an international hotel or similar where a gora face would be bankable. If you have any writing / computer skills (especially graphics) you can probably find some reasonable freelance work. Also, since you're looking in the industry, think about being a film extra--cute white girls are exotic and you'll get paid per diem. The caveat: don't assume you will be paid on time, if at all. I made more money in my first week back in New York than I did in the previous 6 months working for the Indian Steven Speilberg.

And as far as 'casual work' supporting you, I hope you have a decent amount of savings. Speaking hindi and learning to live like a local is manageable in mumbai--I managed to live comfortably on about $8-10 per day after I had sorted my living situation out. But what took most of my savings (which I hadn't prepared for) was the real estate market: it increased about 40% last year, and on top of that the deposit for a flat was a year's rent. I toughed it out through 3 months of torture (cf. living in a turkish prison) and finally found a great place. And that's the exception on a limited budget. Making casual money in India means a few thousand rupees here and there--and it's tough when an average rent in the suburbs is between 10 000 -- 30 000.

I hope this doesn't deter you, however--you can find work, even if it is (shh!) not legal without the proper visa; you can find affordable and decent living; and yes, there is room in the industry because it's expanding rapidly. It is, however, approximately 100 times harder than breaking into, say, hollywood for example.
More power to us!

~b

hanka545

hey can anyone tell me the average monthly wage/salary for being a production assistant and a runner in mumbai?

thanks!

billisutra

hehe..between Rs. 0- and Rs. 10,000. Average maybe around 6-8 grands.

hanka545

thanks for reply!

i have had lots of work experience as production assistant in england, and have done all the unpaid stuff previously.

is it likely that when working out there as a foreigner i would be unpaid for the beginning?