Finding work in the Boston area?

[funny_bone]

Hello, everyone =)

I'm planning a movie to the Boston area next summer (mid to late July) for grad school. I'm hoping to be accepted into one of the programs I'm applying to, and if I do I'll need to find work to cover my bills while still working with my school schedule. I have been working part-time at a nearby Target for 2 years now, and they've been amazing at scheduling me around my classes. I would be eligible to transfer my job to a Target store up there, but I'd really love to find something with better pay. I make barely above minimum wage at the moment, and have to work a minimum of 30 hours a week to pay my bills. I realize this isn't too terrible, but I've been taking 15 hours a semester, so between that and work I have little to no free time. I've lived in Texas all my life, so when I move to New England I'd love to have the chance to see a bit of my new home and the surrounding area.

So, basically my question is this: how difficult is it to find part-time work that pays over minimum wage? I've been limited to retail and food service down here with my busy school schedule, but if I were to take classes in the evening to open up my availability, what would my options be?

For some background, I'll be moving up there with my boyfriend of 6 years and his younger sister. We'll all be working and splitting the bills 3 ways, but we'll need a 2 bedroom apartment that also accepts pets (we have a 4 year old dachshund and she has a 9 year old cat). Plus, I'm aware that the cost of living is much higher in the Boston area. We can afford our bills on 30 hours of part-time work down here, but just barely (and our total rent for our 2 bedroom/2 bath is only $663!).

I'll have my bachelor's in anthropology (which basically qualifies me for nothing), and going to grad school for a master's in either history or historical archaeology (depending on which programs I get accepted to, if any). Ideally, I'd like to work an entry level position in a museum or with a CRM firm, but I realize those positions rarely open up and are incredibly competitive, hence he surge for any part-time work that will pay the bills in the meantime!

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Sparky]

1. Will your program *let* you work? If you have funding, this is a real, legal issue. Many programs won't allow students to work outside jobs. This might also be a function of being a full-time versus a part-time student, depending on the school.

2. If you pursue archaeology, won't you be working internships at least some semesters, possibly full-time? How will that work with holding down a job?

3. Investigate on-campus options. Adjuncting/TAing, obviously, but also stuff like library positions, tutoring, ResLife mentoring, working in the rec center, etc. A lot of them are probably limited to undergrad students on work-study, but not everything. There is a *lot* of informal hiring, too (at my school, in the libraries in particular).

4. No chance of going anywhere with funding? Does one of the three of you have a choice full-time job in Boston starting?