So you’ve recently moved to NYC or you’re soon planning to join the other 8 million people who call this little patch of land home.

The only problem?

You have no job.

This top 10 list offers jobs that are are plentiful, pay well (and often in cash), and require minimal professional (and often, academic) experience. They’re not Wall-Street grade, but they’re perfect for the free spirit who’s interested in making a little cash while still preserving his or her freedom from the corporate grind.

10. Flyering: New York City businesses are in a constant, desperate fight to get themselves noticed and to stand out from the competition. Practically every corner is commandeered by flyer folks, paid by the hour or by the day to hand out papers or postcards announcing the latest gym membership deal, manicure/pedicure/brow wax combo, or parking garage offer. Though certainly not the most prestigious of jobs, it’s one that plenty of immigrants, college students, and folks in a pinch have successfully used to scrape up the rent money.

9. Promo Rep: Like flyering, but with a twist (which is sometimes good & sometimes not), promo reps hustle on street corners, but are paid by bigger companies and non-profits to peddle products or solicit donations. These gigs range considerably in terms of their fun factor and their rates of compensation, but the good news is, these jobs are always available and most of them are short-term.

8. Bike messenger: Love your bike? Don’t mind rushing all day? Then a bike messenger job, also in plentiful supply, is right up your alley. It pays well and satisfies the need for speed. If you’re not a master of two wheels (see video), though, bypass this job, for NYC is no place for the amateur bike messenger.

7. Mover/Errand Person: Don’t listen to the gripes people have about cars in NYC: If you have a car, it’s your golden egg in this city, and if you have a truck, well, you’ll have more work than you can handle. This is a particularly lucrative job at the beginning and end of the month, the times when people move. Even if you’re not up for some heavy lifting, you can easily gain work as an errand person. You’d be surprised how many people are willing to pay perfect strangers to drive them to the airport, to IKEA out in New Jersey or, now, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, or just to the grocery store. One reason is the fact that most NYC car rental agencies do not accept debit cards; the car companies’ loss, however, is your gain.

6. Personal Assistant: Busy people from all walks of life and all types of professions are constantly seeking reliable, courteous, and able personal assistants to help them organize everything from their schedules to their finances. I’ve held two personal assistant jobs in the city–one for a Broadway producer and one for a psychiatrist–and had tasks as diverse as making bank deposits, cooking meals, arranging travel plans, and chauffering my boss in a Jaguar. The personal assistant job is great because it tends to be extremely flexible, you can negotiate the possibility of working from home on some tasks, and you can often meet people who may advance your future professional career in important ways. Perks of this job also tend to be nice; people busy making big money aren’t always busy living fun lives, so they’ll occasionally toss freebies your way. I’ve enjoyed theatre tickets, restaurant reservations, and bottles of wine as bonuses.

5. Dog walker: Sounds easy enough, right? While this job pays among the best on this list, it’s also fiercely competitive and harder than you might think. The other obvious drawback of this job is poop scooping. Don’t be tempted to leave it behind; NYC levies a $250 fine for poop and run bandits.

4. Researcher: As a hub of intellectual production and a repository of archival material on thousands of different subjects, writers and scholars from the world over are always in search of researchers who can gather on the ground information in NYC, either through interviews, document searches, or other sources. I’ve been hired to sketch the bathroom of a Brooklyn courthouse to ensure that its portrayal in a novel was accurate. And yes, I was paid for it!

3. Subway Busker: Got a musical talent? Can you wow people with your dance moves? Then join the long line of distinguished buskers of the NYC subway system, who both charm and annoy tourists and residents alike.

2. Street Busker:

Got a fear of rats and roaches? Then go above ground and try out your busking skills. NYC is famous for its unusual hustling acts. Three of the most original ones are the guy with a sign outside Yankee Stadium that says “Why lie? I need a beer”; the guy on 42nd Street who holds a sign saying “Tell me off for $2″

; and the famous Naked Guitar Guy of Times Square, who’s not only attracted lots of cash in the band of his tighty whiteys; he’s also trademarked himself and has sued M&Ms for a cowboy advertisement. If successful, he just might become the richest street busker in human history.

1. Extra of All Trades: Businesses in the city are always looking for last-minute pinch hitters, people who can step up to the plate quickly to fill in for someone who didn’t show up for a job. Caterers are especially good for this type of job, though there are many others as well.

Listings for these jobs, and many other unusual gigs, can be found on the NYC craigslist page.

Beer Photo: alan(ator) (creative commons)
Tell Me Off Photo: kasia.kazmierska