The Job Search!

So, Peter, my writing mate, gave me the first notes on my screenplay, which was one of the coolest things since moving out here. Now I have specific things I can work on in my screenplay. I am still looking for a job in the entertainment world, I have a few tutoring gigs that are paying the bills, but I’m wondering if I shouldn’t be more assertive in finding something that is in my field.

And I’m doing stand-up again. I have to explain, stand-up has always been an on-off part of my life, at least since I was sixteen. In high school, especially, I spent a lot of time practicing, writing, and performing jokes at different clubs. Was good experience and even if I don’t plan on doing this the rest of my life, it’s an opportunity to practice public speaking in front of some of the toughest audiences anywhere, the open mic crowd. Yeah, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. If you are in the Los Angeles area and read this blog, please let me know because I have a gig next Friday night at the Comedy Store, and I need people in the audience.

I find the search for a job in the entertainment industry frustrating. I tried entertainmentcareers.net and found the site unsatisfying, most of the “careers” were in fact unpaid internships, which right now I am unable to do because I have a rent. And when entertainmentcareers.com did list real entry-level jobs, I’d email a resume and cover letter and invariably never hear anything. Ultimately, it’s a pay-site, and an unpaid internship isn’t enough of an incentive to continue my subscription, so I gave up on them. Anyway, I would recommend mandy.com for production jobs that seem a bit more focused than on entertainmentcareers.net. I would also be very wary of trusting craigslist.org; there seems to be a great deal of manipulative people on there who dress up opportunities as great experience, but really want you to work on their no-budget movie for free. Not always, but because there are no controls on who can post, you have to be careful.

I guess what matters in entertainment are personal contacts—meet and impress enough people with your work and you’ll find something good, right? I hope so, but in the meantime I have my other jobs, so I’m not worried about starving or going desperate. I created this really lame flowchart, too!

Hope it's not too blurry.

Oh, I also wanted to share this interview with Neal Brennan (http://thecareercookbook.com/article.php?article_id=2); his advice is totally on the mark. One of those people whose career I really envy. Let me know what you think in the comments.