Everything They Didn't Teach You About Working In Entertainment: Getting A Job

EVERYTHING THEY DIDN'T TEACH YOU ABOUT WORKING IN ENTERTAINMENT

Today's session: Getting a job.

This post is not intended to get you a job as a screenwriter. By job as a screenwriter, I mean getting paid big bucks for lounging on a terrace in Italy working on part two of your latest critically acclaimed blockbuster trilogy.

Instead, this post is designed to help you get a job in Los Angeles so you can pay your bills -- the directive of last week's post. If you're looking for work -- something to keep you afloat while you break, outline, beat, write, rewrite and pitch -- keep reading.

I'll categorize this into two sections, working within the industry and working outside of the industry.

Let's start on the latter...

JOBS OUTSIDE ENTERTAINMENT

Varying in size, scope, pay and pleasantries, these jobs range from making elaborate coffee concoctions to stocking retail shelves to over-the-phone cold call telemarketing. These are entry-level jobs, achieved without any expertise -- assuming that you either didn't go to college, or went to college for screenwriting -- both of which qualify you as entry-level. Sorry.

Ask yourself one question -- if you couldn't write for the movies, what would you do? Whatever the answer, chase an entry-level job in that arena. Chances are it's not working as a barista, or a retail clerk, or a telemarketer. So, if you're stuck making minimum wage, why do it in a dead-end job?

Can you support yourself waiting tables or making change at a register? Yes, barely, but those opportunities top out. Meaning, in ten years time you might be making the same salary, doing the same job, still trying to shop your screenplay. Don't think it'll take ten years to make a sale? Ask those screenwriters who have gone twenty years without a six-figure spec sale and see what they tell you.

The road to screenwriting success (traditionally) is very long. If you have a job you hate, it'll only make it harder.

This isn't intended to knock an opportunity as a bartender -- that is to say if bartending is a passion of yours outside of screenwriting. Point is, do something that you are somewhat passionate about so that your 9 to 5 isn't so grueling. This puts the odds in your favor that you'll maintain the energy and drive essential to writing in the off-hours. Kill yourself over something you hate every Monday through Friday, good luck keeping your head held high burning the midnight oil on your latest spec.

Do something that interests you -- that if you found financial success within, you'd still be happy. There is no reason why you have to make $10.00 an hour until you sell a screenplay. Anyone who tells you that is a fool and setting you up for failure. Sure, you might start at ten bucks an hour...but work hard, do well, and get yourself promoted. Make more money so you can get that two bedroom apartment and actually use the second bedroom as a dedicated writing office. Or, make enough money and buy some property. This is California, any piece of property is an investment poised to make you more money. It's not necessary to do the mundane until you've fulfilled your dreams. In fact, I believe the opposite is true. Do something productive, something you care about, and it'll give you the inspiration to stay on track as a writer. This is crucial, and in a very base way, will help the overall economic crisis in California: more people working hard doing what they love.

JOBS INSIDE ENTERTAINMENT

If you listened to anything in the paragraph above and believe Entertainment is the only avenue for happiness, there are numerous jobs inside the studio gates that aren't related to screenwriting. Granted, the point is to land a screenwriting job, yes, but in the meantime working in a neighboring department isn't such a bad way to get introduced to major key players.

Four letters.

ASST.

Yes, most entry-level jobs within Entertainment are as assistants. Every department, be it Creative, Production, Labor, Legal, Finance, or Business Affairs has a crop of young up-and-comers, each with different dreams and goals, working the front lines as assistants. The key here is all about WHO you are assisting. That's not to say that you can be picky, but working for a bad boss can quickly snuff your Hollywood dreams. Applying for these jobs in the traditional online resume depository method will get you nowhere -- no matter how promising the website appears. You're competing with hundreds of other applicants from across the country, vying for attention with a resume that simply gets scanned for text recognition and input into a database. All that time you spent crafting the perfect resume format is killed in an OCR second by a computer.

Instead, you'll need to connect with someone already working as an assistant. These folks know when the jobs become available and can easily get your resume into the right hands with a simple FORWARD -- some kind words about you help too. Find people doing the job you want and take them to lunch (or coffee for you less than extroverted folks).

NOTE: if you're looking to work as an assistant in a creative department -- such as Development or Current, many execs require you have experience assisting at an agency. Working at an agency is classically known as "death on a stick," but it's largely seen as the pre-"paying your dues" before "paying your dues" as an assistant.

The big takeaway with being an assistant is to try and work for a great boss. Preferably one who cares about their life outside of their work -- this seems to be the trend separating a great boss and a horrible boss. If you've only got ten seconds to make a determination on a boss, find out if they're married with a family, go on vacations, admit to liking fast food (at least In 'N Out), and shop at Target. If their answers are "no" to the aforementioned questions, hopefully your answers are "no" as well. If not...

If you absolutely will not work as an assistant, there are other opportunities, however, these jobs require that you have a skill set outside of screenwriting. Graphic design comes to mind. Web programming. Video editing. Social media. You know, the "next generation" stuff. There are studios big and small looking for young talent in these arenas. If you've got these skills, highlight them -- market yourself accordingly.

A note: to help pop out in the auto-profiling of your resume, include keywords from the job description within your resume. This is classic data analysis and because popular companies require computing power to wade through their sea of submissions, you might as well use it to your advantage.

No matter where you land employment, know that you'll need to serve two masters. Your screenwriting master...the drive that keeps you writing, pitching, selling...and the job master, the drive that satisfies your financial burdens. It requires balance. Lean on one too hard, you may tip the scales forcing a move back to Idaho. The good news is that you don't have to be miserable in either role. You can by happy in your job and happy in your screenwriting -- in fact, I'd encourage it. It's a long, long path to success, keep your smiles and keep your sanity.