In spite of being a writer, Executive Producer, and actor on one of the top half-hour comedies on network television, “The Office" (and now "The Mindy Project"), Mindy Kaling is near the beginning of her entertainment career.
Unlike Stories I Only Tell My Friends, in which actor Rob Lowe chronicles his 30-plus years in showbiz, or Bossypants, whose author, Tina Fey, has 15 years of professional experience, Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) gives equal coverage to the pre-making-a-living-at-showbiz years as it does to “The Office” and everything that has come from that.
This is a good thing for readers with big dreams who are just starting out or who feel stuck where they are. She recounts the lean years in sometimes hilarious detail, which can make those going through their lean years now feel a lot better.
She shares stories of auditions gone wrong, being a great nanny, not getting a much-desired job as an NBC page, and time spent working as a production assistant on a cable show featuring a physic communicating with studio audience members’ dead relatives.
But beyond the foibles and lost opportunities are some behaviors which contributed to Kaling’s success. Yes, being smart and talented helped, but what can you take away from Mindy Kaling’s entertainment career and embrace for your own career? Here's some valuable career advice:
1. Obsess and Analyze And Obsess Some More
In this case, I’m talking about comedy. Hours spent watching early Comedy Central programming and mid-afternoon repeats of “Saturday Night Live” and “Kids in the Hall” as a kid gave Kaling her early start absorbing, thinking about, and reenacting her favorite comedy bits.
Essays included in her book, titled “Types of Women in Romantic Comedies Who Are Not Real” and “My Favorite Eleven Moments in Comedy,” make it clear that the obsession and analysis continue.
2. Find Your People
During the time that Kaling became a student of comedy, she shifted away from her previous click of shopaholic friends to spend time with Mavis, a classmate who wanted to watch the same TV shows and movies that she did. In college, she found Brenda, another best friend who similarly shared her interests.
This relationship would be instrumental in Kaling’s career breakthrough. She writes in her book, “I love comedy and now surround myself with people who love to talk about it as much as I do.” In an elite sitcom writer’s room, she continues to find her people.
3. Develop Your Voice
Kaling and Mavis not only watched comedy, but also wrote and recorded their own sketches using favorite characters from “Saturday Night Live.” She and Brenda both did theater in college (with Kaling writing one-acts and Brenda starring in a number of productions) and lived together in New York when they were just starting out.
“Brenda and I have always done ‘bits,’ even before we knew they were called ‘bits,’” she wrote. “We would take on characters, acting like them for a while on the way to the subway or getting ready to go out.” This is a valuable pastime for people who want to be performers or writers, as they soon learned.
4. Make It Real
While they were struggling in New York trying to find a way into show business, Kaling and Brenda decided to write something together to perform in. After some initial struggle, they settled on developing one of their ‘bits’ into a play called “Matt & Ben,” which was a fictionalized version of the relationship between best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Brenda played Matt Damon and Kaling played Ben Affleck. They produced it initially for the “New York International Fringe Festival” and won “Best Play.”
That changed everything. Producers contacted them to put the play up Off-Broadway, which they did. It turned into a sold-out sensation, and got them a pilot deal that ultimately didn’t go forward. By then, though, she had gotten hired as a staff writer on an NBC show that was a remake of a British show called “The Office,” so it didn’t matter. She had broken in.
This book is not for everyone. As I said earlier, Kaling doesn’t have a lot of career ground to cover and much of this book is more observational humor than strict bio material. Kaling has many obsessions besides comedy and she has no qualms about waxing on and on about them.
For instance, the book includes an essay called “I Love Diets,” one which details “Best Friend Rights and Responsibilities,” and another one that asks (but does not answer) the burning question, “Who Do Men Put on Their Shoes So Slowly?”
Some, like me, will appreciate and enjoy Kaling’s humor even when the subject matter isn’t something of particular interest. Others might get impatient with the diversions. But it’s a quick read and there’s a lot to be gleaned from it for those just starting out in showbiz and those who want to be.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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