In the course of interviewing successful professionals in the entertainment industry, several have said at some point early in their careers, they were told, “If you can do something else, do it.” Meaning, your chances of breaking through and making a living at being a producer, director, writer, actor, comedian, singer, costume designer, editor, screenwriter, studio division president, etc., are so slim and the road there so difficult you should go another direction if you possibly can. How’s that for encouragement?
Of course, many of the people I’ve interviewed didn’t listen to that advice. Some actually did listen, and subsequently changed course away from one of those slim-to-none “dream” careers toward something with better odds. And some tried and tried to become an actor or director or singer, etc., and failed.
That’s right. They never achieved success in their dream job, the one they wished for as kids while blowing out the candles on every birthday cake and worked so diligently at for years.
I was thinking about that while I was listening to Andy Levine, the co-founder of Sixthman, being interviewed on the NPR show, From Scratch. I had first become aware of Sixthman when I did this post on three things we can learn from Kid Rock and Snoop Dog. One of the lessons was to diversify and the example I’d given was the cruise Kid Rock was on at the time, called the “Chillin’ the Most” cruise. Kid and supporting acts with a similar demographic were aboard performing for and hanging out with 100s of their most avid fans.
It wasn’t until after I put the post up and the comments started rolling in that I realized it wasn’t Kid Rock’s cruise. There was a company behind it which brings name acts onto ships to perform for, and interact with, their fans. Yes, he was actually traveling aboard ship for several days with fans willing to spend big bucks to have that semi-intimate and fully-once-in-a-lifetime fan experience. Brilliant, I thought at the time. A company called Sixthman.
While I was listening to the Andy Levine interview, two things struck me: one was how fulfilled he was by doing these events. He considers these journeys sacred experiences for the guests and clearly relishes providing that experience for both fans and artists, as well as creating a company culture made up of people with a similar evangelical attitude toward what they provide. The other was that this career was his “consolation” after not having made it as a performer.
From a young age, Andy loved music. He practiced guitar for hours, until his fingers bled. But, as he told the interviewer, the band he was in was so unimpressed by his playing they didn’t plug him into the sound system when they played. He didn’t realize this for over a year. He now understands that they kept him in the band because he booked all of their shows and made all of the logistical arrangements. So though it must’ve been deeply painful to give up his dreams of being a performer, especially in such a potentially-humiliating way (depending upon how he found out and what frame of mind he was in at the time), the love of music merged with his skills as a manager were a natural fit for a career he now has quasi-religious devotion to. And which is providing so much joy to so many people.
Another example of failure being a gift is what has happened with Marc Maron and the WTF Podcast, of which I am a rabid fan. (And you showbiz aspirants/newbies should be too - start here or here. You’ll be hooked, too.) His is not a story of failure, per se, as he is still a standup comic. But over the years, as the comics he came up with got opportunities and went onto other things (TV sitcoms, talk shows, movie careers, SNL stardom), he did not have a “big break.” He continued to perform at a certain level, but was not taken out of standup by something else.
It was that lack of being drawn away to a busier, more prosperous showbiz career that led to his creation of the WTF podcast, where he interviews stand-ups, former stand-ups, and other comedy professionals about their career paths, the good and the bad, their art and techniques, etc. It’s a genius show and I always learn something. And as for Marc, as a result of the popularity of the show, he is actually getting other showbiz opportunities. But he also speaks of the show as something more important and satisfying than a stepping stone on the way to something more. It feeds him in a way no other showbiz opportunity could, no matter how much money was attached.
For myself, I wrote screenplays for many years. And a novel, too. I got attention from them, sometimes close-but-no-cigar attention, but no money. And my day job involved hiring. Lots and lots of hiring. I did not break through in writing fiction and I have no interest in it anymore, but the day job and the storytelling merged in a way that for both personal and professional reasons is perfect for me. I work one-on-one with clients doing career consulting and writing targeted resume and bios, and through this website, I help people who want to make it in showbiz figure out the best path to their desired outcome (as well as helping them figure out if it really is the right desired outcome for them).
So if you are practicing until your fingers bleed and still the band is not plugging you in, or if you are doing 250 stand-up dates a year and still not getting any traction with the showbiz muckety-mucks, or if you are writing novels or screenplays that still don’t result in a paycheck, don’t despair. Not only is it not the end of the world; it may just be there is something else, something better and maybe even unimaginable at this point, out there for you.
Jenny Yerrick Martin, founder of YourIndustryInsider.com, has amassed 20+ years as an entertainment industry professional including almost 15 as a hiring executive and five as a career consultant. She's become an indispensable resource for people who want to break into entertainment, as well as those in entertainment looking to reach the next level or course-correct in their already-established careers.Read more » articles by this approved career expert | Click here » if you’re a career expertImage from iQoncept/Shutterstock
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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
BigstockMake 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
BigstockAre 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.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
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
BigstockYour 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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