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Job Search Strategies

Looking for Work Is Uncomfortable

I don’t know anyone who likes looking for work and having to sell themselves. Besides being hard work in and of itself, for the most part it’s pretty uncomfortable. We each want to think we’re smart enough and talented enough that any company or production would be happy to have us, that they should all be lined up outside our doors waiting to offer us jobs. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually happen that way. Someone once told me he equated what we go through in this industry to having to “beg”; and at times, it certainly can feel that way—unless you tell yourself that it’s just part of the game. Everyone does it, and it’s an accepted part of doing business in this business.

Your mother probably told you not to brag about yourself. You’ve always heard that humility is a virtue. You’re probably also uneasy being around people who toot their own horns too loudly. And now all of a sudden, you’re being told to get out there and sell yourself, stand out among the crowd, let others know how special you are. The prospect of having to sell yourself can be scary, and just the thought of trying to get meetings with busy, important people who don’t know you can be terrifying. But the simple truth is that you have to adopt a new mindset and get those old messages out of your head; because if you don’t toot your own horn, no one else will do it for you and no one will know what you have to offer. You have to venture outside of your comfort zone, learn how to effectively sell yourself and start making those calls—or you might as well be in another line of work. It’s what we have to do in order to get work and to survive in this industry; and if you don’t, you’ll be left in the dust by the competition that passes you by. The only good news I can offer you at this point is that the more you do it, the easier and less terrifying it becomes.

Finding Your Market

A couple of chapters ago, you read about the importance of knowing what you want and setting goals for yourself. Your next step is figuring out where you should be working and who you need to meet. Armed with the knowledge of where you’re headed, it’s to your advantage to target the employers who are doing what you eventually want to be doing and the companies that can provide the learning experience you need instead of just taking the first job that comes along. The best of both worlds is an employer in your targeted market who’s also in a position to hire. The next best thing, if there are no current job openings within your targeted market, is to make contact with the people you need to meet and to ask for their advice. You’ll learn more about doing this in Chapter 10, when you read about the value of general information meetings. But in essence, you’ll be requesting a meeting (and assuming the meeting takes place), you’ll get the opportunity to introduce yourself, ask some valuable questions, make a connection and stay in touch. This person then becomes part of your network and may be the source of future job possibilities and/or other valuable connections.

Depending on your area of interest and your goals, ask yourself questions like these, the answers to which should help you start forming your list of likely targets:

• Which studios, companies or individuals are making the types of projects I’d most like to be working on?
• (If your quest is being a literary agent): Which agencies represent the writers I most admire?
• (If you’re an actor): Which casting director credits do I notice the most, and who are the ones who cast my favorite films and TV shows?
• Which companies have the best reputation for being a good place to work?
• Which companies have the reputation for promoting from within?
• Which executives, producers or directors do I most admire?
• Who among those I’ve heard guest speak at a seminar or class have impressed me the most?
• Which companies use the technology I’d like to be involved with?
• Which companies tend to be more successful than others?
• What new trends are starting to emerge in the industry, and which companies are involved?
• Which studio exec just started his own production company?
• Who just landed a multipicture studio deal?

Now, to find the answers to all these and similar-type questions, you’ve got to do your research. That might include:

• Faithfully reading the trade papers (Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter) and other industry publications. If you can only afford one or two each week, I recommend the Reporter’s weekly edition that comes out every Tuesday. It’s just loaded with good information.
• Check out Production Weekly (www.productionweekly.com and West Coast Production News (www.wcpnews.net.) They’re subscription-based listings of all upcoming productions and include detailed contact information, as well as shooting locations.
• Try to find someone who receives the UTA (United Talent Agency) Joblist, and have him forward it to you. UTA puts out a terrific list of job availabilities once or twice a week.
• Reference the Hollywood Creative Directory (available at Samuel French Bookstores or online at www.hcdonline.com.)
• Check out industry-related websites (many of which are referenced at the back of this book). They contain a wealth of information and provide news, reviews, casting information, job listings, seminars, publications, etc.
• Stay on top of studio and network positions posted on their respective job websites.
• Sign up with employment and temp agencies that specialize in industry-related positions.
• Join networking organizations, attend industry-related events and talk to people. You can pick up lots of good information and make valuable contacts this way.
• Ask friends, people you went (or are going) to school with, those you’ve worked with, anyone you know who’s in the business, and brainstorm! Just put it out there. Let everyone know what your goals are, ask for advice, solicit the opinions of others, ask for introductions.The information you need is out there, and it’s yours for the taking. You just have to do your homework!

Likely Targets

To help you keep all the information you’ll be collecting organized, I’ve created the following two forms for you to use as templates. They’re to keep track of the companies and individuals you’re targeting as likely prospects. The first form (Likely Targets) can be used to collect information on several companies. The second (Company Profile & Follow-Up) serves the same purpose, but it gives you the opportunity (and more room) to profile one specific company at a time.

Fill out as much as you can to start with, and by the time you’ve read the next couple of chapters, you’ll know how to get your cover letter and resume ready to send out, who to call and what to say. By then you’ll be ready to start setting up meetings.

Now there’s no guarantee your first job (or even your second) will be with the company or individual you most want to work for, but you should be able to land something that will at least get you moving in the right direction. And whether you initially land the job you want or not, you’d be well served by taking the time to identify your target market, contacting the people you need to meet, staying in touch with them and making it a goal to work for your top one or two choices in the future. It’s also a way to keep you on track heading toward your ultimate goal.

Learning How to Sell Yourself

My friend Suzanne Lyons is an independent producer and cofounder of Flash Forward Institute, a wonderful organization that helps people jump start their careers. When she lectures, she tells her audience they have to think of themselves as the CEOs of their own companies—the premise being that the product your company is selling is you, and if you’re not successful at selling your product and aren’t out there giving it all you’ve got, your product won’t sell and your company won’t survive. So the trick is to learn how to best sell your most prized product—yourself.

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned from Suzanne, and her partner Heidi Wall, is how to develop a personal pitch, and it all starts by having you figure out exactly who you are, what you have to offer, what you’re passionate about and what makes you unique. Whether it’s at a job interview or general information meeting; whether you’re trying to set up a meeting or are interacting with people at a networking function, seminar or social event, you’ll find numerous occasions to sell yourself. Sometimes you’ll get thirty seconds to pitch, sometimes a minute or two; so it’s good to have a couple of different versions. Regardless of the length— let me jump back to the being-the-CEO-of-your-own-company metaphor—because it’s certain that the better your pitch, the more successful you’ll be at selling your product.

You can start developing your personal pitch by defining who you are. What are your strengths and abilities? What are your accomplishments? What makes you interesting? What are you passionate about? What makes you special? Who are you as a person: do you have a terrific personality, a great sense of humor, a willingness to go the distance, a strong work ethic? What is it about your past experiences that can attest to the fact that you’re creative, clever, a fast-thinker, a team player, a problem-solver, a risk taker? The trick is to be able to capture your essence— who you are and what you’re about in a very concise manner. Once you’ve developed your pitch and start using it, it’ll become more natural and get easier to recite.

If this will help, use the following exercises to start defining yourself:

#1.  List your three top goals:

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#2.  List three unique things about yourself that most other people don’t know.

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#3.  List three of your biggest accomplishments (personal or professional).

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#4.  List three special skills—things you’re good at (i.e., organization, problem-solving, other languages, getting along with difficult people, leadership, team building).

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#5.  List three things that excite you and make you want to jump out of bed in the morning.

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#6.  List three hobbies or interests.

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#7.  List three of your strongest qualities (i.e., patience, creativity, sense of humor).

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The Personal Pitch

Here are some examples, which are all based on real people and real experiences:

The examples are all a little different, but as you can see, they convey something interesting and unique about each of the individuals as well as their skills, accomplishments, passions and goals. You can’t fit everything about yourself into every pitch. It’ll depend on how much time you have and who you’re pitching to. But weave as much of yourself as you can into each pitch. You can also have different pitches for different occasions. Practice reading your pitches to friends. Start feeling comfortable about selling yourself.

I had a student this past summer named Chris who’s a skydiver. I suggested when he works on his pitch he add something like, “I’ve heard how tough this business can be, but it doesn’t scare me. I jump out of airplanes for fun.” Make your pitch memorable, so you’re memorable.

The Recommendation of Others

Nothing gets you in someone’s door faster than a referral from (or connection to) someone they know. When a prospective employer reads your cover letter, and it states that someone she knows recommended you contact her or when a potential employer reads your resume and is acquainted with an individual you’ve listed as a supervisor or reference, your credibility quotient will instantly go up a notch or two. Those in a position to hire will always rely on the recommendations of people they know and trust over taking a chance on an unknown entity.

Once you assemble your list of likely targets, ask your friends, co-workers, classmates, anyone you know if they know any of the individuals you’d like to meet. Should one of your contacts know someone you’d like to meet, ask that person if she’d be kind enough to make a call on your behalf to recommend you or to help set up a meeting. Be sure to let her know how much you’d appreciate the help. (You might even express your gratitude by inviting her out to lunch or dinner. It never hurts!) If for some reason, however, she isn’t in a position to make a call for you (too bad, there goes that nice dinner), ask her if you could use her name as a reference. A direct call on your behalf would be preferred, but use of her name would be your second-best way in.

Another time when receiving a recommendation from others is helpful is when you’re up for a specific job. There have been a couple of times when I’ve been up for positions I really, really hoped to get; and each time, although totally unsolicited, a couple of close friends and colleagues made calls to my prospective employers to extol my attributes. On one occasion in particular, one of my producer friends called an executive I had interviewed with, even though the two of them had never met. Whether you ask for the help or it’s volunteered, it’s always a boost for you when someone can call on your behalf.

You Never Know Where It’s Going to Come From

You never know where a recommendation is going to emanate from, because:

• the person sitting next to you in a film class today could be directing his own movie within the year and in a position to offer you a great job.
• a production accountant you worked with three shows ago could be in a position to recommend you for a fabulous film.
• the assistant you’re calling to set up an appointment with her boss could have her boss’ position within six months’ time.
• the PA you’re working with could sell his own project and be producing his own movie the next time you see him.
• the casting director’s assistant could be your biggest fan and in a position to book you on a sizable feature show once she starts her own casting agency.

You can never underestimate how quickly some careers will take off or how easily someone who likes you (or your work) can help your career. I’ve been recommended by and have received the help of people from whom I’ve least expected it, so respect others and do your best to impress, always and in everything you do.

Being Able to Ask for What You Want

Being able to ask for what I want is also something I learned from Heidi Wall and Suzanne Lyons. For years, when between shows, I’d call up everyone I could think of, tell them all I had just completed a film, and ask if they’d please keep me in mind should they have or hear of any openings. Sometimes that strategy worked, but not as often as I would have liked. At dinner one night, Heidi told me I had to be more assertive in asking for what I want. I told her I’d be uncomfortable doing that. (So as you can see, the whole looking-for-work-is-uncomfortable-thing applies to me as well). Anyway, Heidi finally persuaded me to give it a try—to be more direct.

I think the trick for me has been in learning how to tactfully make a request without coming across as demanding or presumptuous. What I’ve learned, too, is that most of the time, people are happy to help you with specific requests, as long as they know what it is you need, and that saying “let me know if you hear of anything” is often just too vague.

At the time I had been freelancing as a production supervisor, and as many contacts as I had, I realized I didn’t know enough line producers (the people who hire production supervisors), and I didn’t know all the studio production executives in town (individuals who are in a position to recommend production supervisors). So the first thing I did was to invite two friends to join me for lunch, both of whom either know or regularly work with any number of line producers. Over lunch, I explained that I needed their help and asked if they’d each give me the names of five line producers they knew whom I might contact using their names as references. Bingo! Done! I got my list and started setting up general information meetings.

Of the studio executives I didn’t know, I was able to set up general information meetings with each of them, except two. From having worked at Orion some years back, I knew all the studio production heads were part of something called the “The Grog and Chowder Society,” and they met for regularly scheduled dinners to socialize and discuss common interests. Knowing that it was a fairly tight-knit group, I called the nicest production exec I knew to solicit his help. At the time, Bill Ewing was Senior Vice President of Production Administration for Sony Pictures. I had first met Bill a few years earlier, after having requested a general information meeting with him. I had stayed in touch, he had recommended me for a film at one time, and he very graciously agreed to meet with any number of my students each summer. Bill was one of those people I’d call whenever I finished a show, just to check in. So this time, instead of asking him to let me know should anything open up for me there, I asked if I could come see him. Being the great guy he is, he immediately scheduled a time for me to come in. Then once there, I explained my quest to meet the two other executives. He immediately picked up the phone, and in succession, got each of them on the line. His exact words were, “you’ve got to meet this woman!” He was my hero, and I was able to get my meetings. Heidi was my hero, too, because without her urging me to be more direct, I never would have asked for this type of help, nor would I have realized how much better this approach works.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Part of the job hunt is getting your name out there and finding ways to create memorable impressions. One way to do that is by using what the latest buzzword refers to as “branding.” Start by creating a company name for yourself, something that encapsulates all your endeavors and possibly your personality as well. Once you’ve thought up a name you’d like to use, see if it’s available by filing for a DBA (doing business as). Check with the county clerk’s office in your city. They can guide you through the process of creating a DBA. The information is available online as well. Just do a search under “Fictitious Business Name” and the name of your city. The cost runs somewhere between $20 and $30. Beware, however, that when you do the search, you’ll notice services that will do the filing for you. You can use them, but they’re more expensive, and the process is fairly simple to do yourself.

Once the DBA has been finalized, the next step in the branding process is to have a logo designed for your new company. There are a few ways to accomplish this. If you have a friend or relative who’s a graphic designer (or even claims to be one), you can ask him to design it for you. You can also go online and search for “logo design.” You’ll see a plethora of online logo design solutions such as www.execulogo.com, which offers original logo designs for a reasonable price. There’s also an affordable software package available called Logo Creator. This is an easy-to-use novice-friendly program for Mac or PC that guides you through creating your own custom logo.

Next, you’ll want to get an e-mail domain name. While you probably already have an e-mail address, having your own domain creates a more professional impression. There are a zillion places to research and register domains online, such as domain.com. The pricing options vary, as do the services each provides, so check around on the Internet before choosing one. Either way, you’ll want a domain that has your business name in it. With most of the registration services, when you type in your name, if it’s not available, they’ll offer you other options. For example, say the name of your company is XYZ Productions. If XYZProductions.com isn’t available, possibly XYZProductions.net or XYZProductions.tv might be or even XYZProd.com—you get the idea.

The best way to go about this is to have one company both register and host the name. Registering a domain is sort of like buying a mobile home. You can buy it from a dealer, but they won’t let you live there. Hosting is more like the place where you get to park your home. One good hosting and registering company is www.kyvon.com. They offer low-price e-mail hosting and registration services. Basic hosting will cost you about seven dollars a month. So once you register your domain, you now have an e-mail address that includes the name of your company. Say your name is Nathan and your company is (still) XYZ Productions—your e-mail address would then be [email protected] Owning your domain also means you have a website address, and using this same example, your website address would be www.xyzproductions.com. Whether or not you use it, it’s registered, and no one else can take it. If you want a site but aren’t a web designer, there is a myriad of resources for easy online designs. For instance, www.squarespace.com offers an easy web set-up service that walks you through the process. Their basic fee is around seven dollars a month.

Now you’ll want to have some business and note cards printed up with your new company name, logo, e-mail address and perhaps website address. Again, the magic of the Internet can help you out. A company called www.vistaprint.com has a good selection of predesigned cards and they can also print up your stationery, envelopes and post cards. Another business card service is www.overnightprints.com. They too have predesigned business card and post card options you can create online, or you have the option of uploading your own logo. Microsoft Word has some templates for stationery and envelopes you can drop your own logo into. Then there’s always your local print shop that specializes in letterhead, envelopes and business cards. I don’t suggest using the business card sheets you run through your inkjet printer. You may have this great logo, e-mail and website address, but homemade business cards just don’t look as professional (although when you’re in a pinch, they’re better than nothing).

The Film Industry Network logo is an analogous shark “FIN” with sprocket holes running down the sides of the fin, and the fin sits atop a slogan that reads: “Learn to swim with the sharks . . . but not as bait.” Both the logo and the slogan never cease to attract attention, and grabbing someone’s attention is always a good way to attract a potential new member. It’s no different with personal logos. Coming up with a clever name and logo can be challenging to say the least, but once you do, you’ve got one more tool to use to help other people remember who you are. The ultimate goal here is to create a “hook”—an idea or image that will cause someone you’ve previously met to be able to say, “Oh yeah, you’re the guy who . . . ” It’ll also allow you to be able to say, “Hi. I’m the guy who . . . ”

My friend Michael calls his company Moon Over Madness and his whimsical logo is a great yellow crescent moon sitting over the earth at night. My friend Dan calls his company Jet Propulsion Pictures, and his logo depicts a boy sitting in an old-style coinoperated rocket ship ride with JPP emblazoned on the tail fin and fire coming out of the exhaust. Dan has note cards with the same unique logo on front, and he puts them to good use. Upon meeting someone he’d like to stay in touch with at a networking function, seminar or social function, he suggests they exchange business cards. Dan will make a note on the back of the other person’s card, jotting down where they met, the date and any other pertinent pieces of information he’d like to remember about the person. Then later that evening or first thing the next day, he writes to that person using one of his personal note cards, letting him know he enjoyed meeting him and promising to be in touch soon to set up a subsequent conversation or perhaps a meeting for coffee or lunch.

My friend Stephen doesn’t use a company name, but he did create a killer business card for himself. The front of the card is a picture of him sitting in a director’s chair, on the phone, surrounded by equipment. It appears to be a candid someone took on the set one day; and it’s just a shot of him at work, but it’s so him.

Being that my hobby is still photography and I make my own photographic greeting cards, I’m a big one for sending out cards using some of my favorite photos. I use them for thank-yous and for just staying in touch. They’re different, they’re hand-made and they make an impression.

Whether you’re ready to brand yourself with a company name and logo, have come up with the perfect hook or send out unique note cards, the least you can do is get yourself some good quality, professional-looking stationery and have business cards made up with your name and contact information. The more creative the card, the better. Most people include a title or job description on their cards. What attracted me to Vivian VanLier when I was looking for someone to lecture on resume-writing was the title she used: The Resume Goddess. (Vivian uses different titles and explained that the goddess-one doesn’t work with corporate executives but does seem to attract a large percentage of her show biz clientele.) Many actors will include a headshot on their business cards. Make it creative and make it memorable. Also be sure to include at least an e-mail address and cell phone number, so you’re easily accessible. If you feel it necessary to include a mailing address but don’t want to list your home address, rent a mailbox.

Another attention-grabber is an attractive website. More and more industry professionals are creating their own websites that contain their bio, list of credits, photos of themselves on the job, clips of their work, etc. Another important calling card is a demo CD. Whether you’re a director, actor, cinematographer, special effects supervisor, editor, production designer, costume designer, makeup artist, visual effects supervisor, composer and/or sound designer, demo CDs are a worktool standard and a great way to promote your talent.

When it’s all said and done, and as mentioned in previous chapters, the very best way to land a job and make a lasting impression on others is to just do your best and be your best, no matter where you’re working or what you’re doing. If you shine, others will notice. If you’re passionate and have a great attitude, you’ll stand out in the crowd.