WORKING IN SHOWBIZ

GETTING A JOB

Emailing resumes is almost a waste of time. Filling out online forms is also a zero sum game, you have to do it, but of itself it’s hard to cut through the crowd. I’m going to suggest something you may find hard to do.

Knock on the door. Put on your best show face, make sure you look ‘right’, and go on a journey. Visit venues, production companies, and places crew get hired. Your best shot is to be prepared to start at the bottom.

Take your SINGLE page CV with your photo on it, so they remember whose CV it is. Your pitch: “Hi, I’m looking for trainee or junior work starting at the bottom. I’m ready to do anything, sweep floors, whatever. Do you have any jobs open?”

If negative, “Do you have someone I can talk to?” Then if no, “may I please leave my CV with you, to pass along?”

I’ll tell you now, the number of people who do this are very few, and they are all remembered. A good short cut is to list yourself with one of the many crewing agencies out there. They need numbers, and once you are doing a load in, see if you can navigate yourself onto the team that has your tech of interest.

Be keen, listen before you speak, be proactive, and remember names. Your name? I’m lucky, I’m ‘Julius – like Caeser’. They remember that. Maybe you’re ‘Helen – like Troy’. Or some- such. Maybe you need to create a memorable nickname. How many John Smiths are out there? Or Lisa Nguyen?

Working on payroll requires you have all your ‘numbers’ on hand: tax file, superannuation account details, tickets and licences, Working with Children Check. Keep all your records together, on your phone.

Consider visiting a second doctor every now and then, for mundane stuff, if you have any ‘conditions’. Keep those away from the doctor whose records may end up with your employer. Keep ‘conditions’ with a doctor who doesn’t put them on the National Register.

Don’t disclose anything unless asked. Listen before you speak. Be prepared to sign a 30 page contract. Read it. Chances are it will have stuff that is semi-unreasonable; like maybe a non-compete (if you are headed into a sales role) which can sometimes be contested after you leave.

If there is ‘commission’, how is it determined and how is it reviewed – and when? How thorough is the job description, roles and responsibilities? Chances are your position will not accurately reflect these, so be flexible.

Pay attention to the social media rules. Chances are no posts about work unless positive and even these could be a breach of policy.

You hear about the bad stuff within employment but generally most jobs are fine, some are brilliant, and just a few are toxic. One AV integrator that works across several states has GREAT and also TERRIBLE Glassdoor reviews. Any employer with that kind of binary range should be a red flag.

None of us are here for the money – a full time venue tech with at least five year’s experience will earn between $60 and $75K before overtime. Casual rates are running $29 to $40 an hour. The money is rubbish. We’re here for the roar of the greasepaint, and the smell of the crowd, right?

Finally, I told my diploma students at my college that having done the year and achieved the diploma, walking away from our industry wasn’t failure. Failure is to pass up a chance, to wonder ‘what if?’ Deciding not to work in an industry like ours, with crazy hours, poor work life balance, and difficulty managing a relationship let alone a family, is a considered choice. That’s not failure.

That concludes our series.

Feel free to email me: juliusmedia@me.com