Where to go for a good mentor/forum

[braincase]

I am a newbie to this forum. But I've been around the block a few times in terms of life, if you know what I mean. This forum and most of the sf.com site for that matter seems to deal with specific technical questions which seem great.

But that's not what I am looking for right now. I have a lot of industry employment related questions about video, motion graphics and animation (2D &3D). I have no interest in being a filmmmaker - sorry no offense. I'm looking for advice that's career related and I don't want to start some flaming thread.

Before I start maybe someone can direct me to a forum that deals with that.

 

[jodymichelle]

Hello! You could post those kinds of questions here, or feel free to suggest a new category!

Animation
http://www.studentfilmmakersforums.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=7

3D Animation
http://www.studentfilmmakersforums.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=31

 

[Filmosity]

Re: Where to go for a good mentor/forum

I have a lot of industry employment related questions about video, motion graphics and animation (2D &3D). I have no interest in being a filmmmaker - sorry no offense.

No offense taken, but what makes you think you can't get the answers you're looking for here? Filmmaking is a very general term. Video, motion graphics ,and animation are all parts of filmmaking, and most people here have experience with video, not film. So I'm not really sure what you're looking for.

Besides, you'll never get an answer unless you ask a question.

Chris

 

[braincase]

Job search

Job search

Okay. Since everything is fair game here goes.

I recently was interviewed for a position and had more experience than the people (much younger) interviewing me. They seemed to obsess on the fact that even though I had used Illustrator up through version 10, I did not use CS2. It was for an editing position for gods sake. Illustrator is key when using AfterEffects but I don't get the big deal.
They brought me in because I use FCP, Premiere, AE, Flash, Dreamweaver, Indesign, Quark, and two years of editing experience, twenty years of design.

Artistic ability and NLE software skills seem not to matter to prospective employers. But years of experience does, and only in the exact same environment as Hiring entity and only if you are younger than the average worker. Which seems mutually exclusive to me.

Instructors blow smoke up my skirt telling me how great I am, but studios or employers will not give me the time of day or tell me what to work on. That's all I ask.

How do I get professional advice on my resume, reel, or potential?

 

[jodymichelle]

Obviously I don't know the situation, I can only give my two cents. If they work in CS2, they want someone who works in CS2. Then again, they might not have any other reason to give.

If you're not hired for a particular job, you could always ask the person who interviewed you why you weren't hired. The whole process of job hunting requires technique, strategy, persistence, deterimination, and a positive attitude. Every time you go on an interview, you might not be offered a particular position, but you are constantly networking, and although you may not get the exact job you applied for, that doesn't mean the opportunity for other opportunities stopped there.

Your resume obviously got you that particular interview. If you're not getting enough interviews, make sure you are sending out a lot of resumes. When you're job hunting, you could never send out too many resumes. The times I've hunted for jobs, I felt I was approaching it like no other human in the face of the earth. I probably sent out 100 resumes for breakfast, 100 resumes for lunch, 100 resumes for dinner, and 100 resumes as a midnight snack "every day".

If you feel your resume isn't a good representation of you, your career/background, or what you could do, your resume might need a makeover. If you feel your resume isn't saying really what you want to say to prospective employers about yourself, maybe it could use a rewrite.

Resume format isn't everything, but it's impressive when the layout, format, and language speaks to your audience, or your particular industry. For example, an RN's resume may have a different look and feel compared to a Software Developer/Programmer's resume. Although a resume is a form of a marketing tool, (marketing "you"), there is the interview process and follow-up.

Maybe there's nothing wrong with your resume. Maybe something comes up during the interview process.

Or maybe you do interviews great, and you just need to be more serious when it comes to "follow up."

Or maybe your resume is great, you're great at interviews, and you follow up with the works (thank you letters, 3 phone calls, and follow-up 1 to 3 months later or until that job listing comes down from the job bank).

What else could be wrong?

Maybe nothing! But maybe it's time to change job hunting strategies. Or maybe it's time to find other ways of getting visibility within your industry. For example, writing and publishing articles; improving or adding to your reel, portfolio, or website; going to industry tradeshows, conferences, and workshops; participating, demonstrating, or speaking at events; winning related-awards, competitions, and contests; working freelance, part-time, or on a contract-basis.

Job hunting really is a job in itself.

Maybe we should start a separate career/employment forum category. Lol.

 

[braincase]

Thanks Jodi,
you rock.

I'll be the first to admit that there could be something wrong with my: resume, portfolio, cover letters, interviewing skills, actual skills, follow-up, complexion, cell-phone ring tone, after shave and so on.

Getting feed back is like pulling teeth and often extremely contradictory. I just got off the phone with the head of Employment Resources at a school I recently attended and she said resume's shouldn't have detailed information about your professional history - details should be in your cover letter and your resume should be an advertisement about you. That's totally backwards from everything I have been trained.

It's much easier to learn software, edit, be creative, and produce great work than do the job search version of "rub your tummy, pat your head and jump up and down on one foot and while you're doing that, tell us if know how to edit, be creative and produce great work'.

 

[jodymichelle]

There's the perspective that one shouldn't get all wrapped up and overly focused on resume writing and style, cover letter writing and style, and interviewing technique and style; and if you've got the stuff, you've got the stuff, and if you're confident, it just shows. But with the competition in some industries, doing the extra work, being very focused in your job search, and having a strategy with goals will increase your opportunities and chances of being hired by the kinds of companies you want to work with and getting the kinds of jobs you really want.

Here's one simple solution. If you don't want to invest the time in becoming a prize-winning resume writer, hire someone or ask someone to rewrite your resume for you, or ask people you know, (friends and family who will give you real answers), for their feedback.

Paying someone to write a resume always seemed to me an easy solution, although I've never paid anyone to write my resume for me. I have, on the other hand, rewritten resumes for other people.

Regarding cover letters, I've heard that you always need them, and I've heard that you never them.

You might want to test it out -- how many and what kinds of companies respond when you have a cover letter, and how many and what kinds of companies respond when you don't have a cover letter.

But don't let things like the above keep you from doing what you actually do -- and that is... (Are you an animator? An editor? A designer?)

Again, if you don't want to invest so much time becoming a prize-winning cover letter writer, you could always hire someone to write the cover letter for you, ask someone to write it for you, or ask people to give you their opinion of what you've written.

Your portfolio -- always update it and make improvements to it. Do you have it online right now? Where is your URL? Enjoy developing and building your portfolio because if you don't care about it, it probably won't represent the best of your skills.

Regarding interviewing skills -- you just always have to be prepared for any question that might be asked, have confidence in yourself, and be yourself.

Actual skills -- if you're talking, for example, about the CS2 thing, ... you know Illustrator and not CS2 but a requirement is CS2,... I'm sure if you know Illustrator, you could pick up CS2 real quick.

To increase your chances and speed of getting hired or getting job offers, you might want to first hit all the job listings that match your skills more exactly first. And/or you could customize your resume to highlight better the requirements that you do meet.

You could also ask for help from temp agencies, employment agencies, and head hunters.

Follow-up -- do it. Till you're blue in the face, but don't let it show that you're blue in the face. Make sure that you always have a positive attitude, but really honestly keep a positive attitude because if you interview or follow up with even the slightest negative attitude, people will notice. If you're about to give up or tired in your job search, people will be able to sense that. Stay positive and always have confidence in yourself.

 

[braincase]

Jodi:
again you rock. And excellently written, as well.

However I have two comments.
1)You wrote - You could also ask for help from temp agencies, employment agencies, and head hunters.
I've tried that. Nadda. 80% of all work in this town is web. 17% gaming. 2% other. And all the temp agencies decide whether they can turn a trick using you in the 80% area.

This second point is more of an admission than request for advice.
2) you wrote "don't let things like the above keep you from doing what you actually do -- and that is... (Are you an animator? An editor? A designer?) "

Well, I have 17-18 years as a print Graphic Designer, 2 yrs in interactive training for CD using Macromedia Authorware plus some Flash for that too, while also doing corp. video with Premiere and After Effects. But I've spent the last 2 years editing in FCP, doing motion graphics with After Effects, cartooning, animation, 3D with Maya.

I know what you're thinking - creative goolash, (ie. the whole refridgerator in one meal.)
Okay so maybe that's my problem. I'm a Giraffalope and nobody knows what to do with me. Or more to the point "How good is he at anyone of those things?"

I'd prefer to get into animation and Motion Graphics more, but there is a much smaller market for just that, here. So I am trying to be all things to all people so I can keep the groceries commin.

 

[jodymichelle]

Regarding temp agencies, employment agencies, and head hunters, you could use all the back up you could get, but I know what you mean - it depends on your industry and location.

The power of the web. Have you tried online job banks like HotJobs, Monster, CareerBuilder, NYTimes, Craigslist, Mandy, and any-and-all industry-related online job banks and industry websites that have job classifieds, help wanted, and resume post sections?

Do you have a website?

Prospective employers who ask, "How good is he at anyone of those things?" can easily check it out for themselves if you have your work online.

You said: "I know what you're thinking - creative goolash, (ie. the whole refridgerator in one meal.) Okay so maybe that's my problem. I'm a Giraffalope and nobody knows what to do with me."

Going back to resume and interviewing technique, don't let having a lot of different skills work against you; don't let your resume scream, "jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none"; and when you interview, don't make people think that they won't know what to do with you.

Actually writing and rewriting and reorganizing your own resume can help you to organize your own thoughts, go over your own career path, and make sure that you have a career path, focus, and direction. Going over those things over and over again can better help you to prepare for interviews. You know what you're strengths are, and you're prepared to talk about them. People who interview you for jobs want to know your career path and want to know that you have one for yourself. If your career path is not clear or not translated clearly or not communicated clearly, maybe you're right, maybe people will think that they won't know what to do with you, especially if you don't know what to do with yourself. Hypothetically speaking.

If you're still in career-change mode, and you haven't completely switched over due to bills that need to be paid, you might want to rethink your career path because you don't want to be forever in limbo. Maybe you need to go where the jobs are, or atleast apply to jobs that are in other cities, states, and countries to see all your options. Or find more solid options and solutions that work with your career path.

 

[JimT]

Job Hunt

Job Hunt

Hi,
I thought you might like a reaction from a different perspective. I have my own production company and over the years I have hired many editors for various types of projects. It could be that your not being selected for a job has less to do with you and more to do with the employer's preconceived notion of the person s/he is looking for. I know that I was guilty of that many times. I would have a certain type of personality in mind for a job because of the people the new hire would be working with. When interviewing, I usually had an abundance of qualified applicants, so I had to rely on other factors when look for someone who stood out from the crowd. So, it may not be the resume or portoflio or reel---it could be just luck. And in this business, luck usually plays a part in most careers. JimT

 

[Dan Selakovich]

In the editing or animation field, it's all about the reel. If you're not sending out your reel with every resume, then it's time to start. And make sure it's the best you can possibly do!

On a side note, I used to be a feature film/TV editor. In the days of film the producers would want to know what you had worked on and who for, and they'd call up everyone you ever worked for to see how skilled you were and if you were easy to work with. When Avid came into the scene, they'd just ask: which Avid do you own? They could care less if you knew how to edit. A sad thing.

Dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com

 

[markcheng]

just read this whole thread...nice stuff. Jody, will you be my mentor too?? :lol:
braincase, have things turned around since you posted?

my 2 cents: I work in for MTV/Viacom in their Nick Online division that houses web development, graphic design, and online game development for many of the comp's properities. to get in the door for an interview, you rez has to be killer with apps and skills you're fluent with, but from what i've seen, personality is what gets you an invite to join the team. so much of this stuff is collaborative work and we all know how important good chemistry is to sustaining a creative and positive vibe.