 We work with many clients seeking to make a career transition out of entertainment, and we’re often asked “what industry should I pivot to?” Our answer is always that it’s a very personal decision based on your individual skills, interests, financial goals, location desires, family obligations, and ability to return to school. There’s no one-size-fits all approach to a career transition! That said, there are some common paths we’ve seen our clients land on and thrive in. We’ve rounded up the top sectors here, and if you’re looking to make a transition but don’t know where to start, consider if any of these options sound exciting to you. (And if they don’t – that’s totally okay – there are tons of careers out there!). Live Events. Producing large-scale live events or planning corporate or personal events utilizes a lot of the same skills as producing content. You’ll need to ideate an event concept or theme, hire vendors and event staff, source decor and other rentals, solve last-minute problems, map out a schedule, and make sure everything runs smoothly on site. Corporate Video / Advertising. Many brands are leaning more into video for their internal communications and marketing. The same skills that go into making film and TV content apply here – writing scripts, directing shoots, creative collaboration, overseeing production, editing, and supervising post-production. There are opportunities both at content agencies servicing a roster of clients as well as internally at the brands themselves, as many companies are bringing creative services in-house. Recruiting. Recruiting is similar to casting -- you’re looking to match the right talent to the right role. In these roles, you’ll scout for potential job candidates, tapping into those online research skills you’ve used to find new reality stars or influencer talent. You’ll also work closely with hiring managers to vet candidates, conduct interviews, provide selects, liaise with the applicant pool, and support contract negotiations. Sales. Sales is less of an industry and more of a role type - practically every field needs salespeople! But these roles employ a lot of the same skills development executives, producers, agents, and managers use already. Think: curating prospective client lists (like compiling writer/director/talent lists), building and maintaining relationships, creating pitch decks and proposals (like treatments!), and pitching in the room. Video Games / Board Games / Experiential Content. There are so many new avenues for storytellers, as the landscape of stories expands. These sectors can be pretty tough to break into but may scratch that same creative itch as film and TV. Video games and interactive AR/VR experiences need writers, directors, producers, and talent. Similarly, board games often have writers and creative teams, as do escape rooms. Design. If your expertise is in the visual arts, there may be avenues in design that spark your interest! Graphic design, data visualization, and UX/UI design are all growing sectors, and if you know the right software, your eye for visual aesthetics, project management, and client relations skills may apply really well to these roles. Interior design is also a potential avenue if you have experience with art departments and client relations. Project Management. Production management is a form of project management -- making sure you have the right people assigned to the right tasks, creating schedules and roadmaps, allocating budgets, overseeing deliverables, and communicating with executives or clients to refine project scopes and get feedback. This is a very obvious transition in terms of your skill set, but you will likely need to invest in professional development to make yourself attractive to hiring managers in this competitive field. For example, you may want to learn specific software (like Jira, Airtable, Asana, ClickUp, Insightly, etc.), principles of Agile project management, basic business practices, and basic tech systems/coding principles. Making a career transition is a big decision. If it’s something you’re thinking about, be sure to connect with people in the fields/roles that interest you to learn more about what they do and build your network. The possibilities are endless, and we encourage you to take time to really think about what will make you happy professionally, so you can find the right path for you. -- Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan For several months now, we’ve seen a dramatic slow-down in work across the entertainment industry (not to mention a plethora of layoffs), and with the current writers’ strike, things are really uncertain. It’s possible that some areas of the industry – like reality TV, animation, and independent film – will see an uptick in work, but we don’t know what the future of the business will look like as this all plays out. This moment is big, and the feelings that go along with it (ranging from outrage to fear to anxiety to kinship to hope and everything in between) are totally valid. There’s a lot going on right now that’s beyond any individual’s control, even as the industry’s shift affects each of us very personally. The good news is that there are some things that are in your control. In fact, while work is slow, there’s an opportunity to focus on the things you don’t usually have time for when you’re putting in 10-12 hour days. Here are some ideas for how to invest in your professional future when the industry’s future is so uncertain. Cultivate your personal brand. Look over your LinkedIn, StaffMeUp, IMDB, and other profiles and make sure they are up to date with your current professional story. You can also build or refresh your personal website, reels, and portfolios. Think about how you want people in the industry to view you and your work, and hone in on what makes you unique. If you’ve been meaning to share your expertise with the world as a thought leader or mentor, you can take this moment to create content and/or collaborate with industry organizations to offer your wisdom through mentorship programs or panels. Re-evaluate your long-term goals. We recommend doing a personal inventory every 6 months or so to make sure you’re still passionate about your work, and now is the perfect moment to think critically about your future. Are the dreams you had when you first started out in the industry the same dreams you have now? Do you like the work you’ve been doing? Is there something else that interests you? Have you been circling the idea of making a career transition but aren’t sure where to start? Check out our free resource, “Essential Questions to Guide Your Job Search,” a helpful tool for digging into what makes you tick professionally and personally, or reach out to schedule a career coaching session for a more personalized approach. Take a professional development course to learn a new skill. We’re big proponents of lifelong learning, and with so many online courses, it’s easier than ever to develop new skills. You can learn a new software, or explore an area of the industry that’s interested you but never quite applied to your day-to-day work (audience metrics, marketing, screenwriting, improv, film finance, etc.). You can also take courses in areas of interest that don’t have anything to do with your career, but may make you a better storyteller by understanding a niche topic. We also offer a suite of learning opportunities to help you cultivate skills to improve your job search, like our resume and cover letter writing course, Hollywood Resumes Essentials and our hour-long webinars, The Hollywood Job Search, LinkedIn for Your Entertainment Career, and Applying for Entertainment Jobs. Work on your passion project. You may not be able to do work for the major studios and signatory companies right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to put your creativity on hold! You can still write a screenplay, as long as you don’t send it out to signatory companies. You can shoot an indie film or web series. Write that memoir. Shoot that photography series. Develop a reality show pitch. Practice your stand-up routine. Create those dream hair and makeup looks for your social feeds. Record a podcast. It’s possible none of this will make you any money, but you never know, and in the meantime, you will feed your soul. Start a side hustle. Money is important, and you may need to lean on other sources of income if your area of the industry is at a hiring standstill. It’s totally okay to take on side gigs – don’t worry about how they’ll look on your resume down the line, as you may not even need to include them. Just like in 2008 and 2020, gaps from times when the industry wasn’t hiring are very explainable to employers. If you have that entrepreneurial spirit, you may also consider creating your own business or consultancy, whether it’s industry-adjacent or totally outside. We know that this strike affects each of us differently, but we are all impacted in one way or another – you’re not alone. But you also don’t have to wait for permission or external opportunities to take control of your career. You have that agency right now, even when things are slow. And we’re here to help, however we can. -- Angela Silak & Cindy KaplanIt’s time for summer internship applications! If you (or a college student in your life who would benefit from a quick forwarding of this newsletter) are looking for an internship this summer, you probably know to check the major studios’ and networks’ careers pages for their formal programs. Working for one of the big players in town is a great experience, but working at a smaller company can be a great experience, too. At a smaller company, you’ll likely get more one-on-one time with your supervisor and more creative, higher-level responsibilities. And if you’re interested in a niche area of the industry, you may want to spend the next few months getting hands-on experience at a smaller firm dedicated to that niche.
But where do you find these roles? Most smaller companies don’t have careers pages on their websites, if they have robust websites at all! Some job boards will get postings from smaller firms – entertainmentcareers.net, tracking-board.com, trackingb.com, and Hollylist are good places to start. The UTA joblist is also a good resource – you can find it on The Anonymous Production Assistant blog or through contacts in the industry. (Note: we are not affiliated with these sites; we are sharing them as a resource but cannot vouch for particular postings, paid subscription tiers, or other content you may find on them). Another great place to look is on tracking boards or social media. We recommend you search on your platform of choice for groups or accounts to follow with a simple keyword search. A good place to start is Film and TV Production Jobs & Internships on Facebook, but there are many others, often organized around locations or affinity groups. Check out The Hivemind Unified for additional resources and groups that may suit your particular career interests and community affiliations. You can also ask your college career center for introductions to alumni in the industry. Alums from your school may work at small companies who are open to hiring interns, even if they don’t have a formal program. If there’s a company you’re particularly enthusiastic about, but you don’t have any leads, you can see if anyone in your network can introduce you, or send a cold email explaining your interest and inquiring if they have any internship opportunities available – they may say no, because internships can be complicated to supervise, but they may also be happy to make space for an enthusiastic student. If you’ve had internships before, you can also reach out to your former supervisor and let them know what you’re looking for this summer. They may have a good lead for you, or be willing to send your resume along to their network with a great recommendation (assuming, of course, that you were an excellent intern!). Keep in mind that smaller companies tend to hire later in the semester and can even bring someone on once the summer’s already started, as they tend to have less formal programs and flexible timelines. It’s okay if the process takes a little longer with a little more sleuthing – it can be well worth the wait!  How many of us have heard the tired adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” That, and “the only way to get your foot in the door is by being a talent agency assistant” are the first pieces of advice given to every Hollywood hopeful, and you’ll hear echoes of them even as you climb the ladder. But only one of them is true. Since this newsletter is about networking myths, you might be surprised to learn that the first one is the true one. Indeed, networking is critical to success in Hollywood. But how networking works is often misrepresented. For example, there are other ways to grow your network that don't involve working at an agency (and we're living proof that you don't need to start at an agency to have a successful Hollywood career!). Here are three misconceptions about networking that our clients struggle with and how to reframe them: 1. Networking requires hustling. Hustling can take many forms – joining a ton of professional organizations, attending lots of events, scheduling lunches and drinks every day, etc. If you have the energy for that, great. But many of us don’t, either because we’re introverted, exhausted from work, or busy with personal, family, or community needs. There are plenty of ways to build your network that are far less intense. First of all, “network” is just a fancy word for the people you know, and you likely meet people all the time! Your current and former coworkers and colleagues from external partner teams are all part of your network, and you don’t need to be best friends with them outside of work to ask for a job referral or warm intro – you just need to be a consummate professional, friendly, and good at your job when collaborating with them on a project. Your industry friends who you already choose get together with on weekends are also in your network -- and a critical element, at that. The people you meet in yoga class, or through volunteer work, or at your kid’s school are all in your network. Build natural relationships with the people already in your sphere, and try to give to them as much as you’d ask for. Steve from your gym mentions that his daughter is looking for internships? Offer to do an informational interview. Your coworker Kelly had a medical emergency and needs you to write the first draft of the presentation? Do it with a smile and text her that you hope she heals soon. And when it comes time for you to need a favor, don’t fall prey to myth #2… 2. Asking for help is a sign of weakness. Asking for help is vulnerable, but that’s not a bad thing! We work in a social industry that’s known for people hiring their friends and those who come as “trusted” recommendations. Getting a job through a referral isn’t a reflection of your lack of merit or your inability to succeed standing on your own two feet. Rather, it’s a reflection that you understand the system of Hollywood and are well-liked enough that people want to help you. Even if you believe this system is flawed, it’s okay to work within it while you work to change it. 3. Your network is tapped out, and/or you don’t know anyone who’s in a position to help you. Have you ever thought “None of my friends can help me!” or “I can’t ask anyone for a favor, because they won’t help!”? This kind of thinking is super common, but it’s your inner critic talking, not reality. Not only does this kind of thinking minimize your value, it also minimizes your friends’ generosity. To reframe this negative voice, consider what your response would be if a friend, former colleague, or Steve from the gym reached out to you. Would you help them if you could? If so, why should you expect that they’d be less giving toward you? Perhaps they’ll even be delighted to hear from you and excited to support you – plenty of people enjoy paying it forward, and even from a purely selfish standpoint; it helps them “bank” a favor with you. Even if you think your friends don’t know anyone, let them be the ones to tell you that – maybe the editor you worked with on your last show happens to have kept in touch with someone from his internship back in college who’s now the head of the department you’re hoping to work for at your dream company! People’s careers move in all sorts of directions, people’s circles are wider than you might think, and most people are willing to help others. The bottom line is: Networking doesn’t have to be icky, hard, exhausting, or limiting. If you approach the process as engaging in symbiotic relationships with the people around you – aka being a good human, colleague, and friend – it will come a lot more naturally and yield better results. -- Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan |
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