Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & Dale: I have no real experience. I’ve only worked for small businesses owned by relatives. I am a few years out of college, and aside from a monthlong seasonal gig, have had only a few interviews. I’m not sure there’s much hope left for someone with a bachelor of arts in radio-TV-film. – Justin
J.T.: You’re one of millions of college-educated young folks who are saying, “What went wrong?” The origin of this dilemma goes back to misguided assumptions you were taught at school, especially the one about education guaranteeing a career path and a good income. What to do now? What if I told you that you haven’t failed? In fact, your situation could be the best thing that ever happened to you. If the economy had been booming, you’d probably have taken a traditional job and climbed a career path, regardless of whether it was a fit for you. At some point, you’d have a crisis of confidence where you faced up to the fact that the “golden handcuffs” of a well-paying job were keeping you from trying something different. Instead of that future, you have, right now, the opportunity to rewrite the scripts in your head and get on a career path that will give you much greater satisfaction.
DALE: What you’re saying is: “Good news, Justin! You are having a midlife crisis 20 years early. You’re ahead of the game!”
J.T.: I suppose I am. After all, this is Justin’s chance to recognize that he’s a business of one who needs to identify a service to sell.
DALE: To do that, Justin, start by leaning on your TV-film professors to help you figure out what positions in the entertainment industry might suit your skills. Also, press them for introductions. After all, they’ve been living a soft life built upon exploiting young dreamers; it’s time for them to help you figure out where and how you can fit into an industry where the supply of graduates is many times the demand.
J.T.: Very few companies in any industry are hiring young college graduates right now; however, many of those same companies are hiring skills and talents. So, sell yourself to work on projects, not as an employee. If you can’t find anyone to buy your services, consider changing what you offer. Look at every failure as a victory in learning something new.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I would like to conduct an employment background check on myself. I’m curious to see what former employers will say about me. How do I go about it? – Joseph
J.T.: If you do an Internet search on the key words “self background check,” you’ll find many companies offering this service. It costs $20 and up, but is well worth the investment.
DALE: We often hear from people who are convinced that they’re being “blackballed” by some former boss. However, most employers don’t even conduct background checks until AFTER the interviews, sometimes after the job offer is made and accepted. The only thing that resembles being “blackballed” is if some a employer has stamped you with the dreaded “not eligible for rehire.”
J.T.: If that’s true, you want to know it up front. There’s even the remote chance that some identity fraud has occurred and that it could disqualify you from getting hired without you even knowing why. So, complete the check; then, if you encounter a negative reference, contact the company’s HR department and discuss whether the information they’re sharing is objective. Knowing any negatives lurking in your background check puts you in a position to alert poential employers to what they might learn, putting your spin on the situation.
