Re: Career Advice

This is my stupid advice to you. I don't know how old you are, but I am going to assume that you are young (under 30). Where would you like to work ? A local TV station ? An ad agency ? An in house corporate video place ? THEN GET A JOB THERE - doing ANYTHING. Be a nice guy, be friendly, go out of your way, tell them that you can do all their video work for them. Don't worry about how much you are getting paid. Work hard, and work cheap (real cheap) to get in. In three years, you will be making the salary you desire, because you will observe others will "move on" to other companies, and you will still be there.

I am very anti school. I don't give a crap about your masters degree, and education - neither do any employers. Most small struggling companies (including local TV affiliates) want CHEAP labor that can do the job. I see top qualified people being layed off, only to be replaced by younger cheaper people that can do the same job. The opportunites are there, if you have the knowlege and the willpower to stick with it and do the job, better than others. Most people are lazy.

For example, you know Premier. You don't know Final Cut Pro or AVID. Lets say you get into a company at a low wage, and they use Final Cut Pro. But you don't know it. Are you going to take it upon yourself to work nights and weekends to learn FCP, or are you going to wait until they send you for training ? Are you going to say "well, we just had a new baby, and I just don't have time to learn a new software program"- then you will fail, and ultimately wind up with a job at the US Post Office with benefits. Work your ass off, and you will succeed. Pick a company (or type of company) that you like, and just get in. Work hard, and you will move up quickly. Ignore people that are around you that are lazy - they will get fired, and you will move up, and be successful.

Bob Zelin