The Pitfalls of Working in the Entertainment Industry

I think most people within the industry and outside of it can be blinded by the glitz and the glamour of what we do at work each day. There's horror stories, drama, and no shortage of problems that give us pride when we are able to solve them and overcome insurmountable obstacles. The industry isn't for the faint of heart and it takes a particular personality to survive it. The pitfall is revealed once a person leaves their oyster or tries to explore life outside of Hollywood and the entertainment industry. I'll give you three examples.

1) A friend of mine in marketing left his job to relocate. He had a great, cushy job at a studio and decided he wanted to be closer to family so he quit without having anything lined up. He had risen in his career to the mid-level management and has almost been doing his job for 10 years at other well-known companies. His hometown doesn't have an entertainment industry or anything near it although he lives in a major city. As he's been interviewing everyone would ask him the same questions. Did he know about PNL and if he had a MBA. It got to the point where he realized he had no "real world business skills" that were universal to all businesses. His entire career was in entertainment and what he did there was less about money compared to most people in his role at other comparable non-entertainment companies. He got to the point where he decided he had to go back to school.

2) Another friend of mine worked in accounting and collections in the entertainment industry. Before she got too comfortable and old, she thought she needed to leave entertainment and learn what else was out there. She's been working in sales and her business has soared where she gained a lot of valuable skills as Project Manager and overseeing people, working with clients directly, selling them her creative ideas through pitch meetings, and learning how to use programs like Illustrator which she never had exposure to, among numerous others. She likened her Hollywood career to the fun General Ed classes in college that dodn't really prepare you for anything, but were fun and challenging nonetheless.

3) As I'm interviewing around town, I've noticed a lot of roles require expert-level usage of software programs that me or my supervisors never had to use - Quickbooks, Powerpoint, and Excel or bookkeeping, accounting, and sales-related skills. We know how to use the programs on a basic level for expense reports, but the nature of a high-level executive assistant isn't to create decks or spreadsheets or to sell a product. Our bosses are the buyers so they listen to the presentations or on the rare chance that a presentation needs to be made, the CEO approves whatever his Director or executive put together. Our bosses buy films, tv shows, and ideas. Even my role with executive producers - most people would think I have experience with script coverage, notes, or development. However, my EP's were truly focused on E part, overseeing the P part from our CE's. My career is in a niche within a niche. I oversee my CEO's time and update him on the status of projects he inquires about. I'm don't so much as deliver tangible items like memos, reports, and data. I more or less work with the intangible things like managing his time, schedule, and delivering on his requests by carrying out actions he can't. I'm more of a project manager, point person, gate keeper, office manager, problem-solver, and overall go-to person. I am truly his right (and left) hand!

A majority of the positions don't have a straight career path or training program which means it's a little bit more difficult to transfer and explain your job to non-Hollywood people and how it would compare to a role they are trying to fill. Being a location manager, a producer, a celebrity personal assistant doesn't have a uniform job description and skill set. These jobs are very soft skill based whereas most non-Hollywood careers rely upon what you really studied in college. Being in the entertainment industry teaches one how to manage crises, solve complex problems, and work with people from all backgrounds in the most varied situations and locations . As they say, the only thing you need to survive is sheer determination and will. But how can I put that on my resume?

Writer's Block

It's already 425pm and I couldn't really think of anything to write. I'm looking forward to Monday. I have something after work. One of my newest recruiters called some of my references and was really pleased. I am pretty happy he's my recruiter; he's very good at personalized attention and tailoring comments to me specifically. I have a busy week ahead of me as usual. Sometimes, despite a busy day, there's not much to share, or knowledge to impart, or a lesson to be learned. I won't fret my blog today will be very short. But I did want to write to make the effort. Instead, I'll end with a quote...

"For learning to take place with any kind of efficiency students must be motivated. To be motivated, they must become interested. And they become interested when they are actively working on projects which they can relate to their values and goals in life."

- Gus Tuberville, President, William Penn College

Indoor Rock Climbing Helps My Career

Anyone who knows me well knows I hate taking risks, unless they are very very calculated. I also am not very daring when it comes to sports and hobbies. Oddly, I've always wanted to try indoor rock climbing and finally did last December. It was such a thrill and quite cerebral too.

I didn't really know what to expect and figured I'd either totally love it or totally hate it. I don't have a great fear of heights so I wasn't too concerned about that. I'm pretty petite so I was more concerned about the strength I may not have for it. I think more than anything was any embarrassment I might have in not doing well since it was a group of six and I knew one person only slightly. For those of you that have never done indoor rock climbing, the surprising element to me was how strategic and emotionally, psychologically, and physically challenging it was.

When I first tried it in December, I chose not to go first because I wanted to see other people go to get a better idea of what to expect. When it was my turn and I started to climb, I was surprised at how much I needed to plan my next move. I do this in my job every day and it's one of the elements I love including the problem-solving aspects. Except with rock climbing, my face is only a few inches from the wall and I can't get an objective of where all the rocks are because my vision is so limited. So as I'm hanging on the wall for dear life, I realize for me to use my legs to push me upward I need a rock to stabilize each of my hands. So I know where I want to place my first leg, but I either can't stretch my arm far enough to reach the next rock or I can't see anything because I'm too close to the wall. Sometimes I'll alter where I think my foot should go and I try to reach for a different rock as a Plan B to find it's too small to grasp, or too oddly-shaped to hold onto, or it leads me to a path that has less rocks further along the wall that it's not good to take. And as I scale the wall, I have to make sure I have a rock for each of my four limbs and I have constantly assess my next move and test out rocks as I go.

Quick thinking, short-term, and long-term outlooks, and pacing are essential. However, the longer I take to think through a decision and pick a rock, the more tired I get. And if I don't choose the right rock, I risk swinging wildly from my rope as the entire indoor gym looks on. LOL And so I have pace myself - mentally, emotionally, and physically so I can get in a good climb. There are so many things to think of and keep track of which makes it so fun and challenging. More than anything, rock climbing is a feat of inner power because for first-timers like me, you get to a point where you want to give up.

I just went climbing again this past weekend for the second time. And I had all the same reactions I did the first time. Am I still strong enough to do it? Will I be just as scared? Yes and yes. For me, I've realized I get scared at the same times. It happens when I become too tired and physically exhaust myself from hanging on some rocks and I can't reach my next rock because I'm much shorter than the average person at 5ft tall. It also happens on my first climb of the day when I realize I've scaled more than half the wall and if I freak out mentally at how high I am and for 5 secs I envision I could fall, even though I'm in a harness and safety straps with the best instructor and spotter behind me. I think that's more biological where I fear heights and death. But I remind myself if it was too risky, I wouldn't have willingly chosen to be 2 stories off the ground. So I take a deep breath, calm myself, and my fear goes away.

Inevitably, I'll just get stuck where I can't see any options and I have to yell to my team mates below to help me. They'll point out rocks near my knees or my torso that are hidden from view that I can try. They will yell out strategies on where to place my hands or to grip a rock a certain way or sometimes even with both hands. They will even yell words of encouragement or praise after a difficult maneuver. Except as they're yelling you have to process their verbal commands into action and translating all their yelling in your mind to see visually what they want you to do is added work and stress.

And last, the fear still comes when I've reached the top of the wall and I have to rappel down. Rappelling down is hard because your first instinct is to climb down the wall but you realize it doesn't work. So having to relax your body and only hold onto the rope and jump out and away from the wall all the way down when you can't see behind you and below you as you descend is scary.

By my second climb this past weekend, I was fine. I actually did 5 climbs and some of them were really tricky. I'm glad I didn't get bent out of shape or get caught up in any emotions. I treated each climb as its own beast and had an open attitude full of anticipation each time.

Rock climbing provides a good challenge and stress that I'm not getting at a lot of my temp gigs. It tests me and my stamina to put myself in difficult situations where I don't know the clear cut answer and I have to trust I'll get out of it. I have to push myself to get through the climb and reach the top. And once I come down I have to go back and do it again a couple more times on different paths. It teaches me teamwork and trusting my spotter. And that even when I'm sitting and watching others climb, I should observe their technique, which paths they took, and how we all encourage them to do their best and provide suggestions. Rock climbing makes me a stronger person and gives me a sense of empowerment and accomplishment at the day's end even if I had to get help from friends. I tried, gave it my best, and made it through another exhausting day with my joy of rock climbing still enact. I look forward to my next excursion whenever it may be.

3 Signs of Good Corporate Culture

I've been extremely fortunate in all of my jobs in my career. I have worked for the most down-to-earth, egoless, kind people. In my industry, this seems like an exception to the rule, although good business sense dictates this is how supervisors and colleagues should be for the best work environment and professional relationships.

It's very hard to read the corporate culture of a company unless you're already working there and have been there for awhile. I always believed one year at a company will give you a full picture since you're able to observe when the company experiences down time in the summer or has insane deadlines during periods of peak productivity. Only time will tell is the correct adage in this case.

I have noticed three criteria of a good company during my years as a staff member and freelancer/contractor before getting hire, while working there, and upon finishing a contract job.

1) Good companies ask you to meet with as many people as possible during the interview process.

I've had a few interviews where not only did I meet with 3-4 people from HR, but also met with 4-5 colleagues. For each of those groups, I interviewed with people of all levels of seniority from my peers to the the most senior executive. Sometimes I'll meet each person individually or have group interview sessions where I have to field questions from a couple people.

I've always noticed that the best teams and companies do this because they have such a positive and encouraging work environment with very good work chemistry that they are always cautious who to admit in case it ruins the group dynamic. It's also a good way to see how applicants can interact in group settings or one-on-one. Sometimes, if you meet with people on an individual basis, the last person will most often tell you that it's just a mere formality to meet because everyone else already gave the thumbs up. I've also heard of companies making an entire day of interviewing you by having you meet people one-on-one with a group lunch, then the tour of the grounds and meeting a couple more people before they wrap up the day.

2) Good companies will offer to give you an annual review even if you're a contract worker with a very short contract.

When I was first asked if I wanted one, I said yes immediately even though I wasn't sure what there would be to discuss seeing how new I was to the company. However, I agreed to it as a way to open the doors of communication and to set a precedence in case I ended up being there longer or was given another contract with them in the future. It never hurts to sit down with people and do a status update. At the very least, I would get to know my boss more and vice versa. At the very best, we could discuss better working strategies or bounce around suggestions for the next time they would need to hire someone by getting my opinion of being an outsider.

(On a related note, I did learn outsiders can have an advantage. I've interviewed for jobs where they specifically wanted someone qualified, but not from within the company to bring in new ideas, suggestions, and provide a objective eye on the company and its innerworkings to enhance any possible outdated ways of conducting business.)

3) Good companies hire people that are gracious, helpful, and happy.

Whenever I finish a job, I send out thank you cards to everyone I've met and interacted with. I've written up to 300 cards by hand for a single position on more than one occassion. The interesting thing is noting between the different companies I've worked at, how many people either tell me they got the card and really liked it and ask to keep in touch or if they even say anything at all. I've worked at places where maybe 10% say something and I've worked at places where 30% of the people follow up with me and acknowledge my thank you card. Even more surprising are the people who on their own accord offer to pass on my resume to others and to help me out. I've even been on job interviews where I wasn't the right fit, but they would connect me with their friends at other companies that might have something for me.

While I understand most people are very busy, I do think it speaks well for the companies where 30% of them let me know they got my card and really appreciated it. It was very kind of them to take the 30 secs to email me and say thank you back. It's the little things that matter!

As I job hunt for the RIGHT position, I'm always curious how I can make sure I end up at another company where the people are happy, positive, and fun to work with. Please share!

My Reflections of 9/11

The year 9/11 happened, I was actually living in New York for the summer. I won a prestigious fellowship with the International Radio & Television Society. I say won because it really was like winning the lottery. Every year 35 college students are picked from across the nation. Hundreds apply for a chance at living rent-free in New York, getting an entertainment internship, a paycheck, access to network with all the big wigs in the city, expenses-paid dinners, concerts, and activities, and the chance to be groomed through what I call entertainment boot camp. The process was long and arduous. You had to apply a year in advance, fill out a 20-page questionnaire, write a personal essay, and pass 2 phone interviews. I later found out the year I applied over 1000 people applied. I was one of the lucky few to be chosen and only the 2nd or 3rd to attend from my university since its inception.

Luckily for me, the duration of the fellowship was only June through August. I left about 2 weeks before 9/11 hit although others chose to stay behind. Although New York wasn't the place for me to settle down, I did enjoy the city and living there. Who could argue with living 30 floors off the ground in the NYU Water Street dorms across from South Street Seaport at the end of the hall with the view of the bridges and the water? The view was magnificent, the dorms were nice, and most of all, it was completely free to me and I was getting paid to be in New York to learn!

From my time there, I made friends and one of them was a NYC EMT. We were the same age and had become good friends. The morning of 9/11 I was back in California and was up very early in the morning for some reason. It's really strange that I just decided to wake up as I'm a night person and only wake up when I have to. That day, I had no reason to be up, especially that early. And I turn on the TV and watch the horrific scenes unfold. So I call my friend and he's actually making his way down there. I'm worried about him, about the people I know in NYC, and I feel so helpless. The traffic was so bad it took hours for him to arrive so he didn't witness the early stages of it and only the aftermath.

The news coverage, even online, was obviously extensive and I'll always remember a photo of a Mrs. Field's store front that had people running for their lives. There was chaos, dust, debris, and fear written on their faces. And when I saw that picture I recognized immediately that it was the one right near where I lived and where we hung out. And how just a few weeks prior to that photo being taken, I was there on that street, in that neighborhood and how we always looked up to the Twin Towers to find our way back home on our many walking tours of NYC instead of taking a cab home.

I haven't been back to NYC since. I still know people there and they always ask me to come visit, but a part of me is scared to see and experience directly the enormity of the situation and the loss of my glorious, innocent experience living in NYC. I have so much joy and gratefulness about my experience there that to see Ground Zero would tarnish my image of New York in my mind's eye and color it with depressing hues.

My IRTS Fellowship prepared me for post-grad life, my career, and adulthood and was the first of many amazing experiences to come. It's been 8 years already and right or wrong, I don't know if I'll ever go back... I just have no desire.

Insights From A Recruiting Perspective

I've held a handful of positions relating to recruiting applicants, talent acquisition, or interacting with HR personnel and senior HR executives. I thought I'd share some insights from my various experiences about working from the inside.

1) We love applicants who only follow up once via email.

Sadly, the most difficult aspect of being in recruiting is how little we are allowed to say because we don't have specific time lines or information. The hiring process can be very lengthy, iffy, and constantly changes. There are weeks where we are waiting to see how the work flow will end up that affects the number of people we hire. Most often, when we don't get back to people it's because we don't have any new information to give you to elevate you to the next process or you are not our highest candidate. I know it's frustrating to try to figure out which category you are in. And the truth is, you will most likely never know. The only definite rule is the more you bug HR with incessant follow up, the more we think you're annoying, don't respect the hiring process, and how you don't realize that sometimes hiring people can take a really long time. Do know that good HR recruiters will tell you when you are no longer in the running. If HR really likes you, they will place you in their talent pipeline and strongly encourage you to keep in touch with them should something else open up. Send us your newest resume, reel, or check in once every couple of months to be on our radar. One thing I know for sure from being in recruiting and being a job hunter - if we really want you we'll go to extreme lengths to find your newest contact information or we will try to recruit you away from your current job.

2) The little details really do matter.

If you're late, we raise our eyebrow. If your resume and cover letter are riddled we typos we question your attention to detail. If you're uncomfortable making small talk, we wonder if you can interact with clients well or will be fun to work with every day. However, HR can also be very humane and forgiving. We've hired people who were 20 minutes late to an interview that was only 30 min. And all we gave them were 10 min so they had to make the best of it. We know LA traffic is horrendous and sometimes it really can't be avoided. We've hired people even though they answered all the questions correctly and were skilled, but didn't seem energized or excited. We chalked it up to a bad day and an isolated incident. Do your very best and present yourself well, but be hopeful that a slip up isn't an automatic end-of-the-world scenario.

3) When we contact you, get back to us as soon as you can.

When we schedule interviews, numerous people are involved. Sometimes we ask you to meet with as many as 6 people at once, whether in a group or individually. We might offer to fly you in so we have to get approval from our executives and work with our travel agent. Or the sheer number of people we need to interview means we need to reach out to 7 people for one job. Chances are, we reach out to our top candidates first and treat them as a priority. So the sooner you call us back, the better choices you will have in interview times and the further along we can move you in the interview process at a faster rate. It works best if you respond to us in the manner we asked. If we asked you to email us, please email us. It helps because we now have a paper trail so it's easier to keep tabs on the 7 candidates we are interviewing for this one job. Often we are filling multiple jobs. If we call you and ask you to call us back, do that. It often means it's time sensitive so we need to touch base, explain details, and properly screen you that makes emailing a less productive form of communication. Good signs are if HR calls your house, cell, and emails you. We are trying to reach you quickly! We don't mean to be annoying! Responding to us as soon as your schedule allows lets us know you are responsive and good with follow through.

4) Show up early, not on time.

We love applicants who show up 15 minutes early. If you're not there by then, we now start worrying if you will be late or not show up at all. So then we have to look for your cell number and wonder if we should call you to find out if you're lost and your ETA. We have think about pushing the meetings after you and how much our schedule will be thrown off. When you show up 15 minutes early, you also give us the mental reminder to prepare for your interview to make the best of it. If you show up too early, the hostess in us worries you'll be bored or we wonder if you didn't have anywhere else important to be prior to seeing us. Showing up early will also give you time to use the restroom, find parking, do a last minute prep or take in our corporate culture by observing people coming in and out of our lobby or reading whatever magazines and books we have available.

5) Sometimes you are very qualified, but you're not the right fit.

This means various different things - you have too much experience, will your personality gel with our team, or do your short term and long term goals fit with our company's needs. This is a very difficult thing to learn or overcome because most often HR doesn't have the time to explain this to you or believe it is something you should be asked to "fix." If HR doesn't choose you, know it's for the best as you want a company that will look out for your needs as well as theirs.

Keep in mind the upside of a job hunt is searching for the best relationships with a company. It starts with HR who is your mediator between the company and your boss/team. It includes the relationships you have with your peers, co-workers, and your supervisors. What you should be looking for are the mutually-beneficial positions so everyone wins!

Answering Reader Mail: Finding Temp Agencies in Los Angeles

JH recently wrote me and asked the following question, "With so many temp agencies out there, I don't know which is/isn't good. I was wondering if you could give me the name of the temp agency you worked with. Thanks so much in advance!"

Dear JH,

Thank you for reading my blog! You ask a very good question and I'm so glad you are being proactive with your job hunt and career.

A lot of people ask me this question and this is what I tell everyone. The best strategy is to sign up with every single temp agency in town. When I started out, no one really had a website/blog/Twitter/Facebook/MySpace so I just opened up the YellowPages and called every single one. Lucky for you, there's Google!

You'll find that every major movie studio, tv network, or entertainment company usually has their own in-house temping agency. If a company you want to temp at isn't a huge company, you'll find that there are a handful of temp agencies that stand alone that cater to the remaining companies such as the agencies or production companies. Some good places to start are the Comar Agency, Friedman Agency, and The Grapevine to name a few. You'll also find that there are temp agencies that cater only to the legal field or accounting, but have 2-3 entertainment clients on the off-chance. Don't forget to reach out to those companies too!

Once you find out their email or fax number, they will ask you to submit your cover letter and resume. If they think they can find work for you, they will bring you in. It will take an hour or two to take typing, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint tests. They may ask you to take tests for Outlook, 10-key, or grammar/writing as well. You'll also meet with a recruiter/agent for an interivew portion to discuss your background and what you're looking for. Some agencies will completely reformat your resume (with your final approval for accuracy) for you to their style/liking or will ask you to revise your resume to their standards. Sometimes it will take a week or two to be called in for an interview/testing appointment. You may also have to pay for your own 1-2 hour parking while you are meeting with these agencies because they don't offer validated parking. They will ask you what other temp agencies you are working through, what other jobs you recently applied to, and how much you make to make sure no one's time is wasted and to prevent from you being submitted to the same job 3 times.

You'll find some temp agencies are very elite in who they will allow to work for them. It's rumored that some places won't take anyone green at all. The very good temp agencies will call you for work every morning instead of making you call them. Good temp agencies will also keep in mind what your career goals are and what you want. (I was once offered a job. However, the catch was, I had to accept it on the spot without an interview, without meeting any co-workers, or knowing anything about the job. All I knew was the department and my job title. I said no. It didn't sit well with me that the usual interview process wasn't in place.)

Other things to keep in mind... It's best to choose temp agencies that are near your house. Very often, you'll get a call at 8am saying they need you to start at 9am. They are less likely to pick you for a Valley assignment if you live on the Westside, if at all. Take every assignment offered to gain exposure so they get used to working with you regardless of the field (tv, film, radio, internet, PR, talent management, music). Your goal when temping isn't a full-time job, but to first prove you are a good worker, get more assignments, get better assignments, and become the top candidate on their list once openings arise. It's also your chance to see if you like the company, the corporate culture, and if it's the right fit. Be prepared for very slow days. Whatever task they assign you, do it correctly, quickly, and happily. Prove you are good at the mundane boring stuff so they will think about giving you juicier tasks. And realize sometimes there isn't a lot to do but answer the phone and take messages.

All the typical rules apply when on a temp assignment that apply to a full-time job. Don't be late, call in sick appropriately (but bring in a doctor's note so they don't think you are interviewing), dress business casual or for the office you work in, don't see your temp job as a place to schmooze, network, or sell your screenplay/etc. You get the picture.

Here are some ways to stand out above the rest aside from a very-well written cover letter and resume. If you have written letters of recommendation give the temp agency copies. Also, spruce up your LinkedIn profile and have a lot recommendations there with 360 views. Sign up with Brazen Careerist and start a blog (see mine and link to me) so you have a web presence. 99% of temp jobs are for assistant, PA, or similar type positions. Make sure your resume reflects those necessary skills, even if when you did it was at an internship. (My resume when I started out had both college and high school internships so that I could utilize the full page. Some might question the high school portion but it was very relevant - I was a journalist and on-air so I had reels and writing samples if requested. All of my previous work experience was in the field of education so it was listed, but not emphasized.)

Right now there might be fewer temping assignments, but the majority of job openings I've seen in the entertainment industry are for people just out of college. They are all entry-level so things are on your side, JH! Feel free to ask more questions and I hope to read about your journey through a Brazen Careerist blog.

Best,
Kiyomi :)

How I Broke The #1 Rule As A Temp & Lived To Tell It

A great way to get your foot in the door with a company is to be a temporary assistant. You fill in for people if they are sick, on vacation, or on maternity leave. The assignments can last for a day or two to even a couple of months. The best part is, there are a ton of temp agencies and anyone can apply. I had zero connections in Hollywood, so this is how I got my start.

The #1 rule of temping is you're not supposed to ask for jobs or try to get employment on your own to honor the relationship and introduction your agent forged with the company you're at. Your agent is supposed to be the go-between should a company want to hire you so they can collect a fee for "discovering" and "delivering" you to said company. This is how they make their money. Temp agencies help companies find temporary talent, do all the legwork, take care of the screening process, and issue the paychecks. And usually a company that has worked with the same temp repeatedly will want to hire them permanently.

Straight out of college, I joined the temp pool while I was job hunting. I got assigned to the desk of a VP while someone was out on maternity leave. One day, I noticed one of my co-workers bringing in a lot of people. I wasn't that close to her so I didn't know why. After a couple of days, I kept noticing she was still walking people through. I eventually got up the nerve to ask her who all these people were and she mentioned she was leaving the company and needed to find a replacement.

At that point, I had seen her bring in at least 5-7 people and figured they weren't finding the right person. I mentioned I'd love to be considered as I was temping and the regular assistant would return. My co-worker was extremely apologetic and said she would have totally considered me, but she thought I was already an employee and not a temp.

So with her help, she submitted me and had my temp agency contacted to say I was being considered. I did get hired and it all worked out in the end. I thought I'd get in trouble for what I did, but it turns out everyone was really happy and pleased!

I worked for the Chairman/CEO and finding someone to replace me to work for a VP wasn't hard at all. Because I had been at the company for awhile, I had already worked with the people who were my new bosses so it was a really smooth transition. Me speaking up saved them from a longer, more difficult search.

Before you break the rules, you should understand them and why they are in place. The goal is to act in a MUTUALLY-BENEFICIAL manner so everyone wins. Work the situation in your favor as delicately as possible without pissing anyone off in the process.

The Difficulties of Blogging Daily & Networking

As you know, I'm new to the blogging world. Penelope wasn't lying when she said the biggest challenge is to have something great to write every single day. I've only been doing this for 2 weeks and I'm fast running out of ideas on what to write about.

Although I love my life, I don't think something special happens every day. Mix in the fact that I'm slightly annoyed at life that I don't want to write about anything I'm annoyed about cause I'll completely forget why I was annoyed in about 3 days! LOL So why record inconsequential details? What's surprising is nothing ever annoys me and for the past week little things have been getting on my nerves. It will be some minute incident in the day and the very next day something else will happen that I've realized I've never been this annoyed in I can't remember when!

When I'm annoyed, I don't feel like blogging so instead of writing first thing in the morning, I wait a couple of hours. I'm forcing myself to write today because if I skip one day, I'll just keep skipping days. How does everyone else stay creative and motivated? I'm the first to admit I'm not creative at all, nor does my work really require me to be.

Ryan of BC commented on my post "Is There A Profession That Doesn't Need A Blog?" He said I shouldn't so much as see it as HAVING to write a blog, but is there anyone that can't afford NOT to network? I thought it was a better perspective. Ryan also said farming blogs are even starting to pop up. So I TRY very hard to write on my blog M-F to connect with others and learn from them. I did also go to a networking event last night.

I have mixed feelings about them, but I do think it's fun to be out of the house. I view it more as a chance to run into people who run in other circles but we find ourselves at all the same events so it's nice to catch up. It's also neat to make new friends if you hit it off with someone.

I'm much better at meeting new people alone since I'm forced to reach out to strangers instead of talking to the friend I went with. It's also too hard to carry a group conversation with 3 others and try to get to know them a little better.

All was not lost last night. I ran into two old contacts and it was so nice to see them. And I met 4-5 new people. After about an hour though, I headed out with my friend. I can't circle the room for much longer than that usually! LOL

Are there new bloggers out there like me who are hitting a wall so quickly as well?

Only 3 Things Are Needed To Be Happy / DJ AM

Whenever you are in a funk and aren't sure what to do to pull yourself out of it, focus on three specific areas that will truly make a difference in your life. Gordon Livingston, M.D., speaks from lot of experience - both personally and professionally. He's one of my favorite authors.

Gordon says you only need three things to be happy.

1) Someone to love
2) Something to do
3) Something to look forward to

I'm not sure if he purposefully wrote someone to love first. I'd like to think he did. Relationships are the pillar of our existence. This can mean many things aside from romantic love.

Something to do covers work and hobbies and having a purpose in our life - being useful, productive and contributing to the world.

Something to look forward is essential to keep your eye on the future. It's probably easiest to start here. Plan a coffee date with friends or even just a visit to your local park to play on the swings. No one can be unhappy on a swing!

I started pondering all of this with the loss of DJ AM (Adam Goldstein). I admit I've never been to any of his parties or heard his mixing, but just being in Hollywood, it's always sad to lose someone so young in a tragic way. Upon his death I started reading more about him. He was very well-respected in the industry, not just as a DJ, but a human being too. In one of his interviews, he said something that I thought we could all benefit from that relates to being and staying happy. And notice he started with very small steps through his journey of addiction, 11 years of sobriety, and turning his life around to find joy in everyday life.

"In my recovery meetings, I was told the solution for low self-esteem was to do estimable acts. Whether it was letting someone over in traffic; calling a friend and saying, “How are you doing today?”; or something more serious, like feeding the homeless at a shelter, I made sure to do one selfless act per day. Then I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about it. Little by little, I gained confidence in myself. I no longer needed a trophy girlfriend or drugs to feel good about myself."

I found two things remarkable with what DJ AM said. First, the act of doing one selfless deed a day without telling anyone is truly a sign of being selfless. Usually doing the selfless deed is rewarded with the admiration people bestow upon you when they hear of the good deed. In this case, doing the selfless act is the main focus, not the praise given.

Second, when he was down he usually focused on external objects to make himself happy which is what most people do. However, he learned when you are down, it's a more meaningful way to bring happiness to your own life by sharing a happy and giving moment with someone else. It's about the experience and its interactions of life that bring happiness, not the acquiring of objects.

Do one small thing every day and build upon it. Build relationships, start new ones, and seek out meaningful exchanges. And that's the key - look outward in your time of need and be a friend to someone else. You'll find that it will come back full circle before you know it.

The True Meaning Of Being In Control

I assume most people on the Brazen Careerist network are go-getters, initiators, and passionate about their career and going after what they want much like myself. From a young age, I've been working and have sought out opportunities to learn and grow. It was always instilled in me that through hard work and sheer persistence, I could get what I wanted. It's what I was told and it's what I was rewarded out in the real world time and time again.

The difficulty arises when what you've been doing all your life no longer starts working through no fault of your own. For example, getting laid off due to a world wide economic crisis. You beat out all the other candidates to get your job, you work hard with rave reviews, and your position is eliminated in the end. The formula has always been motivated action equals great results equals having control of my life and destiny. Until it just no longer is...

Toward the end of college I started to realize that things didn't always go according to plan even though I planned, prepared, and carried out all the right steps. The world is not my oyster and that was an eye opener for me. It was frustrating because I didn't know what else I could do. I felt at the mercy and whim of the world or other people around me. And after I graduated from college of course it only got worse. Welcome to the real world! It's called life! ;)

It took me a long time to realize that the only way to remain in control was to actually give up the idea that I was in control in the first place. It's important to do all the right things anyway, but I had to shift my thinking from expecting formulaic results from my actions. Instead, I view it more as creating my own luck. I may not see the results immediately, but on a whole, things will add up in the end. The more control you give up, ironically, the more control you actually have and the more you are in control. It's about being able to account for and deal with the unexpected that will arise. That is the true meaning of being in control - being okay with knowing you really don't have any at all.

The only thing a person really has control over are their own actions, thoughts, behaviors, and reactions. But that's really all you need to navigate this world. No matter how difficult the turmoil, you can always view it and deal with it in a positive, healthy, and enriching manner. Find a way to learn something and become a better person in all your trials and tribulations. What else do you have to lose?

Often The Why Of Something Is Irrelevant

Since the economy crashed and thousands have become unemployed, many might have questioned, "why me?!" even though they were dedicated, hard workers. The fact that job stability doesn't exist and lay offs seem inevitable or random can be very disconcerting. Most become mired in the whys and how could this have happened to me cycle.

Fortunately or unfortunately, almost every single company that I've ever worked at has either been bought out or merged. Luckily, I was unaffected most of the time, but the sense of doom and low morale in the company always prevailed. Before I even graduated college, the idea of zero job stability was already on my horizon.

With life and with employment, dissecting the why of something and often, how to revert it back to how things were before is usually futile. In many cases, you were the last person to know of whatever bad news was finally delivered - the layoff, the heartbreak, or whatever your current crisis is. Think about it - before anyone is laid off - the immediate supervisor knows, the boss knows, the dept head knows, HR knows, and so does the head of the company. In a break up, the significant other knows and at least their best friend because they discussed it at length, perhaps even parents know. The best way to move on is to not ask "why," but to ask, "what now?"

People focus on the why thinking they can do something different or go back and change people's minds or somehow argue a point they think no one thought of before. In reality, even if they didn't think of your brilliant plan B or suggestion, the chance of you getting a forum to present your idea is also probably non-existent. Everyone, but you, got together to discuss it from all angles and it was decided the best solution for everyone involved, including you, would be X. When two parties are involved, if one party wants out, regardless of the reason, the partnership no longer works and is already over. It could be for a benign or malicious reason, but the bottom line is if one party has moved on, so should the one left behind.

The goal in any crisis should be to move on and plan your next step. If you can show that you dealt with the bad news pretty well, at least you increase chances of being able to work with a company again or be on friendly terms with anyone you parted ways, once the timing becomes mutually-beneficial for everyone involved.

It's hard to go through life knowing sometimes your ideas, thoughts, and existence don't have an impact - that what you say, do, or think has no bearing on someone else. But, there will always be someone out there who needs your skills and intelligence. It's now your mission to find them and concoct a plan of action.