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Hi Reader, “I’m Lisa Mahar. I’m here for the production workshop.” “Yes, you’re on the list. Go on through,” said the security guard, cheerful as an excited Labrador. The list. How fancy. Taking in the pristine grounds and two giant sound stages towering over me, I grabbed a seat next to a woman called Roslyn. She leaned over. “There were only supposed to be 12 of us. But so many people applied, they expanded it to 28. There’s still a waitlist.” Roslyn’s been in the screen industry for years. She works in accounts. By morning tea we were email besties. Now here’s the thing about that list. Nobody put me on it. I had to apply. Like it was a job. Sending my resume and a full explanation of why I should be one of the chosen few. The post popped up in my Facebook feed. I fired off my application within minutes, while smugly patting myself on the back that my resume was up to date and didn’t include a headshot. Now, ECU didn’t ask me to do this. Sure, part of my job is to connect with industry. But usually that means getting the cold shoulder at an overcrowded career expo, or trading industry tips over an expensive latte. Me? I’m a bit more … unconventional. In my first year, the Principal at my son’s school got cornered at Kiss n Drive. Multiple times. While I rapidly upskilled on teacher recruitment. (He now parks around the back.) This year I’ve taken it to a new level. A PR workshop in May, followed by relentless pitching to Australian media. It’s been a full-blown crash course on everything journalism and broadcasting. I’ll freely admit I’m also doing it for me. I’m career-proofing myself. So when the email pinged in my inbox saying “we’re officially pleased to offer you a seat in the production office workshop at Perth Film Studios”, it went straight in the calendar. As if allocating a Saturday (unpaid, no less) was going to stop me. It was a cracker of a day. I now know what Taylor Swift smells like, the industry’s hatred of photos on resumes, and about the secret WhatsApp group for problem crew. Some of the info I knew. Plenty I didn’t. And some of it made me laugh out loud, because it’s exactly what every employer in every industry whinges about when it comes to hiring people. Nobody was ever going to put my name on the list. So I added myself. And who knows. Maybe one day I’ll even have a credit to my name. ~Lisa P.S. Want the full rundown on how you actually end up in the screen industry? Hit reply, let me know what you want to hear about, and I’ll write it. Your Q&AI Got the Job. Without the Rage Hi Lisa, So I finally have some exciting news to share with you. I have officially been made store manager of a large-format homemaker store. I am so excited. I finally got the store format I wanted and start in November. And you’ll be happy to know I didn’t rage apply whatsoever. I took my time and got the job I wanted. Thank you so much for always being here and your support and your advice. I truly appreciate who you are as a person. Trina. Hi Trina, A store manager role, in the format you wanted, and not a single rage application. I’m bloody delighted for you. It’s tempting to apply for anything when you’ve had enough. Then you get an offer and have to work out whether you actually want the job you’ve just spent an interview convincing someone to give you. You took your time. You knew what you wanted. And you got it. Thank you for your lovely words. I’m glad my advice helped, but you’re the one who did the work. Give yourself credit for that. Now, starting in retail in November? Clearly you felt the new role needed a Christmas-themed baptism of fire. Congratulations, Trina. Go and celebrate. ~Lisa Get in ContactTo ask me a question about resumes or job searching, reply to this email. If it’s a standout question, I might share my thoughts in future newsletters. Read This: It’s ImportantThis information is for general purposes and doesn’t consider your individual circumstances. It serves educational goals and isn’t formal career advice. Always seek personalized guidance tailored to your needs. |
